December 8
December 8
John Lennon shot
John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles, the rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. …
A Year In History: 1980
This Year in History:
1980
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
December 8
December 8
John Lennon is murdered
Singer John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman outside his apartment building in New York City. After committing the murder, Chapman waited calmly outside, reading a copy…
December 12
December 12
Da Vinci notebook sells for over $5M
On December 12, 1980, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. The manuscript, written around 1508,…
December 13
December 13
Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits goes to #1
Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits, which soared all the way to the top of the Billboard 200 pop album chart on this day in 1980, marking Kenny’s arrival as a crossover…
December 14
December 14
CIA issues warning about Soviet arms sales to Third World nations
On this day, a CIA report claims that the Soviet Union delivered nearly $7 billion worth of military assistance to Third World nations in 1979, and made over $8 billion…
December 21
December 21
Socialite Sunny von Bulow is found comatose
Wealthy socialite Martha “Sunny” Crawford von Bulow is found in a coma—the result of what appeared to be an insulin overdose—on the marble bathroom floor of her Newport, Rhode Island,…
