Date in year · 1981 · The 1980s

December 4, 1981

On December 4, 1981, south Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa). The year's #1 song was "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes. Antonis Fotsis, Bjørn Einar Romøren, Laura Bell Bundy would arrive in the same year.

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Year

1981

1980s

Around 1981

The year in brief

1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1981st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 981st year of the 2nd millennium, the 81st year of the 20th century, and the 2nd year of the 1980s decade.

Read the full year of 1981 →

What happened

On December 4, 1981

  1. 1981 South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa).

    Bantustan in South Africa (1972–1994)

    Ciskei, officially the Republic of Ciskei, was a Bantustan for the Xhosa people, located in the southeast of South Africa. It covered an area of 7,700 square kilometres (3,000 sq mi), almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian Ocean.

Arrivals

Born on December 4, 1981

Brian Vandborg 1981– Danish cyclist (born 1981)

Farewells

Died on December 4, 1981

Jeanne Block American psychologist (1923–1981)

Elsewhere that year

Other moments from 1981

The class of 1981

Others born in 1981

Antonis Fotsis 1981– Greek basketball player
Bjørn Einar Romøren 1981– Norwegian ski jumper
Laura Bell Bundy 1981– American actress and singer
Liz McClarnon 1981– English singer and dancer
Michael Pitt 1981– American actor, model and musician
Alexei Semenov 1981– Russian ice hockey player

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