1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1980th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 980th year of the 2nd millennium, the 80th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1980s decade.

Events

• January 20 – The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Los Angeles Rams to win their 4th Super Bowl championship. They hold the record for most wins by one team until 1995.
• April 12 – Terry Fox begins his Marathon of Hope in Canada.
• April 30 – Beatrix of the Netherlands crowned
• May 18 – Mount St. Helens erupts.
• August 1 – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes the 4th President of Iceland. She is the first female ever elected as a head of state in a democratic election.
• August – Rising Solidarity a Polish trade union which make for fallen communism in East Europe
• September 1 – Terry Fox ends his Marathon of Hope, after his cancer resurfaces.
• September 22 – War begins between Iran and Iraq.
• November 4 – Ronald Reagan defeats Jimmy Carter during the presidential elections.
• December 8 – John Lennon of The Beatles is shot and killed outside of his apartment in New York City by Mark David Chapman.
• Pictures taken by the Voyager 1 probe lead to the discovery of Saturn's moon, Atlas.

Births

January

• January 1
  • Richie Faulkner, British rock guitarist
  • Karina Jacobsgaard, Danish tennis player
  • Mark Nichols, Canadian curler
  • Elin Nordegren, Swedish model
• January 4 – Greg Cipes, American actor
• January 7 – Hele Kõrve, Estonian actress and singer
• January 8
  • Adam Goodes, Australian rules footballer
  • Rachel Nichols, American actress
• January 9 – Sergio García, Spanish golfer
• January 10 – Sarah Shahi, American actress
• January 11 – Lovieanne Jung, American softball player
• January 12 – Ameriie, American singer
• January 13 – LaKisha Jones, American singer
• January 14
  • Carlos Alvarado Quesada, Costa Rican politician, 48th President of Costa Rica
  • Ossama Haidar, Lebanese footballer
  • Hiroshi Tamaki, Japanese actor, model and singer
  • Cory Gibbs, American footballer
  • Monika Kuszyńska, Polish singer and songwriter
  • Sosuke Sumitani, Japanese announcer
  • Yūko Kaida, Japanese voice actress
• January 16
  • Albert Pujols, Dominican Major League Baseball player
  • Michelle Wild, Hungarian actress
  • Lin-Manuel Miranda, Puerto Rican-American actor, composer, and writer
• January 17
  • Zooey Deschanel, American actress, singer and musician
  • Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian-American dance champion, choreographer and instructor
• January 18
  • Estelle, British singer and actress
  • Julius Peppers, American football player
  • Jason Segel, American actor and comedian
• January 19
  • Jenson Button, British racecar driver
  • Arvydas Macijauskas, Lithuanian basketball player
• January 20
  • Philippe Cousteau Jr., American-French oceanographer
  • Philippe Gagnon, Canadian Paralympic swimmer
  • Kim Jeong-hoon, South Korean singer and actor
  • Brigitte Olivier, Belgian martial artist
  • Petra Rampre, Slovenian tennis player
  • Matthew Tuck, Welsh singer and guitarist
• January 21
  • Nana Mizuki, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • Kevin McKenna, Canadian footballer
• January 22
  • Jake Grove, American football player
  • Christopher Masterson, American actor
• January 24
  • Nyncke Beekhuyzen, Dutch actress
  • Suzy, Portuguese singer
• January 25
  • Christian Olsson, Swedish athlete
  • Xavi, Spanish footballer
  • Michelle McCool, American professional wrestler
• January 26 – Sanae Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
• January 27 – Marat Safin, Russian tennis player
• January 28 – Nick Carter, American pop singer (Backstreet Boys)
• January 29
  • Yael Bar Zohar, Israeli actress and model
  • Jason James Richter, American actor
• January 30
  • Josh Kelley, American singer-songwriter
  • Wilmer Valderrama, American actor

February

• February 2
  • Zhang Jingchu, Chinese actress
  • Nina Zilli, Italian singer-songwriter
• February 5
  • Jo Swinson, British MP
  • Robin Vik, Czech tennis player
  • Paul DelVecchio, American reality show personality
• February 6
  • Kim Poirier, Canadian actress
  • Luke Ravenstahl, American mayor of Pittsburgh
  • Mamiko Noto, Japanese voice actress
• February 8 – Yang Wei, Chinese gymnast
• February 9 – Manu Raju, American journalist
• February 10
  • César Izturis, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
  • Steve Tully, English footballer
• February 11 – Matthew Lawrence, American actor
• February 12
  • Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
  • Christina Ricci, American actress
  • Gucci Mane, American rapper
• February 14 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress
• February 15
  • Conor Oberst, American singer-songwriter
  • Petr Elfimov, Belarusian singer
• February 16 – Ashley Lelie, American football player
• February 17
  • Jason Ritter, American actor
  • Vahe Tilbian, Ethiopian singer of Armenian descent
• February 18
  • Cezar, Romanian opera singer and pianist
  • Regina Spektor, Russian-American singer-songwriter
• February 19
  • Mike Miller, American basketball player
  • Ma Lin, Chinese table-tennis player
• February 20
  • Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby player
  • Artur Boruc, Polish football (soccer) goalkeeper
  • Yuichi Nakamura, Japanese voice actor
• February 21
  • Brad Fast, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Justin Roiland, American actor
  • Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan
• February 22 – Jeanette Biedermann, German singer and actress
• February 24
  • Emma Johnson, Australian swimmer
  • Shinsuke Nakamura, Japanese professional wrestler
• February 25 – Chris and Christy Knowings, American actors
• February 26 – Júlio César da Silva e Souza, Brazilian footballer
• February 27
  • Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
  • Don Diablo, Dutch DJ and producer
• February 28
  • Tayshaun Prince, American basketball player
  • Piotr Giza, Polish footballer
• February 29
  • Simon Gagné, Canadian hockey player
  • Peter Scanavino, American actor

March

• March 1 – Shahid Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
• March 2
  • Chris Barker, English footballer
  • Julia Chantrey, Canadian actress
  • Lance Cade, American professional wrestler (d. 2010)
• March 4
  • Jung Da-bin, Korean actress (d. 2007)
  • Omar Bravo, Mexican footballer
  • Jack Hannahan, American baseball infielder
• March 5 – Jessica Boehrs, German singer and actress
• March 7
  • Murat Boz, Turkish singer and actor
  • Laura Prepon, American actress
  • Mart Toome, Estonian actor
• March 9
  • Chingy, American rapper, singer and actor
  • Matthew Gray Gubler, American actor and director
• March 11 – Gabriela Pichler, Swedish film director and screenwriter
• March 13
  • Caron Butler, American basketball player
  • Nick Barua, British Corporate executive
• March 14
  • Aaron Brown, English footballer
  • Hiro Matsushita, Formar Japanese Race car Driver and Businessman
• March 16 – Todd Heap, American football player
• March 17 – Katie Morgan, American porn actress and radio host
• March 18 – Alexei Yagudin, Russian figure skater
• March 19
  • Agnes Pihlava, Finnish pop singer
  • Johan Olsson, Swedish cross country skier
• March 20
  • Hamada Helal, Egyptian singer
  • Jamal Crawford, American basketball player
  • Mikey Day, American actor, comedian and writer
• March 21
  • Marit Bjørgen, Norwegian cross-country skier
  • Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballer
  • Deryck Whibley, Canadian singer-songwriter and musician (Sum 41)
• March 23 – Russell Howard, English comedian
• March 26 – Rosendo Rodriguez, American convicted serial killer (d. 2018)
• March 27 – Greg Puciato, American heavy metal musician
• March 29 – Andy Scott-Lee, British singer
• March 30 – Yalın, Turkish pop singer and songwriter
• March 31
  • Kate Micucci, American actress and voice artist
  • Chien-Ming Wang, Taiwanese Major League Baseball player

April

• April 1
  • Randy Orton, American professional wrestler
  • Bijou Phillips, American actress
  • Yūko Takeuchi, Japanese actress
• April 4 – Björn Wirdheim, Swedish race car driver
• April 7 – Michael Bellisario, American actor
• April 8
  • Ben Freeman, British actor
  • Carrie Savage, American actress and voice actress
• April 9
  • Rachel Specter, American actress
  • Arlen Escarpeta, Belizean actor
• April 10
  • Sean Avery, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Kasey Kahne, American race car driver
  • Charlie Hunnam, English actor
• April 11 – Mark Teixeira, American baseball player
• April 12 – Brian McFadden, Irish rock singer
• April 13 – Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress
• April 14
  • Ayumi Ito, Japanese actress
  • Tom Franco, American actor
• April 15 – Natalie Casey, English actress
• April 16
  • Reeyot Alemu, Ethiopian journalist
  • Samir Javadzadeh, Azerbaijani singer
  • Paul London, American professional wrestler
• April 17
  • Brenda Villa, American water polo player
  • Lee Hyun-il, South Korean badminton player
  • Alaina Huffman, Canadian film and television actress
• April 18 – Justin Amash, American politician
• April 20
  • Jasmin Wagner, German singer
  • Waylon, Dutch singer
• April 21
  • Tony Romo, American football player
  • Vincent Lecavalier, Canadian hockey player
• April 22 – Nicolas Douchez, French footballer
• April 24
  • Austin Nichols, American actor
  • Karen Asrian, Armenian chess Grandmaster (d. 2008)
  • Reagan Gomez-Preston, American actress and voice actress
• April 25
  • Lee Spick, English snooker player (d. 2015)
  • Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor
  • Kazuhito Tadano, Japanese baseball player
• April 26
  • Jordana Brewster, American actress
  • Marlon King, Jamaican footballer
  • Channing Tatum, American actor and model
• April 27 – Zayed Khan, Indian actor
• April 28 – Josh Howard, American basketball player
• April 29
  • Kian Egan, Irish singer
  • Emmad Irfani, Pakistani model and TV actor
• April 30 – Luis Scola, Argentine basketball player

May

• May 1 – Ana Claudia Talancón, Mexican actress
• May 2
  • Tim Borowski, German footballer
  • Ellie Kemper, American actress and comedian
  • Zat Knight, English footballer
• May 3 – Marcel Vigneron, American chef
• May 5
  • Maia Hirasawa, Swedish pop singer
  • Yossi Benayoun, Israeli footballer
  • Hank Green, American entrepreneur, musician, educator, producer and vlogger
• May 6
  • Kelly van der Veer, Dutch reality TV star
  • Dimitris Diamantidis, Greek basketball player
• May 7 – Johan Kenkhuis, Dutch swimmer
• May 8 – Benny Yau, Canadian entertainer
• May 9
  • Grant Hackett, Australian swimmer
  • Carolin Kebekus, German comedian and actress
  • Norihiro Nishi, Japanese footballer
• May 10 – Pete Gray, Australian environmental activist (d. 2011)
• May 15 – Josh Beckett, American baseball player
• May 17 – Alistair Overeem, Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer
• May 18 – Ali Zafar, Pakistani music composer, singer-songwriter, painter and actor
• May 19
  • Drew Fuller, American actor and model
  • Dean Heffernan, Australian footballer
• May 21 – Gotye, Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter
• May 22
  • Lucy Gordon, British actress (d. 2009)
  • Evelin Võigemast, Estonian actress and singer
• May 24 – Cecilia Cheung, Hong Kong actress
• May 28
  • Mark Feehily, Irish singer
  • Jørgen Strickert, Norwegian comedian
• May 29 – Michael Stasko, Canadian actor
• May 30 – Steven Gerrard, English footballer
• May 31 – Andy Hurley, American drummer

June

• June 1
  • Oliver James, British actor
  • Damien Fahey, American MTV VJ, television host and drummer
• June 2 – Lindsey Yamasaki, Japanese-American basketball player
• June 3 – Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar
• June 5 – Mike Fisher, Canadian hockey player
• June 6 – Mmusi Maimane, South African politician
• June 7 – Henkka Seppälä, Finnish bassist
• June 8 – David Holoubek, Czech football manager
• June 10
  • Jessica DiCicco, American actress
  • Francelino Matuzalem, Brazilian footballer
  • Wang Yuegu, Singaporean Olympic table tennis player
• June 13
  • Sarah Connor, German singer
  • Juan Carlos Navarro, Spanish basketball player
• June 16
  • Brad Gushue, Canadian curler
  • Joey Yung, Hong Kong singer
• June 17
  • Kimeru, Japanese singer
  • Venus Williams, American tennis player
  • Jeph Jacques, American webcomic writer
• June 19 – Jason White, American football player
• June 22 – Ilya Bryzgalov, Russian ice hockey player
• June 23
  • Erick Elías, Mexican actor
  • Mark Greaney, Irish singer and guitarist
  • Ramnaresh Sarwan, West Indian cricketer
  • Manus Boonjumnong, Thai boxer
  • Francesca Schiavone, Italian tennis player
  • Jessica Taylor, English singer
  • Melissa Rauch, American actress
• June 24
  • Liane Balaban, Canadian actress
  • Minka Kelly, American actress
• June 25
  • Nozomi Takeuchi, Japanese actress
  • Philippe Lacheau, French actor, director and writer
• June 26
  • Michael Vick, American football player
  • Michael Jackson, English footballer
  • Rafiz Abu Bakar, Malaysian footballer
• June 27 – Kevin Pietersen, South African-English former cricketer
• June 29
  • James Courtney, Australian race car driver
  • Katherine Jenkins, Welsh soprano
  • Martin Truex Jr., American race car driver
• June 30
  • Adil Annani, Moroccan long-distance runner
  • Ryan ten Doeschate, Dutch cricketer
  • Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht, Iranian footballer
  • Nelbert Omolon, Filipino professional basketball player
  • Rade Prica, Swedish footballer
  • Sayuti, Indonesian footballer

July

• July 1
  • Mizz Nina, Malaysian fashion designer, a host, humanitarian
  • Nelson Cruz, Dominican baseball player
  • Shon Seung-mo, South Korean badminton player
• July 2 – Brian Drolet, American actor, producer and writer
• July 3
  • Roland Schoeman, South African swimmer
  • Olivia Munn, American actress and model
  • Harbhajan Singh, Indian international cricketer
• July 5
  • Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio, American reality TV star
  • Eva Green, French actress and model
  • Zayed Khan, Indian actor and producer
  • Fabián Ríos, Colombian actor and model
  • Jason Wade, American singer and guitarist
• July 6 – Pau Gasol, Spanish basketball player
• July 7
  • Marika Domińczyk, Polish American actress
  • Jim McMahon, British politician
  • Michelle Kwan, American figure skater
  • Dr Malinga, South African record producer and musician
• July 8
  • Robbie Keane, Irish footballer
  • Chetan Anand, Indian badminton player
  • Yang Tae-Young, South Korean gymnast
• July 10
  • Thomas Ian Nicholas, American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director and writer
  • Adam Petty, American race car driver (d. 2000)
  • Jessica Simpson, American singer
  • Jeremy Ray Valdez, American actor
  • James Rolfe, American director, actor and writer
  • Cláudia Leitte, Brazilian singer
• July 11
  • Mathias Boe, Danish badminton player
  • Alvent Yulianto, Indonesian badminton player
• July 12
  • Kristen Connolly, American actress
  • Eny Widiowati, Indonesian badminton player
• July 13 – Pejman Nouri, Iranian football player
• July 15
  • Reggie Abercrombie, American baseball player
  • BxB Hulk, Japanese professional wrestler
  • JW-Jones, Canadian blues musician
  • Jasper Pääkkönen, Finnish actor and film producer
  • Julia Perez, Indonesian singer and actress (d. 2017)
• July 16
  • Svetlana Feofanova, Russian pole-vaulter
  • Adam Scott, Australian golfer
• July 17
  • Rashid Ramzi, Moroccan-Bahraini athlete
  • Masato Yoshino, Japanese professional wrestler
  • Ryan Miller, American ice hockey goaltender
• July 18 – Kristen Bell, American actress
• July 19
  • Yeoh Kay Bin, Malaysian badminton player
  • Michelle Heaton, English singer (Liberty X)
  • Mark Webber, American actor
• July 20
  • Gisele Bündchen, Brazilian supermodel
  • Jin Goo, South Korean actor
• July 21 – CC Sabathia, American baseball player
• July 22
  • Tablo, South Korean-Canadian rapper, songwriter, record producer, and author
  • Dirk Kuyt, Dutch footballer
  • Kate Ryan, Belgian singer
• July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
• July 25 – Rebeka Dremelj, Slovenian singer
• July 26 – Jacinda Ardern, 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand
• July 27 – Nick Nemeth, American professional wrestler
• July 29
  • Rachel Miner, American actress
  • Fernando González, Chilean tennis player

August

• August 2 – Dingdong Dantes, Filipino actor
• August 3
  • Nadia Ali, Pakistani-American singer-songwriter
  • Hannah Simone, British-Canadian actress
  • Dominic Moore, Canadian ice hockey player
• August 5 – Wayne Bridge, English footballer
• August 6 – Will Pan, American-Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
• August 8 – Craig Breslow, American baseball pitcher
• August 9
  • Charlie David, Canadian actor
  • Dominic Tabuna, Nauruan politician
• August 10 – Pua Magasiva, Samoan actor
• August 11 – Monika Pyrek, Polish pole vaulter
• August 12 – Maggie Lawson, American actress
• August 14 – Roy Williams, American football player
• August 16
  • Julien Absalon, French mountain biker
  • Vanessa Carlton, American singer
• August 17
  • David Legwand, American ice hockey player
  • Lene Marlin, Norwegian singer and musician
• August 18 – Damion Stewart, Jamaican footballer
• August 19
  • Darius Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • Adrian Lulgjuraj, Albanian singer
• August 21
  • Jon Lajoie, Canadian comedian
  • Paul Menard, American race car driver
• August 23
  • Rex Grossman, American football player
  • Joanne Froggatt, British voice artist
• August 24 – Rachael Carpani, Australian actress
• August 26
  • Macaulay Culkin, American actor
  • Chris Pine, American actor
• August 27 – Derrick Strait, American football player
• August 28 – Debra Lafave, American teacher
• August 29
  • William Levy, Cuban-American actor
  • David West, American basketball player

September

• September 2 – Dany Sabourin, French Canadian ice hockey goaltender
• September 3
  • Jennie Finch, American softball player
  • Polina Smolova, Belarusian singer
• September 4 – Max Greenfield, American actor
• September 5 – Kevin Simm, English singer (Liberty X)
• September 6
  • Kerry Katona, English TV presenter and former pop star (Atomic Kitten)
  • Samuel Peter, Nigerian boxer and heavyweight champion
  • Joseph Yobo, Nigerian footballer
• September 7
  • Nigar Jamal, Azerbaijani singer, Eurovision Song Contest 2011 winner
  • Gabriel Milito, Argentine footballer
  • Mark Prior, American baseball player
• September 8
  • Eric Hutchinson, American singer-songwriter
  • Neferteri Shepherd, African-American model and actress
• September 9
  • Denise Quiñones, Puerto Rican actress, Miss Universe 2001
  • Michelle Williams, American actress
• September 10 – Mikey Way, British musician (My Chemical Romance)
• September 11 – Mike Comrie, Canadian ice hockey player
• September 12
  • Sean Burroughs, American baseball player
  • Yao Ming, Chinese basketball player
  • Hiroyuki Sawano, Japanese composer
• September 13
  • Ben Savage, American actor
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japanese baseball player
• September 15
  • Ben Wolff, American actor (d. 2015)
  • Jolin Tsai, Taiwanese singer
  • Faiz Khaleed, Malaysian astronaut
• September 21
  • Kareena Kapoor, Indian actress
  • Autumn Reeser, American actress
• September 24 – Victoria Pendleton, English cyclist
• September 25 – T.I., African-American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author
• September 26 – Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Swedish ice hockey players
• September 29
  • Patrick Agyemang, Ghanaian footballer
  • Dallas Green, musician
  • Zachary Levi, American actor and singer
• September 30
  • Martina Hingis, Swiss tennis player
  • Emily Kokal, vocalist, guitarist
  • Arisa Ogasawara, Japanese voice actress
  • Guillermo Rigondeaux, Cuban boxer

October

• October 1 – Sarah Drew, American actress
• October 3 – Daniel DeSanto, Canadian actor and voice actor
• October 4
  • Me'Lisa Barber, American athlete
  • Joe Kennedy III, American lawyer
  • Tomáš Rosický, Czech footballer
  • Ben Whishaw, English actor
• October 5
  • James Toseland, English motorcycle racer
  • Ti West, American film director
• October 8
  • Michael Mizanin, American professional wrestler
  • Nick Cannon, African-American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer and broadcast personality
• October 10
  • Sherine, Egyptian singer
  • Lynn Hung, Hong Kong actress
• October 11
  • Tomokazu Sugita, Japanese voice actor
• October 12
  • Ledley King, English footballer
  • Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Belarusian athlete
• October 13
  • Ashanti, African-American singer
  • Scott Parker, English footballer
• October 14
  • Terrence McGee, American football player
  • Ben Whishaw, English actor
• October 15 – Tom Boonen, Belgian cyclist
• October 16
  • Sue Bird, Israeli-American basketball player
  • Timana Tahu, Australian Rugby League player
• October 17
  • Angel Parker, American actress
  • Justin Shenkarow, American actor
  • Yekaterina Gamova, Russian volleyball player
• October 18
  • Erin Dean, American actress
  • Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Indian cricket player
• October 19 – José Bautista, Dominican baseball player
• October 21 – Kim Kardashian, American socialite and television personality
• October 23 – Robert Belushi, American actor
• October 24
  • Monica, African-American singer
  • Casey Wilson, American actress and comedian
• October 28
  • Alan Smith, English footballer
  • Christy Hemme, American professional wrestler
• October 29 – Ben Foster, American actor
• October 31 – Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor and comedian

November

• November 4 – Sabrina Colie, Jamaican actress
• November 5
  • Luke Hemsworth, Australian actor
  • Christoph Metzelder, German footballer
  • Essaï Altounian, French-Armenian actor, singer-songwriter, keyboardist and music producer
• November 6 – Anri Jokhadze, Georgian pop singer
• November 7 – Gervasio Deferr, Spanish gymnast
• November 10 – Calvin Chen, Taiwanese pop singer
• November 11 – Willie Parker, American football player
• November 12 – Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor and musician
• November 13 – Monique Coleman, American actress
• November 15 – Kevin Staut, French equestrian
• November 16 – Kayte Christensen, American basketball player
• November 17 – Isaac Hanson, American musician
• November 18
  • Denny Hamlin, American race car driver
  • Dustin Kensrue, Canadian singer
  • François Duval, Belgian rally driver
  • Junichi Okada, Japanese singer
  • Luke Chadwick, English footballer
  • Mathew Baynton, English actor and writer
  • Minori Chihara, Japanese voice actress and singer
• November 19 – Adele Silva, English actress and model
• November 21
  • Hank Blalock, American baseball player
  • Hiroyuki Tomita, Japanese gymnast
  • Elaine Yiu, Hong Kong actress
• November 22 – David Artell, English footballer
• November 23 – Jonathan Papelbon, American baseball player
• November 24 – Beth Phoenix, American professional wrestler
• November 25
  • Rowly Dennis, English actor
  • John-Michael Liles, American hockey player
  • Nick Swisher, American baseball player
• November 26 – Satoshi Ohno, Japanese singer
• November 28 – Lisa Middelhauve, German singer (Xandria)
• November 29
  • Jason Griffith, American actor and voice actor
  • Janina Gavankar, American actress and musician
  • Ilias Kasidiaris, Greek politician

December

• December 1
  • Angelique Bates, American actress, comedian, and rapper
  • Joel A. Sutherland, Canadian author
• December 3
  • Anna Chlumsky, American actress
  • Jenna Dewan, American actress
  • Jim Sorgi, American football player
• December 5 – Ibrahim Maalouf, Lebanese-born French trumpeter
  • Shizuka Itō, Japanese voice actress
• December 6
  • Steve Lovell, English footballer
  • Kei Yasuda, Japanese singer
• December 7 – John Terry, English footballer
• December 9
  • Simon Helberg, American actor and comedian
  • Ryder Hesjedal, Canadian professional cyclist
• December 10 – Sarah Chang, American violinist
• December 13
  • Satoshi Tsumabuki, Japanese actor
  • Bosco Wong, Hong Kong actor
• December 15
  • Neil McDermott, English actor
  • Sergio Pizzorno, English guitarist and songwriter
• December 16 – Axle Whitehead, Australian actor and singer-songwriter
• December 18
  • Baron Vaughn, American actor and comedian
  • Christina Aguilera, American singer
• December 19
  • Marla Sokoloff, American actress
  • Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
• December 20
  • Ashley Cole, English footballer
  • Chris Edwards, English musician
  • Fitz Hall, English footballer
• December 22
  • Chris Carmack, American actor
  • Matt Parker, Australian author
• December 23 – Cody Ross, American baseball player
• December 25 – Laura Sadler, English actress (d. 2003)
• December 27
  • Bernard Berrian, American football player
  • Cesaro, Swiss professional wrestler
• December 30 – Eliza Dushku, American actress
• December 31 – Richie McCaw, New Zealand rugby player

Deaths

January

• January 1
  • Adolph Deutsch, American composer (b. 1897)
  • Frank Wykoff, American Olympic athlete (b. 1909)
• January 2 – Alessandro Bruschetti, Italian artist (b. 1910)
• January 3 – Joy Adamson, Austrian-born conservationist and author (b. 1910)
• January 7 – Simonne Mathieu, French tennis champion (b. 1908)
• January 8 – John Mauchly, American physicist and inventor (b. 1907)
• January 10
  • Bo Rein, American football coach (b. 1945)
  • George Meany, American labor leader (b. 1894)
• January 11 – Barbara Pym, English novelist (b. 1913)
• January 13 – Andre Kostelanetz, Russian conductor and arranger (b. 1901)
• January 17 – Barbara Britton, American actress (b. 1919)
• January 18 – Sir Cecil Beaton, English photographer (b. 1904)
• January 19 – William O. Douglas, American Supreme Court Justice (b. 1898)
• January 21 – Georges Painvin, French cryptographer (b. 1886)
• January 22
  • Walter Pym, Australian actor (b. 1905)
  • Teresa Noce, Italian labor leader, activist, and journalist (b. 1900)
• January 23 – Leonard Strong, American actor (b. 1908)
• January 24 – Lil Dagover, German actress (b. 1887)
• January 25 – David Newell, American actor (b. 1905)
• January 27
  • Hans Aeschbacher, Swiss sculptor (b. 1906)
  • Peppino De Filippo, Italian actor (b. 1903)
  • Eric Wyndham White, British administrator and economist, first Director-General of the GATT (b. 1913)
• January 28 – Franco Evangelisti, Italian composer (b. 1926)
• January 29 – Jimmy Durante, American actor, singer and comedian (b. 1893)
• January 30
  • Maria Bolognesi, Italian Roman Catholic laywoman, mystic and blessed (b. 1924)
  • Professor Longhair, American musician (b. 1918)
• January 31 – Eduardo Cáceres, Guatemalan politician (b. 1906)

February

• February 1 – Jack Bailey, American actor (b. 1907)
• February 2
  • Hanna Rovina, Russian-born Israeli actress (b. 1889)
  • William Howard Stein, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
• February 6 – Albert Kotin, American abstract expressionist painter (b. 1907)
• February 7 – Richard Williams, Royal Australian Air Force officer (b. 1890)
• February 8
  • Isadora Bennett, American publicity agent (b. 1900)
  • Nikos Xilouris, Greek pop singer (b. 1936)
  • Francesco Zucchetti, French Olympic cyclist (b. 1902)
• February 9 – Tom Macdonald, British journalist and novelist (b. 1900)
• February 10 – Wels Eicke, Australian rules football player (b. 1893)
• February 11 – R. C. Majumdar, Indian historian (b. 1884)
• February 12 – Muriel Rukeyser, American poet (b. 1913)
• February 13 – David Janssen, American actor (b. 1931)
• February 14 – Luitkonwar Rudra Baruah, Assamese composer and actor (b. 1926)
• February 17
  • Jerry Fielding, American conductor and music director (b. 1922)
  • Graham Sutherland, English artist (b. 1903)
• February 18 – Gale Robbins, American singer and actress (b. 1921)
• February 19
  • Robert Morrison, British Olympic rower (b. 1902)
  • Bon Scott, Scottish-born Australian rock singer (b. 1946)
• February 20
  • Joseph Banks Rhine, American parapsychologist (b. 1895)
  • Alice Longworth, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, wife of Nicholas Longworth (b. 1884)
• February 21 – Aldo Andreotti, Italian mathematician (b. 1924)
• February 22 – Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian painter and poet (b. 1886)
• February 23
  • Enrico Celio, Swiss politician, 49th President of the Swiss Confederation (b. 1889)
  • Robert Hayden, American poet (b. 1913)
• February 24
  • Michael Browne, Irish Roman Catholic prelate (b. 1895)
  • Clement Martyn Doke, South African linguist (b. 1893)
• February 26 – Mario Mattoli, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1898)
• February 27
  • George Tobias, American actor (b. 1901)
  • Shin'ichi Hisamatsu, Japanese philosopher (b. 1889)
• February 28 – James Goff, American football and basketball head coach (b. 1912)
• February 29
  • Gil Elvgren, American pin-up artist (b. 1914)
  • Yigal Allon, Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1918)

March

• March 1
  • Dixie Dean, English football player (b. 1907)
  • Daniil Khrabrovitsky, Soviet film director (b. 1923)
  • Wilhelmina, Dutch-born American high-fashion model and owner of model agency (b. 1940)
• March 3 – Roger Davis, American actor (b. 1884)
• March 5 – Jay Silverheels, American actor (b. 1912)
• March 6 – Barbara Brukalska, Polish architect (b. 1899)
• March 9 – Nikolay Bogolybov, Russian actor (b. 1899)
• March 10 – Herman Tarnower, American medical doctor and diet guru (b. 1910)
• March 11 – Maud Hart Lovelace, American author (b. 1892)
• March 13 – Roland Symonette, 1st Premier of the Bahamas (b. 1898)
• March 14
  • Anna Jantar, Polish singer (b. 1950)
  • Mohammad Hatta, Indonesia's first vice president (b. 1902)
  • Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, Spanish naturalist and television presenter (b. 1928)
• March 17 – Boun Oum, 4th Prime Minister of Laos (b. 1911)
• March 18
  • Jessica Dragonette, American singer (b. 1900)
  • Elsa Goveia, Guyanese-born Jamaican scholar (b. 1925)
  • Erich Fromm, German-born psychologist and philosopher (b. 1900)
  • Louise Lovely, Australian actress (b. 1895)
  • Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-born painter (b. 1898)
• March 21 – Peter Stoner, American mathematician, astronomer and Christian apologist (b. 1888)
• March 24
  • John Barrie, Welsh actor (b. 1917)
  • Pierre Etchebaster, French real tennis player (b. 1893)
  • Óscar Romero, Salvadorian Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1917)
• March 25
  • Roland Barthes, French literary critic and writer (b. 1915)
  • Erminio Macario, Italian actor (b. 1902)
  • Walter Susskind, Czech conductor (b. 1913)
  • James Wright, American poet (b. 1927)
  • Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist (b.1901)
• March 28
  • Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová, Czechoslovak illustrator (b. 1894)
  • James Hayes, American-born Filipino Roman Catholic, Jesuit archbishop, missionary and servant of God (b. 1889)
  • Dick Haymes, Argentine actor and singer (b. 1918)
• March 29 – Mantovani, Italian-born conductor and arranger (b. 1905)
• March 30
  • David Sharpe, American actor (b. 1910)
  • Tôn Đức Thắng, 2nd President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) (b. 1888)
• March 31
  • Vladimír Holan, Czech poet (b. 1905)
  • Jesse Owens, American Olympic athlete (b. 1913)

April

• April 2 – Stanley Forman Reed, American Supreme Court Justice (b. 1884)
• April 4 – Red Sovine, American country and folk singer-songwriter (b. 1917)
• April 6
  • John Collier, English writer (b. 1901)
  • Nils Ericson, Swedish actor (b. 1906)
• April 8 – Bill Eastman, British army officer (b. 1911)
• April 10 – Kay Medford, American actress and singer (b. 1919)
• April 11 – Ümit Kaftancıoğlu, Turkish writer (b. 1935)
• April 12
  • Clark McConachy, New Zealand snooker and billiards player (b. 1895)
  • William R. Tolbert Jr., 20th President of Liberia (b. 1913)
• April 13 – Karl Stegger, Danish actor (b. 1913)
• April 15
  • Raymond Bailey, American actor (b. 1904)
  • Marshall Reed, American film and television actor (b. 1917)
  • Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
• April 18 – Antonio Caponigro, American gangster (b. 1912)
• April 19
  • Charles Seel, American actor (b. 1897)
  • Tony Beckley, English character actor (b. 1927)
• April 20
  • Katherine Kennicott Davis, American composer (b. 1892)
  • Helmut Käutner, German director (b. 1908)
• April 21 – Sohrab Sepehri, Persian poet and painter (b. 1928)
• April 22
  • Jane Froman, American singer and actress (b. 1907)
  • Fritz Strassmann, German chemist (b. 1902)
• April 24 – Alejo Carpentier, Cuban writer (b. 1904)
• April 26 – Cicely Courtneidge, British actress (b. 1893)
• April 27
  • Mario Bava, Italian director (b. 1914)
  • John Culshaw, British recording producer and musicologist (b. 1924)
• April 28 – Thomas G. W. Settle, American record-setting balloonist and admiral (b. 1895)
• April 29 – Alfred Hitchcock, British suspense film director (b. 1899)
• April 30 – Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician (b. 1898)

May

• May 1 – Henry Levin, American film director and actor (b. 1909)
• May 2
  • George Pal, Hungarian-born animator and producer (b. 1904)
  • Clarrie Grimmett, New Zealand-born cricketer (b. 1891)
• May 4
  • Kay Hammond, English actress (b. 1909)
  • Josip Broz Tito, Croatian-born Yugoslav communist military and political leader, 19th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia and 1st President of Yugoslavia (b. 1892)
• May 5 – Isabel Briggs Myers, American psychological theorist and co-creator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (b. 1897)
• May 7
  • Isla Cameron, British actress (b. 1930)
  • Margaret Cole, British politician (b. 1893)
• May 8 – Geoffrey Baker, English field marshal (b. 1912)
• May 9
  • Prince Himalaya of Nepal (b. 1921)
  • Kate Molale, South African anti-apartheid activist (b. 1928)
• May 12 – Lillian Roth, American actress (b. 1910)
• May 14
  • Carl Ebert, German theatre and opera director (b. 1887)
  • Fatmawati, First Lady of Indonesia (b. 1923)
  • Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (b. 1912)
• May 16
  • José Calvo, Spanish actor (b. 1916)
  • Marin Preda, Romanian writer (b. 1922)
• May 18
  • David A. Johnston, American volcanologist (b. 1949) (killed by eruption of Mount St. Helens)
  • Ian Curtis, English musician and singer (b. 1956)
  • Reid Blackburn, photojournalist for National Geographic (b. 1952; also killed by eruption of Mount St. Helens)
  • Harry R. Truman, Owner/Operator of Mt. St. Helens Lodge (b. 1896; killed by eruption of Mount St. Helens)
• May 20 – Jack Walsh, Australian cricketer (b. 1912)
• May 21 – Ida Kamińska, Polish-born Jewish actress, playwright and translator (b. 1899)
• May 25 – George West, British Anglican missionary (b. 1893)
• May 28 – Rolf Nevanlinna, Finnish mathematician (b. 1895)
• May 30 – Carl Radle, American bassist (b. 1942)

June

• June 1 – Rube Marquard, American baseball player (New York Giants) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1886)
• June 7
  • Richard Bonelli, American opera baritone (b. 1889)
  • Henry Miller, American writer (b. 1891)
  • Elizabeth Craig, British chef and writer (b. 1883)
  • Salvator Gotta, Italian writer (b. 1887)
  • Philip Guston, American painter (b. 1912)
  • Marian Spychalski, Polish architect and politician, former head of State (b. 1908)
• June 8
  • Ernst Busch, German singer and actor (b. 1900)
  • Alfredo Brilhante da Costa, Brazilian football player (b. 1904)
• June 9 – Shyam Kumari Khan, Indian lawyer (b. 1904)
• June 12
  • Billy Butlin, South African-born Canadian founder of Butlins Holiday Camps (b. 1899)
  • Masayoshi Ōhira, Japanese politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1910)
  • Milburn Stone, American actor (b. 1904)
• June 13 – Walter Rodney, Guyanese historian and political figure (b. 1942)
• June 14 – Sante Spessotto, Italian Roman Catholic priest and saint (b. 1923)
• June 18 – Terence Fisher, British director (b. 1904)
• June 20 – Amy Key Clarke, English mystical poet (b. 1892)
• June 21 – Bert Kaempfert, German orchestra leader and songwriter (b. 1923)
• June 23
  • Clyfford Still, American painter (b. 1904)
  • John Laurie, Scottish actor (b. 1897)
  • V. V. Giri, Indian politician and 4th President of India (b. 1894)
• June 24 – Boris Kaufman, Russian cinematographer (b. 1897)
• June 26 – Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Jacob III (b. 1912)
• June 27 – Carey McWilliams, American author, editor and lawyer (b. 1905)
• June 28 – José Iturbi, Spanish conductor and musician (b. 1895)

July

• July – Robert Brackman, American painter (b. 1898)
• July 1 – C. P. Snow, British physicist and novelist (b. 1905)
• July 3
  • Deng Hua, Chinese general (b. 1910)
  • Abdelhamid Sharaf, 51st Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1939)
• July 4 – Gregory Bateson, British anthropologist, anthropologist, social scientist, linguist, semiotician and cyberneticist (b. 1904)
• July 6 – Gail Patrick, American actress (b. 1911)
• July 7
  • Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia (b. 1901)
  • Reginald Gardiner, English actor (b. 1903)
  • Dore Schary, American film writer, director and producer (b. 1905)
  • Dan White, American actor (b. 1908)
• July 8 – Rudolf Creutz, Austrian criminal (b. 1896)
• July 9 – Vinicius de Moraes, Brazilian writer, poet and diplomat (b. 1913)
• July 13 – Seretse Khama, 1st President of Botswana (b. 1921)
• July 15 – Ben Selvin, American orchestra leader and recording artist (b. 1898)
• July 17
  • Red Barry, American actor (b. 1912)
  • Boris Delaunay, Russian mathematician (b. 1890)
• July 19 – Nihat Erim, Turkish politician and jurist, 30th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1912)
• July 20 – Lado Gudiashvili, Soviet painter (b. 1896)
• July 21 – Salah al-Din al-Bitar, Syrian politician, 2-time Prime Minister of Syria (b. 1912)
• July 22 – Hans-Georg Bürger, German racing driver (b. 1952)
• July 23 – Keith Godchaux, American musician (b. 1948)
• July 24 – Peter Sellers, British comedian and actor (b. 1925)
• July 25
  • Tony Catalano, American football player (b. 1895)
  • Vladimir Vysotsky, Soviet singer-songwriter, poet and actor (b. 1938)
• July 26
  • Allen Hoskins, American actor (b. 1920)
  • Kenneth Tynan, English theatre critic (b. 1927)
• July 27 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran (b. 1919)
• July 28 – Maria Luisa Monteiro da Cunha, Brazilian librarian (b. 1908)
• July 30 – Lucien Dalsace, French actor (b. 1893)
• July 31
  • Pascual Jordan, German physicist (b. 1902)
  • Bobby Van, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1928)

August

• August 1
  • Patrick Depailler, French racing driver (b. 1944)
  • Strother Martin, American actor (b. 1919)
• August 2 – Donald Ogden Stewart, American writer (b. 1894)
• August 9
  • Harry Bell, Australian footballer (b. 1897)
  • Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran, American pilot (b. 1906)
  • Elliott Nugent, American actor (b. 1896)
• August 10
  • Gareth Evans, British philosopher (b. 1946)
  • Yahya Khan, Pakistani general and statesman, 3rd President of Pakistan (b. 1917)
• August 14 – Dorothy Stratten, Canadian actress and model (murdered) (b. 1960)
• August 15 – William Hood Simpson, American general (b. 1888)
• August 18 – Arman, Iranian-born Soviet actor (b. 1921)
• August 19 – Otto Frank, German father of Jewish diarist Anne Frank (b. 1889)
• August 20 – Joe Dassin, American-born French singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
• August 22 – Norman Shelley, British actor (b. 1903)
• August 24 – Yootha Joyce, British actress (b. 1927)
• August 25 – Gower Champion, American theatre director, choreographer and dancer (b. 1919)
• August 26 – Tex Avery, American cartoonist (b. 1908)

September

• September 3
  • Barbara O'Neil, American actress (b. 1909)
  • Dirch Passer, Danish actor (b. 1926)
  • Duncan Renaldo, American actor (b. 1904)
• September 4
  • Pepe Abad, Spanish-born Chilean television presenter and radio host (b. 1932)
  • George Murray Burnett, British mathematician and chemist (b. 1921)
• September 8 – Willard Libby, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
• September 9 – Manzoor Ali Khan, Pakistani classical singer (b. 1922)
• September 12 – Lillian Randolph, American actress (b. 1898)
• September 14 – Domingo Acedo, Spanish football player (b. 1898)
• September 15 – Bill Evans, American jazz pianist (b. 1929)
• September 16
  • Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist (b. 1896)
  • Julio Franco Arango, Colombian Roman Catholic bishop (b. 1914)
• September 17 – Anastasio Somoza Debayle, Nicataguan politician, President of Nicaragua (b. 1925)
• September 18 – Katherine Anne Porter, American author (b. 1890)
• September 19 – Sol Lesser, American film producer (b. 1890)
• September 23 – Jacobus Johannes Fouché, 5th President of South Africa (b. 1898)
• September 25
  • John Bonham, British rock drummer (Led Zeppelin) (b. 1948)
  • Lewis Milestone, American film director (b. 1895)
  • Marie Under, Estonian poet (b. 1883)
• September 30
  • John McGuire, American actor (b. 1929)
  • Peter, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (b. 1922)

October

• October 2 – John Kotelawala, Sri Lanka soldier and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon (b. 1895)
• October 6 – Hattie Jacques, British actress (b. 1922)
• October 7 – Sydney Gordon Russell, English designer and craftsman (b. 1892)
• October 10 – Billie Thomas, American actor (b. 1931)
• October 12 – Alberto Demicheli, Uruguayan political figure, President of Uruguay ("de facto") (b. 1896)
• October 15 – Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark (b. 1908)
• October 18 – Hans Ehard, German lawyer and politician (b. 1887)
• October 21
  • Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician after whom Asperger syndrome was named (b. 1906)
  • Valko Chervenkov, Bulgarian politician, 34th Prime Minister of Bulgaria (b. 1900)
  • Edelmiro Julián Farrell, Argentine general, 28th President of Argentina (d. 1887)
• October 23 – Mariano Suárez, Ecuadorian politician, 27th President of Ecuador (b. 1897)
• October 25
  • Virgil Fox, American organist (b. 1912)
  • Víctor Galíndez, Argentine boxer (race car accident) (b. 1948)
  • Sahir Ludhianvi, Urdu/Hindustani poet and Hindi film lyricist (b. 1921)
• October 26 – Marcelo Caetano, Portuguese politician and scholar, 101st Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1906)
• October 27
  • Steve Peregrin Took, British rock musician (b. 1949)
  • John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
• October 29 – Giorgio Borġ Olivier, Maltese politician and statesman, 7th Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1911)
• October 31 – Elizebeth Smith Friedman, American cryptographer (b. 1892)

November

• November 4
  • Elsie MacGill, Canadian aeronautical engineer (b. 1904)
  • Johnny Owen, Welsh professional boxer (b. 1956)
• November 7 – Steve McQueen, American actor (b. 1930)
• November 9
  • Gloria Guinness, Mexican-born American fashion icon (b. 1912)
  • Carmel Myers, American actress (b. 1899)
  • Victor Sen Yung, American actor (b. 1915)
• November 16
  • Boris Aronson, Russian set designer (b. 1898)
  • Imogen Hassall, English actress (b. 1942)
• November 18 – Conn Smythe, Canadian NHL coach (b. 1895)
• November 19 – E. J. Bowen, English chemist (b. 1898)
• November 20
  • Avtandil Gogoberidze, Soviet football player (b. 1922)
  • John McEwen, Australian politician, 18th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1900)
• November 21 – Sara García, Mexican actress (b. 1895)
• November 22
  • Norah McGuinness, Northern Irish painter and illustrator (b. 1901)
  • Mae West, American actress (b. 1893)
• November 24 – George Raft, American actor (b. 1901)
• November 26 – Rachel Roberts, British actress (b. 1927)
• November 27 – F. Burrall Hoffman, American architect (b. 1882)
• November 29
  • Dorothy Day, American journalist, activist, Roman Catholic convert and Servant of God (b. 1897)
  • Babe London, American actress and comedian (b. 1901)

December

• December 2
  • Jean Donovan, American Roman Catholic missionary (b. 1953)
  • Murder of the Three American Roman Catholic fellow missionaries by Salvadorian military:
    • Maura Clarke (b. 1931)
    • Ita Ford (b. 1940)
    • Dorothy Kazel (b. 1939)
  • Romain Gary, Lithuanian-born writer (b. 1914)
• December 3 – Sir Oswald Mosley, British fascist leader (b. 1896)
• December 4
  • Francisco de Sá Carneiro, Portuguese lawyer, 109th Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1934)
  • Stanisława Walasiewicz, Polish-born runner (b. 1911)
• December 7 – Darby Crash, American rock songwriter, singer (b. 1958)
• December 8 – John Lennon, British singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
• December 9 – Patriarch Benedict I of Jerusalem (b. 1892)
• December 11 – Dorothy West, American actress (b. 1891)
• December 12
  • Bruno Bartolozzi, Italian composer (b. 1911)
  • Erich Jantsch, Austrian astrophysicist (b. 1929)
  • Severino Montano, Filipino actor, director and playwright (b. 1915)
• December 14 – Elston Howard, American baseball player (b. 1929)
• December 16
  • Colonel Sanders, American fast-food entrepreneur (b. 1890)
  • Hellmuth Walter, German engineer and inventor (b. 1900)
  • Peter Collinson, British film director (b. 1936)
• December 17 – Chiang Kuei, Chinese novelist (b. 1908)
• December 18
  • Frances Fuller, American actress (b. 1907)
  • Alexei Kosygin, Soviet politician, Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1904)
  • Sir Albert Margai, 2nd Prime Minister of Sierra Leone (b. 1910)
• December 19 – Héctor José Cámpora, Argentine Peronist politician, 38th President of Argentina (b. 1909)
• December 21 – Marc Connelly, American playwright (b. 1890)
• December 23 – Frank Norman, English novelist, playwright and autobiographer (b. 1930)
• December 24
  • Karl Dönitz, German admiral and 4th President of Germany (b. 1891)
  • Heikki Liimatainen, Finnish Olympic athlete (b. 1894)
  • Siggie Nordstrom, American model, actress, entertainer, socialite and lead singer (b. 1893)
• December 25 – Victoria Drummond, first woman marine engineer in Britain (b. 1894)
• December 28
  • Alfredo Barrera Vásquez, Mexican anthropologist (b. 1900)
  • Sam Levene, American actor (b. 1905)
• December 29 – Tim Hardin, American musician (b. 1941)
• December 30 – Giuseppe Carraro, Italian Roman Catholic bishop and venerable (b. 1899)
• December 31
  • Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author and professor (b. 1911)
  • Raoul Walsh, American film director (b. 1887)

Date Unknown

• Nureddine Rifai, 25th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1899)

Movies released

• Airplane!
• The Blue Lagoon
• The Blues Brothers
• The Gods Must Be Crazy
• The Island
• Popeye
• Stir Crazy
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Used Cars
• 9 to 5

TV Series

• Gumby Adventures – The first Gumby in 1980's. Gumby episode is "The Music Ball", "Shrink-a-Dink" and "Hatching Out" in November 1, 1980 first aired.

Hit Songs

• "A Forest" – The Cure
• "All Out of Love" – Air Supply
• "Any Way You Want It" – Journey
• "Another One Bites The Dust"-Queen
• "Ashes To Ashes" – David Bowie
• "Babe" – Styx
• "Back Together Again" – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
• "Borrowed Time" – Styx
• "Breaking the Law" – Judas Priest
• "Cheap Wine" – Cold Chisel
• "Fool in the Rain" – Led Zeppelin
• "Freewill" – Rush
• "Good Morning Girl" – Journey
• "Hungry Heart" – Bruce Springsteen
• "I Can't Tell You Why" – The Eagles
• "I Hope I Never – Split Enz
• "Living After Midnight" – Judas Priest
• "London Calling" – The Clash
• "Love The World Away" – Kenny Rogers
• "Metal Gods" – Judas Priest
• "On And On And On" – ABBA
• "People – Mi-Sex
• "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" – Aerosmith
• "Sexy Eyes" – Dr. Hook
• "Stay Awhile" – Journey
• "Suddenly" – Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard
• "Super Trouper" – ABBA
• "The Winner Takes It All" – ABBA
• "Too Late" – Journey
• "Train in Vain" – The Clash
• "Tulsa Time" – Eric Clapton
• "Turn It On Again" – Genesis
• "Why Me" – Styx
• "You May Be Right" – Billy Joel
• (Just Like) Starting Over – John Lennon
• Another Brick In The Wall, Part II – Pink Floyd
• Another One Bites The Dust- Queen
• Call Me – Blondie
• Coming Up – Paul McCartney & Wings
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
• It's Still Rock And Roll To Me – Billy Joel
• Lady – Kenny Rogers
• Magic -Olivia Newton-John
• Rock With You – Michael Jackson
• Upside Down – Diana Ross
• Woman In Love – Barbra Streisand

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