On this day

December 3, 1980

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

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Headlines from December 3, 1980

POLISH COMMUNISTS OUST 4 KEY LEADERS; GENERAL GETS POST; OLD GUARD SET BACK Kania Seen Strengthened in the Crisis--Moczar Makes a Comeback Moczar Guided Anti-Zionist Drive Conservatives Are Dismissed Party in Poland Ousts 4 Leaders; Moczar Returns Moczar Takes a Liberal Tack

By John Darnton Special To the New York Times

WARSAW, Dec. 2--Meeting in an atmosphere of crisis, the Communist Party's Central Committee dismissed four members of the ruling Politburo today and returned a former Interior Minister to that body.

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Jean Harris Jury Told of Clothing Found 'Slashed'; Belonged to the Defendant in Tarnower Slaying Defense Calls It 'Accident' Two Diaries Missing Jean Harris Jury Told of Clothing Found 'Slashed' Mrs. Tryforos Identified Played a Domestic Role

By James Feron Special To the New York Times

WHITE PLAINS, Dec. 2--Jean S. Harris returned from a trip to the Caribbean with Dr. Herman Tarnower in March 1979 --a year before the doctor was fatally shot--to find the clothing she kept in his house "slashed and ripped," according to testimony today in Westchester County Court.

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Porsche's American President; Unique Function Porsche Placing American at Helm Management Unsettled Easy in Some Respects?

By John Vinocur Special To the New York Times

BONN, Dec. 2--Next Jan. 7, an American will take over as president and chief executive of the Porsche automobile company. He has never been inside its headquarters, has yet to drive a Porsche, and until two years ago did not know enough German to get through a newspaper.

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BUSINESS Digest; The Economy Companies International Markets Today's Columns

By Unknown Author

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Conrail's Chief Gloomy on Plan To Improve Line; New Haven's Modernizing 3 Years Behind Schedule Completion Date Seen in 1984 State Official More Optimistic Conrail Chief Sees Gloomy Future

By Diane Henry Special To the New York Times

STAMFORD, Dec. 2--Conrail's new general manager, Joseph F. Spreng, declared today that the New Haven line was in a "crisis" and that an essential and long-awaited modernization program would not be completed for four years.

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of December 3, 1980, covering December 3, 1980.

1
Guilty
Barbra Streisand
Last week
2
Peak
1
Weeks
9
2
Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits
Kenny Rogers
Last week
3
Peak
2
Weeks
8
3
Hotter Than July
Stevie Wonder
Last week
4
Peak
3
Weeks
4
4
The River
Bruce Springsteen
Last week
1
Peak
1
Weeks
6
5
Back In Black
AC/DC
Last week
6
Peak
5
Weeks
16

Notable Births

1980Anna Chlumsky, American actress^[†]

Anna Maria Chlumsky is an American actress. She began acting as a child, and first became known for playing Vada Sultenfuss in the film My Girl (1991) and its sequel, My Girl 2. Following her early roles, she went on hiatus from 1999 to 2005 to attend college. Chlumsky returned to acting with roles in several independent films, including Blood Car (2007) and In the Loop (2009). She portrayed Amy Brookheimer on the HBO television series Veep (2012–2019), which earned her six nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, among other accolades.

1980Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer^[†]

Jenna Lee Dewan is an American actress and dancer. She started her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and later worked with artists including Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Missy Elliott. She is known for her role as Nora Clark in the 2006 film Step Up. She has also starred on the short-lived NBC series The Playboy Club and had a recurring role on the FX series American Horror Story: Asylum. She portrayed Freya Beauchamp on the Lifetime series Witches of East End, Lucy Lane in The CW series Supergirl and Superman & Lois, and Joanna in Soundtrack on Netflix. Dewan has hosted the reality television shows World of Dance and Flirty Dancing and served as a judge on Come Dance with Me. She currently stars as Bailey Nolan on ABC's The Rookie. She also had a recurring role on the FOX medical drama The Resident.

1980Zlata Filipović, Bosnian-Irish diarist^[†]

Zlata Filipović is a Bosnian-Irish diarist. She kept a diary from 1991 to 1993 when she was a child living in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, later published as a book.

Notable Deaths

1980Oswald Mosley, English lieutenant, fascist, and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1896)^[†]

Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, was a British aristocrat and politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when he, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, turned to fascism. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow from 1918 to 1924 and for Smethwick from 1926 to 1931. He founded the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932 and led it until its forced disbandment in 1940.

Historical Context for December 3, 1980

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

Headlines from December 3, 1980

POLISH COMMUNISTS OUST 4 KEY LEADERS; GENERAL GETS POST; OLD GUARD SET BACK Kania Seen Strengthened in the Crisis--Moczar Makes a Comeback Moczar Guided Anti-Zionist Drive Conservatives Are Dismissed Party in Poland Ousts 4 Leaders; Moczar Returns Moczar Takes a Liberal Tack

Jean Harris Jury Told of Clothing Found 'Slashed'; Belonged to the Defendant in Tarnower Slaying Defense Calls It 'Accident' Two Diaries Missing Jean Harris Jury Told of Clothing Found 'Slashed' Mrs. Tryforos Identified Played a Domestic Role

Porsche's American President; Unique Function Porsche Placing American at Helm Management Unsettled Easy in Some Respects?

BUSINESS Digest; The Economy Companies International Markets Today's Columns

Conrail's Chief Gloomy on Plan To Improve Line; New Haven's Modernizing 3 Years Behind Schedule Completion Date Seen in 1984 State Official More Optimistic Conrail Chief Sees Gloomy Future

Guilty

Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits

Hotter Than July

The River

Back In Black

Notable Births

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for December 3, 1980