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Economics
US GDP (gross domestic product - 1998 dollars): $3,115.90 billion
Federal spending: $678.25 billion
Federal debt: $994.8 billion
Median Household Income (current dollars): $19,074
Consumer Price Index: 90.9
Unemployment:
7.1%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.15 ($0.18 as of 3/22/81; $0.20 as of 11/1/81)
Events
President
Carter's gave his Farewell Address to the Nation
President Reagan's gave his first inaugural address
Iranian Hostages
were released and returned to american soil
Bandleader Bill Haley, of Bill Haley and the Comets, dies at the age of 56
President Reagan is shot by John Hinckley Jr.
The 1st launch of a space shuttle (Columbia)
Francois Mitterand
is elected President of France
The Royal Wedding - Prince Charles and Diana Spencer marry
Legendary Reggae musican
Bob Marley dies at the age of 36
The birth of MTV, the 24 hour-a-day music television station
Sandra Day O'Connor
becomes first female Supreme Court Justice
Dynasty premiers in primetime hours and becomes a hit
The US Agriculture
Department tries making ketchup a school lunch vegetable
Atari releases home version of Pac-Man in the US and sparks
a huge craze
Joe Louis, one of the greatest prizefighters of all time, dies at the age of 67
The first IBM-PC's begin
to roll of the lines
Singer/songwriter Harry Chapin dies at the age of 38, when the car he was driving was hit from behind
by a tractor-trailer on the Long Island Expressway in Jericho, N.Y.
The first DeLorean sports cars roll off the assembly
line
Private satellite dishes are given the ok by the FCC
MTV launches with first video, "Video Killed The Radio
Star" by the Buggles
Allen Ludden game show host (Password), dies at 63
Luke and Laura's Wedding (General Hospital)
-- most watched wedding in history next to Charles
and Diana
Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children was published
George
Herbert Walker Bush is Vice President
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated at the age of 63
The 236-m.p.h.
TGV, Europe's high speed passenger train began operation in France
Jack Albertson actor (Chico & the Man), dies at
73
FDA approves the use of Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
The musical "Dreamgirls" opens on Broadway
Actress
Natalie Wood drowns at the age of 43
Hill Street Blues premieres on NBC-TV
Golden Boy, Actor William Holden dies
at the age of 63
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) rears its ugly head
Some
of the Most Popular Songs of 1981
Endless Love - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Morning Train (9 to 5) - Sheena Easton
The Tide is High - Blondie
Theme from "The Greatest American Hero"
- Joey Scarbury
Rapture - Blondie
Private Eyes - Hall and Oates
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher
Cross
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
Celebration - Kool and the Gang
Kiss on My
List - Hall and Oates
Medley: Intro Venus/Sugar Sugar/No Reply - Stars on 45
The One That You Love - Air Supply
All Those Years Ago - George Harrison
Physical - Olivia Newton John
Every Woman In The World - Air Supply
Waiting
For A Girl Like You - Foreigner
She's a Bad Mama Jama - Carl Carlton
You Make My Dreams - Hall and Oates
Woman
- John Lennon
Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
(Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
Just the Two of Us
- Grover Washington, Jr
For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton
Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
Love on the Rocks
- Neil Diamond
Lady - Kenny Rogers
Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton
Guilty - Barbra Streisand and Barry
Gibb
Lady (You Bring Me Up) - The Commodores
Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Gos
I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbit
Some Popular Movies from 1981
American Werewolf in London
Arthur
Chariots
of Fire
Clash of the Titans
Das Boot
Dragon Slayer
Elephant Man
Escape from New York
Excalibur
For
Your Eyes Only
Heavy Metal
Mommie Dearest
My Dinner With Andre
On Golden Pond
Only When I Laugh
Ordinary
People
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Reds
Stripes
Superman II
Taps
The Great Muppet Caper
Sports Events
Super bowl - Oakland def. Philadelphia (27-10)
World Series - LA Dodgers d. NY Yankees (4-2)
NBA Championship
- Boston d. Houston (4-2)
Stanley Cup - NY Islanders d. Minnesota (4-1)
Wimbledon
o Women: Chris Evert Lloyd
d. H. Mandlikova (6-2 6-2)
o Men: John McEnroe d. B. Borg (4-6 7-6 7-6 6-4)
Kentucky Derby Champion - Pleasant Colony
NCAA Basketball Championship - Indiana d. North Carolina (63-50)
NCAA Football Champions - Clemson (12-0-0)
Some
1981 Grammy Winners
Record of the Year
"Bette Davis Eyes," Kim Carnes
Album of the Year
Double
Fantasy, John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Song of the Year
"Bette Davis Eyes," Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon,
songwriters
Best New Artist
Sheena Easton
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
Breakin Away, Al Jarreau
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Live On Broadway
Best Pop Vocal
Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
"Boy From New York City," Manhattan Transfer
Best Pop Instrumental
Performance
"The Theme From Hill Street Blues," Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton
Best Rock Vocal Performance,
Male
"Jessie's Girl," Rick Springfield
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
"Fire and Ice,"
Pat Benatar
Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
"Don't Stand So Close to Me," Police
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
"Behind My Camel," Police
Best Rhythm and Blues Song
"Just
the Two of Us," Bill Withers, William Salter and Ralph MacDonald, songwriters
Best Rhythm and Blues Performance,
Male
"One Hundred Ways," James Ingram
Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female
"Hold
On I'm Comin'," Aretha Franklin
Best Rhythm and Blues Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
The Dude,
Quincy Jones
Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance
"All I Need Is You," David Sanborn
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
"Blue Rondo a la Turk," Al Jarreau
Best Jazz Vocal Performance,
Female
Digital III at Montreux, Ella Fitzgerald
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group
"Until I Met
You" (Corner Pocket), Manhattan Transfer
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
Bye Bye Blackbird,
John Coltrane
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
Chick Corea and Gary Burton in Concert, Zurich, October
28, 1979, Chick Corea and Gary Burton
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
Walk on the Water, Gerry Mulligan
and His Orchestra
Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
Winelight, Grover Washington, Jr.
Best Country Song
"9 to 5," Dolly Parton, songwriter
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
(There's)
"No Gettin' Over Me," Ronnie Milsap
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
"9 to 5," Dolly
Parton
Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
"Elvira," Oak Ridge Boys
Best
Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
Don't Give Up, Andrae Crouch
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional
The Lord Will Make a Way, Al Green
Best Latin Recording
"Guajira Pa la Jeva," Clare Fischer (Pausa)
Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording
There Must Be a Better World Somewhere, B.B. King
Best Instrumental
Composition
"The Theme From Hill Street Blues," Mike Post, composer
1981 Tony Award Winners
42nd
Street - Musical
Amadeus - Play
The Pirates of Penzance - Revival
Woman of the Year - Score, Book
Bacall,
Lauren - Best Actress
Backer, Brian - Featured Actor
Battle, Hinton - Featured Actor
Bury, John - Scenic Designer,
Lighting Designer
Champion, Gower - Choreographer
Cooper, Marilyn - Featured Actress
Hall, Peter - Director
Horne,
Lena - Special Awards
Kim, Willa - Costume Designer
Kline, Kevin - Best Actor
Kurtz, Swoosie - Featured Actress
Lapotaire, Jane - Best Actress
Leach, Wilford - Director
McKellen, Ian - Best Actor
1981 Academy
Awards
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire, David Puttnam, producer (The Ladd Co.; Warner Bros.)
Actor in
a Leading Role
Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond
Actress in a Leading Role
Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond
Actor in a Supporting Role
John Gielgud, Arthur
Actress in a Supporting Role
Maureen Stapleton, Reds
Directing
Warren Beatty, Reds
Music
Original Song
"Arthur's Theme" (Best That You
Can Do), Arthur, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen, music and lyrics
"Endless
Love," Endless Love, Lionel Richie, music/lyrics
"The First Time It Happens," The Great Muppet Caper,
Joe Raposo, music/lyrics
"For Your Eyes Only," For Your Eyes Only, Bill Conti, music; Mick Leeson, lyrics
"One More Hour," Ragtime, Randy Newman, music/lyrics
Original Score
Dave Grusin, On Golden
Pond
Randy Newman, Ragtime
Alex North, Dragonslayer
Vangelis, Chariots of Fire
John Williams, Raiders of the
Lost Ark
Visual Effects
Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson and Joe Johnston, Raiders of the Lost Ark
Irving G. Thalberg Award
Albert R. Broccoli
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Danny Kaye
Honorary
Award
To Barbara Stanwyck for superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting
Special
Achievement Award - Sound Effects/Editing
Benjamin P. Burtt, Jr. and Richard L. Anderson,
Raiders of the Lost Ark
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