Historical Events
- NASA launches Fltsatcom-3
- Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb prematurely detonates on a passenger train near Belfast, kills three and injuring five (including the bombers)
- Roger Sessions' 9th Symphony, his last, premieres in Syracuse, New York with Christopher Keene conducting the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Famous Birthdays
- Gareth McLearnon, Northern Irish flautist, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Kimberly Spicer, American model, born in Detroit, Michigan
- Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian ballroom dancer, born in Odessa, Ukraine
Zooey Deschanel (43 years old)
American actress (Almost Famous; Elf; New Girl), and singer (She & Him), born in Los Angeles, California
Born in 1980
Famous Deaths
- Barbara Britton [Brantingham], American actress (Captain Kidd; Young and Willing; Mr. and Mrs. North), dies of pancreatic cancer at 60
About January 17, 1980
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 43 years, 4 months and 21 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Capricorn
Music Charts
#1 Song: Rock With You - Michael Jackson
#1 Song: Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders
