When This Dropped

July 17, 1981

President
Reagan
Dow (EOY)
875
Gas/gal
$1.31
Big Mac
$1.10
Min Wage
$3.35

A Big Mac cost $1.10 that summer of 1981, and the Dow Jones sat at 875 — Egypt and Israel signed a landmark pact on the Sinai Peninsula, a diplomatic agreement years in the making that reshaped the balance of power in the Middle East. On television, "Dallas" was the country's most-watched drama, while Kim Carnes spent the summer dominating radio with "Bette Davis Eyes," which held the number one spot for nine weeks. On August 1, MTV launched as the first 24-hour music video channel in the United States, opening its broadcast with "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles and permanently changing how Americans would discover and consume music.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — July 17, 1981

New York Times
Time
Rolling Stone
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of July 17, 1981

Israel Links Truce To Deep Pullback By Forces Of P.L.O.

World Events — July 1981

Time Person of the Year — 1981

Ronald Reagan
Person of the Year
Ronald Reagan

On the radio

Billboard Charts — July 17, 1981

Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes
Hot 100 #1
"Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
Mistaken Idenity
Kim Carnes
Billboard 200 #1
"Mistaken Idenity"
Kim Carnes

Grammy Awards

Double Fantasy
John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Grammy Album of the Year
"Double Fantasy"
John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes
Grammy Song of the Year
"Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes
Grammy Record of the Year
"Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes
Sheena Easton
Grammy Best New Artist
Sheena Easton

On the bookshelf

Noble House
James Clavell
NYT Fiction #1
"Noble House"
James Clavell
The Beverly Hills Diet
Judy Mazel
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"The Beverly Hills Diet"
Judy Mazel
A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"A Confederacy of Dunces"
John Kennedy Toole
Plains Song
Wright Morris
National Book Award Fiction
"Plains Song"
Wright Morris
China Men
Maxine Hong Kingston
National Book Award Nonfiction
"China Men"
Maxine Hong Kingston

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1980–81 Season

Dallas
Nielsen #1 TV Show
Dallas
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1980–81 Season

Emmy Winners — 1981

Hill Street Blues
Emmy Drama Series
Hill Street Blues
Barney Miller
Emmy Comedy Series
Barney Miller
Daniel J. Travanti
Hill Street Blues
Emmy Lead Actor
Daniel J. Travanti
Hill Street Blues
Tyne Daly
Cagney & Lacey
Emmy Lead Actress
Tyne Daly
Cagney & Lacey

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — July 17, 1981

Superman II
Box Office #1
Superman II
Ordinary People
Oscar Best Picture
Ordinary People
Warren Beatty
Reds
Oscar Best Director
Warren Beatty
Reds
Henry Fonda
On Golden Pond
Oscar Best Actor
Henry Fonda
On Golden Pond
Katharine Hepburn
On Golden Pond
Oscar Best Actress
Katharine Hepburn
On Golden Pond

Ebert 4-Star Films — July 17, 1981

Blow Out
4-Star Review
Blow Out
Body Heat
4-Star Review
Body Heat
Chariots of Fire
4-Star Review
Chariots of Fire
Four Friends
4-Star Review
Four Friends
Heartland
4-Star Review
Heartland

On the field

Sports Champions — July 17, 1981

Super Bowl
Oakland Raiders
def. Philadelphia Eagles
World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers
def. New York Yankees
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. Houston Rockets
Stanley Cup
New York Islanders
def. Minnesota North Stars

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