What happened in June 1981?
The top front-page story of each day in June 1981, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jun 1🏎️ Villeneuve Wins Monaco – Gilles Villeneuve of Canada won his first Formula One race in nearly two years at the 39th Monaco Grand Prix, with only 7 of 20 cars finishing.
- Jun 2📰 World's Biggest Yo-Yo – Preparations are underway for tests of a stratospheric observing system, the world's largest yo-yo, to study the ozone layer.
- Jun 3🌊 Severe Flooding in Indonesia – Torrential rains in Indonesia's south Kalimantan province caused the worst flooding in 50 years, destroying vast rice paddies and leaving many areas submerged.
- Jun 4🏇 Shergar Wins Epsom Derby – Shergar, the favorite, won the Epsom Derby by 10 lengths, marking the largest winning margin in the race this century.
- Jun 5🔬 Cetus Broadens Genetic Scope – Cetus Corporation, a leader in genetic engineering, is expanding its focus on chemicals, foods, and fuels produced through gene-splicing.
- Jun 6🧬 First Test-Tube Twins – The first twins conceived in a laboratory were born in Australia, marking a significant milestone in reproductive science.
- Jun 7🏆 Summing Wins Belmont – Summing won the Belmont Stakes, denying Pleasant Colony the Triple Crown with a neck victory in the $284,300 race.
- Jun 8⛪ Pope Addresses Mass – Pope John Paul II delivered his first public speech since being shot, addressing 20,000 attendees at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
- Jun 9💻 Xerox Launches PC – Xerox Corporation introduces a personal computer that also functions as a word processor, marking a significant entry into the market.
- Jun 10🏫 U.S. Schools Desegregate – Schools across the U.S. closed, marking the end of a significant chapter in the desegregation efforts of public education.
- Jun 11🌍 Japan Signs Soviet Loans – Japan's Export-Import Bank signed a $949 million loan agreement with the Soviet Union for two Siberian development projects.
- Jun 12🏎️ Le Mans Race Practice – Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell set the fastest lap in the first practice session for the Le Mans 24-hour race.
- Jun 13🌧️ Peking Drought Crisis – Peking faces its worst drought in a century, with reservoirs down 85%. Officials urge residents to conserve water.
- Jun 14🗳️ French Assembly Vote – French voters began a two-stage election to determine the composition of the National Assembly after electing Francois Mitterrand as President.
- Jun 15🕊️ Survivors Gather in Israel – 4,000 Holocaust survivors gather in Israel for a four-day remembrance and celebration of life, marking the first such gathering since liberation.
- Jun 16🌍 Bolivia Reopens Colleges – Bolivia's universities reopened today for the first time in 11 months after being closed due to a coup.
- Jun 17🪐 NASA Tests Plant Suit – NASA develops a 'space suit' for plants, enabling potential crop growth in space stations.
- Jun 18🚀 Nuclear Submarine Trials – The Ohio, the first Trident-class submarine, began its maiden voyage from Groton, Connecticut, watched by hundreds.
- Jun 19🔬 Vaccine Developed – A safe, effective vaccine against foot and mouth disease has been developed using gene-splicing techniques, announced the USDA.
- Jun 20🌋 Mount St. Helens Erupting – Scientists reported a nonexplosive eruption at Mount St. Helens, marking the ninth eruption since the severe blast on May 18, 1980.
- Jun 21🏆 Pole Vaulter Breaks Record – Thierry Vigneron of France cleared 19 feet 1/4 inches, setting a new world record in pole vaulting at an international meet.
- Jun 22🌋 Mt. St. Helens Quakes – Mount St. Helens showed low-level seismic activity today, with a decline in earthquakes as lava began oozing out in a nonexplosive eruption.
- Jun 23🔬 Polio Virus Deciphered – Polio, a disease causing immense suffering, was finally understood with the virus identified, paving the way for vaccines developed in the 1950s.
- Jun 24🎭 Royal Ballet's Swan Lake – The Royal Ballet's performance of 'Swan Lake' marks a return to the classic 19th-century ballet, celebrated for its traditional form.
- Jun 25🌍 World Bank Loans China – The World Bank approved a $200 million loan to China, its first, to support higher education in science and engineering.
- Jun 26🎨 Yankee Ballerina Triumphs – Amanda McKerrow, a 17-year-old ballerina, receives five bows at the Bolshoi Theater, impressing the audience with her performance.
- Jun 27🏅 Russian Vault Record – Vladimir Polyakov of the Soviet Union set a new pole vault world record at 19 feet 3/4 inch in Tbilisi, surpassing the previous record by half an inch.
- Jun 28🌍 Dalai Lama Visits West – The Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan leader, begins a six-week lecture tour in Britain and the U.S., promoting peace and compassion.
- Jun 29🎬 Streisand Directs 'Yentl' – Barbra Streisand will direct and star in a musical film based on 'Yentl,' the short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
- Jun 30🔬 Titan's Nitrogen Atmosphere – Voyager 1 detects a thick nitrogen atmosphere around Saturn's moon Titan, suggesting potential for vast nitrogen oceans.
Happy Birthday! 1981 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1981 in real headlines. See the 1981 book →