Today in 80s history! What happened on August 26th 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
Macaulay Culkin (Uncle Buck, Home Alone) - 46
August 26, 1980
Ola Ray (Michael Jackson's "Thriller") - 66
August 26, 1960
Branford Marsalis (Saxophonist) - 66
August 26, 1960
Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson) - 80
August 26, 1946
REMEMBERING
Ted Knight (Judge Smalls in Caddyshack, Too Close for Comfort)
December 7, 1923 - August 26, 1986 (Age 62)
Laura Branigan ("Gloria," "Self Control")
July 3, 1952 - August 26, 2004 (Age 52)
Bob Barker (The Price Is Right)
December 12, 1923 - August 26, 2023 (Age 99)
Tex Avery (Creator of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Droopy)
February 26, 1908 - August 26, 1980 (Age 72)
TODAY IN 80S MUSIC
80s Music Released on August 26th
1985 - The Head on the Door
Artist: The Cure (6th Album)
Billboard Charts: #59
Note: The record where Robert Smith decided the Cure could be a pop band without stopping being the Cure. "In Between Days" and "Close to Me" got them onto American radio for the first time.
1981 - New Traditionalists
Artist: Devo (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #23
Note: The plastic pompadour era. "Through Being Cool" was a deliberate answer to everyone who'd bought Whip It expecting a novelty band.
1985 - Romance 1600
Artist: Sheila E. (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #50
Note: Produced with Prince, who also plays on it, and home to "A Love Bizarre." She opened the Purple Rain tour and then joined his band outright.
TODAY IN 80S MOVIES
80s Movies Released On August 26th
Strange Brew (1983)
Release Date: August 26, 1983
Director: Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas
Starring: Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas and Max von Sydow
Budget: $4 Million
Box Office: $8.5 Million
Note: Two SCTV characters invented purely to fill two minutes of Canadian content requirement, given a feature film loosely based on Hamlet. Somebody counted 174 uses of "eh."
Stealing Home (1988)
Release Date: August 26, 1988
Director: Steven Kampmann and Will Aldis
Starring: Mark Harmon, Jodie Foster, Jonathan Silverman and Helen Hunt
Budget: $14 Million
Box Office: $7.4 Million
Note: Jodie Foster in the last film she made before The Accused won her the Oscar. Jonathan Silverman's birthday was August 5.
TODAY IN 80S TV
No 80s TV News for today in the 80s!
TODAY IN 80S SPORTS
1982 - Rickey Henderson Tied Lou Brock's Stolen Base Record
Event: MLB
Details: Steal number 118 matched Brock's single-season mark. Henderson broke it the next night and finished the year with 130, which nobody has come within 20 of since.
TODAY IN OTHER 80S NEWS
No other news today in the 80s!
