1980



The year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year that started on a Tuesday.

Shorts

 * June 25 - Mickey Mouse Disco

Theme park happenings

 * Disneyland celebrates its 25th anniversary.
 * June 7 - 18-year-old Gerardo Gonzales dies in an accident on the PeopleMover at Disneyland.
 * September 14 - Mickey Mouse Revue closes at Magic Kingdom to be shipped to Tokyo Disneyland.
 * November 15 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens at Magic Kingdom.

Home Video Releases

 * March 4 - Pete's Dragon, The Black Hole, The Love Bug, Escape to Witch Mountain, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The North Avenue Irregulars, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Hot Lead and Cold Feet, On Vacation with Mickey Mouse and Friends, Kids Is Kids, and The Adventures of Chip 'n' Dale. (All tapes were rental only until October)
 * December 30 - Mary Poppins

Births

 * January 4 - Greg Cipes (voice artist)
 * January 8 - Rachel Nichols (actress, model)
 * January 9 - Wong Cho-lam (stage actor, stage director, television actor, voice actor, DJ, television host, composer, lyricist, and singer)
 * January 17 - Zooey Deschanel (actress and singer)
 * January 18 - Jason Segel (actor)
 * January 30 - Josh Kelley (singer and actor) and Wilmer Valderrama (actor, voice actor, singer, dancer, producer)
 * February 11 - Matthew Lawrence (actor)
 * February 12 - Christina Ricci (actress)
 * February 17 - Jason Ritter (actor)
 * February 21 - Justin Roiland (voice artist and writer)
 * February 26 - Alex Fong (Hong Kong voice artist)
 * March 11 - Julie Patzwald (actress)
 * March 31 - Maaya Sakamoto (voice actress)
 * April 1 - Randy Orton (professional wrestler and actor)
 * April 26 - Channing Tatum (actor)
 * May 2 - Ellie Kemper (actress, comedian and writer)
 * June 10 - Jessica DiCicco (actress, voice actress and singer)
 * June 18 - Kevin Bishop (actor and comedian)
 * June 23 - Melissa Rauch (actress)
 * June 26 - Jason Schwartzman (actor and musician)
 * June 30 - Melissa Goodwin Shepherd (actress and animator)
 * July 3 - Olivia Munn (actress, model, presenter)
 * July 7 - Michelle Kwan (figure skater)
 * July 10 - Jessica Simpson (singer, actress, and model)
 * July 18 - Kristen Bell (actress)
 * July 20 - Gisele Bündchen (model)
 * August 12 - Maggie Lawson (actress)
 * August 26 - Macaulay Culkin (musician, child actor)
 * September 9 - Michelle Williams (actress)
 * September 29 - Zachary Levi (voice artist)
 * October 7 - Adam Ryen (Norwegian child actor)
 * October 8 - Nick Cannon (actor, rapper, radio and television personality) and Michael Mizanin (professional wrestler, reality television star and actor)
 * October 13 - Ashanti (singer and actress)
 * October 14 - Ben Whishaw (actor)
 * October 17 - Justin Shenkarow (actor)
 * October 29 - Ben Foster (actor)
 * November 10 - Niketa Calame (voice artist)
 * November 12 - Ryan Gosling (actor)
 * November 13 - Monique Coleman (actress)
 * December 3 - Jenna Dewan (actress and dancer)
 * December 9 - Simon Helberg (actor and comedian)
 * December 18 - Christina Aguilera (singer and actress)
 * December 19 - Jake Gyllenhaal (actor)
 * December 30 - Eliza Dushku (actress)

Deaths

 * January 7 - Sarah Selby (actress)
 * January 29 - Jimmy Durante (actor, comedian, singer and pianist)
 * February 1 - Jack Bailey (actor, voice actor, game show host)
 * April 15 - Raymond Bailey (stage, film and television actor)
 * June 16 - Bob Nolan (singer, songwriter and actor)
 * June 23 - John Laurie (Scottish actor)
 * July 24 - Peter Sellers (comedian and actor)
 * September 12 - Lillian Randolph (actress, singer, radio, film and television veteran)
 * September 21 - Lee Millar (film, television and voice actor)
 * November 15 - Bill Lee (singer)
 * December 8 - John Lennon (singer)
 * December 20 - Ben Sharpsteen (director and producer)

Artists Joined

 * Andreas Deja - Supervising Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.
 * Mark Henn - Supervising Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.
 * Mark Dindal - Director on The Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little. Effects Animator on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and The Fox and the Hound.
 * Barry Temple - Animator for The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Mulan.
 * Ruben Procopio - Animator/Sculptor who worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King.
 * Sandra Borgmeyer - Animator for The Black Cauldron and The Great Mouse Detective.
 * Retta Davidson - Coordinating Animator/Animation Teacher with Eric Larson and Walt Stanchfield, who worked on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron and The Great Mouse Detective.
 * Karen Keller - Layout Artist on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Hercules.
 * Tia Kratter - Background Designer for Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.
 * Donald A. Towns - Background Designer/Art Director on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.
 * Brian Sebern - Background Designer for The Little Mermaid, The Fox and the Hound and The Great Mouse Detective.
 * Tony Anselmo - Current voice actor for Donald Duck and animator on The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
 * Jesus Cortes - Key Assistant Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.
 * Gail Frank - Assistant Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
 * Peter Gullerud - Visual Development Artist/Assistant Animator on The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.
 * Mike McKinney - Assistant Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
 * David Pacheco - Assistant Animator on The Little Mermaid, The Fox and the Hound and The Great Mouse Detective.
 * Natasha Selfridge - Assistant Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.
 * Toby Shelton - Storyboard Artist/Character Designer/Director for DuckTales, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Return of Jafar. Also worked as an Assistant Animator on The Black Cauldron, Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Great Mouse Detective.
 * Peggy Tonkonogy - Assistant Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.