1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
The Series commenced on October 20, making it the latest start of the Series, breaking the previous record by 3 days (1910 World Series, October 17). Bob Watson smashed a three-run homer off Jerry Reuss in the first to get the Yankees started. Lou Piniella chased Reuss with an RBI single in the third, and Dodger reliever Bobby Castillo walked four batters in the fourth to give New York a 5–0 lead. Ron Guidry held the Dodgers to four hits and a run (on a Steve Yeager homer) through seven innings.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Ron Davis gave up two in the eighth by walking Derrel Thomas and Davey Lopes to lead off. After the walks, Davis was relieved by closer Goose Gossage who gave up a pinch-hit RBI single to Jay Johnstone and a sacrifice fly by Dusty Baker to score Thomas and Lopes, but Gossage closed out the win in the ninth. Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles suffered a hairline fracture of his left thumb when he made a diving stop. The injury caused him to miss Games 3, 4, and 5, but he played in Games 2 & 6.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 2
Former teammates Burt Hooton and Tommy John were locked in a scoreless duel until the fifth, when Larry Milbourne doubled in Willie Randolph for the only run John would really need. The Yankees pushed across two more in the eighth off Steve Howe on a RBI single by Bob Watson and a sacrifice fly by Randolph. John pitched seven shutout innings, and Goose Gossage closed for his second save in two games.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
Prior to this game, Yankee manager Bob Lemon sat Reggie Jackson. Jackson injured himself running the bases in Game 2 of the ALCS and missed the first two games of the World Series, but was medically cleared to play Game 3. Jackson was not even allowed to pinch-hit. Lemon said he was resting Jackson as a precaution and because the Dodgers were starting a left hand pitcher.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
NL Rookie of the Year, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, lasted the entire game despite allowing nine hits and walking seven and constantly pitching out of trouble. He walked two Yankee batters in the first, but pitched out of it. Ron Cey, meanwhile, provided him a 3–0 lead in the Dodger half with a three-run homer off Dave Righetti.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
The Yankees cut it to 3–2 in the second on a Bob Watson homer and a Larry Milbourne RBI single. Valenzuela stranded two runners in this inning. Rick Cerone gave the Yanks a 4–3 lead in the third with a two-run homer, but the Yankees left two on once again. Watson led off the fifth with a double, but no one scored as Valenzuela pitched out of it again. In both the third and fifth innings, the Dodgers were helped by the Yankees' being unable to use a designated hitter (since it was used in last season's Series). In both innings, Valenzuela issued two-out intentional walks to number 8 hitter Larry Milbourne in order to pitch to Dave Righetti and George Frazier. Valenzuela struck out the pitchers both times.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
The Dodgers gave Valenzuela the lead back in the bottom of the fifth off Frazier when Pedro Guerrero doubled in Steve Garvey to tie it, and Cey scored on a double play grounder by Mike Scioscia. With a lead and the Dodger Stadium crowd behind him, Valenzuela appeared to finally settle down. After pinch hitting, Valenzuela's regular catcher Mike Scioscia took over behind the plate. This seemed to have a calming effect on the rookie, as Scioscia knew Spanish and was better able to talk with Valenzuela than Steve Yeager.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
The Yankees mounted their final threat in the eighth when Aurelio Rodríguez and Milbourne led off with back-to-back singles. Pinch-hitter Bobby Murcer attempted a sacrifice bunt, but popped it foul. Cey dove and caught it, then doubled Milbourne off first.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
After being held out of game 3, Reggie Jackson was back in the starting lineup for this game. The Yankees batters had early success against Dodgers pitcher Bob Welch, who faced four batters without recording an out before being relieved by Dave Goltz. Willie Randolph led the game off with a triple and scored on a Larry Milbourne double. Dave Winfield walked and Jackson singled before Goltz gave up a sacrifice fly to Bob Watson. Randolph smashed a two-out solo home run in the second and Rick Cerone batted in a run with a single in the third for a 4–0 Yankee lead.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
Yankee starter Rick Reuschel then had problems of his own. He allowed an RBI single to Davey Lopes and an RBI groundout to Ron Cey in the third before leaving in favor of Rudy May. May gave up a double to Steve Garvey and an RBI single to Cey in the fifth, but the Yankees countered with two in the sixth on RBI singles by Oscar Gamble and Watson off Tom Niedenfuer.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
With a 6–3 lead, the Yankees turned the pitching over to their relief combination of Ron Davis and Goose Gossage. Davis had troubles in the sixth. He issued a one-out walk to Mike Scioscia and gave up a pinch-hit homer to Jay Johnstone to make the score 6–5. Then, Lopes lifted a fly ball to right that Jackson lost in the sun and dropped for an error. Lopes reached second and stole third with no throw by catcher Cerone three pitches later, because Davis pitched from a windup rather than a set position. Davis then gave up a game-tying single to Bill Russell.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
In the seventh, Dusty Baker led off with an infield hit off George Frazier and went to third on a Rick Monday liner that got past center fielder Bobby Brown when he tried to make a shoestring catch. Monday reached second. Pedro Guerrero was then walked intentionally. Yankee manager Bob Lemon then brought  starting pitcher Tommy John out of the bullpen instead of Gossage. Steve Yeager, hitting for Scioscia, promptly gave the Dodgers the lead when he drove home Baker with a sacrifice fly. Lopes followed with an infield single that drove Monday home for an 8–6 lead. John managed to strand Guerrero in scoring position to end the seventh and pitched the last two innings, but closer Gossage never got in the game.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
Jackson brought the Yankees closer with a home run in the eighth off lefty Steve Howe, capping a 3-for-3 day. But Howe was able to close out the win, despite Willie Randolph pinning Dodger centerfielder Derrell Thomas against the centerfield wall with a deep fly ball. The series was now tied 2–2.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
According to Johnstone's book Temporary Insanity (1985), Steinbrenner confronted Davis in the Yankees' locker room after the game and demanded, "Why did you throw Johnstone a fastball?"


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 5
Needing a win to stop the Dodgers' momentum in this series, the Yankees trotted out their ace, Ron Guidry. Guidry was sharp through six innings, holding the Dodgers to two singles. Reggie Jackson, continuing his torrid hitting, helped provide Guidry a lead by doubling to left in the second off Jerry Reuss, moving to third on a Davey Lopes error, and scoring on a Lou Piniella infield single.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 5
The game then took a turn in the seventh inning. After fanning Dusty Baker, Guidry surrendered back-to-back solo home runs to Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. After he had struck out, Baker suggested to Yeager and Guerrero that they move up in the batter's box to take away Guidry's late breaking slider. Both home runs were hit on sliders almost to the same place in left-center. Meanwhile, Reuss was as effective as Guidry, holding the Yanks to five hits and the lone run and going the distance.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 5
A tense moment occurred in the eighth when Goose Gossage beaned Ron Cey. Cey had to be helped off the field with a concussion, but was cleared to play Game 6 after it was delayed one day by rain.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
This was the latest-ending World Series by calendar date up to that time (surpassing the 1911 Series, which ended on October 26). Originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, Game 6 was postponed a day by rain. This allowed Bob Lemon to start Tommy John opposite Dodger starter Burt Hooton, and also allowed Ron Cey to be in the Dodger lineup. Willie Randolph provided John an early lead with a solo homer in the third. The Dodgers tied it in the fourth on an RBI single by Game 5 hero Steve Yeager.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
In the bottom of the fourth, Yankee manager Bob Lemon made a controversial decision. Graig Nettles led off the inning with a double. After Hooton retired the next two batters, he intentionally walked Larry Milbourne to face John (there was no designated hitter in this series). Lemon pinch-hit for his starting pitcher in the fourth inning of a 1–1 game. Pinch-hitter Bobby Murcer flied out to end the inning.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
In his 1991 autobiography T.J.: My 26 Years in Baseball, John revealed that before the game, Lemon and team owner George Steinbrenner settled on the following strategy: get the lead early and then protect it with the bullpen (despite the bullpen's collapses earlier in the series). As ABC cameras showed during the broadcast, John paced the Yankee dugout in disbelief after being pulled.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
In the fifth, George Frazier, who relieved John, gave up an RBI single to Ron Cey and a two-run triple to Pedro Guerrero. Frazier would take the loss and become the first pitcher to lose three games in a best-of-seven World Series and second pitcher to lose three times in any World Series (the first being Lefty Williams, a member of the Chicago White Sox in the best-of-nine 1919 World Series).


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
New York's bullpen further collapsed in the sixth. Ron Davis issued one-out walks to pitcher Hooton and Davey Lopes. Bill Russell singled to short left field, and Hooton unexpectedly rounded third and headed home. Dave Winfield stumbled on the wet grass, fell forward, and uncorked an errant throw. Hooton scored standing, after which Lemon pulled Davis in favor of Rick Reuschel. On Reuschel's second pitch, Lopes and Russell pulled a double steal. Reuschel  walked Steve Garvey intentionally and gave up an RBI force-out to pinch-hitter Derrel Thomas.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
After Dusty Baker reached on an error by Nettles, loading the bases again, Guerrero singled in two more runs. The Yankees would score in the bottom of the sixth on a pinch-hit RBI single by Lou Piniella. Guerrero would cap a five-RBI night, and the Dodgers' World Series win, by blasting a solo home run in the eighth. Burt Hooton would pitch 5+1⁄3 innings and get the win. Steve Howe replaced him and earned the save.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
Winfield's throw typified his struggles in this, his first World Series. At the plate, he went 1-for-22 with one RBI. After the series, Steinbrenner issued a public apology to the City of New York for his team's performance, while at the same time assuring the fans that plans to put the team together for 1982 would begin immediately. The Yankee owner was criticized by players and press alike for doing so, as many people felt losing a World Series was not something for which a team needed to apologize.


1981 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
For the first time, there were co-MVP's in a World Series:  Cey (.350 avg., 7-for-20, HR, 6 RBIs), Yeager (.286 avg., 4-for-14, 2 HR's), and Guerrero (.333 avg, 7-for-21, 2 HR's, 7 RBIs) shared the award.


1981 World Series, Epilogue
After combining for 10 division titles and eight World Series appearances between 1974 and 1981, the 1981 World Series marked the end of an era for both teams as they soon were without key contributors.


1981 World Series, Epilogue
The Yankees lost Reggie Jackson, Graig Nettles, Goose Gossage, and Tommy John, among others. The franchise would not reach the postseason again until 1995 and would not win another title until 1996. In addition, the 1981 season features their only World Series appearance within the entire 1980s, making it the first decade in which the Yankees did not won the title since the 1910s, and the first ever since the live-ball era. It was the only decade with this distinction until the 2010s.


1981 World Series, Epilogue
Key Dodger losses included Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Reggie Smith, and Don Sutton. With a stronger farm system and adding valuable players via trade or free agency, they did win division titles in 1983 and 1985, while narrowly missing in 1982. Their success culminated with a world championship in 1988, becoming the only team to win two World Series between 1978 and 1990, and the only team to win more than one World Series title during the 1980s.


1981 World Series, Epilogue
However, since their 1988 World Series win, the Dodgers would not appear in another World Series until 2017 (which they lost to the Houston Astros), despite reaching the NLCS in 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2016. They would also appear in the World Series in 2018 against the Boston Red Sox, which they also lost. They finally broke their World Series Championship drought by winning in 2020 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees, on the other hand, appeared in seven World Series (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2009) in that span, winning all but 2001 and 2003.


1981 World Series, Composite box
1981 World Series (4–2): Los Angeles Dodgers (N.L.) over New York Yankees (A.L.)


1981 World Series, Series pitching stats, New York Yankees
Yankees pitcher George Frazier tied a World Series record for losing three of the six games in 1981. The only other pitcher to lose that many was the Chicago White Sox's Lefty Williams, who intentionally lost his three starts in the infamous 1919 World Series.


1981 World Series, Broadcasting
ABC Sports covered this World Series on television in the United States, its third under the then-present contract of alternating Series coverage with NBC Sports. Keith Jackson and Al Michaels shared play-by-play duties, with Michaels replacing Jackson when the latter deferred to his primary role as ABC's lead college football announcer. Color commentary was handled by Howard Cosell and Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer; Palmer would later join ABC's baseball broadcast team after retiring as a player. ABC's coverage was also simulcast over the Yankees' and Dodgers' local television outlets, respectively WPIX in New York City and KTTV in Los Angeles.


1981 World Series, Broadcasting
This World Series was the last to be called by Jackson in the broadcast booth. Michaels became ABC's lead baseball play-by-play announcer (and exclusive World Series announcer) by the time the network next aired the World Series in 1983.


1981 World Series, Broadcasting
On radio, CBS Radio carried the games with Vin Scully handling play-by-play and Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson providing analysis, working together for the third consecutive year. Scully was the Dodgers' primary local announcer during the regular season. When the Dodgers next appeared in the World Series in 1988, Scully called the series nationally on television for NBC.


1981 World Series, In popular culture
After the series, Johnstone, Yeager, Reuss, and Rick Monday of the Dodgers recorded a cover version of Queen's "We Are the Champions" under the name "Big Blue Wrecking Crew". The quartet performed the song on an episode of Solid Gold, the syndicated TV-show.


1981 World Series of Poker
The 1981 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a series of poker tournaments held at Binion's Horseshoe.


1981 World Series of Poker, Main Event
There were 75 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. This main event was notable as the first one to have all final table players to receive a share of the prize pool. The final hand saw Green with 10 9 and Ungar with A Q, and the board was 7 8 4 4 Q. The 1981 Main Event was Stu Ungar's second consecutive World Championship.


1981 World Series of Poker, Main Event, Other High Finishes
NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.


1981 World Snooker Championship
The 1981 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 1981 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purpose of sponsorship) was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place between 7 April and 20 April 1981 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The championship was the 1981 edition of the World Snooker Championship, first held in 1927. It was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), and was the fifth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible since the event was first held there in 1977. The total prize fund for the event was £75,000; the winner received £20,000.


1981 World Snooker Championship
The defending champion and top seed was Cliff Thorburn, who lost 10–16 in the semi-final to Steve Davis. In the other semi-final, Doug Mountjoy defeated second seed and Ray Reardon 16–10. Davis went on to win the first of his six world titles, taking a 6–0 lead in the final, and winning four consecutive frames at the end of the match to win 18–12 in the final. There were 13 century breaks made during the tournament, including a new championship record break of 145 by Mountjoy. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy, and received daily coverage on BBC television.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Overview
The World Snooker Championship is an annual snooker tournament that is the official world championship of the game of snooker. The first world championship in 1927 was won by Joe Davis, the final being held in Camkin's Hall, Birmingham, England. Since 1977, the event has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Overview
The 1981 tournament 24 professional players for the second year running. The 24 players were selected for the event through a mix of the snooker world rankings, and a pre-tournament qualification competition. The draw for the event took place on 5 January 1981, in West Bromwich. There were eight qualifying groups, with one winner from each group meeting a player seeded into the first round, and the eight winners of first round matches meeting one of eight players seeded into the second round.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Overview
Although he had not won a major tournament since the 1978 World Snooker Championship, Ray Reardon was regarded as the bookmakers favourite to win at that time, priced at 3–1, with Davis the second-favourite at 5–1, followed by Terry Griffiths and Alex Higgins both at 6–1, then Thorburn at 10–1. Doug Mountjoy's odds of winning were assessed as 20–1. By the time that the main event started on 7 April, Davis, who during the season had won his first professional title at the 1980 UK Championship, as well as the 1980 Classic, 1981 Yamaha Organs Trophy and 1981 English Professional Championship, had become the bookmakers favourite, at 7–2.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Overview
The championship was promoted by Mike Watterson with the authority of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC, with over 80 hours of programming scheduled. The event was sponsored by cigarette company Embassy.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Overview, Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Qualifying
Qualifying matches took place at Redwood Lodge Country Club, near Bristol, and at Romiley Forum, near Stockport, from 23 March to 4 April. All qualifying matches were the best-of-seventeen frames. Former champion John Pulman lost 2–9 to Dave Martin. Chris Ross, who had experienced a "nervous breakdown" in his first year as a professional, having tuned professional after winning the 1976 English Amateur Championship, found that his bridge hand was unsteady and that he was unable to control his cue properly, and conceded his match against Tony Knowles when trailing 0–7.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, First round
The first round matches took place from 7 to 10 April and were the best-of-19 frames. Jimmy White, who turned professional after winning the 1980 World Amateur Championship, made his World Snooker Championship debut, as did Knowles, and also Dave Martin, who had been accepted as a professional only a few days before entries closed.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, First round
Davis made the first century break of the tournament, 119, in the fifth frame of his match against White, on his way to building a 4–2 lead by the end of their first session. He made another century, 102, in their second session, and led 8–4 by the end of that session. In the last session, White closed the gap to one frame, but from 9–8 ahead, Davis won the next, and then defeated White 10–8.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, First round
Knowles compiled a 101 break in his match against Graham Miles, but lost the match after they had been tied at 5–6, 6–6, and 8–8. In the eighteenth frame, at one frame behind, Knowles played a forceful shot on the final black, to get a position on the yellow, and missed the black when potting it would have left Miles unable to win the frame without Knowles conceding penalty points. Miles won the frame, and took the next as well to win the match 10–8.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, First round
The 1968 World Amateur Champion David Taylor won the first three frames against the 1978 World Amateur Champion Cliff Wilson, but then lost the next four. Taylor finished their first session 5–4 ahead and went on to defeat Wilson at 10–6. Tony Meo was 4–2 ahead, then later 4–5 behind and 7–5 ahead of John Virgo, before winning 10–6. Meo made a break of 134 during the match. From 5–4, Kirk Stevens won the next five frames to beat John Dunning 10–4. Mountjoy was a frame ahead of Willie Thorne at 5–4, and extended his lead to 9–4 before winning 10–6. Bill Werbeniuk beat Martin 10–4.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, First round
The two-time World Amateur Champion Ray Edmonds had never beaten John Spencer in a match, and had lost to him twice in the final of the English Amateur Championship. Edmonds led 5–4 after the first session of their match, but then found himself 5–7 behind as Spencer won three consecutive frames. Edmonds then equalised the score at 7–7, and Spencer drew ahead again to lead 9–7. Edmonds, aided by fluking a pink ball, won the next two frames to force the match to go to a deciding frame. Jack Karnehm, a snooker commentator and author, later suggested that Spencer was able to win the last frame, in which he made a break of 38, because he had the better ability to handle pressure better than Edmonds did.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Second round
The second round matches took place from 10 to 14 April and were the best-of-25 frames. Davis led 6–2 against Higgins after their first session, but lost five of the eight frames and made only one break over 30 in the second session, and by the end of the session led by two frames, 9–7.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Second round
In the third session, Higgins made a break of 47 in the first frame, but Davis responded with a 45 and won the frame to move into a three frames lead rather than having only a one-frame advantage, saying afterwards that his 45 was "the most important break [he had] made for months." Higgins won the second frame of the session, before Davis won the third with a break of 71, and then the next two, to win the match 13–9. Mountjoy won the first four frames, then lost the next four, against Eddie Charlton. He then built a lead of 9–6, and won 13–7 to reach his first world championship quarter-final since 1977.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Second round
Miles only won a single frame in each of the two sessions against defending champion Thorburn. He lost the first session 1–7 and the match 2–13. Eight-times former world snooker champion, and reigning world billiards champion Fred Davis also lost his first session 1–7, and lost his match against David Taylor 3–13. Griffiths and Meo finished their first session all-square at 4–4, but Meo only won two of the next eleven frames, with Griffiths winning at 13–6.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Second round
Dennis Taylor won four frames in a row from 9–11 to beat Stevens 13–11, and compiled breaks of 135 and 133 during the match. Stevens had been unable to use the practice table at the venue before the match because it was being used to record a programme for a television broadcast. According to Karnhem, Stevens was "frustrated and bitterly hot-tempered when he came out for the second session ... his pots missed by fractions, his safety shots would unluckily stay in the open, his judgement was becoming erratic."


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Second round
Werbeniuk led Perrie Mans 6–2 after their first session, and went on to win 13–5. Former champions Reardon and Spencer were level at 11–11, with Reardon then winning 13–11.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Quarter-finals
The quarter final matches took place from 10 to 12 April and were the best-of-25 frames. Davis and Griffiths shared the first eight frames, finishing their first session 4–4. After that, Davis pulled ahead to 9–5, and won 13–9. Thorburn was a frame behind David Taylor as they started their second session, at 3–4, but went on to lead 10–5 and win 13–6. Mountjoy was 5–3 ahead of Dennis Taylor, before falling 5–6 behind, and defeated Taylor 13–8. Reardon beat Werbeniuk 13–8, to reach his first semi-final since 1978.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Semi-finals
The semi-final matches took place from 17 to 18 April and were the best of 31 frames. Mountjoy made the record world snooker championship break of 145 in the twelfth frame against Reardon, pocketing blacks after all reds except the eighth, when he potted the blue. Mountjoy won the match 16–10.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Semi-finals
Karnehm described the match between Davis and Thorburn as the best of the championship. Thorburn had lost 0–6 to Davis in a challenge match in Romford, Davis's home area, two weeks before the championship. According to Karnehm, Thorburn "was still seething at this result and the remarks of the gloating Romford fans in their own stronghold." Karnehm says that the players barely acknowledged each other's presence in the first session of the semi-final.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Semi-finals
Davis went 4–3 ahead of Thorburn after a long first session, then 6-4 ahead, but was then 6-8 behind as Thorburn won four in succession, scoring 347 points across the four frames to Davis' 35. It was level at 9–9, before Davis won 16–10. In the 22nd frame, Davis was 80–23 ahead with only the pink and black remaining, leaving Thorburn no realistic chance of winning the frame.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Semi-finals
However, when Davis offered Thorburn a handshake, the acceptance of which would have been an acknowledgement by Thorburn that the frame was lost, Thorburn declined, started to aim for the pink and "in an elaborate mockery of the Steve Davis habit, went over to his chair, [and] took a minute sip of water." Thorburn later apologised for this behaviour to Davis and, on television, to the public.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Final
The final was played across four sessions on 19 and 20 April, as a best-of-35 frames match. It was the first world professional snooker championship final for both players. Mountjoy led 40–0 in points in the first frame, but Davis made a break of 59 to win it, and went on to take all of the first six frames, making breaks of 52, 49, 56, and 40. In the eighth frame, Davis was 49–48 ahead with only the last three balls left on the table.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Final
The black ball was very close to the pocket, with the blue ball near it, and the players had, between them, 37 visits to the table on the blue, before the frame was abandoned and restarted due to the stalemate. Mountjoy won the restarted frame with a break of 76, which was the highest of the first session. Mountjoy won the last frame of the first session as well, leaving Davis 6–3 ahead.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Final
In the second session, Davis won the first frame, then Mountjoy the next two, and Davis took the following one, leaving Davis 8–5 ahead at the mid-session interval. Mountjoy compiled a break of 129, his fourth century of the event, in frame 14, and a couple of frames later, Davis fluked the blue to win the 17th. Mountjoy won the last frame of the second session to finish 8–10 behind.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Final
On the second day of the final, Davis compiled a break of 83 to win the first frame, and took the next frame as well, making it 12–8. Mountjoy then won two consecutive frames to halve Davis' lead, and they subsequently each won two of the session's last four frames to leave Davis 14–12 ahead going into the fourth and final session. Mountjoy had led by 46 points in the 24th frame before Davis made a break of 55 to win it.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Final
Davis made a break of 84 in the first frame of the fourth session, followed by a break of 119, in the second, and won the next two as well to defeat Mountjoy 18–12. After Davis' win, his manager Barry Hearn ran into the arena excitedly and lifted Davis up. In a post-match interview, Mountjoy said of Davis that "He's the player to beat from now on. The top players are all on a par but he is a black better."


1981 World Snooker Championship, Summary, Final
It was the first of six World Snooker Championship wins for Davis as he dominated the sport in the 1980s; he won his last world title in 1989.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Main draw
Shown below are the results for the tournament. Numbers in brackets to the right of players' names indicate the top 16 seeds, whilst players in bold are match winners.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Qualifying
The results from the qualifying competition are shown below. Players in bold are match winners. Qualifying matches took place at Redwood Lodge Country Club, near Bristol, and at Romiley Forum, Stockport.


1981 World Snooker Championship, Century breaks
There were 13 century breaks in the championship, equalling the record from 1979. Mountjoy meanwhile made a record at the World Championship making a 145 break beating the 142 of Rex Williams in 1965 and Bill Werbeniuk in 1979. With this record he earned a £5,000 bonus. His record would last until the 1983 tournament, when Thorburn compiled a maximum break.


1981 World Sportscar Championship
The 1981 World Sportscar Championship season was the 29th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1981 FIA World Endurance Championship which was contested over a fifteen race series which ran from 31 January to 27 September. The former World Challenge for Endurance Drivers was renamed to the World Endurance Championship of Drivers for 1981 and the World Championship of Makes was renamed to the World Endurance Championship of Makes. Bob Garretson won the World Endurance Championship of Drivers and Lancia was awarded the World Endurance Championship of Makes.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, Schedule
World Endurance Championship of Drivers was contested over all fifteen races however only six of the races counted towards the World Endurance Championship of Makes.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, Season results
Although various classes of cars contested the championship races, only the overall race winners are listed in the table below.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Drivers
The World Endurance Championship of Drivers was open to FIA Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, Group 5, Group 6, Group C and GTP cars and to IMSA GTX, IMSA GTP, IMSA AAGT, IMSA GTO, IMSA GTU and IMSA RS cars.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Drivers
Drivers Championship points were awarded on a 20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first twenty overall finishers at each round. Bonus points were also awarded as follows:


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Drivers
Only half points were awarded at the shortened Nurbugring round. All points scored were retained towards the championship totals.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Drivers, Results
A total of 371 drivers scored points in the 1981 World Endurance Championship of Drivers.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Makes
The World Endurance Championship of Makes was open FIA Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4 and Group 5 cars and to IMSA GTX cars.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Makes
Cars from all eligible groups were combined, and then divided into two Divisions based on engine capacity. Points were awarded on a 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 basis for the top ten places in each Division at each race. Only the best placed car of each make in each division at each race was eligible to score points. Cars from groups not included in the championship (e.g. FIA Group 6 cars) were disregarded when assessing divisional positions for championship purposes. Only half points were awarded for the shortened Nurburgring race. The best five round results could be retained by each make.


1981 World Sportscar Championship, World Endurance Championship of Makes, Results
The overall World Endurance Championship of Makes title was won by Lancia. Although both Lancia and Porsche scored 100 points from their best five class results, Lancia was awarded the title based on its six divisional victories against the five scored by Porsche .


1981 World Table Tennis Championships
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships were held in Novi Sad (Yugoslavia) from April 14 to April 26, 1981.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Doubles
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Doubles was the 36th edition of the men's doubles championship. Li Zhenshi and Cai Zhenhua won the title after defeating Xie Saike and Guo Yuehua in the final by three sets to one.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Singles
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Singles was the 36th edition of the men's singles championship.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Singles
Guo Yuehua defeated Cai Zhenhua in the final, winning three sets to one to secure the title.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Team
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Swaythling Cup (Men's Team) was the 36th edition of the men's team championship.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Team
China won the gold medal defeating Hungary 5-2 in the final. Japan won the bronze medal.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Mixed Doubles
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Mixed Doubles was the 36th edition of the mixed doubles championship.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Mixed Doubles
Xie Saike and Huang Junqun defeated Chen Xinhua and Tong Ling in the final by three sets to nil.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Doubles
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Doubles was the 35th edition of the women's doubles championship. Zhang Deying and Cao Yanhua defeated Tong Ling and Pu Qijuan in the final by three sets to nil.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Singles
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Singles was the 36th edition of the women's singles championship. Tong Ling defeated Cao Yanhua in the final by three sets to two, to win the title.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Team
The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Corbillon Cup (Women's Team) was the 29th edition of the women's team championship.


1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Team
China won the gold medal defeating South Korea 3-0 in the final, North Korea won the bronze medal.


1981 World Team Classic
The 1981 World Team Classic sponsored by State Express was the new name of the  team snooker tournament. It moved to the Hexagon Theatre in Reading with seven teams competing as the Irish players were divided. Scotland competed for the first time which they lost to the Republic of Ireland in a play off to reach the round robin stage of the competition.


1981 World Team Classic
All matches including the final were now played in the best of six matches with a tie break frame between the captains if it stayed 3-3. England won their first title with captain Steve Davis winning three of the four matches against Eddie Charlton of Australia, Dennis Taylor of Northern Ireland and Ray Reardon of Wales in the final.


1981 World Weightlifting Championships
The 1981 Men's World Weightlifting Championships were held in Lille, France from September 13 to September 20, 1981. There were 194 men in action from 35 nations.


1981 World Weightlifting Championships, Medal table
Ranking by all medals: Big (Total result) and Small (Snatch and Clean & Jerk)


1981 World Wrestling Championships
The following is the final results of the 1981 World Wrestling Championships. Freestyle competition were held in Skopje, Yugoslavia (present-day North Macedonia) and Greco-Roman competition were held in Oslo, Norway.


1981 World's Strongest Man
The 1981 World's Strongest Man was the fifth edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Bill Kazmaier from the United States. It was his second title. Geoff Capes from the United Kingdom finished second after finishing third the previous year, and Dave Waddington from the United States finished third. The contest was held at Magic Mountain, California.


1981 World's Strongest Man
This was the first World's Strongest Man competition where the Tug Of War did not end the competition. Previously, the four highest scorers after the penultimate event competed in a head to head tug of war battle with the last man standing winning the event.


1981 World's Strongest Man, Events
There were a total of 11 different events used in the competition:


1981 Writers Guild of America strike
The 1981 Writers Guild of America strike was a 3-month strike action taken to establish compensation in the then-new markets of "pay TV" and home video. Most scripted television series seasons started much later than originally planned as a result.


1981 Wyoming Cowboys football team
The 1981 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cowboys were led by first-year head coach Al Kincaid and played their home games at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming. They finished the season with a 8–3 record overall and a 6–2 record in the Western Athletic Conference to finish 4th in the conference.


1981 YCO-Tanduay season
The 1981 YCO-Tanduay season was the seventh season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


1981 YCO-Tanduay season, Summary
The two imports of Yco-Tanduay in the Open Conference are Lawyer "Boots" Taylor and Kenneth Austin. Taylor played only two games before being replaced by the comebacking veteran Eugene Moore. Austin played six games and was replaced by Mark Haymore. Yco-Tanduay lost their first 11 games of the season before they finally broke into win column with a 121-104 triumph over fellow tailender Presto Fun Drinks on May 16. Coach Tito Eduque was replaced by former Yco and Tanduay player Freddie Webb on the Esquires bench after 10 games.


1981 YCO-Tanduay season, Summary
In the Reinforced Filipino Conference, Yco-Tanduay signed up Russell Murray as their import and they were the third team to qualify in the round of six by posting a 5-4 won-loss card in the elimination phase. The Esquires enters the four-team semifinal round by ousting Open Conference champion Toyota Super Diesels, 124-118 on October 27. They lost to Presto Fun Drinks in their last semifinal outing on November 14. The winner of their do-or-die match would have advanced to the finals against U-Tex had Crispa Redmanizers lost to the Wranglers in the second game of the double-header.


1981 YCO-Tanduay season, Awards
Russell Murray won best import honors in the Reinforced Filipino Conference and becomes the second recipient of the award.


1981 Yale Bulldogs football team
The 1981 Yale Bulldogs football team represented Yale University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Bulldogs were led by 17th-year head coach Carmen Cozza and played their home games at the Yale Bowl. They played as a member of the Ivy League. The Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 9–1, including a record of 6–1 in Ivy League play, giving them a share of the Ivy League championship with Dartmouth.


1981 Yamaha Organs Trophy
The 1981 Yamaha Organs Trophy was a non-ranking snooker tournament, that was held between 2 and 8 March 1981 at the Assembly Rooms in Derby, England.


1981 Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1981 Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix was the seventh round of the 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 29–31 May 1981 at the Automotodrom Rijeka.


1981 anti-Tamil pogrom
The 1981 anti-Tamil pogrom occurred in Sri Lanka during the months of June, July and August 1981. Organised Sinhala mobs looted and burnt Tamil shops and houses in Jaffna, Ratnapura, Balangoda, Kahawatte, Colombo and in the border villages in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts. Further looting, arson and killings then spread to the rural interior:


1981 anti-Tamil pogrom
"In the hill country, crowds armed with clubs, iron rods, bicycle chains, swords and knives roamed the estates burning, pillaging, looting and killing. Police and army units stood watching, often encouraging the rioters. In the eastern border villages, entire villages were burnt down. People ran into the forests to save their lives. They then took refuge in government schools and Hindu temples. Over 25,000 Tamil plantation workers were rendered homeless in the hills and over 10,000 villagers were made refugees in the east.”


1981 anti-Tamil pogrom
Brian Eads in the London Observer of 20 September 1981 reported that an orgy of arson and looting was planned, orchestrated and carried out in Jaffna by the predominantly Sinhalese Buddhist police force in the area.


1981 anti-Tamil pogrom
During the violence the Jaffna public library was burned, as well as the offices of a Tamil newspaper, and the home of a Tamil MP. The violence was said to have been organized, by members of the ruling United National Party. In all, 25 people died, scores of women were raped, and thousands were made homeless, losing all their meager belongings.


1981 enlargement of the European Communities
The 1981 enlargement of the European Communities was the second enlargement of what is now the European Union, then the European Communities (EC). Greece acceded to the EEC on 1 January 1981. It is considered a part of the Mediterranean enlargement.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała
The 1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała took place between January 27 and February 6, 1981, in the southern Polish city of Bielsko-Biała, It was the first strike action during the final decade of Communist Poland which was "purely political" in the sense of aiming directly at Communist Party officials without economic demands, such as calls higher wages. It resulted in the removal of several corrupt officials of the local administration.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, Background
On January 27, 1981, a general strike began in Bielsko-Biała, and other locations in the area. All major enterprises, including mass transit, factories and most shops, stopped working. Local leaders of Solidarity demanded what was considered impossible at the time - removal of corrupt local officials, including governor of Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, mayor of the city of Bielsko-Biała, and First Secretary of Bielsko-Biała's office of the Communist Party. Patrycjusz Kosmowski, the local Solidarity leader, who organized the protest, said thirty years after the strike: "Everybody knew that the government was stealing and defrauding. Everybody talked about it, but nobody did anything. We managed to change it!"


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, Background
The protest in Bielsko-Biała was unique in the fact that it was purely political. Workers did not demand any pay raises; they demanded change in local government and the removal of Communist elite, whose members had been universally regarded as “the untouchables”. As Kosmowski said, at that time ordinary people did not trust the authorities. Instead, local residents would come to the local office of Solidarity, bringing information about corruption among civil servants, party officials and Communist police officers. Some information, including documentation, was brought to Kosmowski and his people by a female employee of the governor’s office, who supported Solidarity.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, First protests
The accusations were publicly expressed as early as November 20, 1980, during a weekly meeting of Solidarity leaders of the Bielsko-Biała Podbeskidzie region of Solidarity. Union officials issued a statement, in which they demanded removal of local authorities, due to “a loss of social capital”. Next day, a delegation of Solidarity met with a delegation of the government. Talks were unsuccessful, and the union planned immediate sit-in of the governor’s office. Instead, Solidarity declared readiness to strike, demanding that central government officials come from Warsaw for negotiations. A few days later, in late November 1980, Minister of Administration Józef Kępa came to Bielsko-Biała. He met with Solidarity leaders, promising to open a special committee, which would investigate allegations of corruption. Among members of the committee, there were four Solidarity activists.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, First protests
The committee completed its work on January 13, 1981. Most charges turned out to be valid, and several new cases of corruption were uncovered. The 150-page report described frauds committed by city and provincial authorities, as well as Party leaders.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, First protests
Most cases referred to selling real estate properties at reduced prices to chosen buyers (for example, a tenement house at Cieszyńska Street in Bielsko-Biała, in which a kindergarten had been planned, ended up in the hands of a Party official), as well as defrauding 34 million zlotys, which had been collected by local inhabitants to build Okrąglak - a multipurpose arena complex. The money disappeared and nobody knew where it was. Also, there were cases of tax evasion, bribery and partisan distribution of ration stamps to purchase passenger vehicles (stamps to purchase the coveted Fiat 126, manufactured at Bielsko-Biała’s Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych, almost exclusively were handed to Party officials.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, First protests
Józef Łabudek, the governor of Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship did not accept the findings of the committee, and Solidarity leaders realized that he simply tried to play for time. On January 18, 1981, local Interfactory Founding Committee (MKZ) of Solidarity, which represented 350 enterprises of the province, demanded that central government officials return to Bielsko-Biała, to further look into the charges, and to remove corrupt officials. Warsaw, however, did not respond, so strike warning was issued.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, The strike
On Monday, January 26, a one-hour warning strike took place in selected enterprises of Bielsko-Biala and the region (Skoczów, Żywiec, Kęty, Andrychów, Sucha Beskidzka). On the same day, the Interfactory Founding Committee changed its name to Interfactory Strike Committee (MKS), with 107 members of 54 enterprises of the province. The MKS had its main office at the club-room of Cotton Plant Bewelana in Bielsko-Biała, which had previously been the location of weekly meetings of regional Solidarity leaders. In that club-room, some 400 people stayed for ten days.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, The strike
The strike started on Tuesday, January 27, and most enterprises of the Voivodeship took part in it. In Bielsko-Biała itself, the only businesses that did not participate in it were hospitals, railroads, delivery services, and telecommunications companies. In the course of the time, additional enterprises joined the protest, and activists of Rural Solidarity brought food to the workers, who occupied their factories. Crews of striking enterprises were very determined, and what they needed most were news updates. Every few hours, several times a day, strike bulletins were copied and distributed to thousands of people. Negotiations at Bewelana were broadcast live to most local factories, due to the efforts of Solidarity telecommunications experts, who created a network, which connected all radio stations of the enterprises.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, The strike
Local government was helpless, and the Interfactory Strike Committee became the center of power in the region, with 200,000 people actively participating in the protest. Negotiations, which took place in early February, failed, and soon afterwards, Solidarity leaders Lech Wałęsa, Andrzej Gwiazda and Stanisław Wądołowski came to Bielsko-Biała, together with their advisers Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Bronisław Geremek. Wałęsa and his people at first opposed the strike, for two reasons. Firstly, Bielsko-Biała's Solidarity activists organized it without consultation the union’s national leadership body. Secondly, at that time national negotiations were taking place in Warsaw, and local protests did not help Solidarity.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, The strike
Therefore, Wałęsa came to Bielsko-Biała to end the strike, but after finding out about the situation in the region, and seeing the determination of the people, he changed his mind and supported the protest. Furthermore, he warned the government that a national strike would take place, if force was used against workers in Bielsko-Biała. As time went by, the situation became dramatic. All talks were broken, and people talked among themselves that the authorities were considering the use of force.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, Agreement
The situation changed during the night of February 5/6, 1981, when a delegation of the Polish Episcopal Conference arrived at Bielsko-Biała. It was sent there by Primate Stefan Wyszyński, and it consisted of Bishops Bronisław Dąbrowski, Janusz Zimniak, and Czesław Domin. Soon afterwards, the delegation of the government entered the club-room of Bewelana, headed by Minister of Administration Józef Kępa, and his deputy Czesław Kotela.


1981 general strike in Bielsko-Biała, Agreement
The negotiations lasted the whole night, ending at 5am on February 6, 1981. An agreement was signed, acceding to the protesting workers' demands. In accord with the agreement, provincial governor Józef Łabudek and his two deputies (Antoni Kobiela and Antoni Urbaniec) resigned on that day, and the new governor, Stanisław Łuczkiewicz, was obliged to punish those guilty of corruption. Other officials who were removed from their posts were local leaders of the Party, mayor of Bielsko-Biała Marian Kałoń (replaced by little known Jacek Krywułt), his deputy Franciszek Holeksa, chief of police, Colonel Ryszard Witek, as well as a number of civil servants.


1981 in Afghanistan
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Afghanistan.


1981 in Afghanistan
The stalemate in the Afghan crisis continues throughout the year. Babrak Karmal's government rejects negotiations except on its own terms, and the Soviets show no desire to withdraw or reduce their military presence. Rebel resistance against the Soviet presence intensifies throughout the country, despite all-out efforts by the 85,000-strong Soviet force and the Afghan Army to curb it. There are reports of widespread fighting between the Mujahideen (Islamic guerrillas) and the security forces in vast areas stretching from Kandahar in the south to Badakhshan on the Soviet border.


1981 in Afghanistan
The presence of rebels brings reprisals from the Soviet forces, and helicopter gunship and artillery attacks devastate several villages. Although there are no official estimates, Soviet casualties are also believed to be heavy. Although Pakistan denies the allegation, there is said to be evidence of a regular arms flow to the Mujahideen inside Afghanistan from across the border.


1981 in Afghanistan, February 1981
Karmal visits Moscow, where he signs a series of agreements, mainly economic, with Soviet leaders. The Afghan economy is moving further and further into the orbit of the Soviet bloc, which takes most of its exports in return for food grains and consumer goods.


1981 in Afghanistan, March 1981
According to UN statistics, 1.7 million Afghans have so far fled to Pakistan and some 400,000 to Iran in order to escape the strife in their country.


1981 in Afghanistan, June 1981
General Secretary Karmal gives up the post of prime minister; he is succeeded in that position on June 11 by Sultan Ali Keshtmand, another trusted member of the Parcham faction of the PDPA. Keshtmand is also put in direct charge of the National Patriotic Front, set up in December 1980 with the intention of rallying the people behind Karmal's Marxist revolutionary government.


1981 in Afghanistan, August 25, 1981
Karmal announces a new set of proposals for negotiations with Pakistan and Iran, either separately or together; this is a slight departure from proposals he made in May and in December 1980. The democratic revolutionary government of Afghanistan, he says, will be prepared to hold tripartite talks with Pakistan and Iran under the aegis of UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim or his representative.


1981 in Afghanistan, August 25, 1981
The government wants a political settlement that would ensure "a full and reliable end to armed and other interference from outside into Afghanistan's internal affairs, and the creation of conditions under which such interference would be excluded in future." The Soviet troops could withdraw if such international guarantees were given and implemented. Iran, itself going through a period of internal chaos, reacts negatively to the Kabul proposal, while Pakistan at first considers it "flexible" and later rejects it. Pakistan maintains its earlier stand that any direct negotiation with a representative of the Karmal government would amount to recognition of the regime, contrary to the ruling of the Islamic Conference.


1981 in Afghanistan, September 1981
During the General Assembly session, UN Secretary-General Waldheim and Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, UN special representative for Afghanistan, have separate discussions with the Afghan Foreign Minister Shah Mohammad Dost  and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Agha Shahi. Efforts to bring the two parties together with or without the presence of a UN representative do not succeed, though it is agreed that Pérez de Cuéllar will continue his mediation efforts. The New York meetings are a consequence of a November 1980 General Assembly resolution that called for withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and appealed to all parties to create conditions for a political solution.


1981 in American television
The year 1981 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1981.


1981 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Australia.


1981 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1981.


1981 in Australian literature, Births
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.


1981 in Australian literature, Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.


1981 in Australian soccer
The 1981 season was the twelfth season of competitive association football in Australia.


1981 in Australian television
This article is a summary of 1981 in Australian television.


1981 in Australian television, New International Programming, Changes to network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.


1981 in Bangladesh
1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1981st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 981st  year of the 2nd millennium, the 81st  year of the 20th century, and the  2nd   year of the 1980s decade.


1981 in Bangladesh
The year 1981 was the 10th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the last year of the Government of Ziaur Rahman and the first year of the Government of President Abdus Sattar


1981 in Bangladesh, Economy
Note: For the year 1981 average official exchange rate for BDT was 17.99 per US$.


1981 in Belgian television
This is a list of Belgian television related events from 1981.


1981 in Brazilian football
The following article presents a summary of the 1981 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which was the 80th season of competitive football in the country.


1981 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Grêmio declared as the Campeonato Brasileiro champions by aggregate score of 3-1.


1981 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
Guarani declared as the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B champions by aggregate score of 5-3.


1981 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Promotion
The first placed team in each one of the four groups in the second stage, which were Bahia, Náutico, Palmeiras and Uberaba, were promoted to the same season's first level's second stage.


1981 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
Olaria declared as the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C champions by aggregate score of 4-1.


1981 in Brazilian football, Brazil national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 1981.


1981 in Brazilian television
This is a list of Brazilian television related events from 1981.


1981 in British music
This is a summary of 1981 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.


1981 in British music, Year-end charts
The tables below include sales between 1 January and 31 December 1981: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 26 December 1981 and played on Radio 1 on 3 January 1982 only include sales figures up until 12 December 1981.


1981 in British radio
This is a list of events in British radio during 1981.


1981 in British television
This is a list of British television related events from 1981.


1981 in Cambodia
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Cambodia.


1981 in Canadian television
This is a list of Canadian television related events from 1981.


1981 in Cape Verde
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Cape Verde.


1981 in Chile
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Chile.


1981 in China, Events
1981 was the year of the rooster in the Chinese Zodiac. China was sad at that time.


1981 in Croatian television
This is a list of Croatian television related events from 1981.


1981 in Danish television
This is a list of Danish television related events from 1981.


1981 in Dutch television
This is a list of Dutch television related events from 1981.


1981 in Estonia
This article lists events that occurred during 1981 in Estonia.


1981 in Estonian television
This is a list of Estonian television related events from 1981.


1981 in French television
This is a list of French television related events from 1981.


1981 in German television
This is a list of German television related events from 1981.


1981 in Guatemala
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in the Republic of Guatemala.


1981 in Iceland
The following lists events that happened in 1981 in Iceland.


1981 in India
Events in the year 1981 in the Republic of India.


1981 in Iran
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Iran.


1981 in Iran, Events, June
By year's end, the government had announced a total of 1,656 executions before a firing squad.


1981 in Iraq
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Iraq.


1981 in Irish television
The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 1981.


1981 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1981 include:


1981 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Palestinian Arab terror attacks committed against Israelis during 1981 include:


1981 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism operations (military campaigns and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 1981 include:


1981 in Italian television
This is a list of Italian television related events from 1981.


1981 in Japan, Events
same stadium where Candies performed their concert 3 years earlier.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Arts and entertainment
In film, Station by Yasuo Furuhata won the Best film award at the Japan Academy Prize, Enrai by Kichitaro Negishi won Best film at the Hochi Film Awards, Muddy River by Kōhei Oguri won Best film at the Blue Ribbon Awards and Something Like It by Yoshimitsu Morita won Best film at the Yokohama Film Festival. For a list of Japanese films released in 1981 see Japanese films of 1981.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Arts and entertainment
In manga,  the winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award were Sunset on Third Street by Ryōhei Saigan (general), Dr. Slump by Akira Toriyama (shōnen or shōjo) and Doraemon by Fujiko Fujio (children). Sanshirō of 1, 2 by Makoto Kobayashi (shōnen) and Ohayō! Spank by Shun'ichi Yukimuro and Shizue Takanashi (shōjo) won the Kodansha Manga Award. Kibun wa mou sensou by Katsuhiro Otomo won the Seiun Award for Best Comic of the Year. For a list of manga released in 1981 see Category:1981 manga.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Arts and entertainment
In music, the 32nd Kōhaku Uta Gassen was won by the White Team (men). Akira Terao won the FNS Music Festival.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Arts and entertainment
In radio, Japan FM Network, Japan's biggest FM radio network, was established in May 1981.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Sports
In athletics, Japan hosted the 1981 Asian Athletics Championships where it ranked 1st with 18 gold medals.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Sports
In football (soccer), Japan hosted the 1981 Intercontinental Cup. Fujita Engineering won the Japan Soccer League. For the champions of the regional leagues see: 1981 Japanese Regional Leagues.


1981 in Japan, Popular culture, Sports
In tennis, Japan hosted the Federation Cup, won by the United States.


1981 in LGBT rights
This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1981.


1981 in Laos
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Laos.


1981 in Libya
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Libya.


1981 in Luxembourg
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.


1981 in Malaysia
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1981, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.


1981 in Michigan
The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top sports stories as follows:


1981 in Michigan, Population
In the 1980 United States Census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 9,259,000 persons, ranking as the eighth most populous state in the country. By 1990, the state's population had grown only marginally by 0.4% to 9,259,000 persons.


1981 in Michigan, Population, Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 50,000 based on 1980 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1970 and 1990 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1981 in Michigan, Population, Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1980 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1970 and 1990 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1981 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in New Zealand.


1981 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government
The 39th New Zealand Parliament, led by the National Party, concluded, and in the general election the party was re-elected in the 40th New Zealand Parliament. Support for the government decreased, however, with the Labour Party receiving the largest portion of the popular vote.


1981 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Music, New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first and in boldface with nominees underneath.


1981 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Radio and television
See : 1981 in New Zealand television, 1981 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand


1981 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Film
See : Category:1981 film awards, 1981 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1981 films


1981 in Norwegian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1981 in Norwegian music.


1981 in Palau
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in the Republic of Palau.


1981 in Philippine television
The following is a list of events affecting Philippine television in 1981. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and carriage disputes.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
Major strikes of December 1981 took place in the following enterprises:


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Gdańsk Shipyard (December 13–16). Security forces tried to pacify it several times, finally managing to do so. 1,500 workers are fired after the protest.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- PZL-Świdnik (December 13–16). Pacified by the ZOMO in the night of December 15/16. The factory is militarized, 40 people are arrested.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice (December 13–16), see Pacification of Wujek.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Lenin Steelworks in Nowa Huta (December 13–17). Pacified by the ZOMO in the night of December 16/17.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Szczecin Shipyard (December 13–18). On December 18, after pacification by the ZOMO, the shipyard was closed for 2 weeks, with 1000 workers dismissed.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Puławy Nitrogen Plant Azoty in Puławy (December 13–19), pacified by the ZOMO.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Port of Gdańsk (December 13–20). Pacified both by the ZOMO and the Polish Navy units.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Anna Coal Mine in Pszów (December 13–20), pacified by the ZOMO, with 102 miners remaining underground until December 20.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Katowice Steelworks in Dąbrowa Górnicza (December 13–23), pacified by the ZOMO and Army units, with tanks and armored personal carriers.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Baildon Steelworks in Katowice, pacified by the ZOMO on December 14.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Halemba Coal Mine in Ruda Śląska, pacified by the ZOMO on December 14.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Bistona Textile Plant in Łódź, pacified by the Army on December 14.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Anilana Polanil Textile Plant in Łódź, pacified on December 14.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Teofilów Textile Plant in Łódź, pacified on December 14.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Ursus Factory in Warsaw (December 14–15, pacified by the ZOMO, with 60 arrested.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Manifest Lipcowy Coal Mine in Jastrzębie-Zdrój (December 14–15), pacified by the ZOMO with tanks, 5 miners are wounded.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Staszic Coal Mine in Katowice (December 14–15), pacified by the ZOMO.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Stocznia Gdynia (December 14–15), pacified by the ZOMO and Army units.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Andaluzja Coal Mine in Piekary Śląskie (December 14–17). The strike ended after miners get the news of the massacre at Wujek Coal Mine.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Pafawag and Dolmel Factories in Wrocław (December 14–19). Both factories, which are situated next to each other, joined forces, under leadership of Władysław Frasyniuk. On December 18 Dolmel is militarized, and the strike ends next day.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Rolling Bearings Factory in Kraśnik (December 14–18), pacified by the ZOMO.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Agriculture Machinery Plant Agromed-Archimedes in Wrocław (December 14–19). The strike is pacified by the army and the ZOMO.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Mera-Elwro in Wrocław (December 14–21). Pacified by the army and the ZOMO.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Bumar-Fadroma in Wrocław (December 15–18). ZOMO units pacify the enterprise on December 16, but since employees are not willing to work, the factory is shut down on December 18.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Ziemowit Coal Mine in Tychy (December 15–23). Some 1,400 miners remain underground for several days.


1981 in Poland, Events, December
- Piast Coal Mine in Bieruń. See 1981 strike at Piast Coal Mine in Bieruń.


1981 in Portugal, Arts and entertainment
Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 with Carlos Paião and the song "Playback".


1981 in Portugal, Sports
In association football, for the first-tier league seasons, see 1980–81 Primeira Divisão and 1981–82 Primeira Divisão.


1981 in Rwanda
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Rwanda.


1981 in Scottish television
This is a list of events in Scottish television from 1981.


1981 in Singapore
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Singapore.


1981 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in South Africa.


1981 in Sri Lanka
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Sri Lanka.


1981 in Swedish football
The 1981 season in Swedish football, starting January 1981 and ending December 1981:


1981 in Taiwan
Events from the year 1981 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 70 according to the official Republic of China calendar.


1981 in Thailand
The year 1981 was the 200th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 36th year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), and is reckoned as year 2524 in the Buddhist Era.


1981 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1981 to Wales and its people.


1981 in Zaire
The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Zaire.


1981 in Zaire, Sources
This year in Africa article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1981 in architecture
The year 1981 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.


1981 in association football
The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1981 throughout the world.


1981 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1981  throughout the world.


1981 in baseball, Champions, Major League Baseball
NOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half. The division winner of the first half (denoted East 1, West 1) played the division winner of the second half (denoted East 2, West 2).


1981 in basketball
The following are the basketball events of the year 1981  throughout the world.


1981 in chess
The major chess events of 1981 were the final match of the Candidates Tournament (between Viktor Korchnoi and Robert Hübner) and the second Karpov–Korchnoi World Chess Championship match.


1981 in chess, Candidates Tournament Final
The final of the Candidates Tournament 1980–81 was held from December 1980 to January 1981 in the Palace Hotel in Merano, Italy. All earlier rounds of the tournament had been held in 1980. The winner of the tournament would be endorsed by FIDE to challenge the reigning champion, Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union) to a match for the title of World Chess Champion. The finalists were Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) and Robert Hübner (West Germany), who had qualified for the final through an 8-player match knockout tournament.


1981 in chess, Candidates Tournament Final
The other players of the tournament were András Adorján, Tigran Petrosian, Lev Polugaevsky (Soviet Union), Lajos Portisch (Hungary), Boris Spassky (France) and Mikhail Tal (Soviet Union). Tal, Petrosian and Spassky were former World Champions. The format of the final was a 16-game match. Hübner abandoned the match after completing games 1 to 8 and partially playing, adjourning and then abandoning unfinished games 9 and 10. This made Korchnoi the winner of the Candidates Tournament. Korchnoi had 4½ points to Hübner's 3½ and had won 3 games, lost 2 games and drawn 3 games.


1981 in chess, World Chess Championship match
The World Chess Championship 1981 was a match contested from 1 October to 19 November between the defending World Champion, Karpov and the challenger,  Korchnoi. The first player to gain 6 wins would be awarded the title of World Chess Champion. Like the Candidates final, the match was held in Merano. Anatoly Karpov had been FIDE's recognized World Champion since 1975, when he gained the title by forfeit from Bobby Fischer (United States). Karpov and Korchnoi had both played only one World Chess Championship match prior to 1981, a very close match against one another in 1978 which was won by Karpov (+6 -5 =21).


1981 in chess, World Chess Championship match
Karpov, over 18 games, gained the required 6 wins to retain his title. Karpov won 6 games, lost 2 games and drew 10 games. Due to the decisiveness of the match, it was dubbed "the Massacre in Merano".


1981 in chess, Notable international tournaments
The Hoogovens tournament was held as a 13-player single round robin tournament in its customary location of Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands. Jan Timman (Netherlands) was the highest Elo-rated participant. The tournament was won jointly by Gennadi Sosonko (Netherlands) and Jan Timman, both with 8/12. Sosonko was also the only player to go unbeaten in every game. Evgeny Sveshnikov (Soviet Union) and Mark Taimanov (Soviet Union) came joint third, both with 7/12.


1981 in chess, Notable international tournaments
The Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting was held in its customary location of Dortmund, Germany. It was won by Gennady Kuzmin (Soviet Union).


1981 in chess, Notable international tournaments
The 21st and final IBM international chess tournament was held in its customary location of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It was won by Jan Timman for the second time.


1981 in chess, Notable international tournaments
The 3rd Linares International Chess Tournament was held in its customary location of Linares, Spain. It was won jointly by Anatoly Karpov and GM Larry Christiansen (United States).


1981 in chess, USSR Chess Championship (two editions)
The 48th and 49th USSR Chess Championship tournaments were, respectively, partially and completely held in 1981. The 48th USSR Chess Championship was held from 25 December 1980 to 21 January 1981 in Vilnius, Lithuania and was won jointly by Alexander Beliavsky and Lev Psakhis, each with 10½/17.


1981 in chess, USSR Chess Championship (two editions)
The 49th USSR Chess Championship was held from 27 November to 22 December 1981 in Frunze (now Bishkek), Kyrgyzstan and was won jointly by Psakhis and Garry Kasparov, each with 12½/17.


1981 in chess, Women's World Chess Championship
The Women's World Championship was a match held in Tbilisi, Georgia. Defending champion Maia Chiburdanidze (Soviet Union) was seeded into the final match and successfully defended the title, which she had held since 1978, against Nana Alexandria (Soviet Union).


1981 in chess, World Championships exclusive to young players
The World Junior Chess Championship, an Under-20 tournament, was held in Mexico City. It was won by Ognjen Cvitan (Yugoslavia).


1981 in chess, World Championships exclusive to young players
The World Youth Chess Championship (Boys) Under-16 tournament was held in Embalse, Córdoba, Argentina. It was won by Stuart Conquest (England), who was 14 years old.


1981 in chess, Elo ratings / rankings
There were two Elo rating lists published by FIDE covering the 1981 player ratings; these lists were published in January and July. Anatoly Karpov was the highest-rated player in both lists, though his rating in the July list was only five points higher than Korchnoi's.


1981 in comics
Notable events of 1981 in comics. See also List of years in comics.


1981 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1981.


1981 in film
The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.


1981 in film, Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten films released in 1981 by box office gross in North America are as follows:


1981 in fine arts of the Soviet Union
The year 1981 was marked by many events that left an imprint on the history of Soviet and Russian Fine Arts.


1981 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and tabletop role-playing games published in 1981. For video games, see 1981 in video gaming.


1981 in hammer throw
This page lists the World Best Year Performances in the year 1981 in the Men's Hammer Throw. (The women did not compete in the hammer throw until the early 1990s.) The world record was broken in the previous (1980) year by Soviet Union's Yuriy Sedykh at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union.


1981 in heavy metal music
This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1981.


1981 in hip hop music
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 1981.


1981 in home video, Film releases
The following films were released on video on the following dates:


1981 in jazz
This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1981.


1981 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1981.


1981 in marathon running
This page lists the World Best Year Performances in the year 1981 in the Marathon for both men and women. Australia's Robert de Castella broke the world record on December 6, 1981, at the Fukuoka Marathon, clocking a total time of 2:08:18. In the men's competition there were two editions of the Tokyo International Marathon run in the same year; the first one was held on February 8, 1981, and the second one on March 1, 1981.


1981 in motoring
1981 in motoring deals with developments in the automotive industry that occurred in 1981, listed by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
General Motors introduced a new range of medium-sized family cars, the "J Car". The British-built version of the car was called the Vauxhall Cavalier which launched in September, while its German twin was sold as the Opel Ascona. This incarnation of the car had front-wheel drive and a hatchback bodystyle to run alongside the saloon. The engine line-up included 1.3 L and 1.6 L petrol units as well as a 1.6 L diesel, with larger engined models to go on sale in the near future. The new car was also sold by other brands of General Motors, including Chevrolet in the USA and Holden in Australia.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
After 11 years on sale, during which time it was sold as a Hillman, Chrysler and finally a Talbot, production of the Avenger ceased under Peugeot ownership. It had gradually declined in popularity following the launch of the more modern Horizon and Alpine models during the late 1970s.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
Talbot's entry-level model, the Sunbeam, ceased production in late 1981 and was succeeded by the Talbot Samba a compact three-door hatchback which used the same underpinnings and bodyshell as the Peugeot 104. A cabriolet model would follow later.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
British Leyland announced the end of Austin Maxi production in July 1981, 12 years after the car first went on sale. There was no direct successor, although a new family hatchback – first planned towards the end of the 1970s – would be launched by early 1983. Meanwhile, British Leyland enjoyed success with its new Metro compact hatchback as Lady Diana Spencer bought 1 prior to her marriage to Prince Charles.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
British Leyland ceased production of the Princess after six years. Its successor, the Austin Ambassador, was a facelifted version of the original 1975 car, but the most significant change was the transition from saloon to hatchback bodystyle. The new car would only be sold in Britain.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
British Leyland's Triumph division was undergoing a major transformation for 1981. The Dolomite and TR7 ranges ceased production after a collective lifespan of 17 years. The marque would include one single model: the Acclaim, which was the result of a venture with Honda. The Acclaim was powered by a 1.3 L overhead camshaft petrol engine capable of 97 mph. Production of the new car, which debuted in 1980 in Japan as the Honda Ballade, took place at the Cowley plant in Oxford.


1981 in motoring, United Kingdom
The venture with Honda also saw development work begin on a new car which was expected to replace the Rover SD1 halfway through the decade. The Triumph name disappeared on sports cars with the demise of the Triumph TR7 in October, on the closure of the Speke factory near Liverpool which had been producing Triumph cars since 1959.


1981 in motoring, France
Renault introduced a new front-wheel-drive range of saloons – the R9 – at the end of 1981, giving it a competitor for the new-for-1980 Ford Escort. The initial engine range included 1.1 and 1.4 petrol engines; larger engined models followed. The 1.4 version was available with a five-speed manual gearbox, a rarity in comparable cars of the time. The American market received a version of the 9, known as the Renault Alliance, as Renault attempted to gain more popularity at the far side of the Atlantic through its partnership with the American Motors Corporation. The Renault 9 made an impact in Europe, as the continent's motoring journalists voted it Car of the Year for 1982 ahead of the two favourites; the Vauxhall Cavalier/Opel Ascona and Volkswagen Polo.


1981 in motoring, Germany
Volkswagen brought its range up to date for the 1980s by launching new generations of its Polo supermini and Passat large family car. Both cars were a huge success during their original 1970s incarnations. The Passat continued as a hatchback and estate, while the Polo hatchback was joined by a saloon model which (in Europe) no longer wore the Derby nameplate which was seen on the booted version of the original Polo. The Polo featured a new vertical tailgate which had the appearance of an estate rather than the hatchback it was officially marketed as.


1981 in motoring, Germany
The Audi Quattro was imported to British shores a year after going on sale in its homeland. With a 2.1 L turbo engine and four-wheel drive, the coupé was capable of around 140 mph and enjoyed a successful motorsport career.


1981 in motoring, Germany
Mercedes-Benz strengthened its position as one of the world's most desirable brands of car by introducing an all-new version of the acclaimed S-Class luxury saloon. The range-topper of the new S-Class range was the 560SEL, which was powered by a 5.5 L V8 petrol engine and had a top speed of approximately 150 mph, making it one of the fastest four-door cars made up to that time.


1981 in motoring, Italy
After almost a decade on sale in Europe, Fiat exported the X1/9 sports car to America.


1981 in motoring, Spain
Following the split from Fiat, SEAT rebranded its Fiat-based model range, with the Panda becoming the Marbella, the Ritmo becoming the Ronda and the 127 becoming the Fura.


1981 in motoring, Japan
The first generation Accord was a worldwide sales success for Honda, showing that it could build a rival for the Ford Cortina. The Americans were particularly impressed by the Accord, though its sales success was not quite matched in Europe. The new model had improved fuel economy, despite using the same 1.8 L petrol engine that powered the original Accord.


1981 in motoring, Japan
The Toyota Celica entered its third incarnation with a much more modern body style, primarily aimed at the American market. Power came from 1.6 L, 1.8 L, 2.0 L and 2.4 L petrol engines. There was also a three-door liftback version. For those who wanted high performance, European buyers finally got the Celica Supra, which came with a 2.8 L engine and was fast enough to be considered a serious competitor for the likes of the Porsche 924.


1981 in motorsport
The following is an overview of the events of 1981 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.


1981 in motorsport, Annual events
The calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.


1981 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.


1981 in music, Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest in the charts of 1981.


1981 in music, Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit singles
US Number One singles and artist  (Weeks at Number One)


1981 in music, Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit singles
UK Number One singles and artist  (Weeks at Number One)


1981 in music, Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit albums
US Number One album and artist  (Weeks at Number One)


1981 in music, Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit albums
UK Number One album and artist (Weeks at Number One)


1981 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1981.


1981 in paleontology, Arthropoda, Insects
Extinct Myrmeciin ant genus, jr synonym of type species Archimyrmex, sole species A. smekali


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named dinosaurs
Name preoccupied by a nematode Gerlach 1957. Renamed Ajancingenia in 2013.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Alexornithiformes Brodkorb, 1976, Enantiornithidae Nessov et Borkin, 1983, this is the type species of the new genus.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Gruiformes, Eogruidae Wetmore, 1934, this is the type species of the new genus.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Otididae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Sphniscidae, this is the type species of the new genus. Microdytes Simpson, 1981 is preoccupied by Microdytes Balfour-Browne, 1949 (Coleoptera), so Storrs L. Olson created the new genus Eretiscus Olson, 1986 to accommodate Microdytes tonnii Simpson, 1981.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Fringillidae, Emberizinae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Gruiformes, Eogruidae Wetmore, 1934, transferred to the genus Amphipelargus Lydekker, 1891 by both Kurochkin, 1985 and Olson, 1985.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Rallidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1981 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Ardeidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1981 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1981 in poetry, Works published in English
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1981 in poetry, Works published in other languages
Listed by language and often by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1981 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1981 in professional wrestling
1981 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.


1981 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1981.


1981 in science
The year 1981 in science and technology involved many significant events, listed below.


1981 in sports
1981 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1981 in the Netherlands
This article lists some of the events from 1981 related to the Netherlands.


1981 in the Philippines
1981 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1981.


1981 in the United Arab Emirates
Events from the year 1981 in the United Arab Emirates.


1981 in the environment
This is a list of notable events relating to the environment in 1981. They relate to environmental law, conservation, environmentalism and environmental issues.


1981 in the sport of athletics
This article contains an overview of the year 1981 in athletics.


1981 in video games
Fueled by the previous year's release of the colorful and appealing Pac-Man, the audience for arcade games in 1981 became much wider. Pac-Man influenced maze games began appearing in arcades and on home systems. Nintendo released the arcade game Donkey Kong, which defined the platformer genre. Other arcade hits released in 1981 include Defender, Scramble, Frogger, Galaga and Zaxxon.


1981 in video games, Financial performance, Highest-grossing arcade games
The year's highest-grossing video game was Pac-Man with $1.2 billion in arcade game revenue ($3.4 billion adjusted for inflation), three times the box office revenue of the highest-grossing film Star Wars (1977) in five years.


1981 in video games, Financial performance, Highest-grossing arcade games, Japan
In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1981, according to the annual Game Machine chart.


1981 in video games, Financial performance, Highest-grossing arcade games, United States
In the United States, the following titles were the top three highest-grossing arcade games of 1981, according to the annual Cash Box and RePlay arcade charts.


1981 in video games, Financial performance, Highest-grossing arcade games, United States
The following titles were the top-grossing arcade games of each month in 1981, according to the Play Meter and RePlay arcade charts.


1981 in video games, Financial performance, Best-selling home video games
The following titles were the best-selling Atari VCS home video games in 1981.


1981 protests in Kosovo
In March and April 1981, a student protest in Pristina, the capital of the then Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, led to widespread protests by Kosovo Albanians demanding more autonomy within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Presidency of Yugoslavia declared a state of emergency in Pristina and Kosovska Mitrovica, which led to rioting. The unrest was suppressed by a large police intervention that caused numerous casualties, and a period of political repression followed.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Background
The University of Pristina was the starting point of the 1981 Kosovo student protests. Kosovo's cultural isolation within Yugoslavia and its endemic poverty resulted in the province having the highest ratio of both students and illiterates in Yugoslavia. A university education was no guarantee of a successful future; instead of training students for technical careers, the university specialized in liberal arts, in particular in Albanology, which could hardly secure work except in bureaucracy or local cultural institutions, especially outside of Kosovo. This created a large pool of unemployed but highly educated, and resentful, Albanians – prime recruits for nationalist sentiment. Demonstrations were organized by several professors and students: Besim Baraliu, Fehmi Lladrovc.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Background
In addition, the Serb and Montenegrin population of Kosovo increasingly resented the economic and social burden incurred by the university's student population. By 1981, the University of Pristina had 20,000 students – one in ten of the city's total population.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Student protests
The demonstrations started on 11 March 1981, originally as a spontaneous small-scale protest for better food in the school cafeteria and improved living conditions in the dormitories. Tired of being made to wait in line, for hours, for poor quality food, students began demonstrating under Gani Koci’s command, who later was arrested. Two to four thousand demonstrators were dispersed by police, with around a hundred arrests made.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Student protests
The student protests resumed two weeks later on 26 March 1981, as several thousand demonstrators chanted increasingly nationalist slogans, and the police used force to disperse them, injuring 32 people. The engagement included a sit-in by Albanian students in a dormitory.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Student protests
As the police reacted negatively to a perceived increase in nationalism among the protesters, more arrests were made, which in turn fueled more protests. On 30 March, students of the three of the largest university faculties declared a boycott, fearing a return of Rankovićism.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Student protests
The demands of the Albanian students were both nationalist and egalitarianist, implying a desire for a different kind of socialism than the Yugoslav kind, marked by semi-confederalism and workers' self-management.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Escalation of protests
On 1 April, demonstrations swept through Kosovo, and 17 policemen were injured in clashes with demonstrators, failing to disperse them. The army moved in to secure state institutions, and Mahmut Bakalli soon called on them to send tanks to the streets.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Escalation of protests
Within days, the protests over conditions for students turned into discontent over the treatment of the ethnic Albanian population by the Serbian majority, and then to rioting and Albanian nationalist demands. The primary demand was that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia as opposed to its then-current status as a province of Serbia.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Escalation of protests
The authorities blamed the protests on nationalist radicals – the May 1981 Politika said the goal of the protests was for a Republic of Kosovo to become separate from Yugoslavia, and join Albania. The authorities imposed a ban on foreign reporting, and the local reporting, unlike at the time of the 1968 protests in Kosovo, entirely lacked independence, and instead ran only official statements. Some of the official statements were inherently vague, talking of "internal and external enemies", which provoked a variety of conspiracy theories that stoked nationalist sentiment elsewhere in Yugoslavia. One of the conspiracy theories was promoted by Azem Vllasi, who later publicly discussed the alleged involvement of the Albanian security service Sigurimi in the protests.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Escalation of protests
The demand that Kosovo become the seventh republic of Yugoslavia was politically unacceptable to Serbia and the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. Some Serbs (and possibly some Albanian nationalists as well) saw the demands as being a prelude to a "Greater Albania" which could encompass parts of Montenegro, the North Macedonia and Kosovo itself.


1981 protests in Kosovo, Escalation of protests
A standoff happened near Podujevo, where police reinforcements coming in from Central Serbia were stopped by Albanian demonstrators who had taken local Serbs and Montenegrins as hostages.


1981 protests in Kosovo, State of emergency
The leadership of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia saw the protesters' opposition to self-management and their nationalism as a grave threat, and decided to "suppress them by all available means".


1981 protests in Kosovo, State of emergency
On 2 April 1981 the Presidency of Yugoslavia under the chairmanship of Cvijetin Mijatović declared a state of emergency in Pristina and Kosovska Mitrovica, which lasted one week.


1981 protests in Kosovo, State of emergency
The federal government rushed up to 30,000 troops to the province. Riots broke out and the Yugoslav authorities used force against the protesters.