The Eighties Club The Politics and Pop Culture of the 1980s

Table of Contents     The Daily News

The Daily News - August 1981

[NOTE: Some of the events described in a day's news may have occurred on the previous day.] Saturday, 1 August 1981 Sen. Ted Kennedy's opposition to oil industry breaks in Reagan tax cut delays Senate passage of bill.....Mediation to avert threatened air traffic controller's strike unsuccessful.....Players approve proposed contract that ends major league baseball strike; training sessions begin.....IRA hunger striker Kevin Lynch dies in Belfast prison; reaction on streets shows weakening support for strikers, say authorities.....Executions continue in Iran; arrival of ousted Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr in France sparks demonstrations of pro- and ant-Khomeini exiles at University of Paris.....Pope John Paul II recovered from virus, ready for operation.....Playwright Paddy Chayefsky dies.....Recipient of heart and lung transplant, Karen Wilson, dies at Stanford medical center.....Arson blamed for last night's fire at Las Vegas Sahara Hotel.....White House denies Washington Post story that president Reagan has made decision regarding deployment of MX missiles.....Polish government denies existence of food crisis.....MTV premieres at 12:01. Sunday, 2 August 1981 PATCO president says tomorrow's deadline for threatened air traffic controllers' strike won't be extended; Attorney General William French Smith says striking controllers will be prosecuted.....IRA hunger striker Kieran Doherty dies in Belfast prison; violence follows news of death.....IRA guerrillas attack police car in Belfast.....Heart transplant patient dies in Houston, TX.....Body of Panamanian leader Gen. Omar Torrijos recovered from wreckage of plane crash.....Polish workers plan strike due to food shortages.....White House ceremony held for signing of economic package into law.....Large number of Haitian refugees moved from Miami detention camp to one in Kentucky.....Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn proposes split season as players return from strike.....North and South American foreign ministers meet at Cancun conference; Secretary of State Alexander Haig present.....Ousted Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr vows to return to Iran and overthrow Khomeini regime.....Gambian President Dawda Jawara regains control of country after coup.....Johnny Mize, Bob Gibson, Rube Foster inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame....Boston Globe claims many rare books missing from Harvard's zoology library.....Alleged mutiny occurs aboard Miss Suni Suzanne off New Bedford, MA.....France performs nuclear test. Monday, 3 August 1981 Air traffic controllers in PATCO union go on strike; President Reagan warns strikers of consequences; military personnel to replacing striking controllers; FAA orders airlines at major airports to reduce number of flights; safety of flying during strike in question; Amtrak reports increased passenger loads.....USAF may airlift Boy Scouts to annual jamboree in Virginia due to strike.....Demonstrators protesting food shortages clash with police in Poland.....Egyptian President Anwar Sadat meets in London with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to discuss Mideast situation.....Senate gives final approval to Reagan tax cut plan, the largest tax cut in American history.....Mobil increases bid for Conoco Oil.....Terrorist bombing reported in Tehran, Iran; Mohammad Ali Rajai sworn in as new president.....In Italy, Red Brigades murder brother of man who testified against the terrorist organization.....White House Press Secretary James Brady, wounded in assassination attempt on Reagan, suffers grand mal seizure.....Publisher sets deadline for closing Philadelphia Bulletin unless union employees cut costs.....Mafia chief Carlos Marcello convicted in FBI Brilab sting operation.....Federal judge frees Cuban refugees jailed for lacking proper papers. Tuesday, 4 August 1981 Legal actions considered against striking air traffic controllers; federal judge levees fine against PATCO union.....House approves Reagan tax cut.....More food protests reported in Poland.....Egyptian President Anwar Sadat arrives in U.S. for five-day visit, to meet tomorrow with President Reagan.....Prime Minister Menachem Begin announces formation of new Israeli coalition government.....Funeral held for Panamanian leader Gen. Omar Torrijos, killed in plane crash.....Actor Melvyn Douglas dies.....National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin hearing tomorrow on mandatory restraint systems in autos.....Boeing announces new 767.....Reagan expresses desire to supply AWACS to Saudi Arabia despite Congressional opposition.....Britain expels suspected Soviet spy.....CIA veterans allegedly involved in drug smuggling as operations leads to massive drug bust in Miami. Anwar Sadat Wednesday, 5 August 1981 Reagan administrations sends termination notices to all air traffic controllers on strike; PATCO union leaders arrested.....Egyptian President Anwar Sadat meets with President Reagan at White House, calls for direct U.S.-PLO negotiations.....Prime Minister Menachem Begin denies Israeli involvement in attempted assassination of Fatah leader Abu Daoud in Poland.....Pope John Paul II's surgery described as successful.....Islamic party leader Hassan Ayat assassinated in Iran.....IRA claims responsibility for series of bombings in Northern Ireland.....DuPont wins takeover battle re: Conoco against Mobil and Seagram's.....Medfly discovered in Florida citrus groves.....Solidarity engages in warning strike re: Polish food crisis.....U.S. and USSR extend grain agreement.....Reagan administration proposes easing Clean Air Act standards.....Reagan presides over White House ceremony to thank congressional leaders for passing economic package. Thursday, 6 August 1981 President Reagan begins month-long vacation at California ranch.....Florida officials attempting to ban all California fruit from state after discovery of Medflies in citrus groves.....Accidental launch of private rocket on Matagorda Island, TX destroys rocket and launch pad.....Prosecutor prevents French citizens from leaving Iran; anti-French demonstration reported in Tehran; France recalled granting asylum to ousted Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr.....Solidarity and Polish government leaders meet to discuss food crisis.....Demonstraters march from Copenhagen to Paris to protest nuclear weapons.....Memorial held in Hiroshima, Japan on 36th anniversary of dropping of atomic bomb.....Major league baseball team owners agree on split season plan; New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies and L.A. Dodgers named first half-season champs.....European air traffic controllers union may ask members to refuse service to American airlines to show support for striking American controllers.....Cloud seeding operation underway in Florida due to severe drought. Friday,7 August 1981 Court hearing held on legality of air traffic controllers' strike; international controllers' organization claims several midair near-misses due to military replacements for strikers.....Anti-Khomeini faction briefly takes over Iranian embassy in Washington....In Iran, executions of alleged counter-revolutionaries continue.....Iran's Ayatollah Meshkini threatens reprisals against France for harboring Iranian ex-president Abolhassan Bani-Sadr.....Soviet amphibious fleet reported in Baltic Sea off Poland's coast .....Solidarity organizes temporary strike in Silesia to protest Polish government handling of food crisis .....Fidel Castro in Mexico to meet with President Jose Lopez Portillo.....Egyptian President Anwar Sadat meets with former President Richard Nixon.....Florida begins malathion spraying to prevent Medfly infestation.....Family of late comedian Freddie Prinze wins cash award in malpractice suits..... Washington Star publishes final edition.....Interior Secretary James Watt postpones offshore oil drilling along California coast.....British government rejects latest mediation to end hunger strike by IRA members imprisoned in Belfast. Saturday, 8 August 1981 IRA hunger striker Thomas McElwee dies in Belfast's Maze Prison.....Warsaw Pact military commander meets with Polish prime minister; Solidarity's Lech Walesa challenges government negotiator to televised debate.....Iran insists France extradite former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr..... Vancouver, British Columbia police search for suspect in string of child murders.....Protesters suspect foul play in drowning of three blacks arrested by police in Mexia, TX in June.....Bubonic plague outbreak reported near President Reagan's California ranch.....PATCO President Robert Poli said to want negotiations to end air traffic controllers' strike.....American Federation of Government Employees supports PATCO strike, as does AFL-CIO.....Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Fahd makes Mideast peace proposal.....Egyptian President Anwar Sadat receives honorary degree from Georgetown University; says U.S. rejected his request for more F-16 fighter planes. Sunday, 9 August 1981 President Reagan announces decision to produce neutron bombs; widespread opposition to weapon in Europe noted; anti-bomb demonstrations held in Frankfurt, W. Germany and elsewhere.....Rioting breaks out in Belfast, N. Ireland....."Second" season of major league baseball to start tomorrow.....Warsaw Pact troops along Polish border placed on alert status; Soviet naval maneuvers continue off Polish coast in Baltic Sea.....Saudi Arabian Prince Fahd won't visit U.S. unless U.S. recognizes PLO; Israel rejects Fahd's peace plan; Egyptian President Anwar Sadat critical of Fahd on Meet the Press.....Emergency OPEC meeting in Geneva announced; Saudi Arabia blamed by other OPEC members for present oil glut.....Government claims flying safe despite firing of striking air traffic controllers.....Budget cuts discussed at governors' conference in Atlantic City, NJ.....American Bar Association schedules debate on qualifications of Supreme Court nominee Sandra Day O'Connor.....Six English lifeguards set swim relay record in England Channel.....NL beats AL in All Star Game, Cleveland Stadium. Monday, 10 August 1981 Canadian air traffic controllers support striking PATCO members by staging temporary strike.....FAA reporte sabotage of air traffic control equipment in Omaha, NE.....U.S. Intelligence worried about possibility of martial law in Poland as situation there worsens; major food strikes and protests reported; government-labor negotiations reopen in Gdansk; government agrees to televsied debate between Solidarity's Lech Walesa and deputy premier.....French citizens released by Iran; executions of alleged counter-revolutionaries continue in Iran.....Chrysler announces recall of 1981 Plymouth Reliants and Dodge Aries due to faulty switches.....Beleaguered Pan Am asks employees to take pay cuts.....HHS Secretary Richard Schweiker discusses administration's new block grant programs at governors' conference in Atlantic City.....Coca-Cola agrees to place blacks on board of directors and to lend $34 million to black business; Jesse Jackson announces end of boycott against company.....Another Medfly discovered in Florida.....Extensive forest fires reported in western states.....Tropical storm Dennis affects U.S. naval maneuvers near Puerto Rico.....State Dept. reassures European allies re: deployment of neutron weapons; anti-bomb demonstrations occur in England, Italy, The Netherlands.....U.S. delivery of fighter planes to Israel may be postponed again.....Sixteen cousins of Howard Hughes declared his legal heirs.....Mysterious explosion occurs at West Virginia laboratory complex.....Pete Rose breaks Stan Musiel's NL hit record with his 3,361 hits.....Richard Nixon museum in San Clemente,CA closes. Tuesday, 11 August 1981 Boycott by Canadian air traffic controllers in support of PATCO strikers in U.S. hampers international air travel; Airlines express support for President Reagan in his handling of crisis; government discusses permanent reduced flight schedules with airlines; training of students intensifies at federal air traffic control school in Oklahoma.....Secretary of State Alexander Haig outlines Reagan administration's Soviet policy in address to American Bar Association.....VP George Bush discusses Reagan's "new federalism" at National Governors' Association conference in Atlantic City.....Poland's Communist Party leader warns Solidarity about continued labor unrest.....Anti-Khomeini demonstration occurs in Oslo, Norway; Iranian embassy there briefly taken over.....U.S. sending military advisers to Honduras..... Reagan will decide next week whether to send warplanes shipment to Israel.....Medfly found near California's San Joaquin Valley.....Commuter train collides with locomotive near Boston.....Nuclear Regulatory Commission relaxes deadline for installation of accident warning systems at nuclear power plants.....Former Carter administration official accuses Reagan administration of allowing auto industry to keep recalls secret.....Northwest U.S. suffers from heat wave. Wednesday, 12 August 1981 Canadian air traffic controllers' boycott ends, international air travel returns to normal.....State, City & Municipal Employees union stages pro-PATCO demonstration outside Transportation Dept.; PATCO deplores allegedly half-hearted support of strike by organized labor.....Haitian refugees transferred from Miami holding camp to Puerto Rico.....East German successfully escapes across Berlin Wall to West Germany.....Prince and Princess of Wales, on honeymoon cruise in Mediterranean, arrive at Port Said, Egypt. meet with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat aboard royal yacht Brittania.....Israel participates in major bombing of Beirut.....Explosions reported at Navy warehouse, Norfolk, VA.....Nerve gas bombs moved from Colorado to Dugway Proving Grounds, UT.....ABC Video Enterprises and Westinghouse announce all-news cable-TV system.....Reagan administration proposes changes in Medicare..... California appeals court overturns award to Michelle Triola in palimony suit against actor Lee Marvin..... Solidarity tries to ease tension between Polish government and workers; Lech Walesa makes appeal to labor force re: work hours.....VP George Bush defends administration's deregulation plans in such areas as the environment and women's rights.....Senate calls Labor Dept.'s five-year investigation into Teamster Union's pension fund a failure.....American Bar Association agrees to accredit church-affiliated law schools that use religious test for hiring and admissions.....IBM introduces PC and PC-DOS version 1.0.....John Erikson swims English Channel record number of times. President Reagan signs tax cut into law at Rancho del Cielo Thursday, 13 August 1981 President Reagan signs tax and budget bills into law at his California ranch.....International air traffic controllers' organization decides not to take further steps to support striking PATCO members in U.S; Portuguese air traffic controllers call of scheduled boycott; Reagan says he won't grant amnesty to striking controllers.....Polish Communist Party chief Stanislaw Kania and Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski reportedly summoned to Moscow by Kremlin; Poland's Communist paper praises Solidarity; State Dept. expresses concern over Polish crisis.....Parents of 13-year-old Ukrainian return to USSR without son following bitter custody battle.....Pope John Paul II said to be fully recovered from wounds sustained during recent assassination attempt, released from hospital.....Alleged remains of four American MIAs turned over to U.S. representatives in Bangkok, Thailand.....Iranian plane reportedly hijacked by army officers seeking asylum in Oman.....American environmentalists class with Russian whalers and Soviet military in waters off Siberia.....20th anniversary of Berlin Wall observed in East and West Berlin.....Richard Nixon accused of paying off man who filed suit against him.....Helicopter carrying workers from offshore gas platform crashes off English coast.....Reagan suggests he and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev meet.....Judge sentences former U.S. Reps. Michael Myers, John Murphy, Frank Thompson and Raymond Lederer on basis of Abscam convictions.....USAF will court-martial Lt. Christopher Cooke, accused of spying for USSR.....Last episode of The Waltons is telecast.....Mary Meagher sets world record in swimming's 200m butterfly. Friday, 14 August 1981 Federal judge recommends PATCO be decertified as union for air traffic controllers; government investigates reports that someone intentionally gave pilots wrong instructions during flights; British controllers vote not to support striking American counterparts.....Medfly infestation has spread to California's San Joaquin Valley.....Former Tennessee Governor Roy Blanton sentenced on conviction for extortion and conspiracy.....Billy Carter files statement with State Dept. declaring he is no longer agent for Libyan government.....Polish prime minister and Communist Party chief meet with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev in Crimea; State Dept. claims it has evidence Soviet Union has tried to discredit Solidarity.....Goodyear exec Clifford Bevens, kidnapped last year, murdered by terrorists in Guatemala .....Iranian gunboat hijacked by anti-Khomeini forces near Cadiz, Spain.....Trial resulting from Oakland Raiders' owner Al Davis wanting to move team ends in deadlock.....ABC news bureau opens in Peking.....Labor Dept. recommends changes to Davis-Bacon Act re: standards for federal construction projects.....American, Braniff and U.S. Air to lay off large number of exployees.....New York Daily News ceases publication of evening edition, lays off workers. Saturday, 15 August 1981 Portuguese air traffic controllers' planned boycott of U.S. planes for 48 hours as show of support for striking American controllers starts tomorrow; strikers hold rally at JFK International Airport, New York City.....San Joaquin Valley citrus growers threatened by Medfly infestation blame California Governor Jerry Brown; Florida widens spraying program area after Meflies discovered near Tampa.....Pope John Paul II makes first public appearance since release from hospital.....Rioting reported in Liverpool, England.....Fatalities result when crane collides with amusement park ride in Hamburg, W. Germany .....Disagreement between Secretary of State Alexander Haig and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger said to be reason for President Reagan's postponement of decision on MX missile system.....Funeral held for 6-year-old Adam Walsh, kidnapping and murder victim, in Hollywood, FL.....Prince and Princess of Wales end honeymoon cruise, fly from Egypt to Scotland.....Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Patrick Quinn agrees to end strike.....First major 3-D movie in 30 years, Comin' at Ya!, premieres. Sunday, 16 August 1981 Reagan administration to lift embargo on warplanes to Israel in near future; Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin calls embargo unjustified.....Soviet news agency claims administration's decision to make neutron bomb is confrontational; Soviet expert Georgi Arbatov accuses Reagan White House of heating up Cold War.....Portuguese air traffic controllers begin 48-hour boycott of American planes in show of support for striking American controllers; U.S. government begins processing applicants to replace 12,000 fired controllers.....Indiana University report indicates use of birth controll pills and soft contact lenses hazardous.....Quarantine now in place on produce from California's San Joaquin Valley due to Medfly infestation.....Fans assemble at Graceland Mansion in Memphis on fourth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.....Eight labor unions accept wage cutback proposal to keep Philadelphia Bulletin running.....Hot air balloon crashes in Barrington, IL.....Demonstrations re: detention of political parties scheduled for tomorrow in Warsaw, Poland cancelled after being condemned by Catholic Church and Solidarity.....U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says government lacks cohesive child care policy.....Mary Meagher swims world record 100m butterfly.....New Zealand's 13-0 defeat of Fiji sets record for highest score in World Cup soccer. Monday, 17 August 1981 President Reagan ends embargo on delivery of warplanes to Israel.....U.S. Marines conduct defense readiness manuevers at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Reagan meets with National Security Council to discuss American military preparedness.....Portuguese air traffic controllers' 48-hour boycott of U.S. flights not hampering international flights; Portuguese and Spanish controllers' organizations to meet tomorrow to discuss international response to U.S. strike; American strikers supported by Iran and China.....Private planes collide over San Jose, CA.....New wave of labor strikes occur in Poland.....OPEC to discuss unifying crude oil prices at Geneva meeting.....Ammunition depot near Salisbury, Zimbabwe explodes.....Wayne Williams formally charged in two of Atlanta's child murders, enters not guilty plea .....Suspect arrested in attempt to extort money from Stateline, NV casino, linked to bombing of casino last summer.....Ralph Nader's Congressional Watch accuses Reagan of failing to keep promises made in State of the Union address.....Federal judge in Miami orders government to begin releasing Cuban refugees detained in Atlanta, GA.....Jetliner and private plane involved in midair near-miss over New Jersey.....Tropical storm Dennis hits south Florida.....Justice Dept. calls for breakup of AT&T.....Perjury trial of Nixon attorney general Richard Kleindienst begins. Tuesday, 18 August 1981 National Transportation Safety Board investigates safety of flying during air traffic controllers' strike; Airline Pilots Association criticizes safety measures; PATCO claims numerous near-misses have occurred; Portuguese controllers end 48-hour boycott of American planes.....Japan bans California fruit due to Medfly infestation.....John Hinckley, would-be-assassin of President Reagan, transferred from North Carolina prison to Marine base at Quantico, VA.....Reagan meets with economic advisers re: 1982 budget; president acknowledges balancing budget while increasing defense spending problematic .....Larry Layton, accused of involvement in murder of Rep. Leo Ryan three years ago at Jonestown, Guyana, goes on trial in San Francisco.....Gunboat sold to Iran and hijacked by anti-Khomeini group returned to Marseilles; France offers asylum to hijackers.....USSR asks Geneva Disarmament Conference to outlaw neutron bomb; anti-neutron bomb demonstration occurs at American embassy, Paris.....Union coal miners in Illinois participate in temporary work stoppage to protest construction of non-union mine.....Pan Am negotiating sale of International Hotel Corporation due to fiscal crisis..... Explosion and fire at Getty Oil well in Venice, LA.....Catholic Church and relief groups sending food shipments to Poland as food crisis there worsens; U.S. government to sell food to Catholic Church for distribution in Poland.....Other OPEC nations oppose Saudi Arabian call for reducing oil prices at Geneva meeting.....Iranian assets seized during hostage crisis transferred from U.S. to Albanian control. F-14 Tomcat shoots down Libyan SU-22 over Gulf of Sidra in print by Jerry Crandall Wednesday, 19 August 1981 U.S. Navy planes shoot down Libyan SU-22 aircraft following attack on American fleet conducting manuevers in Gulf of Sidra, waters claimed by Libya.....Airline Pilots Association says air travel safe despite controllers' strike.....Tropical storm Dennis impacts Atlantic seaboard.....Newspaper strike organized by Solidarity occurs in Poland.....Anti-Khomeini hijackers of Iranian gunboat surrender to French authorities in Marseilles.....New England Journal of Medicine warns of long-term side-effects of birth control pills.....NAACP Director Roy Wilkins hospitalized with heart problems.....In Zurich race, runner Sebastian Coe sets world record in mile.....Delegates at OPEC meeting in geneva not unified re: reducing oil prices.....Former Green Beret Eugene Tafoya on trial in Ft. Collins, CO, accused of being hitman for Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi.....Treasury Dept. reports on Secret Service's performance during attempted assassination of President Reagan. Thursday, 20 August 1981 Libya claims victory in yesterday's battle with U.S. over Gulf of Sidra; President Reagan defends downing of Libyan planes by American F-14s; Anti-American demonstrations reported in Benghazi.....Press Secretary James Brady, hospitalized since being wounded during attempted assassination of Reagan, recovering from recent surgery.....Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Michael Devine dies in Belfast, N. Ireland.....Two-day newspaper strike in Poland ends.....Crackdown on leftists and supporters of ousted Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr occurs in Tehran.....Reagan rejects request by international air traffic controllers' organization to negotiate with striking American controllers.....Mother Jones magazine accuses NASA of using cancer patients in radiation experiments at Oak Ridge, TN hospital; Congressional committee to investigate death of Dwayne Sexton and others.....Rep. Morris Udall calls for Interior Secretary James Watt to resign. Friday, 21 August 1981 At Geneva conference, OPEC members still can't agree on unified price structure for oil exports, Saudi Arabia agrees to reduce oil production.....Energy Dept. announces new oil deal with Mexico.....Prime Minister Menachem Begin silent on issue of Israeli arms sales to Iran; former Carter administration officials confirm Israeli arms shipments, in apparent violation of arms embargo of Iran.....Leftists battle government forces in Iran.....IRA candidate Owen Carron wins N. Ireland parliamentary election to fill seat held by late Bobby Sands.....Family of jailed IRA hunger striker Patrick McGeown give authorities permission to save his life.....Federal judge orders release of 17 Cuban refugees from Atlanta, GA prison.....Layoffby Eastern Airlines said to be side effect of air traffic controllers' strike.....Chemical fire reported in Lawrenceville, NJ.....General Motors recalling 1980-81 X-cars due to possible brake/clutch problems.....Exxon attempts to evacuate dependants from Libya due to strained U.S.-Libyan relations.....Nuclear Regulatory Commission order may result in reopening Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.....In London, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger tries to allay European fears re: U.S. neutron bomb plans.....INS employees demonstrate at Statue of Liberty to protest administration's Mexican guest-worker program.....Massive food stamp fraud uncovered in Miami, FL.....Perjury trial of former Attorney General Richard Kleindienst begins in Phoenix, AZ.....Pan Am to sell Intercontinental Hotels Corporation to Grand Metropolitan Life. Saturday, 22 August 1981 Passenger jet explodes in flight, crashes in Taiwan.....Machinists Union rally in Houston, TX to show support for striking air traffic controllers draws little public interest; International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers meets in Amsterdam to discuss PARCO strike and air safety.....Polish jetliner hijacked, flown to U.S. base in West Berlin.....FBI captures escaped spy Christopher Boyce.....Violence in Belfast on day of funeral for IRA hunger striker Michael Devine.....Betty Ford, Mayor Tom Bradley, Maureen Reagan among those participating in nationwide walkathon in support of Equal Rights Amendment.....U.S. presents initiative for Namibian independence from South Africa. Sunday, 23 August 1981 International Air Traffic Controllers organization meeting in Amsterdam ends without agreement on support of PATCO strike in U.S......Secretary of State Alexander Haig defends administration's proposed sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia despite Congressional and Israeli objections.....Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi seeks Arab unity in retaliating for recent shootdown of Libyan warplanes by American F-14s; Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger says he doesn't anticipate a Libyan response; Pope John Paul II makes appeal for peace in wake of Libyan incident.....New York Times claims President Reagan is considering land-based MX missile deployment similar to that proposed by Carter administration.....In Los Angeles, American Bankers Insurance Company offers first anti-mugging insurance. Monday, 24 August 1981 John Hinckley, Jr. formally indicted for attempted assassination of President Reagan last March.....Mark David Chapman sentenced to 20 years-to-life for murdering John Lennon; Chapman reads Salinger's Catcher in the Rye during hearing; park near murder sute named Strawberry Field in Lennon's honor .....Israel accuses Egypt of failing to live up to terms of peace treaty; Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat will meet tomorrow for summit in Alexandria.....Senate Ethics Committee calls for expulsion of Sen. Harrison Williams, convicted in Abscam case..... Recaptured spy Christopher Boyce said to be suspect in several bank robberies.....Polish deputy interior minister says U.S. is expanding its spy network in Poland.....Richard Nixon begins European tour; Jimmy Carter arrives in Peking, meets with Premier Zhao Ziyang.....Death toll rises as typhoon hammers Japan.....British Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas reach agreement on manufacturing Harrier jump-jets.....Ceylonese cobra used to guard Sri Lanka's star sapphire currently on display in London.....Anti-Khomeini demonstrators briefly seize Iranian embassy in Stockholm.....Terrorists attack home of Iranian prosecutor general in Tehran.....Salvation Army withdraws from World Council of Churches.....FAA orders airlines to cut back operations until next year due to air traffic controllers' strike.....American Charles Chapman is first black to swim English Channel. Tuesday, 25 August 1981 Strong dollar advantageous to American tourists overseas.....Voyager II reaches vicinity of Saturn.....U.S. warplanes shipped to Israel today.....Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin begin 2-day summit in Alexandria, Egypt.....An uprising reported in Angola; Angola says South Africa is launching an invasion.....U.S. to send more helicopters to El Salvador; many decapitated corpses discovered in El Salvador.....Reagan administration proposes eliminating regulations re: discrimination in private businesses contracting with federal government.....Natural gas main ruptures in San Francisco.....Indictments expected in "Mountygate" scandal involving Royal Canadian Mounted Police.....Quarantined region of California affected by Medfly infestation expanded .....Anti-Khomeini demonstrators briefly occupy Iranian embassy in Brussels.....U.S. postal workers approve new contract. Wednesday, 26 August 1981 Voyager II's arrival at Saturn marred by camera malfunction.....Japan won't reconsider ban on California fruit as Medfly infestation in that state spreads.....Begin-Sadat summit in Alexandria concludes with both leaders agreeing that negotiations on Palestinian self-rule should resume.....Libya says Americans within its borders are safe despite U.S.-Libyan conflict.....Northwest Orient and Western Airlines announce layoffs.....European call for South African withdrawal from Angola reported.....Conflict alleged between Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and OMB Director David Stockman over defense spending.....Steve Ovett reclaims world record for fastest mile from Sebastian Coe.....Education Secretary Terrel Bell announcing commission to recommend ways to improve American schools.....CIA admits former agents including Edwin Wilson had illegal dealings with Libyan strongman Muammar Qadhafi.....ACLU founder Roger Baldwin dies.....Amtrak cuts services, some routes eliminated.....Pope John Paul II holds first general audience, at Castel Gandolfo residence, since he was shot. Thursday, 27 August 1981 North Korea said to have fired missile at American SR-71 reconnaissance plane yesterday.....Report that former Green Beret Luke Thompson allegedly recruited to train terrorists in Libya stems from charges against former CIA agent Edwin Wilson.....Sirhan Sirhan, imprisoned assassin of Robert F. Kennedy, denies he intends to murder Ted Kennedy if paroled; California state senator urges Sirhan's eligibility for 1984 parole be cancelled.....In China, Jimmy Carter meets with Communist Party Chairman Hu Yaobang .....Angola says South Africa bombed provincial capital; continued fighting between Angola and South Africa results in request for emergency session of UN Security Council.....U.S. oil imports on the decline .....Union printers in Poland ignore Solidarity plea to end their wildcat strike.....Nuclear Regulatory Commission extends deadline on installation of warning devices at nuclear power plants; Three Mile Island meets requirements for licensing of its undamaged reactor.....Canadian government rejects proposal of its air traffic controllers to suspend all flights to and from U.S. as show of support for striking PATCO controllers.....Navy says cameras on American warplanes involved in recent dogfight with Libyan fighters were not working at the time; Libya considers cutting off oil sales to U.S......GAO says oil companies are cheating government by pumping oil from federal lands.....Atlanta judge orders all involved in murder trial of Wayne Williams, accused of child slayings, to stop talking to press.....Divers recover safe found in wreckage of Andrea Doria. Friday, 28 August 1981 USAF Lt. Christopher Cooke enroute to Maryland for trial on charges of spying for Soviets.....U.S. to defer most of Poland's long-term loan payments due this year.....Sebastian Coe takes back world record for mile from Steve Ovett.....U.S. bans further exports of Australian beef; Agriculture Dept. exploring whether "beef" is actually horse or kangaroo meat.....John Hinckley, Jr. enters plea of innocence to charges of attempting to kill President Reagan and three others.....Nevada governor meets White House officials to protest placement of MX missile system in his state.....France and Mexico officially recognize leftists opposition to El Salvador's centrist government, the latter supported by U.S......More bodies found in child murders case, Vancouver, British Columbia.....Elderly people reported missing from Miami nursing home found in Detroit.....NASA postpones second flight of space shuttle Columbia.....Long-term spraying of malathion to battle Medfly infestation in California underway.....North Korea denies firing missile at American spy plane Wednesday.....Voyager II's malfunctioning camera platform repaired..... Justice Dept. seeks convictions against striking air traffic controllers.....National Center for Disease Control announces high incidence of pneumocytus and Karposi's sarcoma among gay men. Saturday, 29 August 1981 Synagogue in Vienna, Austria bombed; captured terrorist claims membership in PLO's Al Fatah..... Bombing reported at Intercontinental Hotel in Paris.....South Africa withdrawing troops from Angola; UN Security Council debates South African raid.....Press Secretary James Brady spends birthday in hospital recuperating from wounds received during attempted assassination of President Reagan..... Portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales, vandalized in London National Gallery by Belfast man.....Anti-apartheid demonstration in New Zealand turns violent.....Broadcaster Lowell Thomas dies.....El Salvadoran President Jose Napoleon Duarte criticizes France and Mexico for officially recognizing leftist guerillas in his country.....Reagan administration rules out Carter's "race track" plan for deploying MX missiles.....U.S. wins 15th Walker Cup, 15-9. Sunday, 30 August 1981 Iranian President Mohammed Ali Rajai and prime minister targets of terrorist bombing.....Angola says South Africa has intensified offensive.....More evidence links PLO to attack on synagogue in Vienna; PLO denies involvement.....Jimmy Carter continues China tour with visit to Shanghai.....Nashville Tennessean claims Bill Wilinson, KKK Grand Wizard, is FBI informant.....Terrorist bombing reported in Nablus, Israel.....Newsweek says Saudi Arabia has accepted conditions on U.S. sale of AWACS surveillance planes.....NFL investigates connection between star quarterback Kenny Stabler and convicted bookie.....Commemoration of World War II memorial in Gdansk, Poland. Monday, 31 August 1981 President and prime minister of Iran reported killed in terrorist bombing; Pope John Paul II cables condolences to Ayatollah Khomeini; Iran blames U.S., Iraq and left-wing groups for bombing; ousted President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr denies involvement.....Terrorist bombing of USAF and NATO headquarters in Ramstein, W. Germany.....U.S. embassy, ambassador's residence, and Coca-Cola plant bombed by terrorists in Lima, Peru.....Chrysler to hike car prices.....Arrest of suspect in several child slayings in Vancouver, BC announced.....FBI searches for suspect in kidnapping of Miami nursing home residents.....Poland's Solidarity celebrates first anniversary.....South Africa says it will withdraw troops from Angola within the week.....Suspect arrested in slashing of Princess of Wales portrait in London's National Gallery.....Dynamite mail bombs addressed to President Reagan found in Detroit, MI mailboxes.....Chase Manhattan and First National Bank of Chicago lower prime lending rate.....AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland asks Reagan to reconsider termination of striking PATCO air traffic controllers.