From Your Subculture Soundtrack, the music encyclopedia

Events of 1981

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Undated

Ongoing

Births

January - March

April - June

July - September

October - December

Deaths

January - March

April - June

July - September

October - December

Unknown Dates

External Links

From Coronation Street Wiki

Events

• 27th July - Ken Barlow marries Deirdre Langton.

See also

• Coronation Street in 1981
• Category:1981 episodes

From TARDIS Index File, the free Doctor Who reference.

Events

Doctor Who Universe

Dates Unknown

• Anne Travers becomes the cabinet's scientific advisor. (MA: Downtime)

February

• 28 - The Doctor and Adric land the TARDIS by the side of a motorway to gain measurements of a police box. Air hostess Tegan Jovanka stumbles aboard the TARDIS on her way to work at London's Heathrow Airport. (Events of (parts of) DW:Logopolis)
• 28 - The Doctor tries to return Tegan Jovanka to her own time, but instead the TARDIS lands on Monarch's ship. (DW: Four to Doomsday)

March

• 1 - Following a lethal fall from the Pharos Project's dish, the Doctor regenerates. (DW:Logopolis) The regenerated Doctor and his companions manage to escape.

June

• Peter Tracey is given a suspended sentence for breaking and entering. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

September

• A hailstorm strikes Moreton Harwood. It lasts only thirteen seconds, but destroys Commander Pollock's crops. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

December

• 1 - 14 - Sarah Jane Smith is out of the country working for Reuters. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

• 6 - Lavinia Smith leaves Moreton Harwood for a lecture tour in America. Before departing, she arranges for a mysterious crate addressed to her niece, Sarah Jane Smith, to be left at Moreton Harwood. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

• 10 - Lavinia Smith phones Brendan Richards to tell him he will be spending Christmas with Sarah Jane. Brendan waits for Sarah to pick him up at school, unaware that she is out of the country. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

• 18 - 22 - Sarah Jane Smith opens the crate left by Lavinia and activates K-9 Mark III, who has been waiting for her since 1978. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

• 29 - Members of the Hecate Cult at Moreton Harwood are tried for attempted murder. (KAC: A Girl's Best Friend)

Real World

January

• 2 - Victor Carin (Virgil Earp in DW: The Gunfighters) dies from cancer in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• 3 - DW: Warriors' Gate Episode 1 is first broadcast.
• 5 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy debuts on BBC Television. A mini-series adaptation of Douglas Adams' radio play and novelisation, the series would include a cameo appearance by future Doctor Peter Davison as "The Dish of the Day".
• 10 - DW: Warriors' Gate Episode 2 is first broadcast.
• 15 - DWN: Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit is first published. Beginning with this release and continuing through 1991, Target Books will begin commissioning the original teleplay authors to adapt their own scripts, whenever possible.
• 17 - DW: Warriors' Gate Episode 3 is first broadcast.
• 24 - DW: Warriors' Gate Episode 4 is first broadcast. Lalla Ward leaves the series with this episode. Also final appearance of K-9 Mark II. This episode concludes the "E-Space Trilogy".
• 28 - Production of DW: Logopolis concludes, bringing an end to the Tom Baker era.
• 31 - DW: The Keeper of Traken Episode 1 is first broadcast. Sarah Sutton debuts as new companion Nyssa (although she officially does not become a companion until the next story), and Anthony Ainley makes his first appearance on the series, though not yet as the Master.

February

• The pop band The Human League releases the instrumental "Tom Baker" (in honour of the actor) on the flipside of their single "Boys and Girls". This piece of music is later reused for the Project Who radio series in 2005.
• 7 - DW: The Keeper of Traken Episode 2 is first broadcast.
• 14 - DW: The Keeper of Traken Episode 3 is first broadcast.
• 21 - DW: The Keeper of Traken Episode 4 is first broadcast. Anthony Ainley becomes the newest, and longest-serving, incarnation of The Master.
• 21 - Death of Doctor Who theme composer Ron Grainer.
• 28 - DW: Logopolis Episode 1 is first broadcast. Janet Fielding debuts as new companion Tegan Jovanka.

March

• 7 - DW: Logopolis Episode 2 is first broadcast.
• 14 - DW: Logopolis Episode 3 is first broadcast. Sarah Sutton returns as Nyssa and officially becomes a companion.
• 21 - DW: Logopolis Episode 4 is first broadcast, concluding Season 18 and ending with Tom Baker's regeneration into Peter Davison. For the last time until 2005, the lead actor of the series is credited on screen as "Doctor Who" (beginning with the next season, the credit becomes "The Doctor").
• 28 - Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones in Torchwood, is born in Newport, Wales.
• 30 - Assassination attempt is made on US President Ronald Reagan.

April

• John Nathan-Turner writes a story outline for the proposed K-9 and Company spin-off pilot episode.
• 13 - Studio taping begins on DW: Four to Doomsday, the first story of the Peter Davison era to be made, though it won't be the first broadcast.
• 17 - DWN: Doctor Who and the Enemy of the World is first published. Written by series actor Ian Marter, the book is controversial at the time of release for its use of adult language in a line of books officially considered children's literature. This was the last novelisation in the Target Books line to use the "diamond logo".

May

• John Nathan-Turner and Anthony Root compose a "format document" for a planned spin-off series to be entitled K-9 and Company.
• 12 - Elisabeth Sladen is officially invited to reprise the role of Sarah Jane Smith for the planned K-9 and Company spin-off.
• 21 - REF: The Doctor Who Programme Guide Volumes 1 and 2, are first published in hardcover.

August

• Doctor Who Annual 1982 published.

October

• 15 - DWN: Doctor Who and An Unearthly Child, an adaptation of the very first Doctor Who serial, is first published. Its publication promotes the upcoming rebroadcast of the serial by BBC Two as part of their "Five Faces of Doctor Who" special series re-broadcasts. The Target Books line switches to the then-current "neon tubing" series logo with this release.
  • Paperback editions of REF: The Doctor Who Programme Guide Volumes 1 and 2 are published. The books have been revised from the hardback versions.

November

• Production of the pilot episode of the planned K-9 and Company spin-off series, KAC: A Girl's Best Friend, takes place this month.
• 2 - "The Five Faces of Doctor Who" special re-broadcast series commences with the third television broadcast of the first episode of DW: An Unearthly Child, the very first episode of Doctor Who. It airs in the UK on BBC Two.
• 3 - Second television Broadcast of "The Cave of Skulls" (the second episode of DW: An Unearthly Child) in the UK on BBC Two
• 4 - Second television Broadcast of "The Forest of Fear" (the third episode of DW: An Unearthly Child in the UK on BBC Two.
• 5 - Second television Broadcast of "The Firemaker", the fourth and last episode of DW: An Unearthly Child in the UK on BBC Two.

December

• Publication of REF: The Doctor Who Quiz Book by Nigel Robinson.
• 21 - The final new episode of Terry Nation's Blake's 7 airs on the BBC.
• 28 - KAC: A Girl's Best Friend, a pilot episode for the proposed spin-off K-9 and Company, is first broadcast. The pilot reintroduces Sarah Jane Smith and introduces K-9 Mark III.

Unknown dates

• Steven Scott (Kebble in DW: The Power of the Daleks) dies.
• Marvel Comics publishes Marvel Premiere issue 60, bringing to a close the first set of American Fourth Doctor comic strip reprints from Doctor Who Weekly. Another series, Doctor Who, follows in 1984.

Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek content.

Releases

January

• TOS comic #10: Domain of the Dragon God!, by Michael Fleisher

February

• TOS comic #11: Like a Woman Scorned, by Martin Pasko

March

• TOS comic #12: Eclipse of Reason, by Allan Brennart and Martin Pasko

April

• TOS novel: Death's Angel, by Kathleen Sky
• TOS comic #13: All the Infinite Ways, by Martin Pasko

June

• TOS novel #2: The Entropy Effect, by Vonda N. McIntyre (First original Pocket Books title)
• TOS comic #14: We Are Dying, Egypt, Dying, by Martin Pasko

August

• TOS comic #15: The Quality of Mercy, by Martin Pasko

October

• TOS novel #3: The Klingon Gambit, by Robert E. Vardeman
• TOS comic #16: There's No Space Like Gnomes', by Martin Pasko

December

• TOS novel #4: The Covenant of the Crown, by Howard Weinstein
• TOS comic #17: The Long Night's Dawn, by Mike Barr

Connections

• 1981 article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
• 1981 productions article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
• 1981 page at the Complete Starfleet Library
• 1981 article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

From DC Database

Creators

The following creative talent passed away in the year 1981:

Wally Wood

Titles

The following comic titles debuted with a 1981 cover date:

All-Star Squadron Vol 1 · Krypton Chronicles Vol 1 · Madame Xanadu Special · Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Vol 1

The following Comic titles were last published with a 1981 cover date:

DC Special Series Vol 1 · Krypton Chronicles Vol 1 · Mystery in Space Vol 1 · Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Vol 1

The following One Shots were published with a 1981 cover date:

Madame Xanadu Special Vol 1 1

Characters

The following characters debuted with a 1981 cover date:

A'Hwiirdh-Paan'A (New Earth) · Andrew Bennett (New Earth) · Angela Hawkins III (New Earth) · Apros (New Earth) · Arak Red-Hand (New Earth) · Arisia Rrab (New Earth) · Asa Ezaak (Earth-One) · Avatar (Chris King) (New Earth) · Azar (New Earth) · Bar-Nes (Earth-One) · Baran Flinders (New Earth) · Basil Nurblin (New Earth) · Brimstone (Chris King) (New Earth) · Brokk (New Earth) · Bruno Hogan (New Earth) · Charis-Nar (New Earth) · Charles Karnaj (Earth-Two) · Charles Ralston (Earth-One) · Christopher King (New Earth) · Cron (Earth-One) · David Drake (New Earth) · Doomster (Chris King) (New Earth) · Dragon King (New Earth) · Duarmzshee-Paan (New Earth) · Eddore (New Earth) · Emil LaSalle (New Earth) · Emmylou Hartley (Earth-One) · Fedra Shu-El (Earth-One) · Feln (Earth-One) · Fentara Rrab (New Earth) · Fil-El (Earth-One) · Galius Zed (New Earth) · Gary Ames (New Earth) · Gk'd (New Earth) · Gregory Griffin (New Earth) · Grockk (New Earth) · Hal-Vu (Earth-One) · Hans Metis (New Earth) · Harold Kramer (New Earth) · Hatu-El (Earth-One) · Im-El (Earth-One) · J.A.K.E. I (New Earth) · Jean-Louis Droo (New Earth) · Jes-Mo (Earth-One) · K'ryssma (New Earth) · Kal-El I (Earth-One) · Kalel Kent (Earth-One, 2020) · Kenneth Anderson (Earth-One) · Kil-Gor (Earth-One) · Klaus Kristin (New Earth)

Teams

The following teams debuted with a 1981 cover date:

All-Star Squadron · Fearsome Five · Omega Men · Secret Society of Super-Villains II

Chronology

The following events were published by DC Comics in the year 1981. This does not necessarily indicate that these storylines took place in the year 1981. The passage of time in the DC Universe is nebulous and subject to change and interpretation. Events from historical time periods are indexed under their corresponding years.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

From Muppet Wiki

Television & Movies

• The Muppet Show ends fifth season, begins series of syndicated repeats
• The Muppets Go to the Movies on ABC, May 20
• The Great Muppet Caper, June 26
• Sesame Street Season 13, November 23
• Of Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show in syndication

International Television

• Svenska Sesam airs in Sweden on SVT
• La Cometa Blanca first airs in Spain, featuring segments from Sesame Street
• Sesame Street, dubbed into Mandarin, debuts on CCTV^[1]

Appearances

• Big Bird visits Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, June 3
• Polaroid commercials

Books/Magazines/In Print

• Miss Piggy's Guide to Life
• Of Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show
• Jim Henson's Muppets Comic Strip, by Guy Gilchrist and Brad Gilchrist, begins running in newspapers in September
• Appearances on the cover of TV Guide and The Saturday Evening Post (the latter spoofed a Norman Rockwell painting)
• Miss Piggy gives an interview to World Over
• Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo appear on the cover of Dynamite, which includes an article on The Great Muppet Caper

Storybooks

• ABC Toy Chest
• The Amazing Mumford Presents The Magic Weather Show
• Bert and Ernie On the Go
• Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
• A Day in the Life of Oscar the Grouch
• Ernie's Big Mess
• Fozzie's Big Book of Sidesplitting Jokes
• I Have a Friend
• Kermit and Cleopigtra
• Muppet Manners
• The Muppets Go Camping
• Oscar's Rotten Birthday
• Prairie Dawn's Upside-Down Poem & Other Nonsense From Sesame Street
• The Sesame Street Circus of Opposites
• The Sesame Street Sun
• Sesamstraat: Het Boek Van Tommie, Pino En Ienie Mienie
• The Whale Tale
• When I'm as Big as Freddie
• When Is Saturday?

Albums

• Bert & Ernie: Side By Side
• Camping in Canada
• Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra
• The Great Muppet Caper (soundtrack)
• Grin and Giggle with Big Bird

Merchandise

• The Miss Piggy Calendar 1982
• Great Muppet Caper Paint by Numbers kits
• Sigma Christmas ornaments
• McDonald's Great Muppet Caper Glasses
• The Great Muppet Caper Game
• The Great Muppet Caper Card Game
• Jim Henson's Muppet Show (Activity Book)
• Gorham Sesame Street Plates

Stage Shows

• Big Bird's Super Spectacular Totally Amateur Show debuts

People

• David Rudman first works with the Muppets as a Muppet Workshop intern

Sources

1. ↑ American Businesses in China: Balancing Culture and Communication

From the eWrestling Encyclopedia.

This article contains information on e-wrestling events that happened in 1981.

Notable 1981 births

A

Aaron King
Andrew Brannan

C

Clint Macstop
Chase Black

J

Jim Rourke

K

Kin Zan Dant

M

Mask, The

Notable 1981 deaths

1981 handler births/deaths

See also

• Help:Year articles - Information on editing and adding information to year articles.

An Ice Hockey Wiki article.

These events occured in 1981 in the world of hockey:

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

From Marvel Database

All Comics for 1981 Without Month Designations

Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 15	Captain America Annual Vol 1 5	Captain America: The Secret Story Vol 1 1	Conan the Barbarian Annual Vol 1 6
Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 16	Incredible Hulk Annual Vol 1 10	Marvel Comics Super Special Vol 1 19	Marvel Comics Super Special Vol 1 20
Marvel Presents The Captain America Collector's Edition Vol 1 1	Marvel Team-Up Annual Vol 1 4	Marvel Treasury Edition Vol 1 28	Marvel Two-In-One Annual Vol 1 6
Thor Annual Vol 1 9	Together for the First Time Vol 1 1	Uncanny X-Men Annual Vol 1 1981

The Star Trek Expanded Universe Database is for fanon and related content. See Memory-Alpha.org for the canon Star Trek wiki.

Events

Births

November

• January 10: Jason McKnight is born in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, Earth (Star Trek: Lexington (fan film series))
• November 14: Robbie Sands is born on Earth. (Star Trek: Daedalus - The Exiles)

Deaths

Assignments and promotions

From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.

Star Wars (radio) produced in 1981 and broadcast by National Public Radio as part of NPR Playhouse.

A list of events in 1981 related to Star Wars.

• Kenner releases the following action figures:
  • AT-AT Driver
  • Han Solo Bespin Outfit
  • Dengar
  • Ugnaught
  • Rebel Commander
  • 2-1B
  • Lobot
  • Yoda
  • Princess Leia Hoth Outfit
  • Imperial Commander

January

• January - Star Wars 43: The Empire Strikes Back: Betrayal at Bespin published.

April

• 19 - Hayden Christensen is born.

June

• 09 - Natalie Portman is born.