On this day

February 17, 1980

Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from February 17, 1980

F.B.I. COVER-UP SEEN IN 60'S KLAN ATTACKS; Justice Dept. Study Finds Agents Ignored Violence by Informer Study Concludes F.B.I. Agents Covered Up Informer's Role in 60's Klan Attacks Seven-Month Delay Veto on Klan Violence Different Accounts of Slaying Freedom Rider Incident Street Fight With Blacks Messages to Director F.B.I. Inaction Criticized Findings on Alleged Killing

By Howell Raines Special To the New York Times

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation knew about and apparently covered up involvement in violent attacks on blacks, civil rights activists and journalists by its ...

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On the Edge; For Bani-Sadr, Hostage Crisis Diverts From Islamic Goals Getting Back to the Revolution An Academic Infighter

By John Kifner

BEIRUT, Lebanon--When Abolhassan Bani-Sadr moved into his office as revolutionary Iran's Finance Minister, he installed an unusual piece of professional equipment--a system of microfilmed cards that crossindexed any possible economic situation with a relevant passage in the Koran. His pet project, the system was designed to enable him to guide and develop the economy along Islamic lines.

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Speed Skater Captures 5,000-Meter Competition; 33 Seconds a Lap 'No More Power' Heiden Wins a Second Gold Building Confidence

By Neil Amdur Special To the New York Times

LAKE PLACID, N.Y., Feb. 16--Yesterday, it was a duel in the sun. Today, Eric Heiden won his second speed skating gold medal of the XIII Olympic Winter Games in a snow-filled game of "Beat the Clock." The victory made it two down and three to go for Heiden in his quest for a record five individual gold medals.

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of February 13, 1980, covering February 17, 1980.

  1. 1
    Album cover for The Wall by Pink Floyd

    The Wall

    Pink Floyd

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    10
  2. 2
    Album cover for Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

    Damn The Torpedoes

    Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    2
    Weeks
    15
  3. 3
    Album cover for Off The Wall by Michael Jackson

    Off The Wall

    Michael Jackson

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    3
    Weeks
    25
  4. 4
    Album cover for The Long Run by Eagles

    The Long Run

    Eagles

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    18
  5. 5
    Album cover for Phoenix by Dan Fogelberg

    Phoenix

    Dan Fogelberg

    Last week
    6
    Peak
    5
    Weeks
    11

Notable Births

Al Harrington

1980Al Harrington, American basketball player[†]

Albert Harrington is an American former professional basketball player. Selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Harrington played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards. He also spent a short stint with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Jason Ritter

1980Jason Ritter, American actor[†]

Jason Morgan Ritter is an American actor. The son of actors John Ritter and Nancy Morgan, he is known for his work in television series such as Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005), Gravity Falls (2012–2016), Another Period (2015–2018), Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (2017–2018), Raising Dion (2019–2022), and Matlock (2024–). For his portrayal of Mark Cyr on NBC's Parenthood (2010–2014), Ritter was nominated for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor.

Klemi Saban

1980Klemi Saban, Israeli footballer[†]

Klemi Saban,, is a retired Israeli football defender. Saban is mostly known for playing at Maccabi Netanya, there he played 6 years, captained the club and won over 200 caps in all club competitions.

Historical Events

Mount Everest

1980First winter ascent of Mount Everest by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.[†]

Mount Everest, known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its summit. Its height was most recently measured in 2020 by Chinese and Nepali authorities as 8,848.86 m.

Historical Context for February 17, 1980

In 1980, the world population was approximately 4,447,606,236 people[†]