Historical Events
- 47th Orange Bowl: #4 Oklahoma beats #2 Florida State, 18-17
- 47th Sugar Bowl: #1 Georgia beats #7 Notre Dame, 17-10
- 67th Rose Bowl: #5 Michigan beats #16 Washington, 23-6
- Greece is 10th country to join European Economic Community
- International Year for the Disabled begins
- Palau (Trust Territory of Pacific Is) becomes self-governing
"The War of the End of the World"
Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa publishes his historical novel "The War of the End of the World"
- Roger Smith becomes CEO of General Motors
Famous Birthdays
- Eden Riegel, American actress (All My Children), born in Washington, D.C.
- Jonas Armstrong, Irish-born British actor (Robin Hood), born in Dublin, Ireland
- Naughty Boy [Shahid Khan], British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician ("La La La"), born in Watford, England
- Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian auto racer (German Formula Renault C'ship 1999), born in Debrecen, Hungary
Famous Deaths
- Ceferino Garcia, Filipino boxer (World Middleweight champion 1939-40), dies at 74
- Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Australian concert pianist, dies at 60
Mauri Rose (1906-1981)
American auto racer and three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1941, 1947-48), dies at 74
1981 Highlights
About January 1, 1981
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 43 years, 2 months and 28 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Millennial
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Capricorn
Holidays: New Year's Day (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States)
Music Charts
- #1 Song: (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
- #1 Song: There's No One Quite Like Grandma - St Winifred's School Choir