Today in 80s history! What happened on March 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
Fred Williamson (Football Player and Actor) — 88 March 5, 1938
Murray Head (Singer) — 80 March 5, 1946
Kent Tekulve (Baseball Player) — 78 March 5, 1947
Alan Clark (Keyboardist, Dire Straits) — 74 March 5, 1952
Marsha Warfield (Actress, Night Court) — 72 March 5, 1954
Michael Irvin (Football Player) — 60 March 5, 1966
TODAY IN 80S MUSIC
Today in 80s music history, New Kids on the Block released their very first single, “Be My Girl” on March 5, 1986 📻🎶
Artist: Michael Jackson Album: Thriller Chart: Billboard Hot 100
Date Reached #1: March 5, 1983 Weeks at #1: 7
Details: Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 5, 1983, where it stayed for seven consecutive weeks, becoming one of the biggest hits of his career.
Fun Fact: “Billie Jean” helped drive the massive success of Thriller, which would go on to become the best-selling album of all time and produce multiple #1 singles.
Fun Fact: The song finished the year as the #2 song on Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 for 1983, only behind “Every Breath You Take” by The Police.
80s Music Released on March 5th
Windows
The Charlie Daniels Band 12th Album
Billboard 200: #26
About Face
David Gilmour 2nd Album
Billboard 200: #32
Guitar Town
Steve Earle Debut Album
Billboard 200: #89 Country Albums Chart: #1
TODAY IN 80S MOVIES
80s Movies Released On March 5th
I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982)
Director: Jack Hofsiss Starring: Jill Clayburgh, Nicol Williamson, Geraldine Page, Dianne Wiest, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern Budget: $6 Million Box Office: $291,390
Salvador (1986)
Director: Oliver Stone Starring: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy, Elpidia Carrillo, John Savage, and Cynthia Gibb Budget: $4.5 Million Box Office: $1.5 Million
Event: Series Premiere Network: CBS First Episode Date: March 5, 1980 Last Episode Date: April 9, 1980 Seasons: 1 Episodes: 5 Starring: Jim McMullan, James Wainwright, Connie Sellecca, and William Jordan
Fast Times
Event: Series Premiere Network: CBS First Episode Date: March 5, 1986 Last Episode Date: April 23, 1986 Seasons: 1 Episodes: 7 Starring: Courtney Thorne-Smith (Stacy Hamilton) and Patrick Dempsey (Mike Damone) Opening Theme: Performed by Oingo Boingo
Planet Earth
Event: Series Finale Network: PBS First Episode Date: January 29, 1986 Last Episode Date: March 5, 1986 Seasons: 1 Episodes: 7
TODAY IN 80S SPORTS
1982 - Gaylord Perry Signs with the Seattle Mariners
Details: Veteran pitcher Gaylord Perry, sitting at 297 career wins, signed a one-year deal with Seattle as he pursued the 300-win milestone.
Fun Fact: Perry reached his 300th career victory on May 6, 1982, becoming the first pitcher to reach the milestone since 1963.
1985 - Mike Bossy Sets NHL Scoring Milestone
Event: NHL Record Team: New York Islanders
Details: Mike Bossy scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming the first player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals in eight consecutive seasons.
Fun Fact: Bossy extended the streak to nine straight 50-goal seasons, one of the most remarkable scoring runs in NHL history.
1981 - Scott Hamilton Wins World Figure Skating Championship
Event: World Figure Skating Championships Champion: Scott Hamilton
Details: American skater Scott Hamilton won the men’s title at the World Figure Skating Championships held in Hartford, Connecticut.
Fun Fact: Hamilton would later win the gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics, becoming one of the most recognizable figure skaters of the decade.
TODAY IN 80S POP CULTURE
1982 - Death of John Belushi
Occupation: Comedian, Actor, Musician Born: January 24, 1949 Age: 33
Details: John Belushi, one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live and star of films like Animal House and The Blues Brothers, died in Los Angeles at the age of 33.
