Henkels & McCoy establishes a Training Services Department. Working under the government’s CETA program, the department trains underemployed and minority persons to work within the rapidly growing CATV (Cable TV) industry…Henkels & McCoy opens another office in Florida (Jacksonville). This is our third office in the Sunshine State, the first having been established in Tallahassee in 1977. Work in Florida this year includes a 9,000 plus feet water mains project for the City of Ocala, plus underground work in the water-filled "floating peninsula" for the General Telephone Company in New Port Richey, Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, Tampa and Lakeland, and in Melbourne for Southern Bell…Martin F. Helmus is elected to the Board of Directors, as is Paul Mako. Marty Helmus was instrumental in designing the patented Railroad Mounted Cable plow. He started with the company in 1950, as a laborer. Paul Mako also rose from a similar position as a laborer to eventually head his own company, Ohio based Mako Construction, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Henkels & McCoy. Thirty-year H&M employee and Equipment Department Manager James F. Lafferty is elected Vice President of Henkels & McCoy Inc. Jim previously was VP at Henkels & McCoy Equipment Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary… Warren Michael (Mike) Jordan is promoted to Assistant Division Manager of the Delmarva Division of Henkels & McCoy. Mike will be named Regional Vice President and Division Manager for the Central Region in 2003… H&M’s Portland, Oregon office is again called to help alleviate power outages for 150,000 customers without electricity following a two to four foot snowfall in early January this year. The office also worked with Portland General Electric following snow and ice storms the previous winter…Harry Linn, Jr. is named as Vice President by the Board of Directors. Mr. Linn is the manager of the Industrial Division… H&M Board member Andrew L. (Drew) Lewis, Jr. is tapped to lead the Transportation Department in President-Elect Ronald Reagan’s incoming Cabinet.
January 29
Six US embassy aides escape from Iran with help from Canadians.
February 2
The FBI.'s undercover operation "Abscam" (for Arab scam) implicates public officials selling their influence to agents posing as Arab sheikhs.
April 7
US severs diplomatic ties with Iran following the hostage standoff.
April 25
Eight US servicemen are killed and five are injured as helicopter and cargo plane collide abortive desert raid to rescue American hostages in Teheran.
July 27
Deposed Shah of Iran dies at 60 in the US following treatment for advanced cancer.
September 17
Anastasio Somoza Debayle (right), ousted Nicaragua ruler and two of his aides are assassinated in Asunción, Paraguay.
September 19
It is the beginning of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war when Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army invades and holds 90 square miles of Iranian territory.
November 4
Ronald Reagan, former radio announcer, movie actor, television star -- and California Governor -- is elected President, defeating Jimmy Carter in a landslide. Reagan's folksy public persona endears him to millions during his eight-year tenure as Chief Executive. Carter will eventually become a trusted mediator in worldwide disputes and an election monitor in developing countries. Jimmy Carter will also work extensively with Habitat for Humanity, building affordable homes for America’s working poor. Left: a humorous mock movie poster of the era depicts "Sheriff" Ronald Reagan in a showdown with "Black Hat" Leonid Brezhnev. Reagan's "White Hat" costars include George H.W. Bush, Alexander Haig and Henry Kissinger. Other "baddies" include Fidel Castro and Libyan strongman Muammar Khaddafi. And of course, romantic interest Nancy Reagan plays a central role.
November 11
Voyager 1 flies past Saturn on a journey that will take it beyond the edge of the solar system.
December 4
Three US nuns and lay worker found shot in El Salvador.
December 8
Former Beatle John Lennon (right) , 40, is fatally shot in New York City while autographing a record album outside his home, the Dakota apartment building, on Manhattan’s Central Park West. His killer, the recipient of the autograph, is a deranged "fan" from Hawaii, Mark David Chapman. Chapman is convicted and is currently serving a life sentence in New York’s prison system.
ALSO IN 1980:
Linn Mollenauer, Rogers Stollen, and James Gordon demonstrate that solitary waves can be propagated through optical fibers... Philadelphia's Wistar Institute develops a new, less painful rabies vaccine... Smallpox is eradicated worldwide, though the deadly virus is kept in government laboratories for study... The cost of a first-class stamp in 1980 is fifteen cents... Unemployment stands at 7.1%.
In Sports
Super Bowl: Pittsburgh defeats the LA Rams 31-19... The Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series over the Kansas City Royals... LA Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers (4-2) for the NBA Championship... NY Islanders swat the Philadelphia Flyers (4-2) to take the Stanley Cup... In Wimbledon tennis, Evonne Cawley defeats Chris Evert Lloyd (6-1, 7-6), and Bjorn Borg beats John McEnroe (1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6)... The Kentucky Derby Champ for 1980 is Genuine Risk.
That's Show Biz
Eugene Ormandy, Musical Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra for the past 39 years, retires. He will be replaced by Italian Ricardo Muti... Popular movies include Raging Bull, Ordinary People, Coal Miner's Daughter, The Elephant Man, and Tess.
What's on TV
Ted Turner launches CNN, the first all-news network.... Among the year's top shows are Dallas, 60 Minutes, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Love Boat, Private Benjamin, M*A*S*H, House Calls, The Jeffersons, The Two of Us, Little House on the Prairie and Alice.
Deaths
Film maker, master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock (The 39 Steps, Psycho, The Birds, many others)
Musician, ex-Beatle John Lennon
Athlete Jesse Owens (US hero of the 1936 Berlin Olympics)
Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre
Comedienne Mae West, shown right ("Come up and see me sometime")