Today in 80s history! What happened on August 11th in the 80s? Find out what happened today in 80s Movies, 80s Music, 80s TV Shows, and 80s Sports! Also find out about celebrity birthdays for the legends, icons and characters we grew up with in the 80s!
TODAY'S 80S BIRTHDAYS
Steve Wozniak (Co-Founder, Apple) - 76
August 11, 1950
Bob Mothersbaugh (Devo) - 74
August 11, 1952
Joe Jackson ("Steppin' Out," "Is She Really Going Out with Him?") - 72
August 11, 1954
REMEMBERING
Hulk Hogan (WWF Champion, Rocky III, Hulkamania)
August 11, 1953 - July 24, 2025 (Age 71)
Anne Ramsey (Mama Fratelli in The Goonies)
March 27, 1929 - August 11, 1988 (Age 59)
Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society)
July 21, 1951 - August 11, 2014 (Age 63)
Eric Carmen ("Hungry Eyes," "All by Myself")
August 11, 1949 - March 10, 2024 (Age 74)
TODAY IN 80S MUSIC
80s Music Released on August 11th
1984 - "Ghostbusters" Was #1 in America
Artist: Ray Parker Jr.
Note: Three weeks at the top for a theme song written in about two days, with a video full of celebrity cameos and a chorus everyone in America could answer on cue. Huey Lewis later sued over how much it resembled "I Want a New Drug," and settled.
TODAY IN 80S MOVIES
80s Movies Released On August 11th
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
Release Date: August 11, 1989
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Starring: Lisa Wilcox, Robert Englund and Danny Hassel
Budget: $8 Million
Box Office: $22.2 Million
Note: The fifth Freddy in five years, and the one where the MPAA cuts took most of the teeth out. The Escher-staircase set pieces are still the best thing in it.
TODAY IN 80S TV
1984 - The Final Episode of Boone Aired
Event: Series Finale
Network: NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Note: Earl Hamner's follow-up to The Waltons, about a teenager chasing rock and roll in 1950s Tennessee. Thirteen episodes and out.
TODAY IN 80S SPORTS
1984 - Carl Lewis Won His Fourth Gold in Los Angeles
Event: Summer Olympics, Los Angeles
Details: The 4x100 relay, and the one that completed it — 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and relay, exactly matching Jesse Owens in 1936. Nine days, four golds, and a world record in the relay for good measure.
1980 - Reggie Jackson Hit His 400th Home Run
Event: MLB
Details: A solo shot off Britt Burns at Yankee Stadium in a 3-1 win over the White Sox. Jackson finished with 563, and remains the only player to lead the league in home runs for three different teams.
1984 - Pernell Whitaker Won Olympic Boxing Gold
Event: Summer Olympics, Los Angeles
Details: Sweet Pea took the lightweight final over Luis Ortiz on the same day Carl Lewis finished his four. He turned pro that November and lost once in his first sixty fights.
TODAY IN OTHER 80S NEWS
No other news today in the 80s!
