* 1980 – Matthew Carey, American actor

* 1980 – Tommi Evilä, Finnish long jumper

* 1980 – Tanja Poutiainen, Finnish ski racer

* 1980 – Samuel Doe takes control of Liberia in a coup d ' état, ending over 130 years of minority Americo-Liberian rule over the country.

* 1980 – Terry Fox begins his " Marathon of Hope " at St. John's, Newfoundland.

* 1980 – Brian McFadden, Irish singer-songwriter ( Westlife )

* 1980 – Erik Mongrain, Canadian composer and guitarist

* 1980 – Accession of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

* 1980 – Jeroen Verhoeven, Dutch footballer

* 1980 – Luis Scola, Argentinean basketball player

* 1912 – Gloria Guinness, Mexican writer and editor ( d. 1980 )

* 1980 – Neha Dhupia, Indian model and actress

* 1980 – Kyle Lowder, American actor

* 1907 – László Heller, Hungarian engineer ( d. 1980 )

* 1980 – Danny Collins, Welsh footballer

* 1980 – Monique Ganderton, Canadian actress and stunt-woman

* 1980 – András Horváth, Hungarian footballer

* 1980 – Charles McCarthy, American mixed martial artist

* 1980 – Wilber Pan, American-Taiwanese singer, producer, and actor

* 1980 – Seneca Wallace, American football player

* 1896 – Erich Hückel, German physicist ( d. 1980 )

* 1896 – Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist ( d. 1980 )

* 1980 – Texas Battle, American actor

* 1980 – Nuria Cabanillas, Canadian-Spanish gymnast

* 1980 – Charlie David, Canadian actor

Exploded tank, remains as symbol of Iran – Iraq War ( 1980 – 1988 ).

Abadan had suffered serious damages during Iran – Iraq War ( 1980 – 88 ), including Saddam's deadly chemical weapons.

In September 1980, Abadan was almost overrun during a surprise attack on Khuzestan by Iraq, marking the beginning of the Iran – Iraq War.

* 1980 – Eight U. S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis.

Following the fall of the Shah of Iran and the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979 – 1980, the West became concerned with ensuring the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, and the US received permission for a $ 400 million expansion of the military facilities on Diego Garcia consisting of two parallel runways, expansive parking aprons for heavy bombers, 20 new anchorages in the lagoon, a deep water pier, port facilities for the largest naval vessels in the US or British fleet, aircraft hangars, maintenance buildings and an air terminal, a fuel storage area, and billeting and messing facilities for thousands of sailors and support personnel.

* 1980 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini names Abolhassan Banisadr as president of Iran.

Nonetheless, in September 1980 Iraq went to war with Iran, citing among other complaints the fact that Iran had not turned over to it the land specified in the Algiers Accord.

Prior to the outbreak of the war with Iran in September 1980, Iraq's economic prospects were bright.

Since a productive period in the 1970s, the mining industry has been hampered by the Iran – Iraq War ( 1980 – 88 ), the sanctions of the 1990s, and the economic collapse of 2003.

This war had begun in September 1980, when Saddam Hussein sent Iraqi forces across the Shatt al Arab into southwestern Iran.

The Iran – Iraq War ( also known as the First Persian Gulf War ) was an armed conflict between Iraq and Iran lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century.

The war began when Iraq invaded Iran, launching a simultaneous invasion by air and land 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes, and fuelled by fears of Shia Islam insurgency among Iraq's long-suppressed Shia majority influenced by the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

* 1980 – Institution of sharia in Iran.

* 1980 – Through cooperation between the U. S. and Canadian governments, six American diplomats secretly escape hostilities in Iran in the culmination of the Canadian caper.

More recent uses include: by France during the First Indochina War ( 1946 – 1954 ), the Algerian War ( 1954 – 1962 ), the Portuguese Colonial War ( 1961 – 1974 ) and the Western Sahara War ( 1975 – 1991 ), The Six-Day War by Israel ( 1967 ), in Nigeria ( 1969 ), India and Pakistan ( 1965 and 1971 ), Turkey during the invasion of Cyprus ( 1974 ), by Morocco during the Western Sahara War ( 1975 – 1991 ), Iran ( 1980 – 88 ), Brazil ( 1972 ), Egypt ( 1973 ), Iraq ( 1980 – 88, 1991, 2003 – 2011 ), Angola ( 1993 ), Yugoslavia ( 1991-1996 ), and by Argentina ( 1982 ).

* 1919 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran ( d. 1980 )

* 1980 – Demonstration flight of a secretly modified C-130 for an Iran hostage crisis rescue attempt ends in crash landing at Eglin Air Force Base's Duke Field, Florida leading to cancellation of Operation Credible Sport.

Since 1980, Switzerland has represented United States interests in Iran.

Syria's relations with the Arab world were strained by its support for Iran during the Iran – Iraq War, which began in 1980.