1981

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.

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1950s  1960s  1970s  – 1980s –  1990s  2000s  2010s
Years:	1978 1979 1980 – 1981 – 1982 1983 1984

Events

• January 20 – Hostages from the Iran hostage crisis are released at the same time when Ronald Reagan is inaugurated for the first time as President of the United States.
• January 21 – The first DeLorean automotive is released in Northern Ireland.
• January 27 – The Indonesian passenger ship Tamponas 2 catches fire and capsizes in the Java Sea, killing 580.
• January 29 – Adolfo Suárez resigns as Prime Minister of Spain.
• February 4 – Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes Prime Minister of Norway.
• February 8 – Polish Prime Minister Józef Pinkowski resigns and is replaced by General Wojciech Jaruzelski.
• February 25 – Adolfo Suárez leaves his office as Prime Minister of Spain.
• March 30 - Shortly after being inaugurated, John Hinckley, Jr. tries to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. He survives the attack.
• July 29 – Lady Diana Spencer marries Charles, Prince of Wales.
• November 9 – Céline Dion's first album is released in Canada.

Births

• January 4 – Alicia Keys, American singer
• January 28 – Elijah Wood, American actor
• January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor
• February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer
• February 24 – Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
• March 3 – Justin Gabriel, South African professional wrestler
• April 28 – Jessica Alba, actress
• June 5 – Sebastien Lefebvre, Canadian Musician-Simple Plan
• June 7 – Anna Kournikova, Russian tennis player
• June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli actress
• July 30 – Hope Solo, American goal keeper
• August 8 – Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player
• September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress
• September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
• September 26 – Serena Williams, American tennis player
• October 31 – Frank Iero MCR
• December 2 – Britney Spears, American singer and actress
• December 27 – Patrick Sharp, Canadian professional ice hockey player

Deaths

• May 11 - Bob Marley
• June 28 – Terry Fox
• November 25 - Jack Albertson

Movies released

• Absence of Malice
• An American Werewolf in London
• Any Which Way You Can
• Arthur
• The Boat Is Full
• Bustin' Loose
• Chariots of Fire
• Escape to Victory
• Excalibur
• For Your Eyes Only
• The Four Seasons
• The Fox and the Hound
• The French Lieutenant's Woman
• Friday the 13th, Part 2
• The Great Muppet Caper
• Halloween II
• Heaven's Gate
• Mommie Dearest
• Omen III: The Final Conflict
• On Golden Pond
• Only When I Laugh
• Pennies From Heaven
• Pixote
• Quest For Fire
• Ragtime
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Reds
• Sogni d'oro
• Stevie
• Stripes
• Superman II
• Tarzan, the Ape Man
• They Don't Wear Black Tie

Hit songs

• "The Tide Is High" – Blondie
• "Celebration" – Kool & The Gang (2)
• "9 To 5" – Dolly Parton (2)
• "I Love A Rainy Night" – Eddie Rabbitt (2)
• "Keep On Loving You" REO Speedwagon (1)
• "Rapture" – Blondie (2)
• "Kiss On My List" – Daryl Hall & John Oates (3)
• "Morning Train (9 To 5)" – Sheena Easton
• "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes
• "Stars On 45 Medley" – Stars On 45 (1)
• "The One That You Love" – Air Supply (1)
• "Jessie's Girl" – Rick Springfield
• "Endless Love" – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9)
• "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" – Christopher Cross (3)
• "Private Eyes" – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Physical" – Olivia Newton-John

New books

• Ill Seen Ill Said – Samuel Beckett
• Arabian Nights and Days – Naguib Mahfouz
• La Bicyclette Bleue (The Blue Bicycle) – Régine Deforges
• Bliss – Peter Carey
• Creation – Gore Vidal
• Cujo – Stephen King
• Distant Star – Samuel R. Delany
• Famous Last Words – Timothy Findley
• Flames Across the Border – Pierre Berton
• Giants of the Ottawa Valley – Joan Finnegan
• The Glitter Dome – Joseph Wambaugh
• The Golden Age of Science Fiction – Kingsley Amis
• Goodbye, Janette – Harold Robbins
• Gorky Park – Martin Cruz Smith
• Hotel New Hampshire – John Irving
• An Indecent Obsession – Colleen McCullough
• Licence Renewed – John Gardner
• Masquerade – Kit Williams
• Midnight's Children – Salman Rushdie
• No Time for Tears – Cynthia Freeman
• Noble House – James Clavell
• Other People: A Mystery Story – Martin Amis
• Red Dragon – Thomas Harris
• Strata – Terry Pratchett
• Tar Baby – Toni Morrison
• The Third Deadly Sin – Lawrence Sanders