On August 8, 1980, Ruth Neslund (1920-1993) shoots her 83-year-old husband, Rolf, twice in the head after a violent argument over his purloined retirement fund. With the assistance of her older brothe...
On October 1, 1980, the bubble-shaped plexiglass elevator known as the Bubbleator, which carried millions of visitors between floors at the Washington State Coliseum during the 1962 Seattle World&rsqu...
On October 15, 1980, Seattle Aquarium officials accelerate plans for a $10 million expansion in response to a booming otter population. The expansion will make way for a new marine mammal complex.
On October 22, 1980, the Washington Supreme Court rules that State Senator Gordon L. Walgren must remain on the ballot for re-election to his Kitsap County senate seat even though a federal jury in th...
On the evening of October 23, 1980, American mega-rock-star Bruce Springsteen (b. 1949) pops into a Pioneer Square tavern, the Old Timer's Café (620 First Avenue), and winds up borrowing ...
On November 4, 1980, Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) and other Republicans win elections at the national and state levels. Reagan defeats incumbent Jimmy Carter (b. 1924) for president. Slade Gorton (b. 192...
On November 20, 1980, the Reconstructive Cardiovascular Research Center is renamed the Bob Hope International Heart Research Institute, in honor of one of America's best-known entertainers. Dr. Lester...
On December 26, 1980, a devastating flood cuts off Monte Cristo, an isolated former mining town in eastern Snohomish County, and ends an attempt to operate a resort business on the site. Monte Cristo ...
On December 30, 1980, Gene Keene (1919-1988), founder and director of the Cirque Dinner Theater, ends his 31-year career presenting professional theater in Seattle when he sells his stock in the compa...
In 1981, the Sheihk Idriss Mosque is built in Seattle's north end. It is Seattle's first mosque, and the first west of the Mississippi River to be built in a Middle Eastern design. A key participant i...
On February 3, 1981, Jefferson County Board of Commissioners Resolution 14-81 officially establishes the name "Egg and I Road" for the portion of roadway that passes the farm site once owned by former...
On February 13, 1981, state Senator Peter von Reichbauer triggers an historic shift in senate leadership when he changes his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican in the middle of the legisl...
On March 16, 1981, Joseph Recchi becomes superintendent of Seattle City Light when the City Council confirms his nomination by Mayor Charles Royer. Recchi is a 31-year City Light Employee and deputy s...
In late April 1981, a cast and crew of more than 100 arrive in Port Townsend to begin filming the Paramount Pictures feature An Officer and a Gentleman. Directed by Taylor Hackford, the romantic drama...
On May 20, 1981, Duane Berentson (1928-2013) takes office as Secretary of Transportation, heading the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). He arrives to find that Washington State Fe...
On June 1, 1981, Seattle-based Filipino American labor activists Gene Viernes (1951-1981) and Silme Domingo (1952-1981) of Local 37 of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union are mur...
On June 6, 1981, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that the Seattle Aquarium, facing a drop in attendance and revenue, is searching for a new director. Doug Kemper, Aquarium director since the mu...
On June 7, 1981, Dr. Jose Rizal Park and Bridge, named for the Philippine national hero, are dedicated by Mayor Charles Royer (b. 1939) and Philippine Consul General Ernesto A. Querubin. The park and ...
On Sunday morning, June 21, 1981, 10 novice mountain climbers and one guide are killed by an immense avalanche of ice and snow on Ingraham Glacier while ascending to the summit of Mount Rainier (14,41...
On August 21, 1981, Elizabeth Shackleford (1895-1989) closes her law practice for the final time, 59 years after passing the bar. She is 86. Shackleford has spent her entire career in Tacoma, as a law...
On September 9-11, 1981, close to 160 people testify in front of the federally appointed, nine-member Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) about the impact of Japanese ...
On October 13, 1981, the Port of Tacoma opens the North Intermodal Yard , the first dockside intermodal rail yard on the West Coast. Situated on the main port peninsula between Terminal 7 on the Sitcu...
On October 31, 1981, "The Wave" -- a staple of fan participation at U.S. sporting events since the early 1980s -- makes its unofficial debut at a University of Washington football game in Seattle.&nbs...
On November 2, 1981, the Seattle district of the Army Corps of Engineers announces that it is abandoning plans for the proposed Ben Franklin Dam near Pasco, citing overwhelming public opposition to a ...