Today in 80s history! What happened on August 5th 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
Patrick Ewing (Georgetown, New York Knicks) - 64
August 5, 1962
Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister) - 71
August 5, 1955
Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie's) - 60
August 5, 1966
David Hungate (Toto) - 78
August 5, 1948
REMEMBERING
Herb Brooks (Coach of the 1980 Miracle on Ice)
August 5, 1937 - August 11, 2003 (Age 66)
John Saxon (Lt. Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street)
August 5, 1936 - July 25, 2020 (Age 83)
Loni Anderson (Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati)
August 5, 1945 - August 3, 2025 (Age 79)
TODAY IN 80S MUSIC
80s Music Released on August 5th
1989 - "Batdance" Was #1 in America
Artist: Prince
Note: A song stitched together from Batman dialogue, three abandoned tracks and a guitar solo, released as the lead single from a soundtrack Prince wrote in six weeks. It went to #1 anyway, because 1989 belonged to that logo.
TODAY IN 80S MOVIES
80s Movies Released On August 5th
Risky Business (1983)
Release Date: August 5, 1983
Director: Paul Brickman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano and Curtis Armstrong
Budget: $6.2 Million
Box Office: $63.5 Million
Note: The pink shirt, the Ray-Bans, the Bob Seger lip-sync in socks. Cruise had been in three films nobody remembers; he walked out of this one a movie star. Also Curtis Armstrong's screen debut, a year before Booger.
Stakeout (1987)
Release Date: August 5, 1987
Director: John Badham
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Madeleine Stowe and Forest Whitaker
Budget: $14.5 Million
Box Office: $65.6 Million
Note: Two cops watching an apartment, one of them falling for the woman inside it. A genuine sleeper hit — and the screening where Bruce Willis and Demi Moore met.
The Blob (1988)
Release Date: August 5, 1988
Director: Chuck Russell
Starring: Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith and Donovan Leitch
Budget: $19 Million
Box Office: $8.2 Million
Note: Co-written by Frank Darabont, and far nastier than the 1958 original it remade. It bombed hard; the effects still hold up, which is exactly the problem if you saw it too young.
Vibes (1988)
Release Date: August 5, 1988
Director: Ken Kwapis
Starring: Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk
Budget: $18 Million
Box Office: $1.8 Million
Note: Two psychics hunt Incan gold in Ecuador. It made back a tenth of its budget and effectively ended Lauper's movie career, which is a shame, because she is the best thing in it.
TODAY IN 80S TV
No 80s TV News for today in the 80s!
TODAY IN 80S SPORTS
1984 - Joan Benoit Won the First Olympic Women's Marathon
Event: Summer Olympics, Los Angeles
Details: Women had been barred from the Olympic marathon entirely until this race. Benoit broke away after three miles and nobody caught her — she beat Grete Waitz by a minute and 26 seconds, entering the Coliseum alone.
1986 - Steve Carlton Recorded His 4,000th Strikeout
Event: MLB
Details: Pitching for the Giants at Candlestick, Carlton got Eric Davis for number 4,000 — only the second pitcher ever to reach it. He finished with 4,137, still fourth all-time.
1985 - Darryl Strawberry Hit Three Home Runs at Wrigley
Event: MLB
Details: The Mets beat the Cubs 7-2 on a Monday afternoon and Strawberry did all the damage himself, in front of 34,167 people who had come to see the other team.
TODAY IN OTHER 80S NEWS
No other news today in the 80s!
