What Happened in July 1981

Historical Events

  • Jul 1 Laurel Canyon California murders (4 die, 1 wounded)
  • Jul 1 Nell Dunn's "Steaming" premieres in London

Event of Interest

Jul 1 Prince Willem Alexander opens Willems Bridge in Rotterdam

  • Jul 1 Radio Shack 3rd release of Model III TRSDOS 1.3
  • Jul 3 NYC transit fare rises from 60 cents to 75 cents, new brass Y-cut-out token

Wimbledon Women's Tennis

Jul 3 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Chris Evert beats Hana Mandlíková 6-2, 6-2 for her third and final Wimbledon singles title

Wimbledon Men's Tennis

Jul 4 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: John McEnroe ends Björn Borg's streak of 5 straight Wimbledon titles with a famous 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory

Canadian Women's Open

Jul 5 Canadian Open Women's Golf (Peter Jackson Classic), Summerlea GC: Jan Stephenson of Australia wins by 1 shot from Pat Bradley & Nancy Lopez

  • Jul 5 Premier Begin's Likud party wins Israeli elections
  • Jul 5 Rajan Mahadevan recites 31,811 digits of π (Pi) from memory
  • Jul 5 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan

Cricket History

Jul 7 England cricket captain Ian Botham resigned after no wins in 12 matches under his reign and a pair in the 2nd Test v Australia at Lord's

Event of Interest

Jul 7 Sandra Day O'Connor nominated for the US Supreme Court, 1st female Supreme Court justice by President Ronald Reagan

  • Jul 7 The solar-powered aircraft, Solar Challenger, successfully completes a 163 mile flight across the English Channel
  • Jul 8 France performs nuclear test
  • Jul 8 French Prime Minister Maurois nationalizes banks/plane/steel industry in France
  • Jul 9 Jacksons begin a 36-city tour

Film & TV History

Jul 9 Nintendo release arcade game "Donkey Kong" created by Shigeru Miyamoto in Japan (July 31 in the US)

Escape from New York

Jul 10 "Escape from New York" directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell and Donald Pleasence, premieres in the US

  • Jul 10 CERN achieves 1st proton-antiproton beam collision (570 GeV)
  • Jul 10 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
  • Jul 10 Walt Disney's "Fox & The Hound" released
  • Jul 11 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
  • Jul 11 Neva Rockefeller is 1st woman ordered to pay her husband alimony

Sports History

Jul 11 Sebastian Coe of UK sets record for 1K (2:12.18)

US Senior Golf Open

Jul 12 US Senior Open Men's Golf, Oakland Hills CC: Arnold Palmer comfortably wins 18-hole playoff against Billy Casper and Bob Stone

  • Jul 14 Kevin Wade's "Key Exchange," premieres in London
  • Jul 16 India performs nuclear Test
  • Jul 16 Shukuni Sasaki spins 72 plates simultaneously
  • Jul 17 "This is Burlesque" closes at Princess Theater NYC after 28 performances
  • Jul 17 Fulton County (Atlanta) grand jury indicts Wayne B William 23-year-old photographers, for murder of 2 of 28 blacks killed in Atlanta
  • Jul 17 Glasdrumman ambush: the Provisional Irish Republican Army attack a British Army post in South Armagh, killing 1 soldier and injuring another
  • Jul 17 Humber Estuary Bridge in UK opens, world's longest span (1.4 km)
  • Jul 17 Israeli bombers destroy PLO/al-Fatah headquarters in Beirut
  • Jul 17 Lobby walkways at Kansas City's Hyatt Regency hotel collapse killing 114 and injuring over 200
  • Jul 17 USSR performs nuclear Test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
  • Jul 18 Polish communist party selects ex-party leader Edward Gierek

British Golf Open

Jul 19 British Open Men's Golf, Royal St George's GC: American Bill Rogers wins his only major title, 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Bernhard Langer of Germany

  • Jul 19 South African Springbok rugby team arrives in New Zealand beginning 56 days of 'near civil war' in the country between anti-apartheid protesters and tour supporters [1]
  • Jul 20 England set for innings loss v Aust, Botham hits 100 in 87 balls
  • Jul 20 Irene Sáez, of Venezuela, crowned 30th Miss Universe
  • Jul 21 Australia set 130 to win, all out 111 at Headingley Willis 8-43

Event of Interest

Jul 22 Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca sentenced to life imprisonment in a court in Rome, Italy

  • Jul 23 14th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at El Cortez Hotel
  • Jul 24 Mohammed Ali Rajai elected president of Iran
  • Jul 25 Anti-apartheid protesters in Hamilton, New Zealand, force the cancellation of a rugby match between the provincial team Waikato and South Africa’s Springboks by invading the pitch during the game [1]
  • Jul 26 2 climbers fall 550 m down cliff near Angel Falls, Venezuela

Event of Interest

Jul 26 New York Mayor Ed Koch is given the Heimlich maneuver in a Chinese restaurant

  • Jul 26 US Open Women's Golf, La Grange CC: Pat Bradley shoots final round 66 (−6) to finish 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Beth Daniel; second of Bradley's 6 major titles
  • Jul 29 Anti-apartheid protesters against the Springbok rugby tour are confronted by police who use batons to stop them marching to South Africa’s Consul in New Zealand
  • Jul 29 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Amphitheater is dedicated (Cleveland, Ohio)
  • Jul 29 Deposed Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr flees to France
  • Jul 29 Former Iranian president Bani Sadr flees to Paris
  • Jul 30 Belgian Senate accept laws against racism
  • Jul 30 Simon Gray's play "Quartermaine's Terms" premieres in London
  • Jul 30 UN Nations Human Rights Commission rules Canada violated International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in case of Wolastoqiyik woman Sandra Lovelace who lost her status through marriage [1]
  • Jul 31 Arnette Hubbard installed as 1st woman president of National Bar Association
  • Jul 31 Mid-season strike by MLB players ends after 42 days causing cancellation of 713 games; players and owners come to an agreement on free agent compensation
  • Jul 31 Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Mieczyslaw Jagielski is fired
1981 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Jul 1 Tadhg Kennelly, Irish-born Australian Rules footballer, (County Kerry 2009, Sydney Swans 2005 championships), born in Listowel, Ireland
  • Jul 2 Aaron Voros, Canadian hockey player
  • Jul 2 Alex Koroknay-Palicz, American youth rights activist
  • Jul 2 Angel Pagán, Puerto Rican baseball player
  • Jul 4 Francisco Cruceta, Dominican baseball player, born in La Vega, Dominican Republic
  • Jul 4 Tahar Rahim, French actor (The Serpent), born in Belmont, France
  • Jul 5 Jesse Crain, Canadian baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 2013; Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox; career W-L 45-30), born in Toronto, Ontario
  • Jul 5 Ryan Hansen, American actor (Veronica Mars), born in Fountain Valley, California
  • Jul 6 Nnamdi Asomugha, American football player, born in Lafayette, Louisiana

MS Dhoni (42 years old)

Jul 7 Indian cricket wicket-keeper and captain (90 Tests, 6 x 100, HS 224, 294 dismissals; Bihar, Jharkhand, Chennai Super Kings), born in Jharkhand, India

  • Jul 7 Synyster Gates, American guitarist (Avenged Sevenfold), born in Long Beach, California
  • Jul 8 Anastasia Myskina, Russian tennis player (2004 French Open; World #2 2004; Federation Cup 2004, 05), born in Moscow, Russia
  • Jul 8 Lance Gross, American actor (The Paynes), born in Oakland California
  • Jul 9 Kimveer Gill, Canadian spree shooter (Dawson College shooting) (d. 2006)
  • Jul 11 Aaron Proctor, American professional wrestling promoter and politician
  • Jul 11 Andre Johnson, American Pro Football HOF wide receiver (First-team All-Pro 2008, 09; 7 × Pro Bowl; NFL receptions leader 2006, 08 Houston Texans), born in Miami, Florida
  • Jul 11 Carla Campbell, Jamaican model
  • Jul 11 Mary Beth Arnold, American gymnast (World-bronze-95), born in Reno, Nevada
  • Jul 12 Adie [Adrienne Camp], South African contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter (The Benjamin Gate), born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
  • Jul 13 Michael Mando, Canadian actor (Better Call Saul), born in Quebec City. Quebec
  • Jul 14 Lee Mead, English actor (Any Dream Will Do), born in Southend-on-Sea, England
  • Jul 14 Yomi [Jun Chiba], Japanese rock vocalist (Nightmare), born in Ōsaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
  • Jul 15 Taylor Kinney, American actor (Chicago Fire), born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Jul 19 David Bernard, West Indian cricketer, born in Kingston, Jamaica
  • Jul 19 Didz Hammond, British bassist and backing vocalist (Dirty Pretty Things; The Cooper Temple Clause), born in Reading, England
  • Jul 19 Jimmy Gobble, American baseball player (Kansas City Royals), born in Bristol, Tennessee
  • Jul 19 Naomi Grabow, American pairs skater (with partner Benjamin Oberman), born in lLke Arrowhead California
  • Jul 19 Nené [Anderson Luiz de Carvalho], Brazilian footballer (La Liga), born in Jundiaí, Brazil
  • Jul 20 Damien Delaney, Irish footballer (Crystal Palace), born in Cork, Ireland
  • Jul 20 Thorsten Engelmann, German rower
  • Jul 21 Blake Lewis, American musician (American Idol), born in Redmond, Washington
  • Jul 21 Chrishell Stause, American actress, born in Draffenville, Kentucky
  • Jul 21 Joaquín Sánchez, Spanish soccer winger (51 caps; Real Betis 445 games; Valencia, Málaga, Fiorentina), born in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain
  • Jul 21 Paloma Faith, English singer, songwriter and actress, born in Hackney, London, England
  • Jul 21 Romeo Santos, American bachata singer-songwriter (Aventura), born in The Bronx, New York
  • Jul 21 Stefan Schumacher, German cyclist, born in Ostfildern, West Germany
  • Jul 21 Titus Bramble, English footballer, born in Ipswich, Engalnd
  • Jul 23 Jarkko Nieminen, Finnish tennis player, born in Masku, Finland
  • Jul 23 Steve Jocz, Canadian drummer (Sum 41 - "In Too Deep"), born in Ajax, Ontario
  • Jul 24 Nayib Bukele, Salvadoran politician (President of El Salvador 2019-), born in San Salvador, El Salvador
  • Jul 24 Summer Glau, American actress (Firefly), born in San Antonio, Texas
  • Jul 25 Conor Casey, American soccer player (Colorado Rapids), born in Dover, New Hampshire
  • Jul 25 Jani Rita, Finnish ice hockey player, born in Helsinki, Finland
  • Jul 26 Abe Forsythe, Australian actor and director (Down Under), born in Sydney, Australia
  • Jul 27 Collins Obuya, Kenyan cricket all-rounder (104 ODIs, 35 wickets, 11 x 50), born in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Jul 27 Susan King Borchardt, American basketball player, born in Richfield, Minnesota
  • Jul 28 Billy Aaron Brown, American actor, born in Clarinda, Iowa
  • Jul 28 Jo In Sung, South Korean actor (What Happened in Bali), born in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong District, South Korea
  • Jul 28 Michael Carrick, English footballer, born in Wallsend, England
  • Jul 29 Andrés Madrid, Argentine footballer and manager (Braga), born in Mar del Plata, Argentina

Fernando Alonso (42 years old)

Jul 29 Spanish auto racer (World Formula 1 Drivers Champion 2005-06; 24 Hours of Le Mans 2018-19; FIA World Endurance C'ship 2018-19), born in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

  • Jul 29 Jennie Thompson, American gymnast (Jr Natl-champ-93, Olympics 1996), born in Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Jul 29 Kyle LeDuc, American auto racer (COR Pro 4 2020; LOORRS Pro 4 2012, 14–17, 19), born in Cherry Valley, California (d. 2023)
  • Jul 29 Troy Perkins, American professional soccer goalkeeper, born in Springfield, Ohio

Hope Solo (42 years old)

Jul 30 American soccer player (US women's national team goalkeeper), born in Richland, Washington

  • Jul 30 Juan Smith, South African rugby back-rower (70 Tests; RC Toulon, Gauteng Lions, Free State Cheetahs), born in Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Jul 30 Nicky Hayden, American motorcycle racer (MotoGP Champion 2006), born in Owensboro, Kentucky (d. 2017)
  • Jul 31 Eric Lively, American actor (The Butterfly Effect 2), born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Jul 31 Ira Losco, Maltese singer (Walk on Water), born in Sliema, Malta
  • Jul 31 J.Son Dinant, American comedian, born in Syracuse, New York
  • Jul 31 M. Shadows [Matthew Sanders], American singer (Avenged Sevenfold), born in Huntington Beach, California
Born in 1981

Famous Weddings

Joe Montana

Jul 1 NFL quarterback Joe Montana (25) weds second wife Cathleen Castillo

  • Jul 27 British television: On Coronation Street, Ken Barlow marries Deirdre Langton, proving to be a national event with massive viewer numbers

Charles & Diana

Jul 29 His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales weds Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral, London


Famous Deaths

  • Jul 1 Carlos de Oliveira, Portuguese writer (b. 1921)
  • Jul 1 George Voskovec [Jirí Wachsmann], Czech actor (12 Angry Men, Somewhere in Time), dies from a heart attack at 76
  • Jul 1 Marcel Breuer, Hungarian-born modernist architect and furniture designer (Wassily Chair), dies at 79 [1]
  • Jul 1 Rushton Moreve [Morey], American bass player (Steppenwolf - "Magic Carpet Ride"), dies at in a car accident at 32
  • Jul 2 Robert Emmett Keane, American stage and screen actor (The Rookie Cop; The Red Dragon), dies at 98
  • Jul 3 Ross Martin [Martin Rosenblatt], Polish-American actor (Mr Lucky, The Wild Wild West), dies of a heart attack at 61
  • Jul 5 Jorge Urrutia Blondel, Chilean composer, dies at 75
  • Jul 7 Keefe Brasselle [John Brasselli], American actor (The Eddie Cantor Story, Be Our Guest), dies of liver disease at 58
  • Jul 7 Peace Pilgrim [Mildred Lisette Norman], American peace activist, dies at 72
  • Jul 8 Loring Smith, American actor (Hartmans), dies at 86
  • Jul 9 Oscar van Hemel, Belgian-Dutch violinist and composer, dies at 88
  • Jul 9 Wilhelm H C Tenhaeff, para-psychologist, dies at 87
  • Jul 10 Ken Rex McElroy, American resident of Skidmore, Missouri known as "the town bully", murdered at 47 in an unsolved killing in front of a crowd of 30-46 in Skidmore's main street
  • Jul 12 Ben Seijes, historian (WWII), dies at 73
  • Jul 12 Merrill Ellis, American classical and experimental music composer, and performer (Kaleidoscope; Mutations), dies at 64
  • Jul 13 Kirby Stone, American jazz combo leader (Kirby Stone Four - "Baubles Bangles & Beads"), dies at 63
  • Jul 16 Harry Chapin, American folk-rock singer-songwriter ("Taxi"; "Cat's In The Cradle"), dies in car crash at 38
  • Jul 18 Wilhelm HC Tenhaeff, Dutch para-psychologist, dies at 87
  • Jul 19 Louis Cheslock, British-born American violinist, composer and educator of Polish heritage (Peabody Institute, 1916-76), dies at 82
  • Jul 19 Roger Doucet, French Canadian tenor, noted for his bilingual rendition of national anthem "O Canada" at Montreal sporting events, dies of a brain tumor at 62
  • Jul 21 Lawrence "Snub" Mosley, American jazz trombonist (Alphonso Trent Orchestra; Louis Armstrong), bandleader, and promoter of the slide saxophone ("The Man With The Funny Little Horn"), dies at 75 [1]
  • Jul 25 Ian Martin, American actor (Uncle Bill-O'Neills), dies at 69
  • Jul 26 Donald Lybbert, American composer (Zap; Lines for the Fallen), and educator, dies at 58
  • Jul 27 Ray Harrison, dancer (American Song), dies at 64

William Wyler (1902-1981)

Jul 27 American film director (Ben-Hur, Mrs Miniver), dies at 79

  • Jul 28 Fr. Stanley Rother, American Roman Catholic priest, martyr and missionary to Guatemala, murdered at 46
  • Jul 29 Robert Moses, American public official and urban planner (oversaw rebuilding of Long Island and NYC parks and roads), dies at 92
  • Jul 30 Daisy Kennedy, Australian concert violinist, dies at 88
  • Jul 31 mar Torrijos, Panamanian military officer, coup d-etat leader, and dictator (Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution, 1968-81), dies in plane crash at 52