25 Years Ago

 It's August 1981. MTV begins broadcasting.

 Dramatist Paddy Chayefsky, 58, dies in New York.

 Royal newlyweds Charles and Diana begin their two-week honeymoon cruise on the Mediterranean aboard the Britannia.

 Air traffic controllers across the country go on strike, forcing thousands of flights to be grounded. President Reagan fires more than 11,000 of the strikers.

 In London, more than 1,000 of Charles and Diana's wedding gifts and Diana's wedding gown are put on display. 

 President and Nancy Reagan leave Washington for a four-week long vacation at their ranch.

 Actor Melvyn Douglas, 80, dies of pneumonia.

 IBM announces the introduction of their new IBM Personal Computer or "PC." The computer, which is powered by an Intel 8088 microprocessor, has 40K of read-only memory and 16K of user memory.  

 The IBM PC will be available this fall at ComputerLand, Sears, and IBM Product Centers. A basic IBM PC for home use attached to an audio tape cassette  player (auxiliary storage) and using a TV set as a display will cost $1,565. An IBM PC with a memory of 64,000 bytes, a single diskette drive, and its own display will cost about $3,000. An expanded system with color graphics, two diskette drives, and a printer will cost  about $4,500.

 In Scotland after their honeymoon cruise, Charles and Diana talk to reporters. 

 Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for killing John Lennon.

 Voyager 2 passes by Saturn and sends photos of the planet to Earth. John Hinkley pleads not guilty to attempting to assassinate President Reagan.

 The Post Office adds four extra digits to zip codes.

 Star gazers enjoy a rare conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Such an alignment won't occur again until 2080.

 Radio newscaster Lowell Thomas, 89, dies at his home in New York.

 Endicott celebrates its 75th anniversary.

 John Denver performs at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Tickets prices range from $8.50 to $12.50.

 An Off Track Betting (OTB) office opens in Owego.

 The 5th Annual Tioga County Arts and Crafts Festival is held.

 The Tioga County Fair opens with a demolition derby on the first night.

 Popular local radio DJ Ted Baer leaves WENE just two years after he was hired away from WNBF.  

 Top selling books include The Third Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders, Noble House by James Clavell, Glitter Dome by Joseph Wambaugh, and God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert.

 Movies playing in local theaters include Student Bodies, Heavy Metal, Arthur, Under the Rainbow, An Eye for an Eye, An American Werewolf in London, First Monday in October, On the Right Track, The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, and S.O.B.

 Top tunes include Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield, Theme from The Greatest American Hero by Joey Scarbury, Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, I Don't Need You by Kenny Rogers, and Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys.

 President Ford's son Steve has a starring role on the soap opera The Young & the Restless. He plays  Nikki's boyfriend, Andy Richards.

 And the last episode of The Waltons airs on CBS. It's 8:00 pm Thursday time slot will be taken over by Magnum, P.I.