The Eighties Club
The Politics and Pop Culture of the 1980s
The Daily News - November 1981
[NOTE: Some of the events described in a day's news may have occurred on the previous day.]

Sunday, 1 November 1981
On Sunday news shows, Treasury Secretary Donald Regan and Senator Bob Dole concede that tax increases might be necessary to reduce future budget deficits ..... Jordan's King Hussein arrives in Washington DC for meetings with President Reagan re: Mideast peace ..... Standoff between Sweden and USSR over Soviet submarine grounded in Swedish waters continues ..... Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says government stable in wake of assassination of Anwar Sadat ..... Hostage crisis continues at Graterford, PA prison ..... Antigua and Barbuda gain independence from Britain.
Monday, 2 November 1981
Saudi Crown Prince Faud urges U.S. to recognize PLO; meeting with President Reagan in Washington, Jordan's King Hussein calls for resolution of Palestinian problem ..... Sweden and USSR reportedly reach agreement re: Soviet submarine run aground in Swedish waters ..... Polish government and Solidarity leadership both call for end to wildcat strikes in Poland ..... British Leyland employees go on strike ..... Prime lending rate declines ..... Hostage crisis at Graterford, PA prison ends ..... State Dept. confirms American advisers in Libya to assist Libyan air force ..... Maureen Reagan, daughter of president, confirms she is running for California senate seat pf S.I. Hayakawa ..... Tennessee health officials distribute potassium iodide pills to residents near Sequoyah nuclear power plant in case of accident.
Tuesday, 3 November 1981
Astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly prepare for second voyage of space shuttle Columbia; launch scheduled for tomorrow ..... Standoff reported in meetings between President Reagan and Jordan's King Hussein; U.S. will not abandon Camp David accords in favor of Saudi Arabia's Mideast peace plan; Israeli Knesset rejects Saudi and European peace plans, remains committed to Camp David ..... Libya's Muammar Qadhafi to remove troops from Chad ..... Senate conducts hearing on allegations that National Cancer Institute has failed to investigate alternative cures ..... Licensing for full operation of California's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant delayed as investigators look for design flaws; Nuclear Regulatory Commission announces independent study to determine safety of plant .....Striking British Leyland workers accept compromise contract ..... Political columnist Jack Anderson quotes Secretary of State Alexander Haig re: efforts by White House insiders to discredit him; Reagan denies there is a problem ..... President's advisers tell him they expect economic situation to be worse than formerly believed ..... Reagan administration proposes satellite communications system sale to Arab nations and PLO ..... Chicago Sun-Times says FBI subpoenaed bank records in investigation of alleged misuse of church funds by Cardinal Cody ..... Reagan approves priority medical care for veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
Wednesday, 4 November 1981
Delay in launch of space shuttle Columbia due to technical problems announced ..... USSR launches unmanned mission to Venus ..... In Warsaw, Solidarity leader Lech Walesa meets with Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski and Archbishop Jozef Glemp re: labor unrest in Poland ..... Diplomatic standoff between Sweden and USSR continues re: Soviet submarine run aground in Swedish waters ..... Libyan ground units begin withdrawal from Chad ..... Secretary of State Alexander Haig not commenting on yesterday's report of friction between himself and White House insiders; Haig defends President Reagan's recent remark re: feasibility of contained nuclear war ..... Recount expected in New Jersey gubernatorial contest between Thomas Kean and James Florio ..... Edward Koch wins New York City mayoral race ..... Mayor of Enoch, UT wins reelection despite being in jail ..... Administration's proposed satellite communications system sale to Arab nations withdrawn ..... Jordan's King Hussein reportedly purchasing weapons from USSR ..... Demonstration occurs outside U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran ..... Verdict in trial of Elvis Presley's physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, goes in favor of defendant.
Thursday, 5 November 1981
President Reagan meets with Secretary of State Alexander Haig and National Security Adviser Richard Allen, orders end to internal squabbles of administration ..... Sweden expresses outrage at possibility that Soviet sub run aground in Swedish waters may carry nuclear weapons ..... Britain's Lord Carrington in Riyadh on behalf of European Community to consider Saudi Arabia's Middle East peace plan ..... Commerce Dept. takes steps to halt dumping of foreign steel on U.S. market ..... House and Senate budget committees suspend work on budget until White House agrees on further spending reductions ..... Prince and Princess of Wales announce impending birth of first child ..... Administration drops requirement of ingredient labels on alcoholic beverages ..... Alleged "Freeway Killer" William Bonin on trial in Los Angeles ..... Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger denies existence of NATO nuclear contingency plan announced by Haig yesterday; New York Times reports on alleged conflict between Haig and Weinberger re: use of U.S. forces in Central America ..... Football star Mercury Morris sentenced to 20 years for drug trafficking.

William Bonin, California's "Freeway Killer"

Friday, 6 November 1981
President Reagan says balanced budget by 1984 a goal, not a commitment ..... Sweden releases Soviet sub run aground in Swedish waters; anti-Soviet demonstration occurs in Stockholm ..... Reagan supports extension of Voting Rights Act ..... James Brady, wounded in assassination attempt on Reagan, attends White House ceremony ..... FBI and Justice Dept. investigating Milwaukee, WI police department's use of deadly force ..... Irish Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher agree on intergovernmental council to address issues re: N. Ireland ..... Viktor Korchnoi defeats Anatoly Karpov in 2nd game of world chess tournament ..... Wildcat strikes continue in Poland ..... CIA denies links to former agents indicted for gunrunning to Libya ..... Secretary of State Alexander Haig criticizes Lord Carrington's support of Saudi Arabian Mideast peace plan ..... Larry Holmes wins heavyweight boxing title with knockout of Renaldo Snipes.
Saturday, 7 November 1981
U.S. rapid deployment force prepares to start Operation Bright Star manuevers in Mideast with Egypt, Oman, Sudan and Somalia participating ..... Democrats allege national ballot security task force a front for Republicans, complain about recount in New Jersey gubernatorial contest between Thomas Kean and James Florio ..... Dan "Spiderman" Goodwin climbs skyscraper in Dallas, TX while Ron Broyles climbs one in Atlanta, GA ..... Man challenges California law excluding males from commission on women's rights ..... Northwestern Univ. football team sets record for games lost ..... NATO commander Gen. Bernard Rogers says nuclear war cannot be contained ..... Kurdish rebels attack Bukan, Iran.
Sunday, 8 November 1981
White House denies claim by Sen. Pete Domenici that President Reagan is reconsidering budget cuts for 1982 and may accept tax increase ..... Administration expected to propose new cuts in entitlement programs ..... Washington Post reports U.S. is pledged to support Egypt in conflict with Libya ..... West Germany's foreign minister announces his country's support of Saudi Arabian Mideast peace plan ..... Estacada, OR schools closed indefinitely due to financial straits.
Monday, 9 November 1981
Joint U.S.-Egypt military exercise called Operation Bright Star begins ..... Israeli planes reported in Saudi Arabian airspace ..... Protesters demonstrate against closing of Palestinian University in Israel ..... India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi addresses UN re: world hunger ..... Earthquakes reported in southern China and Siberia ..... In Tulsa, OK, oil millionaire Robert Sutton indicted for fraud ..... HHS Secretary Richard Schweiker defends proposed cuts in welfare, Medicare and Medicaid ..... Prime interest rate lowered.
Tuesday, 10 November 1981
At press conference, President Reagan defends economic policies, predicts hard times economically for country, defends Secretary of State Alexander Haig ..... Astronauts return to Cape Canaveral for Thursday's scheduled launch of space shuttle Columbia ..... Poland applies for membership in World Bank and International Monetary Fund ..... Israel refuses to halt surveillance flights over Saudi Arabia despite U.S. request to do so ..... Former CIA agent Frank Terpil, convicted of illegal arms sales to Libya, disappears in Lebanon ..... State Dept. accuses USSR of using "yellow rain", a chemical agent, in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan ..... New coalition government in Poland includes Solidarity ..... Thomas Kean wins disputed New Jersey governor's race over James Florio ..... Two fans sue Chicago Bears football team for consumer fraud re: their performance in recent game.
Wednesday, 11 November 1981
USSR rejects Sweden's complaint re: grounded Soviet sub in Swedish waters ..... Senate Budget Committee announces readiness to work on further budget cuts despite President Reagan's request that it wait until next year ..... More technical problems arise as space shuttle Columbia is prepared for tomorrow's launch ..... White House responds to OMB Director David Stockman's remarks on economic policy for article in The Atlantic ..... Several senators request FTC investigation of Mobil Oil's persistent efforts to takeover Marathon Oil ..... Nationwide Veterans Day ceremonies capped off with wreath-laying by Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger at Tomb of Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery ..... Possible cancer-treating breakthrough reported at Baylor University, TX ..... UAW President Doug Fraser, Ralph Nader among those bringing suit against government for its operation of airlines since air traffic controllers' strike ..... Dan "Spiderman" Goodwin climbs Chicago's John Hancock Bldg.
Thursday, 12 November 1981
Space shuttle Columbia launched successfully; scheduled mission shortened due to past technical problems ..... President Reagan refuses OMB Director David Stockman's resignation following latter's remarks in The Atlantic article re: administration's economic policy ..... Attempted assassination of U.S. charge d'affaires in Paris reported ..... Exxon to withdraw from Libya ..... Nation's leading banks lower prime lending rate ..... Those allegedly involved in assassination of Anwar Sadat formally indicted in Egypt ..... Former Green Beret Eugene Tafoya in trial in Ft. Collins, CO for attempted assassination of Libyan exile ..... Assistant attorney general for civil rights says racial and religious violence on the upswing in U.S. ..... First successful balloon crossing of the Pacific reported.

Patch for space shuttle Columbia's second flight

Friday, 13 November 1981
Japanese magazine's claim of cash given to National Security Adviser Richard Allen raises eyebrows in Washington ..... 82nd Airborne enroute to Mideast wargames codenamed Operation Bright Star ..... Poland's wildcat strikes come to an end ..... Balloon Double Eagle V makes successful crossing of Pacific ..... Admiral Hyman Rickover to retire in January as per Navy's request ..... Commerce Dept. investigates foreign steel producers, including France and South Africa, of dumping steel in U.S ...... Mobil considering withdrawal from Libya following pullout by Exxon ..... Christian militia ends ceasefire with Palestinian rebels in southern Lebanon ..... Plutonium reported missing from North Carolina's Savannah River nuclear weapons facility ..... UN General Assembly condemns Israel for its June raid on Iraqi nuclear facility ..... Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reportedly closing.
Saturday, 14 November 1981
Space shuttle Columbia concludes second mission with successful landing ..... President Reagan goes turkey hunting on ranch of Chief of Staff James Baker ..... In Egypt, official period of mourning for slain leader Anwar Sadat ends ..... Anti-nuclear demonstration reported in Bucharest, Romania ..... IRA assassinates Protestant leader Rev. Robert Bradford and bombs London home of Sir Michael Deaver ..... National Security Adviser Richard Allen denies he solicited payment from Japanese magazine for arranging interview with First Lady Nancy Reagan ..... Energy Dept. expresses hope it can deregulate natural gas by 1983 ..... Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig praises China's offer of reunification with Taiwan.
Sunday, 15 November 1981
Columbia astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly honored by VP George Bush.....Israel reaffirms intention to continue intelligence-gathering overflights of Saudi Arabia.....Lt. Gen. Wallace Nutting calls for U.S. military intervention in El Salvador.....Anti-nuclear demonstrations reported across the U.S.
Monday, 16 November 1981
John Hinckley, Jr., charged with attempted assassination of President Reagan, attempts suicide, fails ..... AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland blames Reagan for unemployment rate as labor convention opens in New York City.....LTV withdraws bid to take over Grumman ..... U.S. temporarily bans Aeroflot flights due to Russian airline's violation of flight lanes ..... USSR criticizes Operation Bright Star, U.S.-Egyptian military exercises in Egypt ..... Syrian leader Hafez al Assad calls for closer ties with Soviets ..... Protests continue on West Bank over Israeli actions against supporters of Palestinian terrorists ..... Reagan fires Arthur Flemming as chairperson of Civil Rights Commission, appoints Clarence Pendleton to post ..... New vaccine for hepatitis B approved for public use ..... Death of actor William Holden in Santa Monica, CA reported ..... Crocker National Bank lowers prime lending rate to 16% ..... Dr. C. Everett Koop confirmed by Senate as Surgeon General ..... 16 million viewers watch Luke marry Laura on General Hospital.
Tuesday, 17 November 1981
Concern grows over escalating violence in Northern Ireland following IRA murder of Protestant leader Robert Bradford; violence directed at British emissary to Bradford funeral; Protestant vigilante group formed ..... Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill attacks Reagan economic policy in speech at AFL-CIO convention; convention supports resolution urging President Reagan to restore public service jobs ..... Reagan to propose reducing nuclear arms in Europe in speech tomorrow ..... Senate Foreign Relations Committee rejects resolution that disapproved of sale of fighter jets to Pakistan ..... American Airlines asks employees to accept wage concessions ..... White House opposed to reinstatement of draft; president and secretary of defense praise volunteer army ..... El Salvador government admits to high casualties in army due to guerrillas ..... In Wyoming, Wind River Indians claim they were cheated on oil lease.
Wednesday, 18 November 1981
In internationally televised speech, President Reagan proposes "Zero Option" plan calling for U.S. and USSR to remove all nuclear weapons from Europe; British prime minister and West German chancellor praise speech ..... White House revises official statement re: Reagan's knowledge of alleged payoff to National Security Adviser Richard Allen by Japanese magazine ..... Nuclear Regulatory Commission likely to suspend operating license for California's Diablo Canyon power plant ..... Anti-nuclear demonstration coincides with emergency practice drill at Ohio nuclear power plant ..... College students demonstrate in Brazil over fee paid Henry Kissinger for appearance there ..... Housing slump said to be causing crisis in lumber industry ..... Lane Kirkland reelected as AFL-CIO president at convention.
Thursday, 19 November 1981
Justice Dept. decides special prosecutor not necessary in case of alleged bribe paid to National Security Adviser Richard Allen by Japanese magazine ..... Severe snowstorm strikes Midwest ..... Fatalities reported in crash of experimental plane in Chesapeake Bay ..... International Labor Organization expresses support for Reagan's actions re: striking air traffic controllers ..... Former CIA agent Frank Terpil, accused of aiding Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, indicted for aiding Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ..... Government bans video games and pinball machines in Phillipines ..... Marathon Oil merges with U.S. Steel ..... Nuclear Regulatory Commission suspends operating license for California's Diablo Canyon power plant due to design errors ..... West Germany to continue with plans for natural gas pipeline to USSR despite U.S. objections ..... General Motors loses its bond rating ..... House Foreign Affairs Committee approves fighter jet sales to Pakistan.
Friday, 20 November 1981
Congress struggles with budget legislation while White House threatens veto; conference committee strives to agree on emergency funding resolution ..... In Egypt, those accused of assassinating Anwar Sadat go on trial ..... Solidarity's Lech Walesa calls for international emergency food shipments to Poland ..... Midwestern blizzard strikes Great Lakes region; storm's reach extends to Atlanta, GA ..... Anatoly Korpov wins world chess championship by defeating Viktor Korchnoi ..... Press Secretary James Brady, wounded in attempted assassination of President Reagan, released from hospital.
Saturday, 21 November 1981
Congress can't reach agreement on budget resolution acceptable to White House ..... Japanese journalist who claims she paid National Security Adviser Richard Allen for interview with Nancy Reagan says she also gave him watches ..... Trial of those accused of assassinating Anwar Sadat begins in Cairo, Egypt ..... 400,000 participate in anti-nuclear demonstration in Amsterdam ..... Former astronaut Sen. John Glenn launches bid for Democratic presidential nomination of 1984 ..... Soviet press criticizes President Reagan's "Zero Option" plan for nuclear disarmament ..... Increased security noticed around president and other leaders due to alleged assassination plots orchestrated by Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi ..... Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" hits # 1 and will remain there for ten weeks.
Sunday, 22 November 1981
Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev arrives in Bonn for meetings with W. German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt ..... Secretary of State Alexander Haig says military aid to anti-Communist forces in Nicaragua possible; presidential counselor Edwin Meese doesn't rule out naval blockade of Nicaraguan ports on CBS' Face the Nation ..... President Reagan hosts king and queen of Sweden in White House ..... Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov and his wife begin hunger strike in USSR ..... Cleveland Brown's quarterback Brian Sipes set NFL record with six interceptions.
Monday, 23 November 1981
President Reagan vetos Congressional budget resolution; temporary government agency closings begin ..... Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev rejects Reagan's "Zero Option" plan for nuclear disarmament, offers counterproposal; U.S.-USSR arms reduction talks to begin in Geneva next week ..... Press Secretary James Brady, wounded in attempted assassination of Reagan last March, released from hospital today; hospital spokesman describes Brady's survival as a miracle ..... Protestant demonstrators led by Rev. Ian Paisley in Northern Ireland protest government's handling of IRA; IRA claims responsibility for bombing of army barracks in London ..... Bomber from USS Nimitz crashes in Mediterranean Sea ..... Britain, France, Italy and The Netherlands agree to participate in international peacekeeping force in Sinai when Israel withdraws from occupied territory next year ..... Ice storm hammers Midwest ..... Memorial marches held in southern Italy to commemorate major earthquake a year ago.
Tuesday, 24 November 1981
Joint U.S.-Egyptian military exercise, Operation Bright Star, concluded ..... Pentagon recommends increased military aid to El Salvador to fight Marxist guerrillas ..... Group of senators ask attorney general to appoint special prosecutor to investigate alleged bribe-taking by National Security Adviser Richard Allen ..... Man arraigned in California in connection with deaths of several hospitalized elderly people..... Federal employees furloughed by president Reagan yesterday return to work ..... Weather Underground members Katherine Boudin and Judith Clark refuse to enter pleas in connection with charges against them related to Brinks armored car robbery ..... Violent winter storm reported in North Sea ..... First air-launched cruise missile test is performed.
Wednesday 25 November 1981
Disagreement on Saudi Arabia's proposed Mideast peace plan results in cancellation of Arab summit in Morocco ..... Nuclear power plant near Cincinnati, OH fined for safety violations ..... Libya asks UN to investigation U.S. claims that Libyan assassination squads are targeting American leaders ..... Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak releases many political prisoners ..... Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and W. German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt reach arms agreement ..... FDA approve Timolol as heart attack preventative ..... Police and students clash at University of Puerto Rico in San Juan ..... Insurance companies to take Reagan administration to court over suspension of regulations for auto safety devices ..... U.S. Conference of Mayors criticizes President Reagan for budget cuts.
Thursday, 26 November 1981
U.S. and Israel disagree over composition of future peacekeeping force in Sinai ..... PLO takes responsibility for explosions at munitions dump near Haifa, Israel ..... FBI confirms existence of Libyan assassination squads set to target American leaders ..... Coup attempt reported on Seychelles Islands; guerrillas hijack plane to Durban, South Africa ..... European Economic Community summit convenes ..... National Security Adviser Richard Allen denies he will leave White House if special prosecutor is assigned to investigate allegations he took bribes from Japanese magazine; controversy arises regarding Allen's receipt of money from sale of private consulting firm ..... President Reagan spends Thanksgiving at his California ranch.
Friday, 27 November 1981
Japanese magazine claims Japanese police have discovered major gift was given National Security Adviser Richard Allen in return for his help in arranging interview with First Lady Nancy Reagan ..... Lone survivor of freighter capsized off Bermuda is rescued; British tanker sinks off Lithuanian coast ..... Secretary of State Alexander Haig meets with Israeli foreign minister re: European participation in Sinai peacekeeping force ..... American retailers concerned over impact of recession on holiday spending ..... Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski calls for passage of anti-strike legislation in Poland ..... University of Chicago anthropologists unearth oldest known religious shrine in northern Spain.
Saturday, 28 November 1981
White House aides allegedly encourage National Security Adviser Richard Allen to quit amid controversy re: gifts given him by Japanese magazine in exchange for interview with Nancy Reagan ..... Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi says he will form rapid deployment force in response to similar U.S. force ..... Major fire, believed the work of arsonist, sweeps through Lynn, Massachusetts ..... Terrorist bombings reported in Northern Ireland and Puerto Rico ..... Col. Mike Hoare among mercenaries detained by South Africa followed failed coup on Seychelles Islands ..... Union of federal employees filing suit to prevent President Reagan from furloughing government employees in event of budget veto ..... Egypt and Israel agree to delay negotiations on Palestinian autonomy ..... Alabama football coach Bear Bryant sets new record for games won (315).

Bear Bryant

Sunday, 29 November 1981
National Security Adviser Richard Allen takes leave of absence as controversy over alleged bribes made to him by Japanese magazine continues ..... Death of actress Natalie Wood, 43, in apparent drowning accident reported ..... Organization for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners claims responsibility for car bombing in Damascus, Syria ..... Israeli cabinet postpones decision on composition of Sinai peacekeeping force ..... U.S. special envoy Philip Habib returning to Lebanon in attempt to negotiate permanent ceasefire.
Monday, 30 November 1981
U.S.-USSR arms reduction talks begin in Geneva, Switzerland ..... White House conference on aging opens ..... Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon said to have reached agreement on U.S.-Israeli military association pact ..... Israel reportedly will not bar European troops from participating in Sinai peacekeeping effort ..... Thomas Kean announced as victor of disputed New Jersey gubernatorial race against James Florio ..... Astronauts Jack Lousma and Gordon Fullerton named crew for third flight of space shuttle Columbia ..... Supreme Court hears case involving suit brought against former President Richard Nixon by Ernest Fitzgerald; Court refuses to hear case re: sex discrimination in school athletics.