What happened in October 1981?
The top front-page story of each day in October 1981, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Oct 1🏛️ French Senate Abolishes Death Penalty – The French Senate passed a bill to abolish the death penalty, marking a significant milestone in human rights legislation.
- Oct 2🖼️ Velazquez Painting Acquired – The Kimbell Art Museum purchased a Velazquez portrait for $6 million, enhancing its status in the art world.
- Oct 3🏛️ World Bank Meeting Ends – The World Bank and IMF concluded their annual meeting, warning of worsening global economic conditions and the need for coordinated policies.
- Oct 4🌋 Burma's Temples Rebuilt – Burmese temples, once toppled by a 1975 earthquake, have been successfully restored, showcasing resilience and cultural revival.
- Oct 5⛪ Pope Beatifies Five – Pope John Paul II beatified five individuals during a mass in St. Peter's Square, attended by tens of thousands.
- Oct 6🌾 Imperial Harvest Ceremony – Emperor Hirohito of Japan harvested rice near the Imperial Palace, donating it to the Ise Grand Shrine for the annual festival.
- Oct 7🚀 NASA Launches Satellite – NASA launched a satellite to study atmospheric reactions and enhance understanding of the ozone layer's protective role against UV radiation.
- Oct 8🕌 2 Million Muslims Gather – About 2.2 million Muslims from 64 countries streamed from Mecca to Arafat for the climax of their annual pilgrimage.
- Oct 9🔬 Earthquake Data Studied – Scientists measured puzzling geophysical phenomena in Southern California similar to events preceding major earthquakes.
- Oct 10🌌 Saturn Cloud Discovery – Voyager 2 found a cloud around Saturn that is 300 times hotter than the Sun's outer regions, marking a significant space discovery.
- Oct 11📚 Rare Book Fair – The New Haven Colony Historical Society Museum will host an Antiquarian Book Fair featuring rare titles and historical souvenirs.
- Oct 12🏗️ Floating Factory Docked – The world's first floating petrochemical plant has successfully docked in Argentina after an eight-week journey from Japan.
- Oct 13🔬 Weightlessness Aids Glassmaking – Scientists demonstrated a technique for making ultrapure glass in the weightlessness of space, potentially advancing glassmaking technology.
- Oct 14🚀 Shuttle Tile Repairs – NASA announced the successful repair and replacement of 379 heat-shielding tiles on the space shuttle Columbia.
- Oct 15⚽ West Germans Advance – West Germany secured a spot in the 1982 World Cup finals after a 3-1 victory over Austria, with Pierre Littbarski scoring two goals.
- Oct 16🌋 Volcanic Area Preserved – U.S. Forest Service announced preservation of 85,000 acres devastated by Mount St. Helens for education and recreation.
- Oct 17🎨 Wagner Played in Israel – The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performed Wagner's music, ending a 40-year boycott, sparking protests and heated debates among concertgoers.
- Oct 18🎻 Violin Recital Success – Ayako Kishikawa's debut performance of Bach's Partita No. 2 at Carnegie Recital Hall showcased strong emotions.
- Oct 19🎶 Boston Symphony Celebrates – The Boston Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 100th anniversary, marking a century of musical influence and cultural significance.
- Oct 20🌊 Floods in India – An earthen irrigation dam burst in Karnataka, India, killing at least 110 people and causing widespread devastation.
- Oct 21🌍 New Economic Order – Leaders of 22 nations gather in Cancun to discuss redesigning the world economy to favor developing countries.
- Oct 22🎨 Bartok Extravaganza – Budapest celebrates Bela Bartok's 100th birthday with a new museum dedicated to the renowned composer and ethnomusicologist.
- Oct 23🧬 Gene-Splicing Success – A scientist at Genentech reported success in using gene-splicing technology to produce human interferon from bacteria, yeast, and animal cells.
- Oct 24🖼️ Guernica Unveiled in Spain – Picasso's masterpiece 'Guernica' was unveiled in Spain, displayed behind bulletproof glass in a historic palace.
- Oct 25🌍 Earthquake Hits Mexico City – A strong earthquake lasting about three minutes shook Mexico City, causing buildings to shake and knocking out power in a widespread area.
- Oct 26🌍 Queen Completes Visit – Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip concluded a five-day state visit to Sri Lanka, marking a significant diplomatic engagement.
- Oct 27🌍 Israel-Egypt Talks – Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin announced efforts with Egypt for a breakthrough on Palestinian self-administration talks.
- Oct 28🏒 Islanders Defeat Oilers – The Islanders overcame a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 against the Edmonton Oilers at Nassau Coliseum, with Wayne Merrick scoring the tying and winning goals.
- Oct 29🌍 Dutch Grant Aruba Independence – The Dutch Government reached a provisional agreement for Aruba's independence, announced by Prime Minister Andries van Agt.
- Oct 30🌋 Geothermal Steam Source – A hot geothermal steam source discovered beneath Oregon's Newberry volcano shows potential for electricity generation.
- Oct 31🚀 Russians Launch Venus Mission – The Soviet Union launched an unmanned spacecraft aimed at reaching Venus, expected to arrive in March for a soft landing attempt.
Happy Birthday! 1981 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1981 in real headlines. See the 1981 book →
Born in October? Pick the day
Every birthday in October has its own On This Day in Headlines book: