WHAT ALL HAPPENED JULY TO SEPTEMBER 1981
Find out what all happened July to September 1981

Gulf of Sidra Incident: United States fighters intercept and shoot down two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets over the Gulf of Sidra. (19. August 1981)

Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for murdering John Lennon. (24. August 1981)

MTV begins broadcasting in the United States and airs its first video, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. (1. August 1981)

Mahathir Mohamad becomes Malaysia's 4th Prime Minister. (16. July 1981)

Belize joins the United Nations. (25. September 1981)

British television: on Coronation Street, Ken Barlow marries Deirdre Langton, which proves to be a national event scoring massive viewer numbers for the show. (27. July 1981)

Murder of Adam Walsh: the head of John Walsh's son is found. This inspires the creation of the television series America's Most Wanted. (10. August 1981)

Assemblée Nationale votes to abolish capital punishment in France. (18. September 1981)

Donkey Kong, a video game created by Nintendo, is released. The game marks the debut of Nintendo's future mascot, Mario. (9. July 1981)

A structural failure leads to the collapse of a walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri killing 114 people and injuring more than 200. (17. July 1981)

The IBM Personal Computer is released. (12. August 1981)

Belize is granted full independence from the United Kingdom. (21. September 1981)

A worldwide television audience of over 700 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London. (29. July 1981)

The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C. (15. September 1981)

U.S. President Ronald Reagan appoints Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. (7. July 1981)

Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice. (21. September 1981)

President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar of Iran are assassinated in a bombing committed by the People's Mujahedin of Iran. (30. August 1981)

Baseball: Nolan Ryan sets a Major League record by throwing his fifth no-hitter. (26. September 1981)

Vanuatu becomes a member of the United Nations. (15. September 1981)

Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work. (5. August 1981)