10th American Music Awards
Jan 17 10th American Music Awards: John Cougar, Rick Springfield, and Olivia Newton-John win
The A-Team
Jan 23 TV series "The A-Team" with George Peppard and Mr T premieres on NBC
40th Golden Globes
Jan 29 40th Golden Globes: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Ben Kingsley & Meryl Streep win
- Feb 2 CBS' premiere of fact based WW2 drama "The Scarlet and the Black", based on the life of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Feb 11 "Weird Al" Yankovic records "Ricky" & "Buckingham Blues" to complete his debut LP, at Scotti Brothers Studio in Santa Monica, California
- Feb 18 33rd Berlin International Film Festival: "Ascendancy" and "The Beehive" win the Golden Bear (tie)
Daytona 500
Feb 20 25th Daytona 500: 3rd win in the event for Cale Yarborough; first time an in-car camera goes into victory lane before a national CBS Sports audience
- Mar 7 TNN (The Nashville Network) begins on Cable TV
People's Choice Awards
Mar 11 9th People's Choice Awards: Burt Reynolds, Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn win (Motion Picture) and Tom Selleck, Linda Evans and Loretta Swit win (TV)
Music History
Mar 25 Motown 25, a concert celebrating the anniversary of Motown records is taped for broadcast at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California; performers include: The Miracles; The Temptations; The Four Tops; Diana Ross and the Supremes; The Jackson 5; and Michael Jackson, who unveils his "moonwalk" dance move
Film & TV History
Mar 27 Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" premieres in NYC
Film & TV History
Mar 31 "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life," is released in the US
Statue of Liberty
Apr 8 In front of a live audience of 20 tourists, David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty disappear
- Apr 11 3rd Golden Raspberry Awards: "Inchon!" wins
- Apr 11 55th Academy Awards: "Gandhi", Ben Kingsley & Meryl Streep win
- Apr 15 Tokyo Disneyland opens
- Apr 25 "Nightline" expands from ½ hour to a full hour
Television Finale
May 10 TV sitcom "Laverne & Shirley" last airs on ABC-TV
- May 12 Julie Lynne Hayek representing California crowned 32nd Miss USA
- May 16 NBC broadcasts "Motown 25", a concert celebrating the anniversary of Motown Record held in Pasadena, California in March; performers include: The Miracles; The Temptations; The Four Tops; Diana Ross and the Supremes; The Jackson 5; and Michael Jackson, who unveils his "moonwalk" dance move
- May 19 36th Cannes Film Festival: "Narayama Bushiko" directed by Shohei Imamura wins the Palme d'Or
- May 19 Weird Al Yankovic gives live performance at Wax Museum in Washington, D.C.
Return of the Jedi
May 25 "Return of the Jedi" (Star Wars Episode VI), produced by George Lucas first released
- May 28 "Ricky", parody song by Weird Al Yankovic hits #63
- Jun 2 1980 movie "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" released in Germany
Octopussy Premieres
Jun 6 "Octopussy", 13th James Bond film, starring Roger Moore, Maud Adams and Louis Jourdan premieres in London
Daytime Emmy Awards
Jun 6 Betty White becomes 1st woman to win Outstanding Game Show Host at Daytime Emmy Awards for NBC's "Just Men"
Daytime Emmy Awards
Jun 6 Emmy 10th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 4th time
- Jun 8 "Trading Places", American comedy film, is released
Music History
Jun 11 "My Love" by Lionel Richie peaks at #5
Black Adder Premieres
Jun 15 "Black Adder" TV comedy premieres starring Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson and written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson on BBC1
Old Wave
Jun 16 Ringo Starr releases album "Old Wave" album in West Germany; soon after releases follow in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Brazil
Music History
Jun 25 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical "Evita", starring Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, and Bob Gunton, closes at Broadway Theater, NYC, after 1568 performances abd 7 Tony Award wins
The Pirates of Penzance
Jul 15 Film version of "The Pirates of Penzance", starring Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, and Angela Lansbury premieres in US
- Jul 21 Thunder storm cuts short Diana Ross' free concert in Central Park, NYC
- Jul 24 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury, opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 41 performances
- Jul 29 "Friday Night Videos" premieres on NBC TV
- Aug 4 16th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Hotel San Diego
- Aug 28 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury, closes at the George Gershwin Theater, NYC, after 41 performances
- Aug 30 Elizabeth R. Zakarian (Devon Pierce), 17 of NY, crowned 1st Miss Teen USA
- Aug 30 Philadelphia TV station WKBS-TV (channel 48) ends broadcasting after surrendering its license to the FCC, the first do so in at least 10 years. Parent company Field Enterprises Inc. was unable to find a buyer. [1]
Venice Film Festival
Aug 31 40th Venice Film Festival: "First Name: Carmen" directed by Jean-Luc Godard wins Golden Lion
Telethon
Sep 5 Jerry Lewis' 18th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $30,691,627
Film & TV History
Sep 16 Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes a US citizen
Toronto Film Festival
Sep 17 8th Toronto International Film Festival: "The Big Chill" directed by Lawrence Kasdan wins the People's Choice Award
Music History
Sep 17 Vanessa Williams (20), Miss New York is crowned 56th Miss America 1984; 1st winner of African-American descent
- Sep 18 Action series "Hardcastle and McCormick" premieres on ABC in the US
- Sep 18 Kiss' first "unmasked" (no make up) appearance on MTV
- Sep 25 35th Emmy Awards: "Hill Street Blues", "Cheers", Ed Flanders & Shelley Long win
- Oct 10 NBC premiere of true life drama "Adam", based on John Walsh's son's murder
- Oct 11 "Can't Slow Down" second studio album by Lionel Richie is released
The Sally Jessy Raphael Show
Oct 17 Talk show "The Sally Jessy Raphael Show" with Sally Jessy Raphael debuts on KSDK
Music History
Oct 27 Larry Flynt pays hitman $1M to kill Hugh Hefner, Bob Guccione, Walter Annenberg, and Frank Sinatra; Flynt's business manager immediately stops payment; Flynt claims he was just joking
- Nov 3 Nashville Network begins on cable TV
Yentl
Nov 17 Film "Yentl" produced, directed by Barbra Streisand, starring Streisand and Mandy Patinkin premieres, based on play and story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Terms of Endearment
Nov 20 "Terms of Endearment" from the book by Larry McMurtry, directed by James L. Brooks and starring Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger premieres in New York (Best Picture 1984)
- Nov 20 100 million watch ABC TV movie "The Day After" about nuclear war
Marilyn: An American Fable
Nov 20 Musical "Marilyn: An American Fable", loosely based on life of Marilyn Monroe, starring Alyson Reed and Scott Bakula, opens at Minskoff Theater, NYC; runs for 17 performances
- Dec 3 Musical "Marilyn: An American Fable", loosely based on life of Marilyn Monroe, starring Alyson Reed and Scott Bakula, closes at Minskoff Theatre, NYC, after 17 performances
Sikwood
Dec 14 Biographical drama film "Silkwood", directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher premieres
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