1981 in the United States

1981 in the United States
Events from the year 1981 in the United States.
Incumbents
Federal government
President: Jimmy Carter (D-Georgia) (until January 20), Ronald Reagan (R-California) (starting January 20)
Vice President: Walter Mondale (D-Minnesota) (until January 20), George H. W. Bush (R-Texas) (starting January 20)
Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Tip O'Neill (D-Massachusetts)
Senate Majority Leader: Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) (until January 3), Howard Baker (R-Tennessee) (starting January 3)
Congress: 96th (until January 3), 97th (starting January 3)
Events
January
January 16 – Women in Housing and Finance: conduct first meeting in New York City.
January 19 – United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.
January 20 – Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th president of the United States, and George H. W. Bush is sworn in as the 43rd vice president. Minutes later, Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis.
January 25 – Super Bowl XV: The Oakland Raiders defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 27–10 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
February
February 10 – A fire at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino kills eight and injures 198.
March
March 6 – After 19 years hosting the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
March 19 – Three workers are killed and five are injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
March 21 – Michael Donald is lynched in Mobile, Alabama.
March 30 – President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley Jr. Two police officers and Press Secretary James Brady are also wounded.
March 31 – The 53rd Academy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Robert Redford's directorial debut, Ordinary People, wins four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. David Lynch's The Elephant Man and Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull tie in receiving eight nominations each.
April
April 12 – The Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia (John Young, Robert Crippen) launches on the STS-1 mission, returning to Earth on April 14.
April 18 – A Minor League Baseball game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, becomes the longest professional baseball game in history: 8 hours and 25 minutes/33 innings (the 33rd inning is not played until June 23).
April 26 – The 5.9 Westmorland earthquake shook the Imperial Valley of California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong), causing $1–3 million in damage.
May
May 15 – Donna Payant is murdered by serial killer Lemuel Smith, the first time a female correctional officer has been killed on-duty in the United States.
June
June – The United States enters the severe early 1980s recession, exactly a year after the more minor 1980 recession ended; the unemployment rate is 7.2%
June 5 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California, have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems (the first recognized cases of AIDS).
June 12
Major League Baseball goes on strike, forcing the cancellation of 38 percent of the schedule.
Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg is released as the first film of the Indiana Jones film series.
June 21 – Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old African American, is arrested and charged with the murders of two other African Americans. He is later accused of 28 others, in the Atlanta child murders.
June 29 – Morris Edwin Robert, armed with a machine gun, holds hostages in the FBI section at the Atlanta, Georgia Federal Building. After three hours, the hostages are rescued and Robert is killed in a shootout with federal agents.
July
July 7 – President Reagan nominates the first woman, Sandra Day O'Connor, to the Supreme Court of the United States.
July 8 – California Governor Jerry Brown, faced with a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation, chooses to delay the aerial spraying of malathion, in favor of continuing ground-based eradication efforts.
July 9 – First release of Donkey Kong and debut of Mario.
July 10 – Walt Disney Productions' 24th feature film, The Fox and the Hound, is released after a six month delay due to the departure of Don Bluth and his animation team from the studio. The film receives mixed-to-positive reviews and is a box office success.
July 17
Hyatt Regency walkway collapse: Two skywalks filled with people at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri collapse into a crowded atrium lobby, killing 114.
Israeli aircraft bomb Beirut, destroying multi-story apartment blocks containing the offices of PLO associated groups, killing approximately 300 civilians and resulting in worldwide condemnation and a U.S. embargo on the export of aircraft to Israel.
July 27 – Adam Walsh, 6, is kidnapped from a Sears store in Hollywood, Florida.
August
August 1 – MTV (Music Television) is launched on cable television in the United States.
August 5 – President Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.
August 7 – The Washington Star ceases publication after 128 years.
August 9 – Major League Baseball resumes from the strike with the All-Star Game in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium.
August 10 – Exactly two weeks after his disappearance, the severed head of 6-year-old Hollywood, Florida native Adam Walsh is found in a canal in Vero Beach, Florida; to this day the rest of the boy's body has never been recovered.
August 12 – The original Model 5150 IBM PC (with a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 processor) is released in the United States at a base price of $1,565.
August 19
Gulf of Sidra incident (1981): Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi sends 2 Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets to intercept 2 U.S. fighters over the Gulf of Sidra. The American jets destroy the Libyan fighters.
President Ronald Reagan appoints the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor.
August 24 – Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, after being convicted of murdering John Lennon in Manhattan eight months earlier.
August 31 – A bomb explodes at the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, West Germany, injuring 20 people.
September
September 10 – Picasso's painting "Guernica" is moved from New York City to Madrid.
September 11 – A small plane crashes into the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California, damaging the venue beyond repair.
September 15 – The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world, at 150 years old, when it operates under its own power outside Washington, DC.
September 17 – Ric Flair defeats Dusty Rhodes to win his first World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship in Kansas City.
September 19 – Simon & Garfunkel perform The Concert in Central Park, a free concert in New York in front of approximately half a million people.
September 25
Sandra Day O'Connor takes her seat as the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Rolling Stones begin their Tattoo You tour at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.
October
October 28
The thrash metal band Metallica forms in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees, 4 games to 2, to win their fifth World Series Title.
November
November 12 – STS-2: Space Shuttle Columbia (Joe Engle, Richard Truly) lifts off for its second mission.
November 16 – Luke and Laura marry on the U.S. soap opera General Hospital; it is the highest-rated hour in daytime television history.
November 23 – Iran-Contra scandal: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), authorizing the Central Intelligence Agency to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
November 30 – Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin negotiating intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe (the meetings end inconclusively on Thursday, December 17).
December
December 5 – American general James L. Dozier is kidnapped in Verona by the Italian Red Brigades.
December 8 – The No. 21 Mine explosion in Whitwell, Tennessee kills 13.
December 11 – Boxing: Muhammad Ali loses to Trevor Berbick; this proved to be Ali's last-ever fight.
December 28 – The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Full date unknown
Fire Away, a handheld electronic game, is released by Tandy.
MDB Communications advertising and communications agency is founded.
Ongoing
Cold War (1947–1991)
Iran hostage crisis (1979–1981)
Early 1980s recession (1981–1982)
The Wayne Chicken Show (since 1981), held in Wayne, Nebraska
Births
January
January 1
Kelly Fremon Craig, screenwriter, producer, and film director
Eden Riegel, actress
Justin Welborn, actor
January 2
JT Daly, musician, producer, songwriter, and visual artist, and frontman for Paper Route
Kirk Hinrich, basketball player
January 3 – Eli Manning, football player
January 4
Alicia Garza, civil rights activist and co-founder of Black Lives Matter
Aaron Schwartz, actor
January 5
Chris Drake, tennis player
Brooklyn Sudano, actress
January 6
Ejiro Evero, English-born football player and coach
Camila Grey, singer/songwriter and guitarist
Mike Jones, rapper
Mobetta, jazz trumpeter, producer, and composer
January 7
Marquis Daniels, basketball player
Jinxx, guitarist and member of Black Veil Brides
January 8 – Genevieve Cortese, actress
January 9
Sam Arora, politician
Nate Boyer, football player and Army Green Beret
Cedric Cobbs, football player
Caroline Lufkin, singer
January 10
Matt Brown, mixed martial artist
Brian Joo, R&B singer
Jared Kushner, investor
January 11 – Mary Beth Decker, model and television personality
January 12 – Quentin Griffin, football player
January 13
Reggie Brown, football player
Shad Gaspard, wrestler (d. 2020)
January 14 – Trieste Kelly Dunn, actress
January 15
Elvin Ayala, boxer
Charleene Closshey, actress, musician, composer, and producer
Howie Day, singer/songwriter
Pitbull, hip-hop musician and record producer
January 16 – Kurt Sauer, ice hockey player
January 17
Flash Brown, pornographic actor, model, and basketball player
Scott Mechlowicz, actor
Ray J, rapper and singer
January 19 – Elizabeth Tulloch, actress
January 20
John Baker, baseball player
Annie Black, politician
Erika Davies, jazz vocalist and actress
Jason Richardson, basketball player
Clarke Tucker, politician
January 21
Amanda Aday, actress
Damane Duckett, football player
Josh Revak, politician
January 22
Chantelle Anderson, basketball player
Cameron Echols, basketball player
Willa Ford, singer, television hostess, and actress
Beverley Mitchell, actress
Ben Moody, guitarist
Raymond Raposa, singer/songwriter and frontman for Castanets (d. 2022)
January 23
Dan Antoniuk, soccer player
Chuckie Campbell, musician, poet, fiction writer, editor, publisher, and educator
January 24 – Carrie Coon, actress
January 25 – Alicia Keys, singer, pianist and actress
January 26 – Ronald Dupree, basketball player
January 27 – Gorilla Zoe, rapper
January 28 – Elijah Wood, actor and producer
January 29 – Jonny Lang, musician
January 30 – Jonathan Bender, basketball player
January 31 – Justin Timberlake, singer/songwriter, actor, record producer, and member of NSYNC
February
February 1
Bayard Elfvin, soccer player
John Gemberling, actor and comedian
Gina Ortiz Jones, politician
February 2
Lance Allred, basketball player
Nathan Barnatt, actor, comedian, dancer, YouTuber, and filmmaker
Josh Kaul, politician
Emily Rose, actress
February 3
Kris Dielman, football player
Alisa Reyes, actress
Ben Wikler, politician
February 4 – Dennis Dottin-Carter, football player
February 5
Jarvis Dortch, politician
Nora Zehetner, actress
February 6
Ricky Barnes, golfer
Calum Best, TV personality
Alison Haislip, actress and TV personality
February 7 – Jim Parrack, actor
February 8 – Dawn Olivieri, actress
February 9 – The Rev, drummer for Avenged Sevenfold (d. 2009)
February 10
Uzo Aduba, actress
Stephanie Beatriz, actress
Eric Dill, singer/songwriter
February 11
Jake Eaton, football player and athletic director
Kelly Rowland, singer and actress
February 13 – Joshua Deahl, judge
February 15
Matt Hoopes, guitarist and singer/songwriter, (Relient K)
Jenna Morasca, TV personality
Olivia, singer/songwriter and actress
February 17
Sean Michael Becker, director, producer, and editor
T. J. Duckett, football player
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor, director, producer and writer
Paris Hilton, model and socialite
February 18
Jameel Dumas, football player
Kamasi Washington, saxophonist
February 19
Beth Ditto, singer/songwriter and actress
Blake Elliott, football player
Jocko Sims, actor
February 20
Majandra Delfino, actress
Cody Donovan, mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner
Fred Jackson, football player
Adrian Lamo, convicted computer hacker (died 2018)
Chris Thile, mandolinist
February 21 – Katie Edwards-Walpole, politician
February 23
Josh Gad, actor, comedian, and singer
Paleo, singer/songwriter
Charles Tillman, American football player
February 24 – Rob Bowen, baseball player
February 25 – Oliver Celestin, football safety player
February 26
PJ Bianco, songwriter and record producer
Kertus Davis, race car driver
Demetrius Grosse, actor and producer
Maria Sansone, journalist and Internet personality
February 27
Josh Groban, singer
Nick Langworthy, politician
February 28
Brian Bannister, baseball player
Erik Demaine, professor of Computer Science at MIT and former child prodigy
March
March 1
Zach Cregger, actor and comedian
Adam LaVorgna, actor
Brad Winchester, ice hockey player
March 2
Lance Cade, wrestler (d. 2010)
Bryce Dallas Howard, actress
Danielle Moné Truitt, actress
March 3
Ed Carpenter, race car driver
Lil' Flip, rapper
Bryan Steil, politician
March 5 – Chris Arreola, boxer
March 6 – Ellen Muth, actress
March 8 – B. Dolan, rapper, spoken word artist, activist, screenwriter, and composer
March 9
Antonio Bryant, football player
Chad Gilbert, guitarist for New Found Glory
March 10 – Kristen Maloney, Olympic gymnast
March 11
David Anders, actor
Mike Dusi, actor and producer
Lee Evans, football player
LeToya Luckett, singer
March 13
Mike Avilés, baseball player
David Bailey, basketball player
March 15 – Young Buck, rapper
March 16
Danny Brown, rapper and songwriter
Julia Letlow, politician and widow of congressman-elect Luke Letlow
March 17 – Kyle Korver, basketball player
March 18 – Vanessa Lee Evigan, actress
March 19 – Benny Fine, co-founder of React Media, LLC
March 20
Jake Hoffman, actor, director, and writer
Levar Stoney, politician, mayor of Richmond, Virginia
March 21 – Juju Castaneda, media personality, author, actress, and businesswoman
March 22
Will Ainsworth, politician, 31st Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
Tiffany Dupont, actress
MIMS, rapper
March 23
Jenn Brown, sports broadcaster and television host
Erin Crocker, race car driver and broadcaster
Brett Young, country singer/songwriter
March 24
Mike Adams, football player
Mike Doss, football player
Philip Winchester, actor
March 25 – Casey Neistat, YouTube personality
March 27
Cory Butner, bobsledder
Cesilie Carlton, diver
Carey Davis, football player
March 28
Lindsay Frimodt, model
Michael Sarver, musician
Julia Stiles, actress
March 29
Jasmine Crockett, politician
Megan Hilty, actress and singer
PJ Morton, musician, singer, and producer
March 30
Jammal Brown, football player
Jon DiSalvatore, ice hockey player
Katy Mixon, actress
March 31
Ryan Bingham, actor and singer/songwriter
Mark Ellebracht, politician
Reggie Moore, American-born Angolan basketball player (d. 2023)
April
April 1 – Dewitt Ellerbe, football player
April 2
Rod Davis, football player
Josephine Decker, actress, filmmaker, and performance artist
Bethany Joy Lenz, actress and singer
April 3
David Carlucci, politician
Ryan Doumit, baseball player
April 4
Currensy, rapper
Casey Daigle, baseball player
Heather Edelson, politician
April 5
T.V. Carpio, actress
Matthew Emmons, Olympic rifle shooter
Michael A. Monsoor, Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient (d.2006)
April 6
Eliza Coupe, actress
Kari Jobe, Christian singer/songwriter
Alex Suarez, musician/multi instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, DJ, remixer and mixing/mastering engineer for Cobra Starship and This is Ivy League
April 7
Brian Dux, basketball player
Vanessa Olivarez, singer
Terrell Roberts, football player (d. 2019)
April 8
Lamon Archey, actor
Brian Burres, baseball player
Jeff Dugan, football player
April 9
Moran Atias, Israeli-born actress and model
A. J. Ellis, baseball player
Eric Harris, mass murderer (died 1999)
April 10
Gretchen Bleiler, Olympic snowboarder
Laura Bell Bundy, actress and singer
Jax Dane, wrestler
Michael Pitt, actor
Timmy Williams, actor and comedian
April 12
Tulsi Gabbard, politician
Paul Rust, actor and comedian
JP Sears, comedian and internet personality
April 13
Bryan Davis, inventor and distiller
Courtney Peldon, actress
Brenden Shucart, HIV/AIDS and LGBT rights activist, actor, and writer
April 16
Russell Harvard, deaf actor
Jake Scott, football player
April 18
Alessandra Ambrosio, Brazilian-born model, actress, fashion designer, businesswoman, and television personality
Brian Buscher, baseball player
Cameron Carpenter, organist and composer
April 19
Hayden Christensen, Canadian-born actor
Troy Polamalu, football player
Jonas Neubauer, tetris player
April 21 – Paul Curtman, politician
April 22 – Ken Dorsey, football player
April 24 – Taylor Dent, tennis player
April 26 – Michael Dorman, New Zealand-born actor
April 27 – Drew Elliott, fashion model and television personality
April 28
Jessica Alba, actress and businesswoman
Lester Estelle II, drummer and backing vocalist for Pillar
April 29
Guy Blakeslee, psychedelic and stoner rock musician
Alex Vincent, actor
April 30
Tom Barrett, politician
Tom Goss, singer/songwriter and actor
Kunal Nayyar, British-born Indian-raised American actor
May
May 1 – Wes Welker, football player
May 2 – Robert Buckley, actor
May 3
Farrah Franklin, singer
Trevor Strnad, singer and frontman for The Black Dahlia Murder (d. 2022)
May 4
Matt DeMarchi, American-born Italian ice hockey player
Jason Kander, politician and podcaster
Dallon Weekes, musician
May 5
Chris Duncan, baseball player (died 2019)
Danielle Fishel, actress
Shane Landrum, television personality
May 6 – Bubba Dickerson, golfer
May 7 – Monzavous Edwards, American-born Nigerian sprinter
May 10 – Koko Archibong, Nigerian-born basketball player
May 11
Heidi Cortez, entrepreneur, coach, model, and writer
JP Karliak, actor, voice actor and comedian
Austin O'Brien, actor and photographer
Daniel Ortmeier, baseball player
May 12 – Rami Malek, actor
May 13
Jeremy Bobb, actor
Herman Cornejo, Argentine-born ballet dancer
Jimmy Yang, wrestler
May 15 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, actress
May 16 – Dwan Edwards, football player
May 17
Bronwen Dickey, author, journalist, and lecturer
R. J. Helton, singer
May 18
Jesse Cox, YouTube gaming personality, comedian, voice actor, and media commentator
Desus Nice, television, YouTube, and Twitter personality
Adam Green, singer/songwriter
May 20
Wally Adeyemo, Nigerian-born politician
Rachel Platten, singer/songwriter
Lindsay Taylor, basketball player
May 21
Scott Aaronson, theoretical computer scientist
Craig Anderson, ice hockey player
Belladonna, actress, director, producer, model, and pornographic and erotic actress
Josh Hamilton, baseball player
May 22
Eric Butorac, tennis Player
Daniel Bryan, wrestler
Melissa Gregory, figure skater
May 23
Dessa, rapper, singer/songwriter, record executive, and member of Doomtree
Tim Robinson, actor and comedian
Charles Rogers, football player (died 2019)
May 24 – Elijah Burke, wrestler
May 25 – Logan Tom, Olympic volleyball player
May 26
Craig Callahan, American-born Italian basketball player
Anthony Ervin, Olympic swimmer
Isaac Slade, singer/songwriter and pianist
Ben Zobrist, baseball player
May 27
Nick Barnett, football player
Darnell Dockett, football player
May 28
Laura Bailey, voice actress
Aaron Schock, politician
May 29
Justin Chon, actor
Alton Ford, basketball player (died 2018)
Anders Holm, actor and comedian
Brian Simnjanovski, football player (died 2009)
Randall Woodfin, politician, mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
May 30
Devendra Banhart, singer/songwriter and visual artist
Blake Bashoff, actor
Frankie Delgado, Mexican-born actor, producer, and television personality
May 31 – Jake Peavy, baseball player
June
June 1
Brandi Carlile, singer/songwriter
David Eastman, politician
Smush Parker, basketball player
Johnny Pemberton, actor and comedian
Amy Schumer, comedian, actress, and screenwriter
June 2
Jared Burton, baseball player
Velvet Sky, wrestler
June 3
Sam Amidon, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
Rich Rundles, baseball player (d. 2019)
June 4
Paul Daniels, rower
Tonya Evinger, mixed martial artist
T.J. Miller, comedian, actor, and screenwriter
June 6
Brent Darby, basketball player
Johnny Pacar, actor
June 7
Shireen Ghorbani, politician
Tyler Johnson, baseball player
Larisa Oleynik, actress
June 8
Alex Band, musician
Ashley Biden, social worker, activist, philanthropist, fashion designer, and daughter of U.S. President Joe Biden
DJ Cobra, deejay
Rachel Held Evans, Christian columnist, blogger and author (died 2019)
John E. James, businessman, veteran, and political candidate
Sara Watkins, violinist
June 9
Drew Anderson, baseball player
Natalie Portman, Israeli-born actress
June 10
Jonathan Bennett, actor and model
Joshua Claybourn, attorney, author, and historian
Glenn Earl, football player
June 11 – Andy Dean, radio talk show host, political commentator, and media executive
June 12
John Gourley, musician and singer
Jeremy Howard, actor
June 13 – Chris Evans, actor
June 15
Billy Martin, guitarist, songwriter, and illustrator
Jeremy Reed, baseball player
Haley Scarnato, singer
Maxey Whitehead, voice actress
June 16
Ben Kweller musician
Joe Saunders, baseball player
June 17
Kyle Boller, football player
Danny Core, baseball player
June 18 – Scooter Braun, media proprietor, record executive, and investor
June 19
Mario Duplantier, French-born drummer for Gojira
Melissa McMorrow, boxer
June 20 – Demarco Castle, singer and rapper
June 21
Jeff Baker, baseball player
Wesley Duke, football player
Brandon Flowers, singer/songwriter and vocalist for The Killers
June 22 – Monty Oum, animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
June 24
Harvey Dahl, football player
Tilky Jones, singer and actor
Cris Lankenau, actor
Vanessa Ray, actress and singer
June 27
DJ Cassidy, record producer and MC
John Driscoll, actor
June 28
Antoine Becks, Canadian-born musician, singer, producer, and actor
June 29
Anthony Crawford, bassist, songwriter, producer, and recording artist
Joe Johnson, basketball player
June 30 – Andrew Alberts, ice hockey player
July
July 1
Jenna Arnold, businessperson, entrepreneur, and co-founder of ORGANIZE
Matt Carson, baseball player
Amanda Seales, comedian, actress, rapper and songwriter
July 2
Yeti Beats, record producer and songwriter
Alex Koroknay-Palicz, activist
July 3 – Colin Frangicetto, guitarist
July 4
Brock Berlin, football player
Will Smith, football player (d. 2016)
July 5 – Ryan Hansen, actor
July 6
Nnamdi Asomugha, football player
Eddie Bonine, baseball player
John Cox, Venezuelan-born basketball player
Charles Drake, football player
Mike Karney, football player
Synyster Gates, guitarist for Avenged Sevenfold
July 7
Brad James, actor
Synyster Gates, guitarist for Avenged Sevenfold
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, gospel musician and songwriter
July 8 – Lance Gross, actor, model and photographer
July 9 – Michelle Collins, comedian
July 11 – Andre Johnson, football player
July 12 – Phil Dumatrait, baseball player
July 13
Monica Byrne, playwright and science fiction author
Fran Kranz, actor
July 14 – Teri Reeves, actress
July 15
Lowell Bailey, Olympic biathlete
Taylor Kinney, actor and model
July 16 – Jessica Clemmons, singer/songwriter
July 17
Chris Brown, politician
Josh Scogin, singer and vocalist for '68
July 17 – Luke Dowler, songwriter, performer, and producer
July 19
Scott Clements, poker player
Josh Dobson, politician
Angela Trimbur, actress, writer, dancer, choreographer, and television personality
July 20
Jessica de la Cruz, politician
James Dolan, computer security expert and co-developer of SecureDrop (d. 2017)
July 21
Gregory Chaney, politician
Blake Lewis, singer/songwriter and beatboxer
Chrishell Stause, actress
July 22 – Kevin Eakin, football player
July 23 – Jacob Frey, politician, mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota (2018-present)
July 24
Mohammed Amer, Kuwaiti-born comedian
Steven Anderson, evangelist and founder of the New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist movement
Liz Climo, cartoonist, animator, children's book author, and illustrator
Summer Glau, actress
Vanessa Ray, actress
July 26
Peter Depp, stand-up comedian, gay rights activist, anti-bullying activist, writer, and actor
Clifford Dukes, football player
July 27 – Dash Snow, artist (died 2009)
July 28
Billy Aaron Brown, actor
Jen Day, politician and weightlifter
Cole Williams, actor
July 29
Jenna Edwards, beauty pageant title holder
Mark Estelle, American-born Canadian football player
Dyana Liu, actress
July 30
Rob Emerson, mixed martial artist
Nicky Hayden, motorcycle racer (d. 2017)
July 31
Vernon Carey, football player
John Edwards, basketball player
M. Shadows, singer and frontman for Avenged Sevenfold
Eric Lively, actor
Brandon Scott, actor
August
August 1
Jeremy Cooney, politician
Jordan Wall, actor
August 2
Dylan Dreyer, television meteorologist and news correspondent
Rich Edson, journalist for FoxNews
Ebi Ere, American-born Nigerian basketball player
August 3 – Travis Willingham, voice actor
August 4
Amanda Congdon, vlogger and internet host
Andy Dillard, basketball player
Marques Houston, singer and actor (IMx)
Abigail Spencer, actress
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, American-born actress and member of the British Royal Family
August 5
Reilly Brown, comic book artist and writer
Carl Crawford, baseball player
Travie McCoy, alternative hip-hop artist and frontman for Gym Class Heroes
Rachel Scott, murder victim (d. 1999)
Jesse Williams, actor, director, producer, and activist
August 6
Marc Cavosie, ice hockey player
Leslie Odom Jr., actor and singer
August 7 – Randy Wayne, actor
August 8
Meagan Good, actress
Henry Dillon (American politician) politician
August 9 – Pam Dreyer, ice hockey player
August 12
Matt Caldwell, politician
Steve Talley, actor
August 13
Jarrod Alexander, rock drummer
Cory Doyne, baseball player
August 14
Earl Barron, basketball player
Barrett Brown, journalist and founder of Project PM
Scott Lipsky, tennis player
Ray William Johnson, actor, comedian, rapper and YouTuber
August 15
Nate Butler, songwriter, music producer, vocal producer, and recording artist
Adam Craig, mountain bike cyclist
August 17 – Clinton Romesha, U.S. Army Veteran in the Afghan War and Medal of Honor recipient
August 18 – Jeff Bourns, amputee tennis player
August 20
Michael Rady, actor
Epiphany, wrestler
August 21
John Beck, football player and coaching consultant
Ross Thomas, actor
Cameron Winklevoss, investor, Olympic rower, and co-founder of Winklevoss Capital Management, Gemini cryptocurrency exchange, and ConnectU
Tyler Winklevoss, investor, Olympic rower, and co-founder of Winklevoss Capital Management, Gemini cryptocurrency exchange, and ConnectU
August 22
Olivier Busquet, poker player
Justin R. Cox, soccer player and entrepreneur
Frank Davis, football player
Ross Marquand, actor
August 23 – Anthony Dobbins, American-born Italian basketball player
August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, fashion model, actor and spokesperson
August 25
Bobby Berk, reality star and interior designer
Rachel Bilson, actress
Andrew Chambliss, television writer and producer
August 26
Jon Condo, football player
Kosha Dillz, rapper
Derek Edwardson, ice hockey player
Nico Muhly, contemporary classical composer
Karla Mosley, actress and singer
August 27
Sahba Aminikia, Iranian-born composer, artistic director, performer and educator
Allison Ball, politician
Aaron Espe, singer/songwriter, instrumentalist, and record producer
August 28
Dan Deacon, electronic music composer
Ben Ferguson, political commentator
Charlie Frye, football player
Jake Owen, country singer
August 29
Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb
Brandon Trost, cinematographer, screenwriter, and director
August 30 – Cole Escovedo, mixed martial artist
August 31
T. J. Cummings, basketball player
Dennis Dove, baseball player
ForBiddeN, cosmetologist and MySpace Internet celebrity (d. 2017)
September
September 1
Boyd Holbrook, actor
Clinton Portis, football player
September 2 – Dan Ramos, politician (d. 2023)
September 4
Beyoncé, singer/songwriter and member of Destiny's Child
Hagar Chemali, political satirist, writer, producer, television personality, and political commentator
Jero, American-born Japanese enka singer
Lacey Mosley, vocalist for Flyleaf
September 5 – Aaron Bay-Schuck, music industry executive and CEO and co-chairman of Warner Records
September 7 – Jeremy Arel, YouTuber and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu artist
September 8
Dan Fredinburg, Google executive
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor
September 9
Basil Dannebohm, politician
Julie Gonzalo, Argentine-born actress and producer
September 11
Benjamin Downing, politician
Aneesa Ferreira, television personality
Hallowicked, wrestler
Dylan Klebold, mass murderer (died 1999)
Charles Kelley, country singer/songwriter and founding member of Lady Antebellum
September 12
Jennifer Hudson, singer and actress
Hosea Chanchez, actor
September 13 – EJay Day, singer/songwriter
September 14
Cody Clark baseball player
Ashley Roberts, singer and dancer for The Pussycat Dolls
September 15
Daniel Brummel, singer/songwriter, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist
Ben Schwartz, actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
September 16
Alexis Bledel, actress and model
Patrick Dideum, freestyle swimmer
September 18 – Jennifer Tisdale, actress
September 19
Ahmad Abousamra, Syrian-born terrorist (d. 2017)
Scott Baker, baseball player
Atari Bigby, football player
Scott Bradlee, musician, pianist, and YouTuber
September 20 – Shemia Fagan, politician
September 21 – Nicole Richie, actress, singer, and socialite
September 22
Silas Daniels, football player
Ashley Eckstein, actress, voice actress, and fashion designer
Adam Lazzara, singer/songwriter and frontman for Taking Back Sunday
September 23
Evan Brewer, bassist
Brandon Victor Dixon, actor, singer, and theatrical producer
Misti Traya, actress
September 24
Leigh Bodden, football player
Ryan Briscoe, Australian-born racing driver
Kris McCray, mixed martial artist
September 25
Rocco Baldelli, baseball player
Jason Bergmann, baseball player
Nat Cassidy, actor, writer, and musician
Jennifer Carroll Foy, politician
Van Hansis, actor
Lee Norris, actor
Shane Tutmarc, singer/songwriter and frontman for Dolour
September 26
Alondra Cano, politician
Christina Milian, R&B singer and actress
Serena Williams, tennis player
September 27
Cytherea, pornographic actress and model
Mike Esposito, baseball player
Anand Giridharadas, writer
September 28
Greg Anderson, pianist, composer, video producer, and writer
David Baas, football player
Melissa Claire Egan, actress
September 29
Shay Astar, actress and singer/songwriter
Atiyyah Ellison, football player
September 30
Parks Bonifay, wakeboarder
Dominique Moceanu, Romanian-born gymnast
Ashleigh Aston Moore, child actress (d. 2007)
October
October 2
Erwin Dudley, basketball player
Peter Evans, trumpeter
October 3
Seth Gabel, actor
Matthew O. Williams, U.S. Army veteran in the Afghan War and Medal of Honor recipient
October 4 – Curtis Deloatch, football player
October 5
Jeanette Antolin, gymnast
Isaiah Ekejiuba, Nigerian-born football player
Robert Drysdale, Brazilian-born mixed martial artist
October 7
Dria, singer/songwriter
Austin Eubanks, motivational speaker (d. 2019)
October 8 – Brett Dietz, football player and coach
October 9
Zachery Ty Bryan, actor
Tad Hilgenbrink, actor
Phillip LaRue, singer/songwriter and producer
Darius Miles, basketball player
October 10
Lisa Davies, model
Jonathan Evans, football player
Michael Oliver, actor
October 12
Jonathan Babineaux, football player
Tom Guiry, actor
Brian J. Smith, actor
October 13
Taylor Buchholz, baseball player
Jared Emerson-Johnson, video game music composer, sound designer, voice director, and voice actor
October 14 – Boof Bonser, baseball player
October 15
Keyshia Cole, singer/songwriter and television personality
Abram Elam, football player
October 16
Frankie Edgar, mixed martial artist
Boyd Melson, boxer
October 17
Cameron Esposito, actor, comedian, and podcaster
Holly Holm, mixed martial artist
October 20
Zach Conine, politician
Willis McGahee, football player
October 21
Brian Claybourn, football player
Kate Gallego, politician, mayor of Phoenix, Arizona (2019-present)
October 22
John Boyd, actor
Anthony Brown, gospel musician
Michael Fishman, actor
October 24 – Tila Tequila, model and television personality
October 25
Josh Henderson, actor, model, and singer
Austin John, singer/songwriter and frontman for Hinder (2001-2013)
October 26 – Sam Brown, actor and comedian
October 28
Sean Considine, football player
Dawen, singer/songwriter
Noah Galloway, wounded Army Soldier, motivational speaker, and Dancing With The Stars contestant
October 29 – Amanda Beard, Olympic swimmer
October 30
Chris Clemons, football player
Fiona Dourif, actress, daughter of Brad Dourif
Shaun Sipos, Canadian-born actor
Ivanka Trump, model, advisor, and daughter of the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump
October 31
Doveman, pianist, producer, and singer
Frank Iero, guitarist for My Chemical Romance
November
November 1
Matt Jones, actor and comedian
LaTavia Roberson, singer, originally of Destiny's Child
November 2 – Ai, Japanese-born singer/songwriter
November 3
Blair Chenoweth, beauty queen
Karlos Dansby, football player
Jackie Gayda, wrestler
Travis Richter, singer and guitar for From First to Last
November 4
Robert Bingaman, artist
Vince Wilfork, football player
November 5
Regulo Caro, singer/songwriter
Megan Hauserman, model and television personality
November 6
Cassie Bernall, murder victim of the Columbine High School massacre (d. 1999)
Graham Colton, singer/songwriter
Vicente Escobedo, boxer
November 8
Brad Davis, soccer player
Jocelin Donahue, actress
Alonzo Ephraim, football player
Azura Skye, actress
November 9
Eyedea, musician, rapper, and poet (d. 2010)
Sarah Godlewski, politician
Scottie Thompson, actress
November 10
Jeff Darlington, ESPN television reporter
Jason Dunham, Medal of Honor recipient (died 2004)
Ryback, wrestler
November 11 – Susan Kelechi Watson, actress
November 13
Ryan Bertin, wrestler and coach
Wesley Hunt, military veteran and politician
Kirsten Price, model and adult film star
Rivkah, author and illustrator
November 14
Vanessa Bayer, actress and comedian
Zach Dailey, tennis player
November 15
Chris Dixon, football player
Drew Hodgdon, football player
November 16 – Caitlin Glass, voice actress
November 17
Tremmell Darden, basketball player
Doug Walker, Italian-born internet film critic, comedian, and actor (Nostalgia Critic)
November 18
Mekia Cox, actress and dancer
Tim DeChristopher, climate activist and co-founder of Peaceful Uprising
Nasim Pedrad, Iranian-born actress and comedian
Maggie Stiefvater, author
Allison Tolman, actress
Christina Vidal, actress and singer
November 19 – Marcus Banks, basketball player
November 20 – Carlos Boozer, basketball player
November 21
Adimchinobe Echemandu, Nigerian-born football player
Bryant McFadden, football player
November 22 – Rolando Delgado, mixed martial artist and trainer
November 24
Krystal Ball, political commentator and television host
Jared Cohen, businessman and CEO of Jigsaw
Terrance Dotsy, football player
November 25
Barbara Pierce Bush, daughter of U.S. President George W. Bush
Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of U.S. President George W. Bush
Chevon Troutman, basketball player
November 26
Julian Dorio, drummer for The Whigs
Valerie Waugaman, actress, television personality, and bodybuilder
November 28 – Erick Rowan, wrestler
November 29
Kimberly Cullum, actress
John Milhiser, actor and comedian
November 30
Beau Bokan, singer and frontman for Blessthefall
Billy Lush, actor
December
December 2 – Britney Spears, singer, dancer, and actress
December 3
Brian Bonsall, actor and musician
Tiffany Cole, convicted murderer
Liza Lapira, actress
Tyjuan Hagler, football player
December 4 – Lila McCann, singer
December 6
Beth Allen, golfer
Jerome Dennis, football player
December 7
Shawn Dailey, bassist, music manager, and producer
Matthew Dominick, US Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut
December 8
Jeremy Accardo, baseball player
Charlie Anderson, football player
Cory Blaser, MLB umpire
Kory Casto, baseball player
Philip Rivers, football player
December 9 – Katie Cook, comic artist and writer
December 11
Rebekkah Brunson, basketball player and coach
Jeff McComsey, author and illustrator
Kevin Phillips, actor
Zacky Vengeance, guitarist for Avenged Sevenfold
December 12
Ronnie Brown, football player
C. S. E. Cooney, fantasy literature writer
Shane Costa, baseball player
Jon Dunn, football player
Spencer Johnson, football player
December 13
Astronautalis, hip-hop artist
Mathis Bailey, American-born Canadian novelist and fiction writer
Amy Lee, singer/songwriter and frontperson for Evanescence
December 15 – Thomas Herrion, football player (died 2005)
December 16
A. J. Allmendinger, race car driver
Andy Dugan, actor and filmmaker
Krysten Ritter, actress, musician, model and author
December 17 – Nick Baumgartner, Olympic snowboarder
December 18 – Javarus Dudley, football player
December 19 – Drake Diener, basketball player
December 20
Patrick Damphier, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
Royal Ivey, basketball player
James Shields, baseball player
Roy Williams, football player
December 21
Frankie Abernathy, purse designer and television personality (d. 2007)
Eve Mauro, actress and model
December 23
Jordan Baker, MLB umpire
Arik Cannon, wrestler
December 25 – Tawny Ellis, film producer and daughter of stuntman turned director David R. Ellis
December 26
Drama, dirty south rapper
Kevin Lacz, Navy SEAL
December 27
Tank Daniels, football player
Jay Ellis, actor
December 28
Elizabeth Jordan Carr, first American test-tube baby
Nicholas Duran, politician
Jamar Enzor, football player
Sienna Miller, American-born English actress
Sa-Roc, rapper
December 29
Meena Dimian, broadcaster, writer, actor, and international television personality
Ericka Dunlap, beauty pageant winner, Miss America 2003, and Miss America 2004
December 30
Stevie Baggs, football player
Kyle Eckel, football player
December 31
Toby Barker, politician
Jason Campbell, football player
Full date unknown
Jessica D. Aber, attorney
Josh Abramson, entrepreneur and co-founder of CollegeHumor
Katrina Andry, visual artist and printmaker
Antigirl, multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer
Will Aronson, composer
Clint Baclawski, photography and installation artist
Annie Baker, playwright and teacher
Nathan Baskerville, politician
Benjamin Beaton, judge
Lukas Biewald, entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Figure Eight Inc.
Brandon B. Brown, politician
Katie Brown, rock climber
Aileen Cannon, judge
Beau Carey, painter and educator
Lindsay Nicole Chambers, actor
Elizabeth Chomko, playwright, film director, screenwriter, and actress
Zachary Cotler, filmmaker, poet, and novelist
Nick Courtright, poet
Amber Cowan, artist and educator
Donald Cumming, actor, musician, and singer/songwriter
Ryan Dahl, software engineer, creator of JavaScript as TypeScript
Angela Davis, chef, food blogger, recipe developer, and cookbook author
Adriana DeMeo, actress
Kevin Deutsch, criminal justice journalist and author
Abigail DeVille, sculptor and installation artist
Francesca DiMattio, artist
Leila Djansi, Ghanaian-born filmmaker
Lucy Dodd, painter and installation artist
Kate Durbin, writer, digital and performance artist
Lydia Edwards, politician
Brian Elliot, social entrepreneur and speaker on technology, innovation, and social impact
Corrie Erickson, oil painter, graphic designer, and illustrator
Arlen Escarpeta, Belizean-born actor
Rachael Eubanks, politician
Mark Evitts, composer, producer, string arranger, and multi-instrumentalist
JB McCuskey, politician
Emily Young McQueen, wheelchair racer
Frankie Shaw, actress and filmmaker
Weirdo, fine artist (born Jeff Jacobson)
Deaths
January 5
Frederick Osborn, philanthropist and eugenicist (b. 1889)
Harold Urey, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1893)
January 7 – John Pascal, playwright, screenwriter, author and journalist (b. 1932)
January 8 – Matthew Beard, child film actor (b. 1925)
January 10
Katharine Alexander, film actress (b. 1898)
Richard Boone, Western film actor (b. 1917)
January 11 – Beulah Bondi, actress (b. 1888)
January 13 – Robert Kellard, film actor (b. 1915)
January 25 – Adele Astaire, dancer (b. 1896)
February 9
Jack Z. Anderson, U.S. Representative from California (b. 1904)
Bill Haley, rock & roll musician (b. 1925)
February 22 – Ilo Wallace, wife of Henry A. Wallace, Second Lady of the United States (born 1888)
March 5 – Yip Harburg, lyricist (b. 1896)
March 7 – Bosley Crowther, film critic (b. 1905)
March 9 – Max Delbrück, biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1906 in Germany)
April 4 – Brad Johnson, actor (b. 1924)
April 5
Bob Hite, musician (b. 1943)
Lucile Godbold, Olympic athlete (b. 1900)
April 7 – Norman Taurog, film director (b. 1899)
April 8 – Omar N. Bradley, U.S. Army General (b. 1893)
April 12 – Joe Louis, African American heavyweight boxer (b. 1914)
April 15 – John Thach, naval aviator and admiral (b. 1905)
April 26
Jim Davis, television actor (b. 1909)
Madge Evans, actress (b. 1909)
April 27 – John Aspinwall Roosevelt, businessman and philanthropist (b. 1916)
April 28 – Cliff Battles, American footballer (Boston Redskins) (b. 1910)
May 9 – Nelson Algren, novelist (b. 1909)
May 11 – Bob Marley, reggae musician (b. 1945 in Jamaica)
May 18
Arthur O'Connell, actor (b. 1908)
William Saroyan, dramatist and author (b. 1908)
May 23 – George Jessel, actor and entertainer (b. 1898)
May 28 – Mary Lou Williams, jazz pianist (b. 1910)
June 1 – Carl Vinson, U.S. Congressman (b. 1883)
June 9 – Allen Ludden, television game show host (b. 1917)
July 10 – Ken Rex McElroy, murder victim (b. 1934)
July 27
Adam Walsh, murder victim and son of John Walsh (b. 1974)
William Wyler, film director (b. 1902)
July 29 – Robert Moses, urban planner (b. 1888)
August 15 – Carol Ryrie Brink, author (b.1895)
November 3 – H. C. Westermann, sculptor and printmaker (b. 1922)
November 7 – Will Durant, philosopher and writer (b. 1885)
November 12 – William Holden, film actor (b. 1918)
November 17 – Sibyl M. Rock, mathematician (b. 1909)
November 27 – Lotte Lenya, singer (b. 1898 in Vienna)
November 29 – Natalie Wood, actress (b. 1938)
December 2 – Wallace Harrison, architect (b. 1895)
December 6 – Harry Harlow, psychologist (b. 1905)
December 13 – Pigmeat Markham, African American vaudevillian (b. 1904)
December 27 – Hoagy Carmichael, composer and singer (b. 1899)
See also
1981 in American television
List of American films of 1981
Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)
References
External links
1980s in the United States
United States
United States
Years of the 20th century in the United States