Date in year · 1981 · The 1980s

June 16, 1981

On June 16, 1981, uS President Ronald Reagan awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor, Canada's former ambassador to Iran, for helping six Americans escape from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979–81; he is the first foreign citizen bestowed the honor. 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.

Events

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Births

5

Deaths

1

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.

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What happened

On June 16, 1981

  1. 1981 US President Ronald Reagan awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor, Canada's former ambassador to Iran, for helping six Americans escape from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979–81; he is the first foreign citizen bestowed the honor.

    President of the United States from 1981 to 1989

    Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, he became an important figure in the American conservative movement. The period encompassing his presidency is known as the Reagan era.

Arrivals

Born on June 16, 1981

Benjamin Becker 1981– German tennis player
Kevin Bieksa 1981– Canadian ice hockey player (born 1981)
Alexandre Giroux 1981– Canadian ice hockey forward (born 1981)
Ola Kvernberg 1981– Norwegian jazz musician
Miguel Villalta 1981– Peruvian footballer (born 1981)

Farewells

Died on June 16, 1981

Thomas Playford IV 20th-century Australian politician and fruit grower (1896–1981)

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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