Historical Events
- Pitcher Bob Gibson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility; after a stellar 17 year career, polls 337 votes from Baseball Writers Association of America
- Police drama "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC-TV
Pope Receives Wałęsa
Pope John Paul II receives Lech Wałęsa and Solidarity delegation at the Vatican
Famous Birthdays
- El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese footballer, born in Dakar, Senegal
- Howie Day, American pop-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Collide"), born in Bangor, Maine
- Pitbull [Armando Christian Perez], American rapper, born in Miami, Florida
- Sean Lamont, Scottish rugby union footballer, born in Perth, United Kingdom
Famous Deaths
- David E. Lilienthal, American attorney and government administrator (Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933-46; Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, 1946-50), dies at 81
- Emanuel Celler, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York), dies at 92
Died in 1981 1981 Highlights
About January 15, 1981
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 43 years, 3 months and 21 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Millennial
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Capricorn
Music Charts
#1 Song: (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
#1 Song: Imagine - John Lennon
