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Major Events of November 1981: 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 November 1981 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of November 1981: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Nov 1981 Antigua and Barbuda Gains Independence from United Kingdom: At midnight in St. John's, Antigua, the British flag was ceremonially lowered and the Antiguan flag raised at the city's cricket park. Princess Margaret, representing Queen Elizabeth II, officially presented the instruments of state to Prime Minister Vere Cornwall Bird, marking the country's transition to full sovereignty.
  • 02 Nov 1981 Nuclear Missile Incident at Holy Loch, Scotland: A serious nuclear safety incident occurred at the U.S. Polaris submarine base when a Poseidon missile accidentally slipped from a crane, falling 17 feet. The missile, carrying ten nuclear warheads, posed a potentially catastrophic risk of radioactive contamination. Immediate evacuation protocols were implemented, and the incident underscored the inherent dangers in handling nuclear weapons.
  • 03 Nov 1981 Rollie Fingers Wins AL Cy Young Award: Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Rollie Fingers was awarded the American League Cy Young Award, recognizing him as the league's most outstanding pitcher for the 1981 season. Fingers was known for his distinctive handlebar mustache and was a key player in the Brewers' successful era.
  • 04 Nov 1981 Columbia Shuttle Launch Scrubbed: The Space Shuttle Columbia's STS-2 mission launch was unexpectedly halted with just 31 seconds remaining in the countdown due to a technical issue, highlighting the complex and precise nature of space mission preparations.
  • 05 Nov 1981 Mercury Morris Sentenced for Drug Trafficking: Former Miami Dolphins professional football player Mercury Morris was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of drug trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and cocaine possession. This marked a significant downfall for the once-celebrated NFL athlete, highlighting the personal and professional consequences of involvement in illegal drug activities during the early 1980s.
  • 06 Nov 1981 Fernando Valenzuela Wins Historic Cy Young Award: Fernando Valenzuela made baseball history by becoming the first rookie pitcher to win the prestigious Cy Young Award, recognizing him as the most outstanding pitcher in Major League Baseball for the 1981 season.
  • 07 Nov 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia's Second Launch (STS-2): On November 7, 1981, NASA successfully launched the Space Shuttle Columbia for its second mission (STS-2), marking a significant milestone in the early Space Shuttle program. This mission, piloted by Joe Engle and Richard Truly, demonstrated the reusability of spacecraft and advanced America's space exploration capabilities.
  • 08 Nov 1981 Belgian Parliamentary Election: Christian Democrats lose the Belgian parliamentary election, signaling a potential shift in the country's political landscape and voter preferences during the early 1980s.
  • 09 Nov 1981 Mauritania Abolishes Slavery: On November 9, 1981, Mauritania officially abolished slavery through Edict No. 81-234, marking a significant legal milestone in human rights for the West African nation. This decree formally ended the long-standing practice of slavery, though implementation and enforcement remained challenging in the following decades.
  • 10 Nov 1981 Disney and Westinghouse Launch Family Cable Service: Walt Disney Productions and Westinghouse Broadcasting announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop a family-oriented cable television service, signaling the evolving media landscape of the early 1980s.
  • 11 Nov 1981 Gulf Cooperation Council Established: Six Middle Eastern nations - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates - signed a landmark economic agreement to create the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional political and economic alliance aimed at fostering cooperation and mutual development.
  • 12 Nov 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia's Second Launch: The Space Shuttle Columbia became the first spacecraft to be launched into space twice, demonstrating significant technological advancement in reusable space vehicle design.
  • 13 Nov 1981 First Use of Canadarm in Space: The Canadarm, officially known as the Remote Manipulator System, was successfully deployed for the first time during the Columbia space shuttle mission. This groundbreaking robotic arm represented a significant technological achievement for Canada's space program and would become a critical tool in future space missions.
  • 14 Nov 1981 Second Space Shuttle Mission Completed: NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia successfully completed its second mission, returning to Earth and marking another milestone in the early era of reusable spacecraft technology.
  • 15 Nov 1981 Abdus Sattar Confirmed as President of Bangladesh: Abdus Sattar was confirmed as President of Bangladesh in an election that was widely suspected of being rigged. He received 14,217,601 votes, representing nearly two-thirds of the total votes cast, while his main opponent, Kamal Hossain of the Awami League, secured 5,694,884 votes.
  • 16 Nov 1981 Reagan's Nicaragua Covert Operation: President Ronald Reagan authorized a secret plan to obstruct Cuban aid to Nicaragua and El Salvador, reflecting the complex geopolitical tensions of the Cold War era and U.S. foreign policy in Central America.
  • 17 Nov 1981 Reagan's Decision to Support Contras: In a critical National Security Council meeting at the White House, President Ronald Reagan decided to support the Contras, a 500-member force aimed at combating the leftist government of Nicaragua and protecting the right-wing government of El Salvador from rebel forces. This decision was a significant moment in Cold War-era Central American geopolitics.
  • 18 Nov 1981 IBM Introduces Personal Computer at COMDEX Fall: At the COMDEX Fall trade show, IBM launched its groundbreaking IBM Personal Computer (PC), marking a pivotal moment in personal computing history. Simultaneously, Scientific Solutions announced the first PC add-in cards, expanding the computer's capabilities and potential for customization.
  • 19 Nov 1981 Assassination of Griffiths Mxenge: Griffiths Mxenge, a prominent African National Congress (ANC) member and human rights lawyer, was brutally assassinated in Durban, South Africa by four agents of the apartheid regime. This politically motivated murder was part of the systematic violence used to suppress anti-apartheid activists during this tumultuous period of South African history.
  • 20 Nov 1981 FMLN Launches Offensive in El Salvador: The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) guerrilla group initiated a limited military offensive, escalating the ongoing civil conflict in El Salvador.
  • 21 Nov 1981 Mass Anti-Nuclear Missile Protest in Amsterdam: Approximately 400,000 people demonstrated in Amsterdam against the deployment of cruise missiles, reflecting widespread European opposition to nuclear armament during the Cold War era.
  • 22 Nov 1981 Soviet Nuclear Test at Semipalatinsk: The Soviet Union conducted a nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan, continuing Cold War-era nuclear weapons development and testing. This site was a primary location for Soviet nuclear experiments, with significant environmental and geopolitical implications.
  • 23 Nov 1981 US-Soviet Nuclear Reduction Negotiations Begin: Representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union commenced critical negotiations aimed at reducing intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe. These talks were a significant diplomatic effort during the Cold War to reduce nuclear tensions and potential military escalation between the two superpowers.
  • 24 Nov 1981 Devastating Typhoon Irma Strikes Philippines: Typhoon Irma caused catastrophic damage in the Philippines, resulting in 408 direct fatalities and an additional 270 deaths from storm surge. The disaster left approximately 250,000 people homeless, making it one of the most destructive natural disasters in the country's history for that year.
  • 25 Nov 1981 Cardinal Ratzinger's Vatican Appointment: Pope John Paul II appointed Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (who would later become Pope Benedict XVI) as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a significant position within the Vatican's doctrinal leadership.
  • 26 Nov 1981 Spain Joins NATO: In a significant geopolitical moment, the Spanish Senate voted 106-60 to approve Spain's membership in NATO, following a narrow approval by the Congress of Deputies. This vote marked Spain's strategic alignment with Western military and political structures during the late Cold War period.
  • 27 Nov 1981 Discovery of Buddha's Bone Relics near Beijing: Archaeological explorers uncovered significant bone relics believed to be the remains of Sakyamuni Buddha in a cave located approximately 40 miles from Beijing, near the historic Yunju Temple. This discovery represents a potentially momentous find in Buddhist archaeological research, offering insights into the material remnants of one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders.
  • 28 Nov 1981 Bear Bryant Becomes College Football's Winningest Coach: Legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant achieved a historic milestone by winning his 315th game, surpassing Alonzo Stagg to become the most successful coach in college football history. This achievement solidified Bryant's status as one of the greatest coaches in the sport's history.
  • 29 Nov 1981 Damascus Car Bomb Tragedy: A devastating car bomb explosion occurred outside a school in the Azbakiyah section of Damascus, resulting in the tragic loss of over 200 lives.
  • 30 Nov 1981 Cold War Nuclear Negotiations in Geneva: Representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union commenced negotiations in Geneva to discuss potential reductions of intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe. The talks, which concluded on December 17, were part of ongoing Cold War diplomatic efforts to reduce nuclear tensions.