Week of January 23, 1981

President Reagan signs a resolution designating Thursday of this week a day of

thanksgiving in honor of the 52 American hostages. Meantime, Iran’s Prime

Minister Mohammed Ali Rajai defended in Parliament the agreement he made

with the U.S to end the hostage crisis and insisted that President Reagan honor

the terms of the settlement. Rajai has faced stiff criticism at home over the

financial settlement. President Reagan has indicated that the U.S. intends to

abide by the carter Administration agreement that freed the hostages.

At West Point - America’s 52 hostages thank their countrymen for a terrific

welcome after 444 days of captivity. Actually, 41 of the 52 attended. The State

Department reports that about a dozen of the hostages were experiencing severe

mental problems because of their captivity.

More than 265,000 turn out for the Washington DC homecoming of the 52

American hostages. President Reagan vowed swift action against any future

terrorism, warning that there are “limits to our patience,” “Welcome from all

America and thank you for making us proud to be Americans. Your freedom and

your individual dignity are much cherished.” “Let terrorists be aware that when

the rules of international behavior are violated, our policy will be one of swift and

effective retribution,” said the President.

President Reagan announces he is abolishing the Council on wage and Price

Stability and prohibiting federal agencies from implementing new regulations for

60 days.

Week of January 23, 1981

Harsh news conference - President Reagan accuses the Soviet Union of

reserving the right “to commit any crime, to lie, to cheat” in a persistent campaign

to promote global revolution and a worldwide communist state.

The Soviet Union accuses President Reagan of making “deliberate distortions”

about Soviet foreign policy goals. It said the new President made “unseemly”

remarks at his first formal news conference.

White House spokesman James Brady says President Reagan has assigned

Vice President George Bush to “stay in touch and monitor the situation” in

Atlanta, where 17 black children have disappeared in 18 months.

The Polish government and the free trade union Solidarity reach a compromise

agreement on a five-day workweek and union access to the news media, but

failed to settle their dispute over a farmers union.

Despite a recession - Consumer prices leaped 12.4% in 1980 for the first two-

year spell of double-digit inflation.

Former Iran hostages ride through a ticker-tape

parade in Manhattan. More than a million people

lined the route. After the parade, Mayor Edward

Koch stood at City Hall with the hostages at his

side. “Throughout the years, many famous

people have taken the same ticker-tape route

before cheering crowds. But this day is special.

Today, all of you belong to New York City. And

New York City belongs to you.”

The Supreme Court rules that states are free to

allow television and still-photography coverage

of criminal trails - even when defendants object.

President Reagan orders his department heads to invoke a wide variety of cost-

cutting measures, including a ban on redecorating of federal offices.

A Pan American World Airways airliner completes a 21-hour flight from New York

to Peking, resuming scheduled U.S. air service to China after a 31-year break.

U.S. airline service to China stopped with the communist victory in 1949.

Penthouse magazine releases an interview in which Moral Majority founder Jerry

Falwell blasts former President Jimmy Carter for giving his famous “lust”

interview to Playboy, “a salacious, vulgar magazine.” In the interview, Falwell

Week of January 23, 1981

said he never objected to then-presidential candidate Carter admitting in the

1976 Playboy interview he had lusted after women in his heart.” Falwell, the self-

styled “noisy Baptist” has built his Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg

(VA) into a 17,000-member organization.

Falwell denies he knew the interview would be published in Penthouse -

sandwiched between photo layouts of naked women, sex ads, bawdy jokes and

cartoons.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy says he and his wife, Joan, plan to divorce after 23

years of marriage. “With regret, yet with respect and consideration for each other,

we have agreed to terminate our marriage. We have reached this decision

together with the understanding of our children and other pastoral counseling.”

Joan Kennedy has been living in an apartment in Boston for more than a year.

They have three children.

Muriel Humphrey (68) - widow of former Vice

President Hubert Humphrey, announces she plans to

marry businessman Max Brown, a former high school

classmate.

Australian magnate Rupert Murdoch buys the Times

of London.

Sports -

New Orleans - The Oakland Raiders with QB Jim

Plunkett defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl

XV. As a tribute to the freed 52 hostages, the NFL will distribute and estimated

80,000 yellow ribbons to fans attending the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Also,

everyone is being asked to wear yellow ribbons. In addition, a giant yellow bow

has been attached to the face of the Superdome.

Bill Walton’s doctor says he has “totally given up hope” Walton can return. As a

member of the San Diego Clippers. Walton played 14 games last season and

none this season. He’s also seeking $5.6 million in his lawsuit against Portland

Trail Blazers physician Robert Cook and others involved in the treatment of the

injured basketball star in early 1978.

Radio news - Wacky personality Steve Dahl and his sidekick Gary Meier are

heard mornings not only in his home base of Chicago, but Detroit, Milwaukee

and soon - KROQ Los Angeles.

Week of January 23, 1981

Playing in Las Vegas -

Sammy Davis Jr. - Caesars

Anne Murrray, Larry Gatlin - Riviera

Shecky Greene, Suzanne Somers - Sands

Television news -

ABC becomes the first major network to file applications

for a series of low-power television stations, one of them

in Los Angeles. The applications also seek low power

stations in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and

Detroit.

In a ladies Home Journal article, Marie Osmond

declares she is a virgin and a “square lady.” “People

make such a big deal out of sex. They swell so much on

why Marie won’t go to bed with somebody, and they

think I’m a little weird because I haven’t yet. Like I’m

missing a big thing not having an affair once in a while. I

have just as many passions as any other woman. I’m not different that way. But,

when it’s right, it will be right. I cannot start at the intimate part of a relationship

and go backward, then worry the rest of my life if he respected me. I’m a square

lady, OK?” She broke off an engagement last year to actor Jeff Crayton because

he wanted her to stay home.

Super Bowl XV - On NBC as Dick Enberg and Merlin

Olsen call the action.

David Dortort, creator of “Bonanza” files a lawsuit, asking

up to $50 million in antitrust action against NBC and

National Telefilm Associates Inc. Among other things, the

suit alleges the defendants coerced buyers of television

programming to purchase rights to other programs as a condition of obtaining

licenses to show “Bonanza” and another series produced by Dortort.

Wednesday night television -

CBS - Enos, Movie

NBC - Real People, Diff’rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Quincy, Tonight, Tomorrow

ABC - Eight is enough, Taxi, Soap, Vegas, Nightline

PBS - Live from the Met, Silver Wings and Santiago Blue

Real People - World’s smallest man; baseball played on mules