Today in 80s History: July 19th in the 80s

Donna Summer

Donna Summer

Tenth Studio Album

Release Date: July 19, 1982
Chart Info: Reached #20 on the Billboard 200
Featuring: "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" and "State of Independence"
Note: The Queen of Disco teamed with producer Quincy Jones, and the all-star choir on "State of Independence" included Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie, a lineup often credited as the seed of "We Are the World."

1980 - Billy Joel Scored His First #1 with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"

Event: Billboard Hot 100 Milestone

Details: Billy Joel's swipe at music critics from the album Glass Houses hit #1 on the chart dated July 19, 1980, and held the spot for two weeks. It was the Piano Man's first career #1 single.

1986 - Genesis Scored Their Only #1 with "Invisible Touch"

Event: Billboard Hot 100 Milestone

Details: The title track from Invisible Touch hit #1 on the chart dated July 19, 1986. Despite all those mega-hits, it was the only Billboard #1 of Genesis' career, and it bumped Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years" from the top.

Silverado (1985)

Release Date: July 19, 1985
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and Kevin Costner
Note: Lawrence Kasdan's big-hearted western helped bring the genre back from the dead and gave a young Kevin Costner one of his breakout roles.

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

Release Date: July 19, 1985
Director: Matthew Robbins
Starring: Helen Slater, Christian Slater and Peter Coyote
Note: Fair is fair! A box office flop that became a beloved cult classic, powered by Pat Benatar's anthem "Invincible."

Day of the Dead (1985)

Release Date: July 19, 1985
Director: George A. Romero
Starring: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander and Joseph Pilato
Note: The third chapter in Romero's zombie saga, featuring Bub, the most sympathetic zombie of the decade.

The Man with One Red Shoe (1985)

Release Date: July 19, 1985
Director: Stan Dragoti
Starring: Tom Hanks, Dabney Coleman and Lori Singer
Note: A young Tom Hanks in full 80s comedy mode, released the same day as three other films on this list. July 19, 1985 was a busy day at the multiplex.

1985 - Matt Houston Aired on ABC for the Final Time

Event: Series End

Network: ABC
Final Air Date: July 19, 1985
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 68
Note: Lee Horsley's Texas oilman turned private eye closed out his ABC run, with Buddy Ebsen along for the final season as Uncle Roy. The series' last new episode had aired that March; this summer broadcast officially closed out the run.

1980 - The Moscow Olympics Opened Without Team USA

Event: Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony

Details: The Games of the XXII Olympiad opened at Lenin Stadium in Moscow while the United States and roughly 60 other nations stayed home, boycotting over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It remains the largest boycott in Olympic history.

1981 - Bill Rogers Won the Open Championship

Event: The Open Championship, Royal St George's

Team: Bill Rogers
Opponent: Bernhard Langer
Result: Rogers won by four strokes
Details: Rogers claimed his only major title at Sandwich, capping a remarkable 1981 season that made him PGA Player of the Year.

1987 - Nick Faldo Won His First Major at the Open Championship

Event: The Open Championship, Muirfield

Team: Nick Faldo
Opponent: Paul Azinger and Rodger Davis
Result: Faldo won at 5 under, by one stroke
Details: One day after his 30th birthday, Faldo famously made 18 straight pars in the final round while Azinger bogeyed the last two holes. The first of his six major championships.

1984 - Geraldine Ferraro Accepted the Democratic VP Nomination

Details: At the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Ferraro became the first woman ever nominated for vice president by a major American party.

1985 - Christa McAuliffe Was Named NASA's Teacher in Space

Details: Vice President George H.W. Bush announced that the New Hampshire high school teacher had been chosen from more than 11,000 applicants to become the first teacher to fly in space.