Historical Events
- "Frankenstein" opens & closes on Broadway
- "Peter Pan" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 578 performances
- "Red Right 88", trailing 14–12 Clevelands Browns attempt an end zone pass play (Red Right 88) and a game-winning field goal in the final minute, but pass intercepted by Raiders safety Mike Davis and Oakland wins
- Australian Open Men's Tennis: American Brian Teacher wins his first and only Grand Slam event; beats home favourite Kim Warwick 7-5, 7-6, 6-3
- British police arrest Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper"
Famous Birthdays
- Alicia Garza, American writer and civil rights activist (co-founded #BlackLivesMatter), born in Oakland, California
Famous Deaths
- Ruth Lowe, Canadian pianist and composer (I'll Never Smile Again), dies at 66
1981 Highlights
About January 4, 1981
Day of the Week: Sunday
How Long Ago? 40 years and 22 days
Leap Year: No
Generation Millennial
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Capricorn
