1980
President Carter orders grain embargo to Soviet Union
President Carter signs $1.5 billion loan to help bail out Chrysler Corp.
Misery Index: Unemployment Rate+Inflation Rate hits an all-time record high of 21.98%
After President Carter’s approval rating sinks to 19%, and polls favored Ted Kennedy; the Democratic incumbent Carter defeats Kennedy 24 states to 10 to win the Presidential nomination
1980 Republican National Convention held in Detroit; Ronald Reagan nominated
Ronald Reagan-George Bush crush Jimmy Carter-Walter Mondale in 1980 Presidential election; 3rd Party Candidate, John B. Anderson, receives over 5 million votes
Quebec votes not to secede from Canada
Lech Walensa leads many strikes in Poland, and government recognizes solidarity
Pittsburgh Steelers win 4th Super Bowl defeating Los Angeles Rams
1980 Winter Olympics held in Lake Pacid, NY; USA Hockey team's Miracle on Ice upsetting the Soviet Union
New York Islanders win first Stanley Cup
1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow; USA boycotts per President Carter, Soviets dominate with 196 medals including 80 gold while the East Germans captured 126 medals
14 USA Boxers die in plane crash in Poland on March 14
Johnny Rutherford wins his 3rd Indianapolis 500
Mount St. Helen's eruption in Washington killing 57 and causing $3 billion in damage
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back released
Kramer vs. Kramer wins Best Picture at the 1980 Academy Awards over All That Jazz and And Justice For All
December 8, John Lennon is assassinated by Mark David Chapman in New York City
Actor Steve McQueen dies at age 50
CNN begins its first broadcast
1980 in Television (1980-1981 TV Schedule)
| 7-Jan-80 | Washington, D.C. | President Jimmy Carter approves $1.5 billion dollar loan to help bail out Chrysler Corp. |
| 22-Feb-80 | n/a | Team USA defeats the Soviet Union for the gold medal, 4-3, do you believe in miracles? |
| 27-Feb-80 | Grammy's | Doobie Brothers and Billy Joel win at Grammy's |
| 13-Mar-80 | Hill Auditorium | Chuck Mangione |
| 14-Mar-80 | Crisler Arena | The Marshall Tucker Band |
| 21-Mar-80 | Washington, D.C. | President Jimmy Carter announces U.S. boycott of 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow |
| 11-Apr-80 | Crisler Arena | John Denver |
| 18-Apr-80 | Crisler Arena | Ted Nugent |
| 18-May-80 | n/a | Mount St. Helen's erupts killing 58 people and causing $3 billion in damage while paralyzing many for many months |
| 1-Jul-80 | Weber's | Ann Arbor Class of 1970 celebrates their 10 year reunion at Weber's |
| 16-Jul-80 | Cobo Hall | The Republican National Convention begins in Detroit; Ronald Reagan wins the nomination |
| 14-Aug-80 | n/a | President Jimmy Carter defeats Edward Kennedy for Democratic nomination |
| 5-Sep-80 | Crisler Arena | Jackson Browne |
| 3-Oct-80 | Crisler Arena | Bruce Springsteen |
| 22-Oct-80 | Crisler Arena | Linda Ronstadt |
| 4-Nov-80 | n/a | Ronald Reagan defeats President Carter |
| 22-Nov-80 | Columbus, OH | #5 Michigan defeats #10 Ohio State, 9-3, to win Big Ten Football Championship outright |
| 3-Dec-80 | Crisler Arena | The Allman Brothers |
| 8-Dec-80 | New York | John Lennon is murdered |