Major Events of December 1980: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from December 1980 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of December 1980: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Dec 1980 US Justice Department Sues Yonkers for Racial Discrimination: The United States Department of Justice filed a landmark lawsuit against the city of Yonkers, New York, alleging systemic racial discrimination in housing and urban development practices, marking a significant moment in the civil rights legal struggle.
02 Dec 1980 Salvadoran Civil War Missionary Murders: Four American missionaries - Jean Donovan, Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, and Dorothy Kazel - were brutally raped and murdered by members of the El Salvador National Guard while conducting humanitarian charity work during the country's violent civil war. This tragic event highlighted the extreme human rights violations occurring during the conflict.
03 Dec 1980 Death of Oswald Mosley: Oswald Mosley, prominent British politician known for his controversial fascist political views, passed away at the age of 84.
04 Dec 1980 Led Zeppelin Breaks Up After Drummer's Death: Led Zeppelin officially disbands two months after the tragic death of their iconic drummer John Bonham, marking the end of one of rock music's most influential bands.
05 Dec 1980 Canadian Currency Museum Opens: The Bank of Canada officially opened its Canadian Currency Museum in Ottawa, providing a comprehensive historical and educational resource showcasing the evolution of Canadian monetary systems and numismatic heritage.
06 Dec 1980 NASA Launches Intelsat V Satellite: NASA successfully launched the Intelsat V communication satellite, designated as number 502, expanding global telecommunications infrastructure and satellite communication capabilities.
07 Dec 1980 Murder of John Lennon: Iconic Beatles musician John Lennon was tragically assassinated outside his residence, the Dakota apartment building in New York City. Mark David Chapman shot Lennon four times in the back as he was returning home with his wife Yoko Ono. Just six hours earlier, Lennon had signed an album for Chapman, unaware of the impending violence. This shocking event marked the end of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
08 Dec 1980 John Lennon Assassination: John Lennon, a legendary musician and founding member of The Beatles, was fatally shot by Mark David Chapman outside The Dakota apartment building in New York City. Chapman, a mentally unstable fan, shot Lennon multiple times, ending the life of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Lennon was just 40 years old at the time of his murder, having recently celebrated his birthday with his wife Yoko Ono and their five-year-old son Sean.
09 Dec 1980 Birth of Ryder Hesjedal, Canadian Professional Cyclist: Ryder Hesjedal was born on this date, who would later become a prominent professional cyclist from Canada. Known for his exceptional performance in multi-stage cycling events, Hesjedal notably won the Giro d'Italia in 2012, becoming the first Canadian to win a Grand Tour cycling race. His career spanned from 2002 to 2016, during which he competed for teams like Garmin-Transitions and competed in prestigious events like the Tour de France and Vuelta a España.
10 Dec 1980 USSR Conducts Underground Nuclear Test: During the Cold War era, the Soviet Union performed an underground nuclear test, continuing its nuclear weapons development and testing program, which was a significant aspect of the geopolitical tensions of the time.
11 Dec 1980 Superfund Act Enacted: The U.S. Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the Superfund Act. This landmark environmental legislation was designed to address abandoned hazardous waste sites and provide a framework for cleaning up contaminated locations, holding responsible parties accountable for environmental remediation.
12 Dec 1980 Apple Computer's Historic Initial Public Offering: Apple Computer becomes a publicly traded company through a landmark initial public offering (IPO), selling 4.6 million shares at US$22 per share. The offering creates significant wealth for over 40 Apple employees and investors, marking the largest IPO in the United States since Ford's public offering in 1956.
13 Dec 1980 José Napoleón Duarte Becomes President of El Salvador: José Napoleón Duarte, previously serving as El Salvador's Foreign Minister and a member of the governing junta, was announced as the new president of El Salvador. This marked a significant political transition, as Duarte became the first civilian president in nearly 50 years, breaking a long-standing military governance that had been in place since the 1931 overthrow of Arturo Araujo.
14 Dec 1980 National Tribute to John Lennon: At 2 PM EST, the United States observed ten minutes of silence in memory of John Lennon, who was tragically murdered just days earlier, demonstrating the profound impact of his life and death.
15 Dec 1980 Chad Capital Conquered by Government Troops: Premier Queddei's military forces successfully captured N'djamena, the capital city of Chad, marking a significant moment in the country's ongoing political conflicts.
16 Dec 1980 OPEC Summit in Bali Raises Oil Prices: During a significant summit on the island of Bali, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) collectively decided to raise the global petroleum price by ten percent, reflecting the ongoing economic tensions and energy market dynamics of the early 1980s.
17 Dec 1980 Soviet SS-20 Saber Nuclear Missile Deployment: The Soviet Union deployed its advanced RSD-10 missile, known to NATO as the SS-20 Saber, escalating Cold War tensions and nuclear armament strategies.
18 Dec 1980 Vietnam Adopts New Constitution: Vietnam officially adopted a new constitution, signaling an important milestone in the country's political development following the Vietnam War and reflecting the nation's transition towards a more structured governance framework.
19 Dec 1980 Iran Seeks US Hostage Release Guarantees: Iran formally requested US$24 billion in United States financial guarantees as part of negotiations to release American hostages, continuing the complex diplomatic tensions following the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis.
20 Dec 1980 Death of Alexei Kosygin: The Soviet Union officially announces the death of Alexei Kosygin, a prominent Soviet politician who served as Premier of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1980, marking the end of a significant political era.
21 Dec 1980 Aeroecésar Jet Airliner Crash in Colombia: A devastating aviation disaster occurred when an Aeroecésar SE-210 Caravelle jet airliner crashed shortly after takeoff from a Colombian airport, resulting in the tragic loss of all 70 people on board. The aircraft was destroyed just five minutes after departure, marking a significant air safety incident.
22 Dec 1980 Reagan Announces Key Appointments: President-elect Ronald Reagan announced significant appointments, naming Jean Kirkpatrick as UN delegate and James Watt as Secretary of the Interior, signaling the direction of his upcoming administration's foreign and domestic policies.
23 Dec 1980 John Lennon's '(Just Like) Starting Over' Tops US Charts: John Lennon's poignant single '(Just Like) Starting Over' reached the number one position on the US music charts, a significant moment in pop music history, especially considering Lennon's tragic death earlier that month.
24 Dec 1980 Americans Remember Iran Hostages: In a symbolic gesture of solidarity, Americans across the nation shone lights for 417 seconds to remember and support the hostages held in Iran, highlighting the ongoing international crisis.
25 Dec 1980 Assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero: Archbishop Oscar Romero, a prominent human rights advocate and vocal critic of government violence in El Salvador, was murdered, marking a significant moment in the country's tumultuous political history.
26 Dec 1980 Richard Chase Death: Richard Chase, the notorious serial killer known as the 'Vampire of Sacramento', died by drug overdose while on death row at San Quentin State Prison. Born in 1950, Chase was a deeply disturbed individual responsible for multiple murders in California during the late 1970s, known for his cannibalistic and vampiric tendencies.
27 Dec 1980 Calvin Murphy's Record-Breaking NBA Free Throw Streak: On December 27, 1980, Houston Rockets player Calvin Murphy initiated an extraordinary NBA free throw streak that would ultimately span 78 consecutive successful free throws. This remarkable achievement highlighted Murphy's exceptional precision and consistency in basketball, setting a significant record in professional basketball free throw shooting.
28 Dec 1980 Mexico-US Fishing Agreement Termination: Mexico officially terminated fishing agreements with the United States on December 28, 1980, potentially impacting maritime trade and fishing rights in the region.
29 Dec 1980 Space Shuttle STS-1 Relocation: The first Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia (STS-1), was transported from Vandenberg Air Force Base to Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, marking a significant milestone in NASA's Space Shuttle program preparation.
30 Dec 1980 Wayne Gretzky Scores 50 Goals in NHL Season: Wayne Gretzky, the legendary Canadian ice hockey player, achieved a remarkable milestone by scoring his 50th goal of the season at just 19 years old. This extraordinary accomplishment made him the youngest player in NHL history to reach the 50-goal mark, solidifying his early reputation as a hockey prodigy.
31 Dec 1980 Pac-Man Video Game Release: Namco releases the iconic Pac-Man video game, which quickly becomes a global cultural phenomenon and one of the most recognizable and influential video games in history.