Top News Stories in 1981
· Ronald Reagan takes oath on January 20th as the 40th President of the US
· Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court
· The first space shuttle Columbia is launched
· Hostages were released from Iran
· Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan
· Attempted assassination of Pope John-Paul II
· Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles were wed
· PacMan fever dominated video arcade games
· France officially abolishes the death penalty and with it the guillotine
· The killer virus AIDS is first identified.
· FDA approves the use of the artificial sweetener aspartame more commonly known as Nutrasweet.
· The cost to mail a letter went from .15 to .18 then up to .20
· The average household income was $19,074.00

Sports in 1981
· Oakland def Philadelphia (27-10) to win the Super Bowl.
· LA Dodgers def NY Yankees (4-2) to win the World Series.
· Boston def Houston (4-2) to take the NBA Championship.
· NY Islanders def Minnesota (4-1) to take the Stanley Cup.
· Indiana def North Carolina (63-50) for the NCAA Basketball Championship.
· Clemson takes the NCAA Football Champion ship.
· Wimbledon - Men's John McEnroe def. Bjorn Borg
· Wimbledon - Women's Chris Evert Lloyd d. H. Mandlikova
· Marcus Allen wins the Heisman trophy

Notable Deaths in 1981
· William Holden - Actor, 63
· Joe Louis - boxer, 66
· Bob Marley - Musician, 36
· Anwar Sadat - President of Egypt
· Natalie Wood - Actress, 43
· Bill Haley - rock music pioneer

Movies in 1981
· Chariots of Fire - Oscar for Best Picture
· On Golden Pond - Best Actor (Henry Fonda)
· On Golden Pond - Best Actress (Katherine Hepburn)
· Aurthur - Best Supporting Actor (John Gielgud)
· Reds - Best Director (Warren Beatty)
· Reds - Best Supporting Actress (Maureen Stapleton)
· Atlantic City
· Excalibur