Historical Events
Olympic Gold
American speed skater Eric Heiden wins 1,500m in Olympic record 1:55.44; 4th of record 5 gold medal sweep of events at Lake Placid
- British figure skater Robin Cousins wins men's singles gold medal at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics; goes on to pro career, TV analysis and stage performance & production
- East German cross country skier Barbara Petzold wins her second gold medal of the Lake Placid Winter Olympics as part of the women's 4 x 5k relay team; also wins 10k gold
- Liechtenstein becomes the smallest country to produce an Olympic champion as Hanni Wenzel wins the women's giant slalom at the Lake Placid Winter Games
Famous Birthdays
- Brad Fast, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Fort St. John, Canada
- Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Druk Gyalpo [Dragon king] of the Kingdom of Bhutan (2006-), born in Katmandu, Bhutan
- Jim Vandermeer, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Caroline, Canada
- Justin Roiland, American actor, writer and director (Rick and Morty), born in Stockton, California
- Parthiva Sureshwaren, Indian racing driver, born in Chennai, India
- Tiziano Ferro, Italian pop and R&B singer-songwriter ("Perdono"), and record producer, born in Latina, Italy
Famous Deaths
- Chester Lauck, American actor (Dreaming Out Loud, 2 Weeks to Live), dies at 78
- Janet Vogel, American doo-wop soprano (Skyliners - “Since I Don’t Have You”), takes her own life at 37
About February 21, 1980
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 43 years, 7 months and 2 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Pisces
Music Charts
#1 Song: Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
#1 Song: Coward of the County - Kenny Rogers
