Historical Events
- 46th Orange Bowl: #5 Oklahoma beats #4 Florida State, 24-7
- 46th Sugar Bowl: #2 Alabama beats #6 Arkansas, 24-9
- 66th Rose Bowl: #3 Southern California beats #1 Ohio State, 17-16
- Australian Open Women's Tennis: In an all-American final Barbara Jordan wins her first and only Grand Slam singles title; beats Sharon Walsh 6-3, 6-3
- Chrysler UK renamed Talbot
"The Far Side"
Comic strip "The Far Side" by Gary Larson debuts in The San Francisco Chronicle
- International Decade of Water & Sanitation begins
- Mob storms Russian embassy in Tehran
- Premier Adbou Diouf becomes president of Senegal
- Sweden changes order of succession to throne
- Victoria is crowned princess of Sweden.
Famous Birthdays
- Elin Nordegren, Swedish model
- Richie Faulkner, British heavy metal guitarist (Judas Priest, 2011-present), born in London, England
Famous Deaths
- Frank Wykoff, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1928, 32, 36), dies at 70
- Pietro Nenni, Italian socialist politician (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs), dies at 88
Died in 1980 1980 Highlights
About January 1, 1980
Day of the Week: Tuesday
How Long Ago? 44 years, 3 months and 27 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Capricorn
Holidays: New Year's Day (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States)
Music Charts
#1 Song: Please Don't Go - KC And The Sunshine Band
#1 Song: Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) - Pink Floyd
