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...