Chronology year 1981

January 1981:

• Release of the album "Duran Duran" by the band Duran Duran.
• Ronald Reagan assumes the presidency of the United States.
• Premiere of the TV show "Dynasty".
• Death of writer Tennessee Williams.
• Dallas Cowboys victory in Super Bowl XV.
• Release of the film "Raging Bull", by Martin Scorsese.
• Discovery of the HIV virus.
• Death of musician Bill Haley.
• Launch of the electronic game "Donkey Kong".
• Birth of British singer Adele.

February 1981:

• Release of the album "Face Value" by singer Phil Collins.
• Attempted assassination of the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
• Premiere of the TV series "The Smurfs".
• Pittsburgh Steelers victory in Super Bowl XVI.
• Death of British poet and writer Cecil Day-Lewis.
• Release of the film "Atlantic City".
• Birth of British singer Ed Sheeran.
• Death of Spanish actor Antonio Mairena.
• Launch of the electronic game "Ms. Pac-Man".
• Organization of the Berlin Film Festival.

March 1981:

• Release of the album "Ghost in the Machine" by the band The Police.
• Attack on the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
• Premiere of the TV show "The Muppet Show".
• Larry Holmes' victory in the boxing match against Trevor Berbick.
• Death of Swiss painter Paul Klee.
• Release of the film "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark".
• Birth of actress and singer Jessica Biel.
• Death of French writer and philosopher Roland Barthes.
• Launch of the electronic game "Frogger".
• Organization of the Grammy Awards.

April 1981:

• Release of the album "4" by the band Foreigner.
• Beginning of air traffic blocking by flight controllers in the United States.
• Premiere of the TV show "Hill Street Blues".
• Tom Watson's victory in the Golf Masters.
• Death of American writer Omar Bradley.
• Release of the film "Reds", directed by Warren Beatty.
• Birth of British actor Hayden Christensen.
• Death of Spanish painter Salvador Dalí.
• Launch of the electronic game "Centipede".
• Organization of the Cannes Film Festival.

May 1981:

• Release of the album "Tattoo You" by the Rolling Stones.
• Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
• Premiere of the TV series "Falcon Crest".
• Ismail Ahmedov's victory in the World Wrestling Championship.
• Death of Jamaican singer Bob Marley.
• Release of the film "Superman II".
• Birth of British actress and singer Emily Ratajkowski.
• Death of German philosopher Hermann Hesse.
• Launch of the electronic game "Galaga".
• Eurovision is held, with the victory of the group Bucks Fizz representing the United Kingdom.
• Death of Austrian writer and playwright Thomas Bernhard.
• Release of the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in the United Kingdom.
• Fire tragedy at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in 8 deaths.
• Birth of British singer Ellie Goulding.
• Death of American actor Bob Cummings.
• Launch of the electronic game "Donkey Kong Jr.".
• Organization of the Venice Film Festival.
• Death of Brazilian singer Nelson Gonçalves.
• Release of the film "Jaws 3".

June 1981:

• Release of the album "Paradise Theatre" by the band Styx.
• Beginning of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic.
• Premiere of the TV show "MTV".
• Björn Borg's victory in the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
• Death of German writer Hermann Hesse.
• Release of the film "Os Irmãos Cara-de-Pau".
• Birth of Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Death of British painter Roy Lichtenstein.
• Launch of the electronic game "Donkey Kong 3".
• Organization of the Glastonbury Festival.

July 1981:

• Release of the album "Escape" by singer Journey.
• Fire tragedy at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, with 114 deaths.
• Premiere of the TV series "Dinosaur Family".
• John McEnroe's victory in the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
• Death of British writer Terry Fox.
• Release of the film "Too Late to Forget".
• Birth of British actor David Tennant.
• Death of American actor Ross Martin.
• Launch of the electronic game "Galaga 3".
• Holding of the World Summer Games in Santa Clara, California.

August 1981:

• Release of the album "Fair Warning" by the band Van Halen.
• Death of the president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, assassinated during a military parade.
• Premiere of the TV series "Blackadder".
• Gene Littler's victory in the US Golf Championship.
• Death of French writer Albert Cohen.
• Release of the film "Blow Out".
• Birth of American pop singer Beyoncé.
• Death of British actor Melvyn Douglas.
• Launch of the electronic game "Ms. Pac-Man Super Plus".
• Organization of the Edinburgh Festival.

September 1981:

• Release of the album "Diary of a Madman" by singer Ozzy Osbourne.
• Death of Princess Grace Kelly in a car accident.
• Premiere of the TV program "Oprah Winfrey Show".
• John McEnroe's victory in the US Open tennis.
• Death of German writer Hermann Broch.
• Release of the film "Fantastic Four".
• Birth of Argentine football player Sergio Agüero.
• Death of Spanish painter Salvador Dalí.
• Launch of the electronic game "Donkey Kong II".
• Organization of the Toronto International Film Festival.

October 1981:

• Release of the album "Escape" by singer Enrique Iglesias.
• Opening of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA).
• Premiere of the TV series "Falcon Crest".
• Los Angeles Dodgers victory in the baseball World Series.
• Death of British writer Daphne du Maurier.
• Release of the film "Blade Runner".
• Birth of basketball player LeBron James.
• Death of Austrian painter Egon Schiele.
• Launch of the electronic game "Frogger II".
• Organization of the London Film Festival.

November 1981:

• Release of the album "Private Eyes" by the duo Hall & Oates.
• Death of American actor William Holden.
• Premiere of the TV show "Hill Street Blues".
• John McEnroe's victory in the tennis Masters.
• Death of British writer Peter Ludwig Berger.
• Release of the film "E.T. - The Extraterrestrial".
• Birth of American actress and singer Anne Hathaway.
• Death of French painter Salvador Dalí.
• Launch of the electronic game "Ms. Pac-Man II".
• Organization of the Berlin Film Festival.

December 1981:

• Release of the album "Tattoo You" by the Rolling Stones.
• Declaration of the AIDS epidemic by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• San Francisco 49ers victory in the American football Super Bowl.
• Premiere of the TV series "The Young Ones".
• Death of American writer Walter Knott.
• Release of the film "Gandhi".
• Birth of British actor Tom Hiddleston.
• Death of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
• Launch of the electronic game "Galaga III".
• Organization of the Cannes Film Festival.