Historical figures in 1981
The atlas holds 75 people and 109 moments here, in 1981. The most recorded lives are Diana, Princess of Wales, Ronald Reagan and Javier Pérez de Cuéllar. Among them Writers, Musicians and Composers and Performers.
Notable people
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
in 1981
1 moment here
Algerian politician, diplomat, and president. Born in Oujda, he joined the National Liberation Army during the Algerian War, served as Algeria's…
Alice Munro
in 1981
1 moment here
Canadian short-story writer and 2013 Nobel laureate. Born in Wingham, Ontario, Munro studied in London, Ontario; lived in British Columbia during her…
Ali Khamenei
in 1981
1 moment here
Iranian Shia cleric and politician who was president of Iran from 1981 to 1989 and supreme leader from 1989 until his death in 2026.…
Andy Warhol
in 1981
2 moments here
American artist and filmmaker whose work helped define Pop art. Born in Pittsburgh, Warhol studied there before moving to New York in 1949.…
Anwar Sadat
in 1981
2 moments here
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat was an Egyptian army officer, Free Officer, politician, and president of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination in 1981.…
Ariel Sharon
in 1981
1 moment here
Israeli military officer and politician. Sharon was born in Kfar Malal in Mandatory Palestine, served in major Israeli military campaigns from 1948…
Aslan Maskhadov
in 1981
1 moment here
Aslan Maskhadov was a Soviet artillery officer, Chechen military commander, and president of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.…
Astrud Gilberto
in 1981
1 moment here
Brazilian-American singer and songwriter best known for her English-language vocals on “The Girl from Ipanema.” Born in Salvador, she grew up in Rio…
Audrey Hepburn
in 1981
1 moment here
British actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn (Audrey Kathleen Ruston) was born in Brussels, raised across Belgium, England and the Netherlands,…
Ayrton Senna
in 1981
1 moment here
Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna da Silva was a three-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion.…
Benazir Bhutto
in 1981
2 moments here
Pakistani political leader who served twice as prime minister, from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996.…
Benigno Aquino III
in 1981
1 moment here
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as president of the Philippines from 2010…
Bhumibol Adulyadej
in 1981
1 moment here
Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) was King of Thailand from 1946 to 2016. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he grew up partly in Thailand and Switzerland,…
Bob Marley
in 1981
1 moment here
Jamaican singer, songwriter and guitarist whose work with the Wailers made reggae an international musical force.…
Claude Simon
in 1981
1 moment here
French novelist, painter, photographer, viticulturist, Resistance participant, and 1985 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate.…
Daniel arap Moi
in 1981
1 moment here
Kenyan teacher and politician who served as Kenya’s vice president from 1967 to 1978 and its second president from 1978 to 2002.…
Derek Walcott
in 1981
1 moment here
Saint Lucian poet, playwright, painter, and teacher who won the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature.…
Desmond Tutu
in 1981
2 moments here
South African Anglican bishop, theologian, anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Archbishop of Cape Town, and chair of South Africa’s…
Diana, Princess of Wales
in 1981
7 moments here
Diana Frances Spencer (1961–1997) was Princess of Wales from 1981 until her divorce in 1996.…
Dolores del Río
in 1981
1 moment here
Mexican actress Dolores del Río (María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete) was a major star of silent-era Hollywood and the Golden Age of…
Ebrahim Raisi
in 1981
1 moment here
Iranian cleric, judicial official, and politician who served as president of Iran from 2021 until his death in a helicopter crash in 2024.…
Edgar Lungu
in 1981
1 moment here
Edgar Chagwa Lungu was a Zambian lawyer and politician who served as Zambia's sixth president from 2015 to 2021.…
Edmund Hillary
in 1981
1 moment here
New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, diplomat, and philanthropist. Hillary became internationally known after reaching Mount Everest’s summit with…
Elizabeth II
in 1981
2 moments here
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death.…
Moments
- 1981 Exile in Switzerland Abdelaziz Bouteflika
- 1981 Fiftieth birthday during China visit Alice Munro
- 1981 Visit to South African forces in Namibia Ariel Sharon
- 1981 Graduation in Leningrad Aslan Maskhadov
- 1981 White House appearance Audrey Hepburn
- 1981 Move to Eaton for Formula Ford Ayrton Senna
- 1981 Detention in Karachi Benazir Bhutto
- 1981 Imprisonment at Sukkur Benazir Bhutto
- 1981 Joined family in exile Benigno Aquino III
- 1981 Literary colloquium in New York Claude Simon
- 1981 Arrival at Boston University Derek Walcott
- 1981 Resided at Buckingham Palace before wedding Diana, Princess of Wales
- 1981 Prosecutor appointment in Karaj Ebrahim Raisi
- 1981 Law degree at the University of Zambia Edgar Lungu
- 1981 East Face Everest attempt Edmund Hillary
- 1981 Attacked during Trooping the Colour Elizabeth II
- 1981 Kennedy Center performance Elizabeth Taylor
- 1981 Buenos Aires stadium performance Freddie Mercury
- 1981 South American stadium tour Freddie Mercury
- 1981 Secret Louvre feasibility visits I. M. Pei
- 1981 Prague seminar and arrest Jacques Derrida
- 1981 Mkwawa College of Education enrollment John Magufuli
- 1981 Return to Mexico City Jorge Luis Borges
- 1981 Travel to New Orleans Jorge Luis Borges
- 1981 Travel to Rome Jorge Luis Borges
- 1981 State visit at Brandenburg Gate José Eduardo dos Santos
- 1981 Mercedes exhibition in Dubai Juan Manuel Fangio
- 1981 On Golden Pond work at Squam Lake Katharine Hepburn
- 1981 Holiday at the Glycine state dacha Konstantin Chernenko
- 1981 North-South Issues summit Manmohan Singh
- 1981 Press conferences in Montreal Marguerite Duras
- 1981 Meeting Pope John Paul II at the Vatican Maurice Wilkins
- 1981 Opens Triumph Tour in Memphis Michael Jackson
- 1981 State visit to North Korea Milton Obote
- 1981 Studies at the Academy of Sciences Nguyễn Phú Trọng
- 1981 Madison Square Garden performance Rafael Orozco Maestre
- 1981 Meeting Barry Marshall at Royal Perth Hospital Robin Warren
- 1981 Inaugurated at the Capitol Ronald Reagan
- 1981 Meets Mexican president in Ciudad Juárez Ronald Reagan
- 1981 Return visit to Reggio Emilia Samora Machel
- 1981 Family relocation to Corpus Christi Selena
- 1981 No-boundary presentation at Vatican conference Stephen Hawking
- 1981 Lectures at UC San Francisco Sydney Brenner
- 1981 Southeast Asian tour in Malaysia Teresa Teng
- 1981 People's Security University training Trần Đại Quang
- 1981 Graduation from Mount Saint Dominic Academy Whitney Houston
- 1981 Engagement accepted at Windsor Castle Diana, Princess of Wales
- 1981 Stayed at Clarence House after engagement Diana, Princess of Wales
- 1981 First Reagan White House visit Margaret Thatcher
- 1981 National farmers' rally Rajiv Gandhi