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Free printable kitTurning 45 in 2026

Born in 1981: fun facts, prices and a free printable 45th birthday party kit

Turning 45 in 2026? Here is their birth year, from Columbia's first flight to MTV's first video, plus a free printable party kit.

By InviteBird

Published

Reviewed

16 min read

The short answer

In 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia flew the first shuttle mission, MTV signed on with "Video Killed the Radio Star" and IBM unveiled its Personal Computer. Ronald Reagan took office, Prince Charles married Lady Diana, Sandra Day O'Connor joined the Supreme Court and Raiders of the Lost Ark opened in June.

Get the free printable kit
Born in 1981 lettered in dark green among cartoon icons of a space shuttle, a boom box, a cassette tape and a birthday cake
Digital illustration. Born in 1981, with a space shuttle, a boom box, a cassette tape and a birthday cake.

Anyone born in 1981 arrived in the year the space shuttle first flew. Columbia made its debut in April, MTV began broadcasting in August and IBM introduced the Personal Computer, all within a few months of one another.

Below you will find the year's major moments, everyday prices, notable birthdays and a tour of its films, songs, shows and games. Party ideas follow, with a free printable 1981 trivia-and-games kit that signed-in visitors can download.

Free printables with an InviteBird account

What’s in the free printable Born in 1981 party kit?

27 printable pages in 3 PDFs for the 45th birthday party: 12 games, a host guide with every answer, and table cards. Print it at home, hand out pens and let the stories start.

Free printable PDFs with an InviteBird account: 3 files, each in US Letter and A4.

A look inside the kit

  • Game 1: Meet & mingle bingo

  • Game 2: The 1981 headline quiz

  • Game 3: What did it cost in 1981?

  • Game 4: The 1981 birthday club

  • Game 5: Movies & music of 1981

  • Game 7: Timeline shuffle

  • The host guide: every answer, explained

  • Table cards: the 1981 history card, welcome sign and place cards

How do you play the 45th birthday party games in the kit?

Here is what each game asks of your guests, how to play it and why it lands, so you can pick the ones that suit your crowd before you print.

  1. Meet & mingle bingo

    Find a guest for every square. The perfect icebreaker.

    Players
    Everyone, on their own
    Time
    10 to 15 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 3

    You need

    • One card per guest
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Hand everyone a card and a pen as they arrive.
    2. Mingle! When a guest fits a square, ask them to sign their name in it.
    3. Each guest can sign your card only once. The guest of honor may sign twice.
    4. First to fill a row, column or diagonal calls "Bingo!" and the host checks the names.

    Why it’s fun: Strangers become friends in minutes, and everyone ends up swapping stories about the guest of honor.

    The 1981 twist: The 1981 card has squares like “Can name a hit song from 1981” and “Has seen Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

  2. The 1981 headline quiz

    Ten questions about the year it all began.

    Players
    Teams of 2 to 6
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 4

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Split into teams and pick a team name.
    2. Read each question aloud, or let teams work through the sheet at their own pace.
    3. Fill in one bubble per question. Changed your mind? Cross it out clearly.
    4. Swap sheets to mark them: one point per right answer. Answers are in the host guide.

    Why it’s fun: Big moments from 1981, with answers that spark "I remember that!" stories.

    Play it on this page, no sign-in

  3. What did it cost in 1981?

    Everyday prices from 1981: guess what they cost.

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 5

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Every price is a real 1981 figure; the host guide says where each one comes from.
    2. Write your best guess in dollars and cents on each tag.
    3. The host reveals the real prices one at a time, for maximum gasps.
    4. The closest guess on each tag wins a point. For extra drama, play closest without going over.

    Why it’s fun: Everyone has an opinion about prices, and the real 1981 numbers always get a reaction.

  4. The 1981 birthday club

    Eight of these stars were born in 1981. Can you spot them?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    5 to 10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 6

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Read each famous name.
    2. Decide whether they were born before 1981, in 1981, or after 1981.
    3. Fill in one bubble for each person.
    4. One point per right answer. Watch out for the close calls!

    Why it’s fun: Quick to play and full of surprises: it is hard to believe some of these stars share the guest of honor's birth year.

  5. Movies & music of 1981

    Match the films to their stars and the hits to their singers.

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 7

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Match each film to a famous name from the box, writing the letter beside it.
    2. Do the same for each 1981 hit song and its artist.
    3. Each letter is used once per side.
    4. One point per match, plus a bonus point for naming the song that was No. 1 on Cash Box magazine's 1981 year-end chart.

    Why it’s fun: It turns into a sing-along. Play the songs as you reveal the answers.

  6. Before or after 1981?

    Toys, games and gadgets: did each arrive before or after 1981?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    5 to 10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 8

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Read each milestone.
    2. Fill in the bubble on the left for before 1981, or on the right for after 1981.
    3. None of these happened in 1981 itself.
    4. One point per right answer. Some of them are very close calls!

    Why it’s fun: Everyone has a memory of these, and the close calls start friendly arguments.

  7. Timeline shuffle

    Put eight milestones in order around the 1981 card.

    Players
    Teams of 2 to 6
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 9

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Scissors
    • A table to lay the cards on

    How to play

    1. Before the party, cut out one set of cards per team along the dashed lines.
    2. Each team lays the 1981 card in the middle of their table.
    3. Place the other eight cards in order from earliest to latest, around the 1981 card.
    4. The host reads out the right order: one point for each card in the right spot.

    Why it’s fun: Hands-on and loud: teams debate, shuffle and change their minds right up to the reveal.

  8. Who knows them best?

    How well do you really know the guest of honor?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 11

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens
    • The guest of honor's answers

    How to play

    1. Before the party, ask the guest of honor to answer the questions privately.
    2. Teams write down what they think the guest of honor said.
    3. The guest of honor reveals each answer, with the story behind it.
    4. One point per match. The host decides on close answers.

    Why it’s fun: The reveals are the best part: every answer comes with a story.

    The 1981 twist: Add a 1981 bonus question: which hit from that year would they pick as their theme song, “Endless Love” or “Bette Davis Eyes”?

  9. Two truths & a tall tale

    Two true stories and one invention. Spot the tall tale.

    Players
    Everyone, on their own
    Time
    10 to 15 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 12

    You need

    • One slip per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Write three short statements about yourself: two true, one made up.
    2. Fill in the bubble for your tall tale, then fold that corner over to hide it.
    3. Take turns reading your three statements aloud.
    4. Everyone guesses the tall tale. Fool the room and you win a point.

    Why it’s fun: Guests learn surprising things about each other, and the guest of honor's turn is always a highlight.

    The 1981 twist: Guests may swap one statement for a fact from 1981, like “Columbia lifts off” (April 12), and the room decides whether it really happened that year.

  10. Toasts & memory prompts

    Twelve prompts that turn shy guests into storytellers.

    Players
    Everyone
    Time
    Any time, 10 minutes or more
    In the kit
    Page 13

    You need

    • One sheet, cut into cards
    • A bowl or hat

    How to play

    1. Cut the cards apart along the dashed lines and put them in a bowl.
    2. When it is time for toasts, pass the bowl around.
    3. Draw a card and finish the sentence, out loud, to the guest of honor.
    4. Raise a glass after each one. No points, just good stories.

    Why it’s fun: Nobody has to prepare a speech, yet everyone ends up saying something lovely.

    The 1981 twist: One card is all 1981: “If a 1981 headline announced your arrival, it would read…”

  11. Wishes for the next chapter

    A keepsake card for every guest to fill in.

    Players
    Everyone
    Time
    Any time
    In the kit
    Page 14

    You need

    • One card per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens
    • A box or envelope to collect them

    How to play

    1. Cut each sheet in half along the dashed line.
    2. Put the cards out on a table with pens, or hand them out at the start.
    3. Guests write a wish, a memory and their name.
    4. Collect them in a box for the guest of honor to read later.

    Why it’s fun: The one thing from the party the guest of honor will keep for years.

    The 1981 twist: Set the 1981 history card beside the wish box, so guests can tie a wish to a moment like “A royal wedding” (July 29).

Can you beat the 1981 headline quiz?

This is game 2 from the kit, playable right here with no sign-in. Tap an answer to see whether you got it, and why. At the party, teams play it on paper and the host guide holds the answers.

  1. Which space shuttle flew NASA's first shuttle mission on April 12, 1981?

  2. Voyager 2 flew past which planet in August 1981?

  3. Which channel signed on August 1, 1981, with "Video Killed the Radio Star"?

  4. Which company introduced the Personal Computer on August 12, 1981?

  5. Who became the first woman on the US Supreme Court in 1981?

  6. Where did Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer marry on July 29, 1981?

  7. Which film won the Oscar for Best Picture for 1981 releases?

  8. Which team won the 1981 World Series?

  9. Which team won Super Bowl XV on January 25, 1981?

  10. Which team won the 1981 NBA championship?

10 questions about 1981. Tap an answer to check it.

How do you run the kit at a 45th birthday party?

Example: a 90-minute 45th birthday party for 16 guests, born-in-1981 style, in four teams of four. Swap games in or out to suit your crowd; the host guide has every answer.

Before the party, print

  • 16 bingo cards, one per guest
  • 4 copies each of the headline quiz, the price game, the birthday club, Movies & music and Before or after
  • 4 timeline sheets, cut into cards
  • 8 two-truths sheets and 8 wish-card sheets (two per sheet)
  • The toast prompts, the scorecard and the host guide
  • The table cards: the 1981 history card, the welcome sign and four sheets of place cards
  1. 0:00
    Guests arrive: Meet & mingle bingo

    Hand each guest a bingo card and a pen at the door, so the mingling starts before the coats are off.

  2. 0:15
    Welcome and teams

    Say a few words about the guest of honor, then split the room into four teams of four, mixing generations.

  3. 0:20
    Round one: The 1981 headline quiz and What did it cost in 1981?

    Read the quiz aloud, then reveal the real prices one at a time and let the gasps do the work.

  4. 0:40
    Round two: The 1981 birthday club and Movies & music of 1981

    Play a few seconds of each song while teams match the hits to their singers.

  5. 0:55
    Cake break: The 1981 word search and Wishes for the next chapter

    Leave the word search and the wish cards on the tables while everyone eats.

  6. 1:05
    Round three: Before or after 1981? and Timeline shuffle

    Hand each team its set of timeline cards and give them five minutes to argue.

  7. 1:20
    All about them: Who knows them best? and Two truths & a tall tale

    Reveal the guest of honor's private answers, then let them read their two truths last.

  8. 1:30
    Toasts and winners: Toasts & memory prompts

    Pass the bowl of toast prompts, add up the scorecard and crown the winning team.

What happened in 1981?

The biggest events of 1981, each with the source it comes from.

A cartoon timeline of 1981: a space shuttle on a launch pad, a royal carriage under church bells, a television set playing a music video, a boxy desktop computer and a baseball over a stadium
Digital illustration. 1981 in five moments: Columbia's first flight, a royal wedding, MTV, the IBM PC and the Dodgers' World Series.
  1. January 20

    Reagan takes office and 52 hostages are freed

    Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president. Minutes later, the 52 Americans still held in Iran were released after 444 days of captivity.

    Source: National Archives: 444 Days: Selected Records Concerning the Iran Hostage Crisis 1979-1981
  2. January 25

    The Raiders win Super Bowl XV

    Oakland beat Philadelphia 27-10 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Quarterback Jim Plunkett was named MVP after throwing three touchdown passes.

    Source: Raiders.com: Fast Facts: Raiders Take Down Eagles In Super Bowl XV
  3. March 29

    The first London Marathon

    The first London Marathon was run on March 29, 1981. More than 1.3 million people have taken part in the race since.

    Source: London Marathon Events: London Marathon, history of the event
  4. April 12-14

    Columbia flies the first shuttle mission

    Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from Launch Pad 39A with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen aboard. After 37 orbits it landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California two days later.

    Source: NASA: STS-1
  5. June 12

    Raiders of the Lost Ark opens

    Paramount's adventure film opened in US theaters on June 12 with an $8.3 million opening weekend.

    Source: Box Office Mojo: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  6. July 29

    Charles and Diana marry

    Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London. A global television and radio audience was estimated at around 1,000 million people.

    Source: The Royal Family: Diana, Princess of Wales
  7. August 1

    MTV launches

    MTV began broadcasting with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." At first it reached only households in parts of New Jersey.

    Source: HISTORY: MTV launches (August 1, 1981)
  8. August 12

    IBM unveils its Personal Computer

    Don Estridge introduced the IBM PC at New York's Waldorf Hotel. It sold for $1,565 without a disk drive and ran an operating system from Microsoft that became known as MS-DOS.

    Source: IBM: The IBM Personal Computer
  9. August 25-26

    Voyager 2 reaches Saturn

    NASA's Voyager 2 made its closest pass of Saturn at 01:21 UT on August 26 (the evening of August 25 in US time zones), about 63,000 miles from the planet. It sent back detailed images of the rings.

    Source: NASA Science: Voyager 2, First To Visit All Four Giants
  10. September 25

    Sandra Day O'Connor joins the Supreme Court

    O'Connor was sworn in as an Associate Justice by Chief Justice Warren Burger. She was the first woman on the Court, and the Senate had confirmed her unanimously.

    Source: National Archives Prologue: First Woman on the Court: Sandra Day O'Connor
  11. October 28

    The Dodgers win the World Series

    Los Angeles beat the New York Yankees 9-2 in Game 6 to win the Series four games to two. A players' strike had interrupted the season, and the MVP award went to three men: Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager.

    Source: Baseball Almanac: 1981 World Series
  12. November 12-14

    Columbia flies again

    Columbia launched on STS-2 with Joe Engle and Richard Truly aboard, a second test flight meant to show the orbiter could be launched again. A failed fuel cell cut the mission short by nearly three days.

    Source: NASA: STS-2

How much did things cost in 1981?

A snapshot of the cost of living in 1981, from a stamp to a pound of coffee. Every price is a US figure from a government source, shown next to what that money is worth in September 2026.

Cartoon groceries from the early 1980s on a table: a milk carton, a loaf of bread, a carton of eggs and a coffee can, with stamps, coins and a toy gas pump
Digital illustration. Milk, bread, eggs, coffee, stamps and gas: the everyday prices in the table below.
ItemPrice in 1981Worth todayGood to know
First-class stamp18¢, then 20¢ from November 1$0.67, then $0.74 from November 1The first-ounce rate rose from 15¢ to 18¢ on March 22, 1981, and to 20¢ on November 1, 1981. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863
Federal minimum wage$3.35 an hour$12.41 an hourEffective January 1, 1981, up from $3.10 in 1980. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938-2009
Gallon of regular gas$1.31 (leaded), $1.38 (unleaded)$4.85 (leaded), $5.11 (unleaded)Average US retail price for the year: 131.1 and 137.8 cents. Source: EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 5.24: Retail Motor Gasoline and On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices, 1949-2011
Loaf of white bread (1 lb)53¢$1.96US city average for 1981, the mean of twelve monthly averages (52.5 cents). Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Bread, White, Pan (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Half gallon of milk$1.12$4.15Fresh whole milk. US city average for 1981, the mean of twelve monthly averages (111.7 cents). Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Milk, Fresh, Whole, Fortified, per One-Half Gallon (1.9 Liters) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Dozen large eggs90¢$3.34Grade A. US city average for 1981, the mean of twelve monthly averages (89.9 cents). Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Eggs, Grade A, Large (Cost per Dozen) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Pound of ground chuck$1.80$6.67100% beef. US city average for 1981, the mean of twelve monthly averages (180.4 cents). Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Ground Chuck, 100% Beef (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Pound of sliced bacon$1.67$6.19US city average for 1981, the mean of twelve monthly averages (166.6 cents). Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Bacon, Sliced (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Pound of whole chicken73¢$2.71Fresh, whole. US city average for 1981, the mean of twelve monthly averages (73.2 cents). Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Chicken, Fresh, Whole (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Pound of coffee$2.53$9.38Ground roast. The monthly average slid from $2.78 in January to $2.41 in November. Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Coffee, 100%, Ground Roast, All Sizes (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values
Median price of a new house$68,900$255,300Median sales price of new houses sold in the US in 1981, up from $64,600 in 1980. Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Census Bureau and HUD data): Median Sales Price for New Houses Sold in the United States

Worth today: each 1981 price scaled up by the rise in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items) from its 1981 average to September 2026, the newest month published. It shows what that money is worth now, not what the item costs today. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (series CUUR0000SA0), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (CPIAUCNS).

What was popular in 1981?

Cartoon arcade cabinet with a joystick, a boom box, a cassette tape, a headband, leg warmers, a fedora and a movie clapperboard
Digital illustration. An arcade cabinet, a boom box, leg warmers and a fedora: early 1980s fun in one picture.

Movies

Music

TV shows

Games & tech

Sport

Which famous people were born in 1981?

A few familiar faces who share the birth year, all born in 1981.

  • January 3, 1981Eli ManningNFL quarterback taken first overall in 2004, who won Super Bowl XLII and XLVI with the New York Giants and was MVP of both.Source: Biography.com: Eli Manning
  • January 25, 1981Alicia KeysSinger and pianist whose debut album, Songs in A Minor, earned her five Grammys, and who sang "Empire State of Mind" with Jay-Z.Source: Biography.com: Alicia Keys
  • January 31, 1981Justin TimberlakeSinger and actor who rose to fame in the boy band *NSYNC, went solo with the album Justified and acted in The Social Network.Source: Biography.com: Justin Timberlake
  • June 13, 1981Chris EvansActor who played Captain America in the Marvel films and the Human Torch in two Fantastic Four movies.Source: Biography.com: Chris Evans
  • August 8, 1981Roger FedererSwiss tennis champion with 20 men's Grand Slam singles titles, eight of them at Wimbledon.Source: Biography.com: Roger Federer
  • September 4, 1981BeyoncéSinger who led Destiny's Child before going solo, with 35 Grammy wins, according to Biography.com.Source: Biography.com: Beyoncé
  • September 26, 1981Serena WilliamsTennis champion with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 319 weeks at No. 1 and the 2012 Olympic singles gold medal.Source: WTA: Serena Williams
  • December 2, 1981Britney SpearsPop singer whose debut single, "...Baby One More Time," topped the Billboard Hot 100, and whose "Toxic" won a Grammy.Source: Biography.com: Britney Spears

What are some fun facts about 1981?

  1. Columbia came home from its first flight having lost 16 heat-shield tiles, with 148 more damaged by launch forces. NASA later changed the water sound suppression system to fix the problem.

    Source: NASA: STS-1

  2. Voyager 2's data suggested that Saturn's A ring is only about 980 feet (300 meters) thick. Thousands of micron-sized dust grains hit the spacecraft as it crossed the ring plane.

    Source: NASA Science: Voyager 2, First To Visit All Four Giants

  3. The IBM PC came without a disk drive. A display, two diskette drives and a printer added nearly $3,000 to the base price of $1,565.

    Source: IBM: The IBM Personal Computer

  4. IBM's team designed the PC's motherboard in 40 days and had a working prototype in four months. The machine could use a television as its monitor.

    Source: IBM: The IBM Personal Computer

  5. The Osborne 1, the first mass-produced portable computer, weighed 24 pounds.

    Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1981

  6. MTV's first words, spoken by co-creator John Lack, were "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." Only households in parts of New Jersey could see the channel at first.

    Source: HISTORY: MTV launches (August 1, 1981)

  7. France Telecom offered a free Minitel terminal to every phone subscriber in 1981, creating one of the first mass online networks.

    Source: Computer History Museum: Timeline of Computer History, 1981

  8. The 1981 World Series MVP award was shared by three players, the first time it went to more than one person.

    Source: Baseball Almanac: 1981 World Series

  9. Houston reached the 1981 NBA Finals with a 40-42 regular-season record, only the second team to do so with a losing mark.

    Source: NBA.com: Season Review: 1980-81

  10. A pound of sugar averaged 53.8 cents in January 1981 and 32.5 cents by December.

    Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Average Price: Sugar, White, All Sizes (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average, 1981 monthly values

  11. Raiders of the Lost Ark earned $168.4 million at the US box office during 1981, more than any other film that year.

    Source: The Numbers: Top-Grossing Movies of 1981

  12. Among the 1981 Oscar winners, Raiders took home a special achievement award for sound effects editing.

    Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 54th Academy Awards (1982), honoring 1981 films

Can you answer these 1981 trivia questions?

Tap a question to see the answer. The party kit has a full round of 1981 trivia ready to print.

  1. Which space shuttle flew NASA's first shuttle mission in April 1981?

    Answer: Columbia, with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen. Source: NASA: STS-1

  2. Which planet did Voyager 2 pass in August 1981?

    Answer: Saturn, at a distance of about 63,000 miles. Source: NASA Science: Voyager 2, First To Visit All Four Giants

  3. Which song was the first video shown on MTV on August 1, 1981?

    Answer: "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. Source: HISTORY: MTV launches (August 1, 1981)

  4. How much did the IBM Personal Computer cost at launch?

    Answer: $1,565, without a disk drive. Source: IBM: The IBM Personal Computer

  5. Who became the first woman on the US Supreme Court in 1981?

    Answer: Sandra Day O'Connor, sworn in on September 25. Source: National Archives Prologue: First Woman on the Court: Sandra Day O'Connor

  6. Which film won the Oscar for Best Picture for 1981 releases?

    Answer: Chariots of Fire. Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 54th Academy Awards (1982), honoring 1981 films

  7. Which song ranked No. 1 on Cash Box magazine's 1981 year-end singles chart?

    Answer: "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. Source: Cash Box magazine archive: Top 100 singles of 1981 (year-end chart)

  8. Which team won the 1981 World Series?

    Answer: The Los Angeles Dodgers, four games to two over the New York Yankees. Source: Baseball Almanac: 1981 World Series

  9. How much did a first-class stamp cost after November 1, 1981?

    Answer: 20 cents for the first ounce. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863

  10. Where did Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer marry in July 1981?

    Answer: St Paul's Cathedral in London. Source: The Royal Family: Diana, Princess of Wales

How do you throw a 1981-themed 45th birthday party?

Cartoon friends laughing around a table at a birthday party, writing answers on trivia sheets beside a cake with candles, with streamers overhead
Digital illustration. Friends playing a pen-and-paper trivia game at an early-1980s-themed birthday party.

  • Play the hits of 1981

    Start the playlist with the year's biggest singles: "Endless Love," "Bette Davis Eyes," "Jessie's Girl," "Keep On Loving You" and "Physical." Save "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang for the cake.

  • Finish-the-chorus rounds

    Stop each song mid-chorus and make teams sing the rest. A point goes to the table with the title and a bonus to the one that names the artist.

  • Raiders-style treasure hunt

    Draw a treasure map and hide a golden idol or a bag of chocolate coins in the yard. Hand out fedoras and let guests follow clues to the prize.

  • Countdown to liftoff

    Their birth year saw the first shuttle launch, so count down from ten before the candles come out. Add foil-wrapped star cookies and a "Columbia, April 12" sign.

  • Arcade corner

    Donkey Kong arrived in arcades in 1981. Set up a retro game corner with a console or a tabletop machine and crown the high-score champion of the night with a homemade trophy.

  • Music-video karaoke

    MTV started in 1981, so bring a microphone and let guests lip-sync a favorite video from the era. Open the show with "Video Killed the Radio Star."

  • Dress code: 1981

    Invite guests to arrive in leg warmers, a headband, a polo with a popped collar or an adventurer's fedora.

  • Then-and-now photo wall

    Hang baby photos from 1981 beside headlines about Columbia, MTV and the IBM PC. Add recent snapshots next to them to show how the years went by.

  • Guess the 1981 price

    Write a gallon of gas, a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread on cards and have guests guess the 1981 price. The prices section above has the answers.

Which invitations and cards fit a 45th birthday?

Born in 1981 means turning 45 in 2026. These designs follow the calendar: next year this page shows 46th birthday picks instead. Every invitation here lets you write the age in yourself, so 45 goes right into the wording.

Adult birthday invitations

All 2032 adult birthday invitations

Online cards for turning 45

Milestone birthday cards

What else do people ask about 1981?

How old is someone born in 1981?

A person born in 1981 reaches 45 in 2026 once their birthday arrives. Until then they are a year younger.

What generation is someone born in 1981?

Millennial. By Pew Research Center's definition the Millennial generation covers birth years 1981 to 1996, which makes 1981 its opening year.

What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 1981?

The Rooster, whose year began on February 5, 1981, per the Hong Kong Observatory's conversion table. A baby born between January 1 and February 4, 1981, falls under the Monkey, whose year started on February 16, 1980, in the Observatory's 1980 table.

What happened in 1981?

Columbia flew the first space shuttle mission, MTV began broadcasting and IBM unveiled its Personal Computer. Ronald Reagan took office, Charles and Diana married and Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman on the Supreme Court.

What was the No. 1 song of 1981?

"Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie ranked first on Cash Box magazine's 1981 year-end chart, with "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes second. Other charts order the year differently.

How much did things cost in 1981?

A first-class stamp started the year at 18 cents and ended it at 20. The federal minimum wage was $3.35 an hour, unleaded gas averaged $1.38 a gallon and a dozen large eggs cost about 90 cents.

Which famous people were born in 1981?

Eli Manning, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Chris Evans, Roger Federer, Beyoncé, Serena Williams and Britney Spears were all born in 1981.

What movies came out in 1981?

Chariots of Fire won the Oscar for Best Picture. It shared the year with Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman II, Arthur and On Golden Pond.

Who won the World Series and the Super Bowl in 1981?

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the 1981 World Series. The Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XV in January 1981 over the Philadelphia Eagles.

What games work for a 45th birthday party?

The kit bundles twelve printable activities, including bingo, a 1981 headline quiz, a price-guessing round and a word search. A host guide lists every answer, and table cards finish the set. Signed-in visitors can download everything on this page.

What are good 1981-themed party ideas?

Open with the year's hits, stage a Raiders-style treasure hunt and count down to the cake like a shuttle launch. A music-video karaoke corner and a photo wall pairing baby pictures with 1981 headlines round out the theme.

Where do these facts come from?

The party kit lists the sources behind its games and answers at the back of its host guide.

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