1981 (01 jan)     Georgia beats Notre Dame in Sugar Bowl for college football title
1981 (01 jan)     International Year for the Disabled begins
1981 (01 jan)     Palau (Trust Territory of Pacific Is) becomes self-governing
1981 (01 jan)     Roger Smith becomes CEO of General Motors
1981 (01 jan)     Greece is 10th country to join European Economic Community
1981 (02 jan)     Mary Terstegge Meagher swims female record 200 meter butterfly (2 05.65)
1981 (02 jan)     Sylvester Clarke knocks out spectator with brick, West Indies vs Pakistan
1981 (03 jan)     Cleveland Cavaliers retire jersey #34, Austin Carr
1981 (03 jan)     55th Australian Womens Tennis H Mandlikova beats W Turnbull (60 75)
1981 (03 jan)     Greg Chappell scores 204 vs India at the SCG
1981 (03 jan)     Mary Terstegge Meagher swims female record 100 meter butterfly (58.91)
1981 (04 jan)     "Frankenstein" opens & closes on Broadway
1981 (04 jan)     "Peter Pan" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City NY after 578 performances
1981 (04 jan)     69th Australian Mens Tennis B Teacher beats Kim Warwick (75 76 63)
1981 (04 jan)     British police arrest Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper"
1981 (05 jan)     "Nightline" with Ted Koppel extended from 20 minutes to 30 minutes
1981 (05 jan)     British police arrest Peter Sutcliffe, a truck driver later convicted of "Yorkshire Ripper" murders of 13 women
1981 (06 jan)     50th hat trick in Islander history-John Tonelli scored 5 goals
1981 (08 jan)     "Pirates of Penzance" opens at Uris Theater New York City NY for 772 performances
1981 (08 jan)     India all out 63 in one-day international vs Australia
1981 (08 jan)     Reds become last team to sign a free agent (Larry Biitner)
1981 (09 jan)     Francisco Balsamao elected President of Portugal
1981 (10 jan)     John Severin sets 100-mile unicycle speed record, 9 h 21 m
1981 (10 jan)     El Salvador guerrilla group FMLN opens "general offensive"
1981 (11 jan)     "Tintypes" closes at John Golden Theater New York City NY after 93 performances
1981 (11 jan)     British team led by Ranulph Fiennes completes longest & fastest crossing of Antarctica,
                            reaching Scott base after 75 days (2,500 miles)
1981 (11 jan)     Palau adopts constitution
1981 (12 jan)     -35ºF (-37ºC), Chester, Massachusetts (state record)
1981 (12 jan)     "Dynasty", a prime time soap opera inspired by Dallas, starring Joan Collins, premieres on ABC-TV
1981 (13 jan)     Barbara Sonntag, Colorado, crochets record 147 stitches/minutes for 30 minutes
1981 (13 jan)     Islander's Mike Bossy's 15th career hat trick-4 goals
1981 (13 jan)     Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to May Swenson & Howard Nemerov
1981 (14 jan)     FCC frees stations to air as many commercials an hour as they wish
1981 (15 jan)     "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC-TV
1981 (15 jan)     Bob Gibson elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame
1981 (16 jan)     Ivan Lendl intentionally loses a match in the Volvo Masters in order to avoid having to play Björn Borg
1981 (16 jan)     John Lennon's "Woman" is released in UK
1981 (16 jan)     Protestant gunmen shoot & wound Bernadette Devlin McAliskey & husband
1981 (16 jan)     Boxer Leon Spinks is mugged, his assailants even take his gold teeth
1981 (17 jan)     Philippino President Marcos ends state of siege
1981 (18 jan)     Iran accepts US offer of $7.9 billion in frozen assets
1981 (18 jan)     Wendy O Williams arrested in Milwaukee for on-stage obscenity
1981 (19 jan)     Muhammad Ali talks a despondent 21 year old out of committing suicide
1981 (19 jan)     US & Iran sign agreement to release 52 American hostages
1981 (20 jan)     52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days freed
1981 (20 jan)     Islander Glenn Resch's 25th & last shut-out opponent-Flames 5-0
1981 (20 jan)     Admiral Stansfield Turner, USN (Retired), ends term as 12th director of CIA
1981 (20 jan)     Ronald Reagan inaugurated as President
1981 (21 jan)     Bernhard Goetz is assaulted for 1st time on a New York subway train
1981 (21 jan)     "Shakespeare's Cabaret" opens at Bijou Theater New York City NY for 54 performances
1981 (22 jan)     40th Islander shut-out opponent-3-0 vs Red Wings-Billy Smith 15th
1981 (22 jan)     O A "Bum" Phillips becomes head coach of the New Orleans Saints
1981 (23 jan)     1st Richard Nixon museum opens (San Clemente CA)
1981 (23 jan)     Mike Bossy becomes 1st in NHL to score 50 goals in 50 games
1981 (23 jan)     Jochem Bird elected mayor of West Berlin
1981 (23 jan)     Red Sox trade Fred Lynn to Angels for Frank Tanana & Joe Rudi
1981 (24 jan)     Islanders scored 5 power play goals against Nordiques
1981 (24 jan)     Kim Hughes scores 213 vs India at Adelaide
1981 (25 jan)     52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived back in US
1981 (25 jan)     Mao's widow Jiang Qing sentenced to death
1981 (25 jan)     Super Bowl XV Oakland Raiders beat Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10 in New Orleans;
                            Super Bowl MVP Jim Plunkett, Oakland, Quarterback
1981 (26 jan)     Sandeep Patil scores memorable 174 vs Australia at Adelaide Oval
1981 (28 jan)     Olympic Glory tanker at Galveston Bay, Texas, spills 1 million gallons of oil in a ship collision
1981 (28 jan)     "5 O'Clock Girl" opens at Helen Hayes Theater New York City NY for 12 performances
1981 (28 jan)     William J Casey becomes the 13th director of CIA (until 1987)
1981 (29 jan)     AL approves sale of White Sox to Jerry Reinsdorf & Eddie Einhorn for $20 million,
                            and 80% of Mariners to George Argyros for $104 million
1981 (30 jan)     8th American Music Award Kenny Rogers wins
1981 (31 jan)     "The Tide Is High" by Blondie hits #1
1981 (31 jan)     38th Golden Globes Ordinary People, Coal Miner's Daughter
1981 (31 jan)     Gaetan Boucher skates world record 1000m (1 13.39)
1981 (01 feb)     11th NFL Pro Bowl NFC beats AFC 21-7
1981 (01 feb)     31st NBA All-Star Game East beats West 123-120 at Cleveland
1981 (01 feb)     Duke Ellington-musical "Sophisticated Ladies" premieres in New York NY
1981 (01 feb)     Dutch Antilles census is 231,932
1981 (01 feb)     French government accord sends 60 Mirage fighter jets to Iraq
1981 (01 feb)     Sandra Palmer win LPGA Whirlpool Golf Championship of Deer Creek
1981 (01 feb)     Trevor Chappell bowls underarm to Brian McKechnie, WSC Final MCG
1981 (03 feb)     Australia beats New Zealand 3-1 to win World Series Cup
1981 (03 feb)     Gro Harlem Brundtland elected premier of Norway
1981 (05 feb)     Military jury in North Carolina convicts Robert Garwood of collaborating with enemy
1981 (05 feb)     "Piaf" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 165 performances
1981 (05 feb)     Largest Jell-O made (9,246 gallons of watermelon-flavor) in Brisbane
1981 (06 feb)     "Brady Brides" debuts on NBC TV
1981 (06 feb)     Beatles McCartney, Starr & Harrison record a tribute to John Lennon
1981 (06 feb)     Suleiman Nyambui runs world record 5k indoor (13:20.4)
1981 (08 feb)     "5 O'Clock Girl" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 12 performances
1981 (08 feb)     "Brigadoon" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 133 performances
1981 (08 feb)     Sally Little wins LPGA Elizabeth Arden Golf Classic
1981 (08 feb)     US female Figure Skating championship won by Elaine Zayak
1981 (08 feb)     US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton
1981 (10 feb)     8 killed & 198 injured by fire at Las Vegas Hilton
1981 (10 feb)     33rd NHL All-Star Game Campbell beat Wales 4-1 at Los Angeles CA
1981 (10 feb)     Dennis Lillee becomes Australian Cricket's top wicket-taker with 249
1981 (11 feb)     Australia all out 83 vs India at MCG chasing 143 to win
1981 (11 feb)     Polish premier Jozef Pinkowski replaced by Wojciech Jaruzelski
1981 (12 feb)     Pete Squires sets record for 1575 steps of Empire State Building, 10m
1981 (12 feb)     Admiral Bobby R Inman, USN, becomes deputy director of CIA
1981 (12 feb)     Arbitrator Goetz declares Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk a free agent
1981 (12 feb)     Cape Verde amends its constitution
1981 (13 feb)     Longest sentence published by New York Times-1286 words
1981 (15 feb)     Rocket-powered ice sled attains 399 kph, Lake George NY
1981 (15 feb)     Joanne Carner wins LPGA S&H Golf Classic
1981 (17 feb)     Chrysler Corp reports largest corporate losses in US history
1981 (19 feb)     George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism"
                            "My Sweet Lord" with "He's So Fine"
1981 (20 feb)     Flight readiness firing of Columbia's main engines; 20 seconds
1981 (20 feb)     James Sanford equals 50 meter indoor world record (5.61 seconds)
1981 (21 feb)     Japan launches Hinotori satellite to study solar flares (580/640 k)
1981 (21 feb)     NASA launches Comstar D-4
1981 (21 feb)     "Yorkshire Ripper" Peter Sutcliffe, murderer of 13 women, captured
1981 (22 feb)     Amy Alcott wins LPGA Bent Tree Ladies Golf Classic
1981 (23 feb)     People magazine features drug ordeal of Mackenzie & Papa John Phillips
1981 (23 feb)     Spanish coup under Lieutenant-Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina fails
1981 (24 feb)     Boston Celtics begin 18 NBA game win streak
1981 (24 feb)     Jean Harris is convicted of murdering Scarsdale diet doctor Tarnower
1981 (24 feb)     Britain's Prince Charles announces engagement to Lady Diana Spencer
1981 (25 feb)     New York Islanders give up their most goals (11) vs Calgary Flames
1981 (25 feb)     NHL most penalized game; Bruins vs Northstars, 84 penalties (392 minutes)
1981 (25 feb)     Rita Jenrette (wife of Abscam congressman) appears on Donahue
1981 (25 feb)     23rd Grammy Awards Sailing-Christopher Cross, Billy Joel win
1981 (25 feb)     Executive Board of Baseball Players' Association votes unanimously to strike on May 29
                            if the issue of free-agent compensation remains unresolved
1981 (25 feb)     L Calvo Sotelo elected premier of Spain
1981 (25 feb)     US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1981 (26 feb)     Boston & Minnesota play most penalty-filled NHL game-406 minute total
1981 (26 feb)     French Train à Grande Vitesse averages 380 kph on trial run
1981 (26 feb)     3 Anglican missionaries detained in Iran since August 1980 are released
1981 (27 feb)     Greatest passenger load on a commercial airliner-610 on Boeing 747
1981 (27 feb)     Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder record "Ebony & Ivory"
1981 (28 feb)     Calvin Murphy (Hou), sets NBA record with 78 consecutive free throws
1981 (28 feb)     China PR throws out Netherlands ambassador due to submarine sale to Taiwan
1981 (01 mar)     "Sophisticated Ladies" opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 767 performances
1981 (01 mar)     Bobby Sands, IRA member, begins 65-day hunger strike in Maze Prison (he dies)
1981 (01 mar)     Sally Little wins LPGA Olympia Gold Golf Classic
1981 (02 mar)     Aircraft hijacked by 3 Pakistani terrorists
1981 (02 mar)     Howard Stern begins broadcasting on WWDC in Washington DC
1981 (03 mar)     Isle's Mike Bossy 9th & final hat trick of season-4 goals
1981 (03 mar)     New York Islanders & Edmonton Oilers play to an 8-8 tie
1981 (05 mar)     "Bring Back Birdie" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 4 performances
1981 (05 mar)     US government grants Atlanta $1 million to search for black boy murderer
1981 (05 mar)     World Ice Dance Championship in Hartford won by Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean (Great Britain)
1981 (05 mar)     World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Hartford won by Irina Vorobieva & Igor Lisovski (USSR)
1981 (05 mar)     World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Hartfoed won by Denise Biellmann (Switzerland)
1981 (05 mar)     World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Hartford won by Scott Hamilton (USA)
1981 (06 mar)     France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1981 (06 mar)     Soyuz 39 returns to Earth
1981 (06 mar)     Walter Cronkite signs-off as anchorman of "The CBS Evening News"
1981 (07 mar)     "Bring Back Birdie" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 4 performances
1981 (07 mar)     1st homicide at Disneyland, 18 year old is stabbed to death
1981 (08 mar)     "Shakespeare's Cabaret" closes at Bijou Theater NYC after 54 performances
1981 (08 mar)     Dennis Lillee ct by Queensland 12th man Dennis Lillie in Shield game
1981 (08 mar)     Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Arizona Copper Golf Classic
1981 (09 mar)     Dan Rather becomes primary anchorman of CBS-TV News
1981 (11 mar)     Chile constitution takes effect, Augusto Pinochet 2nd term begins
1981 (11 mar)     Johnny Mize & Rube Foster elected to baseball Hall of Fame
1981 (12 mar)     Soyuz T-4 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station
1981 (12 mar)     Stephen Sondheim's musical "Marry Me a Little" premieres in New York NY
1981 (12 mar)     Walter R T Witschey installs world's largest sundial, Richmond VA
1981 (13 mar)     Attempt on Pope John Paul II by Mehemet Ali Agca
1981 (13 mar)     NCAA St Joseph's upsets top seed DePaul
1981 (15 mar)     "Broadway Follies" opens/closes at Nederlander Theater NYC
1981 (15 mar)     Patty Hayes wins LPGA Sun City Golf Classic
1981 (15 mar)     Suriname failed coup under Sergeant-Major Wilfred Hawker
1981 (17 mar)     FC Lisse, Dutch soccer team forms
1981 (18 mar)     Buffalo Sabres sets NHL record of 9 goals in 1 period (vs Toronto)
1981 (19 mar)     2 workers killed in space shuttle Columbia accident
1981 (19 mar)     Buffalo Sabres beat Toronto Maple Leafs 14-4
1981 (19 mar)     Emmy 8th Daytime Awards: Susan Lucci loses for 2nd time
1981 (20 mar)     Argentine ex-President Isabel Perón sentenced to 8 years
1981 (20 mar)     Jean Harris sentenced 15-to-life for slaying of Scarsdale Diet Doctor
1981 (22 mar)     1st class postage raised to 18¢ from 15¢
1981 (22 mar)     Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Desert Inn Pro-Am Golf Tournament
1981 (22 mar)     Soyuz 39 carries 2 cosmonauts (1 Mongolian) to Salyut 6
1981 (22 mar)     Toshihiko Seko runs world record 25k (1:13:55.8)/30k (1:29:18.8)
1981 (23 mar)     Supreme Court rules states could require, with some exceptions, parental notification
                            when teen-age girls sought abortions
1981 (23 mar)     Supreme Court upholds law making statutory rape a crime only for men
1981 (24 mar)     "Nightline with Ted Koppel" premieres on ABC
1981 (24 mar)     Bombay beat Delhi by innings & 46 to win Ranji Cricket Trophy
1981 (24 mar)     Colombia drops diplomatic relations with Cuba
1981 (26 mar)     Police & Albanian demonstrators battle in Kosovo Yugoslavia
1981 (26 mar)     Soyuz T-4 lands
1981 (27 mar)     John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels" is released in UK
1981 (28 mar)     Christa Rothenburger skates ladies world record 500 meter 40.18 seconds)
1981 (28 mar)     France performs nuclear test
1981 (28 mar)     Gabi Schönbrunn skates ladies world record 3 km (4 :1.70)
1981 (28 mar)     Viv Richards scores century in the 1st Test at his home Antigua
1981 (28 mar)     Yevgeni Kulikov skates world record 500 meter (36.91 seconds)
1981 (29 mar)     "Woman of the Year" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 770 performances
1981 (29 mar)     Pat Bradley wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open
1981 (29 mar)     Tiina Lehtola ski jumps female record 110 meter
1981 (29 mar)     USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1981 (30 mar)     43rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats North Carolina 63-50
1981 (30 mar)     President Reagan shot & wounded by John W Hinckley Jr
1981 (31 mar)     1st Golden Raspberry Awards: Can't Stop the Music wins
1981 (31 mar)     53rd Academy Awards: "Ordinary People", Robert De Niro, Sissy Spacek win
1981 (01 apr)     E Bowell discovers asteroid #3480 Abante
                           CNN airs a videotape that shows that Tamara Rand predicted that Reagan
                                is in danger from someone named Jack Humley (a hoax)
1981 (02 apr)     A Gilmore & P Kilmartin discovers asteroid #3400
1981 (03 apr)     Arnie Boldt of Saskatchewan jumped 6' 8.25", with 1 leg
1981 (05 apr)     E Bowell discovers asteroids #2383 Bradley & #2433 Sootiyo
1981 (05 apr)     Phila Flyers amass a record 2,621 penalty minutes
1981 (07 apr)     Willem Klein mentally extracts 13th root of a 100-digit # in 29 sec
1981 (08 apr)     Islanders scored 9 goals against Toronto in playoffs
1981 (09 apr)     US sub George Washington rams Japanese freighter Nisso Maru
1981 (10 apr)     "Caveman" with Ringo premiers
1981 (10 apr)     Computer glitch keeps Space Shuttle Columbia grounded
1981 (10 apr)     Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands elected to British Parliment
1981 (11 apr)     Ronald Reagan arrives home from hospital after Hinkley shot him
1981 (11 apr)     Valerie Bertinelli marries Eddie Van Halen
1981 (12 apr)     Maiden voyage Space Transit System-space shuttle Columbia launched
1981 (13 apr)     Wash Post Janet Cooke wins Pulitzer Prize (later admits story a hoax)
1981 (14 apr)     1st Space Shuttle-Columbia 1-returns to Earth
1981 (15 apr)     Janet Cooke says her Pulitzer award 8-year-old heroin addict story is a lie,
                            Wash Post relinquishes Pulitzer Prize on fabricated story
1981 (16 apr)     Columbia space shuttle returns [04/24]
1981 (17 apr)     Isle Potvin's 3 playoff power-play goals tie NHL record vs Oilers
1981 (17 apr)     Ranger's Anders Hedberg is 2nd to score on a Stanley Cup penalty shot
1981 (18 apr)     Pawtucket & Rochester start a 33-inning baseball game
1981 (20 apr)     Final performance of TV show "Soap" airs
1981 (20 apr)     Rocker Papa John Phillips arrested for drug possession
1981 (24 apr)     Bill Shoemaker wins his 8,000th race, 2000 more than any other jockey
1981 (24 apr)     IBM-PC introduced
1981 (24 apr)     San Antonio blocks 20 Golden State shots to set NBA reg game record
1981 (25 apr)     Maureen Reagan (40) marries 3rd husband, Dennis Revell (28)
1981 (27 apr)     1st female soccer official is hired by the NASL
1981 (27 apr)     Beatle Ringo Starr marries actress Barbara Bach
1981 (29 apr)     Phillie Steve Carlton strikes out his 3,000th batter
1981 (01 may)     Dr Clarence A Bacote historian & political scientist, dies at 75
1981 (01 may)     Peter Huchel writer, dies at 78
1981 (04 may)     Bobby Sands Irish IRA-terrorist, dies after hunger strike
1981 (05 may)     Bobby Sands IRA activists dies in his 66th day of his hunger strike
1981 (07 may)     Mieczyslaw Kolinski composer, dies at 79
1981 (08 may)     Daniel Gillès Belgian writer, dies at 64
1981 (08 may)     Margaret Lindsay actress (G Men, Lady Killer, Jezebel), dies from emphysema at 40
1981 (08 may)     Maurice Fernandes cricket captain (West Indies in 1st Test win, 1930 vs England), dies
1981 (09 may)     C E "Nip" Pellew cricketer (10 Tests 484 runs at 37), dies
1981 (09 may)     Nelson Algren US writer (Man with the Golden Arm), dies at 72
1981 (11 may)     Bob Marley reggae singer, dies of brain & lung cancer at 36
1981 (11 may)     Hoyt J Fuller editor (1st World magazine), dies at 57
1981 (12 may)     Benjamin H Sheares President of Singapore, dies
1981 (13 may)     Carl Weinrich composer, dies at 76
1981 (17 may)     Hugo Freidhofer composer, dies at 80
1981 (17 may)     Jeannette Ridlon Piccard 1st US woman free balloon pilot, dies
1981 (18 may)     Arthur O'Connell actor (Mr Peepers, Second Hundred Years), dies at 73
1981 (18 may)     William Saroyan US stagewriter (Time of your life), dies at 72
1981 (21 may)     Yuki Shimoda actor (Farewell to Manzanar), dies
1981 (23 may)     George Jessel US comedian/America's toastmaster general (Diary of Young Comic), dies at 83
1981 (24 may)     George Jessel actor (Diary of a Young Comic), dies at 83
1981 (24 may)     Jack Warner [Waters] actor (Captive Heart), dies at 84
1981 (24 may)     Jaime Roldós Aguilera President of Ecuador, dies in air crash
1981 (25 may)     Rosa Ponselle US singer (Metropolitan Opera), dies at 84
1981 (25 may)     Roy James Brown rocker (Good rockin' tonight), dies of a heart attack at 55
1981 (28 may)     Mary Lou Williams black musician, dies at 71 in Durham NC
1981 (28 may)     Stefan Wyszynski Polish Cardinal, dies
1981 (30 may)     Ziaur Rahmen President of Bangladesh, is assassinated
1981 (02 jun)     Barbara Walters asks Katharine Hepburn what kind of tree she would be
1981 (03 jun)     Pope John Paul II released from hospital after attempt on life
1981 (04 jun)     E Bowell discovers asteroids #2494 Inge, #2797 Teucer, #2870 Haupt, #3169 Ostro & #3726
1981 (05 jun)     Center of Disease Control reports of a pneumonia affecting gays (AIDS)
1981 (05 jun)     George Harrison releases "Somewhere in England"
1981 (05 jun)     TODAY/PC runs for 1st time
1981 (07 jun)     Bjorn Borg wins his 6th French Open singles (defeats Ivan Lendl)
1981 (07 jun)     Israel destroys alleged Iraqi plutonium production facility
1981 (10 jun)     IRA's Joseph Doherty escapes from Crumlin Road Jail
1981 (10 jun)     Pete Rose ties Stan Musial's NL record of 3,630 hits
1981 (10 jun)     Sebastian Coe of Englands sets the 800m record (1:41.73) in Florence
1981 (10 jun)     Seven Brothers Square in Bronx named honoring 7 Santini Bro Moving Co
1981 (11 jun)     Mariners beat Orioles 8-2 at Kingdome, then players go on strike
1981 (12 jun)     Baseball players begin a 50 day strike, their 3rd strike
1981 (13 jun)     39 Unification church couples wed in Germany
1981 (13 jun)     Teenager fires 6 blanks at Queen Elizabeth II
1981 (13 jun)     Tom Snyder interviews Charles Manson on "Tomorrow"
1981 (18 jun)     Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart retires (replaced by Sandra Day O'Connor, 1st woman on high court)
1981 (19 jun)     Boeing commercial Chinook 2-rotor helicopter is certified
1981 (19 jun)     European Space Agency's Ariane carries 2 satellites into orbit
1981 (19 jun)     Heaviest known orange (2.5 kg) exhibited, Nelspruit, S Africa
1981 (19 jun)     India's APPLE satellite, 1st to be stabilized on 3 axes, launched
1981 (21 jun)     12-bottle case of 1979 Napamedoc Cabernet wine auctioned for $24,000
1981 (22 jun)     2 Habash terrorists attack a travel agency in Greece killing 2
1981 (22 jun)     John McEnroe exhibites a disgraceful act of misbehavior at Wimbeldon
1981 (22 jun)     Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing John Lennon
1981 (23 jun)     33-inning game ends, Pawtucket 3, Rochester 2
1981 (23 jun)     Amanda Maccaro becomes 1st American to win Russian Ballet Competition
1981 (23 jun)     NYC mayor Koch turns down a $7,500 offer to perform comedy
1981 (25 jun)     Supreme Court upholds male-only draft registration, constitutional
1981 (30 jun)     China's Communist Party condemns the late Mao Tse-tung's policy
1981 (01 jul)     Laurel Canyon Calif murders (4 die, 1 wounded)
1981 (01 jul)     Radio Shack 3rd release of Model III TRSDOS 1.3
1981 (02 jul)     L E Gonzalez discovers asteroid #3495 Colchagua
1981 (03 jul)     NYC transit fare rises from 60 cents to 75 cents, new brass Y-cut-out token
1981 (05 jul)     Rajan Mahadevan recites 31,811 digits of ã from memory
1981 (07 jul)     1st solar-powered aircraft, Solar Challenger, crosses English Channel
1981 (07 jul)     Ben Plucknett of US throws discus 72.34 m, but throw is disqualified
1981 (07 jul)     Solar Challenger powered only by solar energy crosses English Channel
1981 (08 jul)     Senate confirms Sandra Day O'Conner to Supreme Court (99-0)
1981 (09 jul)     The Jacksons begin a 36-city tour
1981 (10 jul)     CERN achieves 1st proton-antiproton beam collision (570 GeV)
1981 (11 jul)     Sebastian Coe of UK sets record for 1000 m, 2:12.18
1981 (16 jul)     Shukuni Sasaki spins 72 plates simultaneously
1981 (17 jul)     Humbar Estuary Bridge, UK, world's longest span (1.4 km), opens
1981 (17 jul)     Lobby Walkways at KC's Hyatt Regency collapse 114 die, 200 injured
                         Fulton County (Atlanta) grand jury indicts Wayne B Williams, a 23 year old photographers,
                            for murder of 2 of 28 blacks killed in Atlanta
1981 (22 jul)     Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca sentenced in a Rome to life
1981 (25 jul)     Voyager 2 encounters Saturn
1981 (26 jul)     2 climbers rappell 550 m down cliff near Angel Falls, Venezuela
1981 (26 jul)     E Bowell discovers asteroids #2845 Franklinken & #2882 Tedesco
1981 (26 jul)     NY Mayor Ed Koch is given Heimlich maneuver in a Chinese restaurant
1981 (29 jul)     Prince Charles of England weds Lady Diana Spencer
1981 (31 jul)     42 day old, 2nd major league baseball strike ends
1981 (31 jul)     Arnette Hubbard installed as 1st woman president of the Natl Bar Assn
1981 (01 aug)     MTV premiers at 12:01 AM
1981 (03 aug)     Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO) begin their strike
1981 (04 aug)     Columbia mated with SRBs & external tank for STS-2 mission
1981 (04 aug)     Oliver North is assigned to White House duty
1981 (05 aug)     Federal govt began firing striking air traffic controllers
1981 (05 aug)     Pres Regan fires 11,500 air traffic controllers who struck 2 days ago
1981 (06 aug)     NASA launches Fltsatcom-5, it failed
1981 (09 aug)     6 English lifeguards set relay swim record the English Channel (7:17)
1981 (09 aug)     NL beats AL 5-4 in 52nd All Star Game (Cleveland Stadium)
1981 (10 aug)     Coca-Cola Bottling Co agrees to pump $34 million into black business
1981 (10 aug)     Pete Rose tops Stan Musial's NL record 3,630 hits
1981 (10 aug)     The Richard Nixon Museum in San Clemente closes
1981 (12 aug)     IBM introduces the PC and PC-DOS version 1.0
1981 (12 aug)     Jon Erikson (US) becomes 1st to triple cross English Channel (38:27)
1981 (14 aug)     George Foster hits his 8th HR into the red seats at Riverfront
1981 (15 aug)     Robin Leamy of US swims record 7.98 kph for 50 m
1981 (16 aug)     Highest score in World Cup soccer match (New Zealand-13, Fiji-0)
1981 (18 aug)     Jerry Lewis appears on "Donahue" to defend Telethons
1981 (19 aug)     2 US Navy F-14 jet fighters shot down 2 Soviet-built Libyan SU-22
1981 (24 aug)     Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 yrs to life for Lennon's murder
1981 (25 aug)     Jeff Schwartz, sets solo record for trampoline bouncing (266:09)
1981 (25 aug)     Mark Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, is sentenced to 20 years
1981 (25 aug)     Voyager 2's closest approach to Saturn (63,000 miles/100,000 km)
1981 (26 aug)     Space Shuttle vehicle moves to Launch Complex 39A for STS-2 mission
1981 (27 aug)     Divers begin to recover a safe found aboard the Andrea Doria
1981 (28 aug)     John Hinckley Jr pleads innocent in attempt to kill Pres Reagan
1981 (28 aug)     Sebastian Coe of UK sets 1-mi record of 3:47.33 (since broken)
1981 (28 aug)     National Centers for Disease Control announces high incidence
                            of Pneumocystis & Kaposi's sarcoma in gay men
1981 (01 sep)     Fiona Brothers sets women's propeller boat speed record (116.279 MPH)
1981 (03 sep)     Gerald P Remy of Boston gets 6 hits in a baseball game
1981 (03 sep)     Longest game in Fenway Park, completed in 20 innings, Mariners-8, Red Sox-7
1981 (04 sep)     Newscaster David Brinkley is released by NBC
1981 (06 sep)     Bob Lemon named Yankee manager
1981 (07 sep)     Judge Wapner & the People's Court premier on TV
1981 (09 sep)     Vernon E Jordan resigns as president of National Urban League
1981 (12 sep)     Elizabeth Ward (Arkansas) is crowned Miss America
1981 (13 sep)     33rd Emmy Awards (Hill Street Blues big winner)
1981 (13 sep)     April Moon sets women's handbow distance record of 1,039 yds & 13"
1981 (13 sep)     Atlanta Falcons tie record of 31 points in 4th quarter (vs Green Bay)
1981 (13 sep)     John McEnroe beats Bjorn Borg for US Open title
1981 (14 sep)     Entertainment Tonight premiers on TV
1981 (15 sep)     US Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves Sandra Day O'Connor
1981 (19 sep)     Satellites China 10 & 11 launched into Earth orbit by B-1 rocket
1981 (19 sep)     Simon & Garfunkel reunite for a NYC Central Park concert
1981 (20 sep)     Joe Danelo kicks then NY Giant record 55 yard field goal
1981 (21 sep)     Belize gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1981 (21 sep)     Sandra Day O'Connor becomes 1st female Supreme Court Justice
1981 (21 sep)     Steve Carlton strikes out NL record 3,118th (Andre Dawson)
1981 (25 sep)     Rolling Stones begin their 6th US tour (JFK Stadium, Phila)
1981 (25 sep)     Sandra Day O'Connor sworn in as 1st female supreme court justice
1981 (26 sep)     Houston Astro Nolan Ryan 5th no-hitter beats LA Dodgers, 5-0
1981 (28 sep)     Joseph Paul Franklin, avowed racist, sentenced to life imprisonment for
                            killing 2 black joggers in Salt Lake City
1981 (30 sep)     Seoul, South Korea is selected to host 1988 Summer Olympics
1981 (03 oct)     Irish Nationalist at Maze Prison near Belfast end 7-mo hunger strike
1981 (04 oct)     Pasakevi Kouna of Greece (9) is youngest intl gymnastics participant
1981 (05 oct)     Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg becomes an honarary American
1981 (07 oct)     In 1st Eastern Division championship Yanks beat Brewers 5-3
1981 (08 oct)     USAC appeals panel restores disputed Indy 500 victory to Al Unser
1981 (08 oct)     Pres Reagan greeted predecessors Jimmy Carter, Gerald R Ford & Richard Nixon
                            before sending them to Egypt for Anwar Sadat's funeral
1981 (10 oct)     Anwar Sadat's funeral service is held in Cairo
1981 (11 oct)     LeRoy Irvin sets yards gained on punt returns record (207 yds)
1981 (11 oct)     Unknown rocker Prince opens for Rolling Stones at LA Coliseum
1981 (11 oct)     Yanks beat Brewers 7-3 & win only Eastern Championship Series
1981 (13 oct)     Vice President Hosni Mubarak elected president of Egypt
1981 (15 oct)     Yanks defeat A's 4-0 & win 33rd pennant
1981 (18 oct)     NY Giant Joe Danelo ties NFL record of 6 field goals in a game
1981 (19 oct)     LA Dodgers beat Montreal Expos for NL pennant
1981 (20 oct)     3 members of Weather underground arrested for armored truck robbery
1981 (22 oct)     Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization decertified
1981 (22 oct)     US national debt tops $1 trillion
1981 (26 oct)     LA Dodgers beat NY Yankees, 4 games to 2 in 78th World Series
1981 (27 oct)     Andrew Young, former UN Ambassador, elected mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
1981 (28 oct)     Edward M McIntrye elected 1st black mayor of Augusta Georgia
1981 (01 nov)     1st Class Mail raised from 18 to 20
1981 (01 nov)     3rd meeting of Giants-Jets, Jets up 2-1 with 26-7 win
1981 (01 nov)     Antigua & Barbuda gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1981 (04 nov)     Columbia shuttle launch scrubbed with 31 secs remaining
1981 (05 nov)     Former Dolphin, Mercury Morris, is sentenced to 20 years for drug trafficking,
                            conspiracy, & possession of cocaine
1981 (12 nov)     1st balloon crossing of the Pacific is completed (Double Eagle V)
1981 (12 nov)     2nd shuttle mission-1st time spacecraft launched twice (Columbia 2)
1981 (12 nov)     Billy Martin named AL Manager of the Year (Oakland A's)
1981 (13 nov)     Ringo releases "Wrack My Brains"
1981 (14 nov)     2nd Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 2-returns to Earth
1981 (14 nov)     Old Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park repaired & working again
1981 (16 nov)     Luke marries Laura on General Hospital
1981 (17 nov)     NBA NY Knick Bill Cartwright, ties record of 19 of 19 free throws
1981 (20 nov)     Anatoly Karpov, USSR retains world chess championship
1981 (20 nov)     Ringo releases "Stop & Smell the Roses" album
1981 (21 nov)     Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," single goes #1 & stays for 10 weeks
1981 (22 nov)     San Diego Charger Dan Fouts passes for 6 touchdowns vs Oakland (55-21)
1981 (28 nov)     Bear Bryant wins his 315th game to out distance Alonzo Stagg & become college football's winningest coach
1981 (30 nov)     Porn star John Holmes arrested on fugitive charges
1981 (01 dec)     Yugoslavic DC-9 crashes into mountain at Corsica, 174 killed
1981 (02 dec)     Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco opens at 11:30 AM
1981 (02 dec)     Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers) wins National League Rookie of the Year
1981 (02 dec)     Spanish government requests membership in NATO
1981 (03 dec)     Beth Daniel/Tom Kite win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic
1981 (03 dec)     US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1981 (04 dec)     "Falcon Crest" premieres on CBS-TV
1981 (04 dec)     According to South Africa, Ciskei gains independence; Not recognized as an independent
                            country outside South Africa
1981 (04 dec)     President Reagan allows CIA to engage in domestic counter-intelligence (No 12333)
1981 (05 dec)     47th Heisman Trophy Award: Marcus Allen, Southern California (RB)
1981 (05 dec)     56th Australian Women Tennis: Navratilova beats Chris Evert (67 64 75)
1981 (05 dec)     France performs nuclear test
1981 (06 dec)     Rob de Castella of Australia sets Marathon record at 2:08 18
1981 (07 dec)     Spain becomes a member of the NATO
1981 (08 dec)     France performs nuclear test
1981 (09 dec)     Porn star John Holmes charged with Laurel Canyon murders
1981 (10 dec)     El Salvador army kills 900
1981 (10 dec)     Jules Feiffer's "Grownups" premieres in New York NY
1981 (11 dec)     Muhammad Ali's 61st & last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick
1981 (11 dec)     Spacelab I arrives at Kennedy Space Center
1981 (11 dec)     UN Security Council chose Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as 5th Secretary-General
1981 (11 dec)     Washington Capitals biggest margin of victory (9) beating Toronto 11-2
1981 (11 dec)     Argentine President/General Roberto Viola flees
1981 (12 dec)     Wayne Gretsky scores quickest 50th goal (game 39)
1981 (12 dec)     "1st" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 37 performances
1981 (12 dec)     Gambia & Senegal sign agreement to be known as Senegambia in Feb 1982
1981 (13 dec)     Polish government declares martial law, arrests Solidarity activists
1981 (13 dec)     70th Davis Cup: USA beats Argentina in Cincinnati (3-1)
1981 (14 dec)     Israel annexes Golan Heights (seized from Syria in war of 1967)
1981 (15 dec)     NASA launches Intelsat V
1981 (15 dec)     4th Emmy Sports Award presentation
1981 (16 dec)     Dutch Van Agt's 2nd government falls
1981 (17 dec)     Members of the Red Brigades kidnap Brigadier-General James L Dozier
1981 (20 dec)     Doug Small (Winnipeg Jets) ties NHL record scoring at 5 second mark
1981 (20 dec)     Browns set team records for most fumbles (9) & most turnovers (10)
1981 (20 dec)     Harry Krieger/Tom Eyen's musical "Dreamgirls" premieres at Imperial Theater NYC for 1522 performances
1981 (21 dec)     Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
1981 (22 dec)     Argentine General Leopoldo Galtieri sworn in as president
1981 (22 dec)     Belgium's 5th government of Martens forms
1981 (23 dec)     Boycott becomes leading run-scorer in Test Crickets with 8033
1981 (24 dec)     Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa & Lisa Evers marry
1981 (24 dec)     USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1981 (26 dec)     One of the great day's Test Cricket at the MCG Australia vs West Indies
1981 (27 dec)     Oiler Wayne Gretsky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 points (38th game)
1981 (27 dec)     Lillee becomes the leading wicket-taker in Test Crickets with 310
1981 (27 dec)     USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1981 (28 dec)     Cleveland Metroparks Administrative offices move from downtown to Zoo
1981 (28 dec)     Warner-Elektra-Atlantic raises price of 45 records from $1.68 to $1.98
1981 (30 dec)     Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record of 50 goals by 39th game of season
1981 (31 dec)     CNN Headline News debuts
1981 (31 dec)     Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings stages coup in Ghana, suspends constitution
1981 (31 dec)     Netherlands unemployment stands at record 475,000

1981 (17 jan)     Ray J singer
1981 (18 jan)     Kimberly Gloudemans Miss California Teen-USA (1997)
1981 (18 jan)     Latoya Farley Miss Oklahoma Teen-USA (1996)
1981 (27 jan)     Jonny Lang blues musician
1981 (28 jan)     Elijah Wood Cedar Rapids IA, actor (Radio Flyer, Good Son)
1981 (08 feb)     Tommy Michaels Staten Island NY, actor (Timmy Hutton-All My Children)
1981 (17 feb)     Donielle Thompson Wheatridge CO, gymnast (World-bronze-95, Olympics-96)
1981 (17 feb)     Lisa Skinner Queensland Australia, gymnast (Olympics-96)
1981 (05 may)     Danielle Christine Fishel Mesa AZ, actress (Topanga-Boy Meets World)
1981 (11 may)     Austin O'Brien actor (Apollo 13, My Girl 2, Lawnmower Man)
1981 (15 may)     Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips daughter of Princess Anne-10th in succession to British throne
1981 (16 may)     Jessica Ponzo Miss New Jersey Teen USA (1996)
1981 (21 may)     Beth Botsford 100 meter/200 meter backstroke (Olympics-gold-96)
1981 (24 may)     Shelby Lyons Oswego NY, pairs skater (& Wells-1995 Midwest champion)
1981 (26 aug)     Macauley Culkin actor (Home Alone, My Girl)
1981 (18 oct)     Richard Vuu actor (Last Emperor)
1981 (02 dec)     Britney Jean Spears Kentwood, LA, singer (Baby One More Time, You Drive Me Crazy,
                                Oops I Did It Again)
1981 (03 dec)     Brian Bonsall actor (Family Ties, Star Trek Next Generation)
1981 (13 dec)     Chelsea Hertford actress (Casey-Major Dad)
1981 (17 dec)     Emma Laaksonen ice hockey defenseman (Finland, Olympics-98)
1981 (19 dec)     Stevie Ficker Miss Oregon Teen USA (1997)
1981 (28 dec)     Elizabeth Jordan Carr 1st American test tube baby

1981 (02 jan)     David Lynch singer (Platters-My Prayer), dies at 51
1981 (05 jan)     Harold C Urey US chemist (Deuterium, Nobel 1934), dies at 87
1981 (05 jan)     Paul Félix Flemish architect (Song of the Sun), dies at 67
1981 (06 jan)     A[rchibald] J[oseph] Cronin physician/author (Citadel), dies at 84
1981 (07 jan)     Jose Ardevol composer, dies at 69
1981 (08 jan)     Woody Chamblis actor (Mr Lathrop-Gunsmoke), dies at 66
1981 (08 jan)     Matthew Beard entertainer, dies
1981 (09 jan)     Kazimierz Serocki composer, dies at 58
1981 (10 jan)     Richard Boone actor (Paladin-Have Gun Will Travel), dies at 63
1981 (11 jan)     Beulah Bondi actress (It's a Wonderful Life), dies at 88
1981 (12 jan)     Isobel Elsom actress (Unseen, Jane Eyre, Illegal), dies at 87
1981 (13 jan)     Emiel van Hemeldonck Belgian writer (Mary, My Child), dies at 83
1981 (15 jan)     Emanuel Celler (Representative-D-NY, 1923-73), dies at 92
1981 (16 jan)     Bernard Lee actor (M in James Bond Movies), dies at 73
1981 (21 jan)     Allyn Joslyn actor (They Won't Forget, Cafe Society), dies at 79
1981 (22 jan)     Fannie Thomas US, dies at 113
1981 (23 jan)     Bobby Sherwood orchestra leader (Milton Berle Show), dies at 66
1981 (23 jan)     Samuel Barber US composer (School for Scandal), dies at 70
1981 (25 jan)     Adele Marie Astaire actress/sister of Fred Astaire (Last Man on Earth, Millie), dies at 82
1981 (25 jan)     Richard Talmadge actor (Speed Reporter), dies
1981 (27 jan)     Leo Collard Belgian minister of Education (1946/54-58), dies at 78
1981 (29 jan)     Cozy Cole rocker (Topsy Part II), dies
1981 (01 feb)     Donald W Douglas US aviation pionieer/builder, dies at 88
1981 (01 feb)     Ernst Pepping composer, dies at 79
1981 (01 feb)     Nils Geirr Tveitt composer, dies at 72
1981 (01 feb)     Wanda Hendrix actress (Sierra, Ride the Pink Horse), dies
1981 (02 feb)     Donald W Douglas US aircraft pioneer/builder, dies at 88
1981 (02 feb)     Jan Donner Dutch chairman of High Council, dies at 89
1981 (02 feb)     Louise Lorraine actress (Adventures of Tarzan), dies
1981 (05 feb)     Kuda Bux Indian mystic (I'd Like to See), dies at 75
1981 (05 feb)     Barend Barendse Dutch sportscaster, dies at 73
1981 (09 feb)     Bill Haley vocalist (Rock Around Clock), dies of heart attack at 55
1981 (12 feb)     Jean Dixon actress (Joy of Living, You Only Live Once), dies
1981 (15 feb)     Jack Crapp cricketer (7 Tests for England 1948-49, 319 runs), dies
1981 (15 feb)     Mike Bloomfield rocker (Electric Flag), dies of drug overdose at 36
1981 (15 feb)     Thomas Beversdorf composer, dies at 56
1981 (16 feb)     Howard Hanson composer, dies at 84
1981 (19 feb)     Frank Merrik composer, dies at 94
1981 (26 feb)     FC Terborgh [Reijnier Flaes], lawyer/writer (Turkish War), dies at 79
1981 (26 feb)     Howard Hanson US composer/conductor (Nordic), dies at 84
1981 (26 feb)     Munabi assistant to Ugandan President Obote, murdered
1981 (02 mar)     Janear Hines actress (Roberta-Julia), dies at 30
1981 (04 mar)     Torin Thatcher actor (Houdini, Isranbul, Lady Godiva), dies
1981 (05 mar)     Brenda De Banzie actress (39 Steps, Hobson's Choice), dies at 64
1981 (05 mar)     Paul Horbiger actor (3rd Man), dies at 86
1981 (06 mar)     George Geary cricketer (14 Tests for England, 46 wickets), dies
1981 (06 mar)     Klaus Grabowski child molester, shot by parent
1981 (07 mar)     John Gnagy artist (Learn to Draw), dies at 73
1981 (07 mar)     Kirill Petrovich Kondrashin Russian conductor/composer, dies at 67
1981 (09 mar)     Max Delbrück German/US biologist (Nobel 1969), dies at 74
1981 (14 mar)     Ken Barrington cricketer (82 Tests for England, 6806 runs), dies
1981 (14 mar)     René Clair French director (It Happened Tomorrow), dies at 82?
1981 (26 mar)     Cyril Dean Darlington biologist (hereditary mechanisms), dies at 77
1981 (26 mar)     Tim Wall cricketer (SA vs New South Wales 1933 is Sheffield Shield record), dies
1981 (29 mar)     Eric Williams Prime Minister (Trinidad & Tobago), dies at 79
1981 (30 mar)     Dewitt Wallace US founder (Reader's Digest), dies at 91
1981 (30 mar)     Noel Harford cricketer (8 Tests for New Zealand 1955-58), dies
1981 (04 apr)     Brad Johnson actor (Annie Oakley), dies at 56
1981 (08 apr)     Gen Omar Bradley last 5-star general, dies in NY at 88
1981 (22 apr)     Brailsford Reese Brazeal (76) dean (Morehouse College), dies at 76
1981 (25 apr)     Dixie a mouse who lived 6« years
1981 (26 apr)     Jim Davis actor (Jack Ewing-Dallas), dies at 65
1981 (26 apr)     Madge Evans TV panelist (Masquerade Party), dies at 71
1981 (28 apr)     Mickey "Toy Bulldog" Walker welterweight champ (1922-26) dies at 79
1981 (01 may)     Dr Clarence A Bacote historian & political scientist, dies at 75
1981 (01 may)     Peter Huchel writer, dies at 78
1981 (05 may)     Bobby Sands IRA activists dies in his 66th day of his hunger strike
1981 (07 may)     Mieczyslaw Kolinski composer, dies at 79
1981 (08 may)     Daniel Gillès Belgian writer, dies at 64
1981 (08 may)     Margaret Lindsay actress (G Men, Lady Killer, Jezebel), dies from emphysema at 40
1981 (08 may)     Maurice Fernandes cricket captain (West Indies in 1st Test win, 1930 vs England), dies
1981 (09 may)     C E "Nip" Pellew cricketer (10 Tests 484 runs at 37), dies
1981 (09 may)     Nelson Algren US writer (Man with the Golden Arm), dies at 72
1981 (11 may)     Bob Marley reggae singer, dies of brain & lung cancer at 36
1981 (11 may)     Hoyt J Fuller editor (1st World magazine), dies at 57
1981 (12 may)     Benjamin H Sheares President of Singapore, dies
1981 (13 may)     Carl Weinrich composer, dies at 76
1981 (17 may)     Hugo Freidhofer composer, dies at 80
1981 (17 may)     Jeannette Ridlon Piccard 1st US woman free balloon pilot, dies
1981 (18 may)     Arthur O'Connell actor (Mr Peepers, Second Hundred Years), dies at 73
1981 (18 may)     William Saroyan US stagewriter (Time of your life), dies at 72
1981 (21 may)     Yuki Shimoda actor (Farewell to Manzanar), dies
1981 (23 may)     George Jessel US comedian/America's toastmaster general (Diary of Young Comic), dies at 83
1981 (24 may)     Jack Warner [Waters] actor (Captive Heart), dies at 84
1981 (24 may)     Jaime Roldós Aguilera President of Ecuador, dies in air crash
1981 (25 may)     Rosa Ponselle US singer (Metropolitan Opera), dies at 84
1981 (25 may)     Roy James Brown rocker (Good rockin' tonight), dies of a heart attack at 55
1981 (28 may)     Mary Lou Williams black musician, dies at 71 in Durham NC
1981 (28 may)     Stefan Wyszynski Polish Cardinal, dies
1981 (30 may)     Ziaur Rahmen President of Bangladesh, is assassinated
1981 (03 jun)     Dr Carleton Coon anthropology prof (What in the World), dies at 76
1981 (09 jun)     Allen Ludden game show host (Password), dies at 63
1981 (10 jun)     Russell "Lucky" Hayden actor (Judge Roy Bean), dies at 68
1981 (01 jul)     George Voskovec actor (Fred-Nero Wolfe, Peter-Skag), dies at 76
1981 (03 jul)     Ross Martin actor (Mr Lucky, Wild Wild West), dies at 61
1981 (07 jul)     Keefe Brasselle actor (Be Our Guest), dies at 58
1981 (08 jul)     Loring Smith actor (The Hartmans), dies at 86
1981 (16 jul)     Harry Chapin dies at 39, of a heart attack when his car is rear-ended
1981 (25 jul)     Ian Martin actor (Uncle Bill-O'Neills), dies at 69
1981 (27 jul)     Ray Harrison dancer (American Song), dies at 64
1981 (31 jul)     Gen Omar Torrijos leader of Panama, dies in plane crash
1981 (04 aug)     Melvyn Douglas actor, dies at 80
1981 (26 aug)     Roger Nash Baldwin founder of the ACLU, dies
1981 (27 aug)     Joan Edwards singer (Joan Edwards Show), dies at 62
1981 (29 aug)     Lowell Thomas newscaster (High Adventure), dies in Pawling NY, at 89
1981 (30 aug)     Mohammad Ali Rajai president of Iran, assassinated by a bomb
1981 (30 aug)     Mohammad Javad Bahonar prime minister of Iran, assassinated by a bomb
1981 (04 sep)     Verne Rowe actor (Verne-Fernwood 2 Night), dies at 59
1981 (05 sep)     Ayatollah Ali Qoddusi prosecutor-general of Iran, assassinated
1981 (08 sep)     Roy Wilkins longtime executive director of NAACP, dies at 80
1981 (11 sep)     Frank McHugh actor (Dawn Patrol, Going My Way), dies at 83
1981 (13 sep)     William Loeb publisher of Manchester Union Leader, NH, dies at 75
1981 (15 sep)     Sara Haden actress (A Family Affair), dies at 83
1981 (24 sep)     Patsy Kelly actress (Brigid Murphy-Cop & the Kid), dies at 71
1981 (27 sep)     Robert Montgomery actor/dir (Robert Montgomery Presents), dies at 77
1981 (02 oct)     Hazel Scott singer/pianist (Hazel Scott), dies at 61
1981 (05 oct)     Gloria Grahame actress (Sue-Rich Man Poor Man), dies at 55
1981 (05 oct)     Jud Strunk singer/comedian (Laugh-In), dies at 48
1981 (06 oct)     Anwar Sadat assassinated Hosnai Mubarak becomes Egytian president
1981 (15 oct)     Frank DeKova actor (Chief Wild Eagle-F Troop)
1981 (16 oct)     Moshe Dayan Israel's general, dies at 66
1981 (24 oct)     Deborah Baltzell actress (Karen-I'm a Big Girl Now), dies at 25
1981 (29 oct)     William O Walker publisher of the Cleveland Call Post, dies at 85
1981 (26 nov)     Jamie Fiske liver transplant recipient
1981 (10 nov)     Abel Gance French movie director, dies at 92
1981 (16 nov)     Enid Markey actress (Aunt Violet-Bringing Up Buddy), dies at 85
1981 (17 nov)     Bob Eberly singer (Jimmy Dorsey Band), dies at 65
1981 (21 nov)     Harry Von Zell TV announcer (Burns & Allen), dies at 75
1981 (25 nov)     Jack Albertson actor (Chico & the Man), dies at 74
1981 (27 nov)     Lotte Lenya singer/actress, dies in NY at 83
1981 (29 nov)     Natalie Wood actress, drowns off Santa Catalina CA, at 43
1981 (30 nov)     Robert H Harris actor (Jake-The Goldbergs), dies at 72
1981 (02 dec)     Hershy Kay composer, dies at 62
1981 (02 dec)     Nicolaas "Cola" Debrot Governor of Dutch Antilles (1962-70), dies at 79
1981 (02 dec)     Wallace K[irkman] Harrison US architect (UN), dies at 86
1981 (08 dec)     Walter "Shakey" Horton harmonica stylist (Everybody's Fishin'), dies at 64
1981 (09 dec)     Tonny Til rocker, dies at 56
1981 (10 dec)     John Kieran TV host (Information Please), dies at 89
1981 (13 dec)     Pigmeat Markham comedian (Here Comes da Judge-Laugh In), dies at 75
1981 (13 dec)     Cornelius Cardew composer, dies at 45
1981 (18 dec)     Mehmet Shehu PM Albania (1954-81)/"US-Russian spy", commits suicide
1981 (27 dec)     Hoagy Carmichael US actor/songwriter (Stardust), dies at 82
1981 (29 dec)     Guido Provoost Belgian historian, dies at 41
1981 (31 dec)     Frantisek Chaun composer, dies at 60