3/21 - The 10 Movies That Defined the '80s
Plus the Happy Gilmore 2 trailer, two new reboots announced, and more
The ‘80s & ‘90s pop culture you loved, forgot, or never knew existed
March 21st, 2025 • Issue 248
Be Kind, Rewind
What happened on this day in the ‘80s and ‘90s (sorry, no bonus trivia this week)
March 21st
1980 - Someone shot J.R. on Dallas.
1981 - REO Speedwagon’s single Keep On Loving You hit number one.
1982 - Annie hit theaters.
1983 - TIME magazine had a typo on its cover for the only time.
1984 - Part of Central Park in New York was named Strawberry Fields in honor of John Lennon.
1986 - Police Academy 3 and RAD both hit theaters.
1987 - U2’s single With or Without You was released.
1989 - Madonna’s album Like a Prayer was released.
1992 - Queen’s single Bohemian Rhapsody returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1975.
1992 - Vanessa Williams’s single Save the Best for Last hit number one.
1994 - Steven Spielberg won his first Oscars, for Schindler’s List.
1995 - NewsRadio premiered.
1997 - Selena hit theaters.
1997 - Liar Liar hit theaters.
1999 - Shakespeare in Love and Gwyneth Paltrow won at the Oscars.
1999 - Roberto Benigni walked on the chairs after winning at the 71st Academy Awards.
2000 - NSYNC’s album No Strings Attached was released.
2001 - Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance for the first time, in Japan.
March 22nd
1979 - The NHL voted to admit four WHA teams: the Oilers, Jets, Nordiques, and Whalers.
1980 - PETA was founded.
1980 - Pink Floyd’s single Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) hit number one.
1986 - Heart’s single These Dreams hit number one.
1986 - Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald’s single On My Own was released.
1991 - Wayne Gretzky purchased a rare Honus Wagner baseball card.
1993 - 95 South’s single Whoot There It Is was released.
1993 - Intel shipped its first Pentium chips.
1997 - The Prodigy’s one hit, Firestarter, peaked at number 30.
1997 - Puff Daddy and Ma$e’s single Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down hit number one.
1999 - Stone Cold Steve Austin drove a beer truck to the ring in a signature moment of the late ‘90s wrestling boom.
1999 - Lonestar’s single Amazed was released.
March 23rd
1982 - Joanie Loves Chachi premiered on ABC.
1983 - President Reagan announced the Star Wars initiative.
1983 - Barney Clark, the first recipient of an artificial heart, died after 112 days.
1984 - Police Academy hit theaters.
1984 - The Breakfast Club met for detention.
1985 - Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley got married.
1987 - The Soul Train Music Awards debuted.
1990 - Pretty Woman hit theaters.
1991 - Extreme’s single More Than Words was released.
1991 - Timmy T’s single One More Try hit number one.
1991 - Oleta Adams’ one hit Get Here peaked at number five, and Susanna Hoffs’s one solo hit My Side of the Bed peaked at number 30.
1992 - Billy Ray Cyrus’s single Achy Breaky Heart was released.
1994 - Wayne Gretzky set the NHL goals record.
1996 - The Roxbury Guys debuted on Saturday Night Live.
1996 - The Tony Rich Project’s one hit Nobody Knows peaked at number two.
1996 - Celine Dion’s single Because You Loved Me hit number one.
1997 - WrestleMania XIII featured a bunch of so-so matches and then one of the all-time best between Bret Hart and Steve Austin.
1998 - Titanic cleaned up at the Oscars.
1999 - Ricky Martin’s single Livin’ La Vida Loca was released.
March 24th
1979 - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson led their respective teams to the NCAA tournament final.
1980 - Nightline premiered.
1989 - Troop Beverly Hills hit theaters.
1989 - The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred.
1990 - Alannah Myles’s single Black Velvet hit number one.
1990 - The series finale of ALF aired... and ended on a cliffhanger.
1991 - Hulk Hogan defeated Sgt. Slaughter at WrestleMania VII.
1992 - En Vogue’s album Funky Divas was released.
1992 - Arrested Development’s album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days was released.
1995 - Major Payne hit theaters.
1996 - The great Simpsons episode “A Fish Called Selma” premiered.
1997 - The English Patient won Best Picture at the 69th Oscars.
1998 - NSYNC’s self-titled album was released.
2000 - Whatever It Takes hit theaters.
2000 - Making the Band season one, featuring the creation of O-Town, premiered on ABC.
2001 - Crazy Town’s only hit, Butterfly, hit number one.
2001 - Pitcher Randy Johnson accidentally killed a bird with a spring training fastball.
2001 - The first version of Mac OS X went on sale.
2002 - A Beautiful Mind won Best Picture at the Oscars.
March 25th
1982 - Cagney & Lacey premiered on CBS.
1983 - The Outsiders hit theaters.
1985 - Sally Field won and was liked at the 57th Oscars.
1986 - Perfect Strangers premiered.
1989 - Mike + The Mechanics’ single The Living Years hit number one.
1991 - Dances with Wolves won Best Picture at the 63rd Oscars.
1993 - D2: Mighty Ducks 2 and Above the Rim hit theaters.
1995 - The first wiki was published online.
1996 - Gina G’s single Ooh Ahh Just a Little Bit was released.
1996 - Braveheart won Best Picture at the 68th Oscars.
1996 - The new $100 bill design was released.
1997 - Notorious BIG’s album Life After Death and Paula Cole’s equally impactful single Where Have All the Cowboys Gone were released.
2001 - Bjork wore a swan dress to the Oscars and Gladiator won Best Picture.
2002 - The Bachelor premiered on ABC.
March 26th
1979 - Magic Johnson’s Michigan State defeated Larry Bird’s Indiana State in the NCAA Tournament final.
1988 - Michael Jackson’s single Man in the Mirror hit number one.
1989 - Quantum Leap premiered.
1990 - Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture at the 62nd Oscars.
1990 - Digital Underground’s album Sex Packets was released.
1991 - In a controversial WWF angle, large wrestler Earthquake crushed Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ snake (not really, but still).
1992 - Mike Tyson was convicted of rape.
1993 - The final episode of Family Feud with Ray Combs as host aired.
1995 - Eazy E died from AIDS at age 31.
1997 - The bodies of the Heaven’s Gate cult members were found.
1999 - EdTV hit theaters.
1999 - The “Melissa worm” infected PCs.
1999 - Dr. Kevorkian was convicted of murder.
2000 - Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished.
2000 - Vladimir Putin was elected president of Russia, although at the time it wasn’t clear he was planning to never leave.
2000 - American Beauty won Best Picture at the 72nd Academy Awards.
2001 - Vince McMahon appeared on the final episode of WCW Nitro, announcing he’d purchased WCW.
March 27th
1980 - Mount St. Helens became active after 123 years.
1981 - Buckner & Garcia’s novelty song Pac-Man Fever peaked at number nine.
1987 - The Price Is Right became the longest-running daytime game show ever.
1988 - Macho Man Randy Savage won the WWF title tournament at WrestleMania IV.
1989 - Generations, the first Black soap opera, premiered on NBC.
1990 - Madonna’s single Vogue was released.
1991 - Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block was arrested for arson after setting a hotel carpet on fire.
1992 - Bruce Springsteen released two albums at the same time, Human Touch and Lucky Town.
1992 - White Men Can’t Jump, Ladybugs, and The Cutting Edge all hit theaters.
1994 - Magic Johnson became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
1995 - Skee Lo’s single I Wish and Take That’s single Back For Good were released.
1995 - Forrest Gump won Best Picture at the 67th Oscars.
1998 - The FDA approved Viagra.
What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news
A Starship Troopers reboot is in the works. It’s currently being written by Neill Blomkamp (of District 9). He’ll also direct.
Also, a Single White Female reboot is happening, with Jenna Ortega.
Check out the official teaser trailer for Happy Gilmore 2.
Half of the Notorious B.I.G.’s estate has been sold for $200 million.
Silverchair is holding a celebration for the 30th anniversary of their album Frogstomp. However, lead singer Daniel Johns won’t be part of the festivities.
Forever 21, which started up in 1984, is going out of business.
Get Your Book-It Stickers Here
Recommended articles about ‘80s and ‘90s pop culture you loved, forgot, and never knew existed
Here’s a list of 60 rock songs that were inspired by books. Many from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and the type of list you don’t see often.
Check out Collider’s list of the 10 best movies that defined the ‘90s.
From “trekkies to twins” — photos of the quirkiest subcultures of the ‘70s and ‘80s in America.
Have a great week!
-Sam