1981

Events

• March 21 - Michael Donald, a 19-year old African-American man, is kidnapped, beaten, and murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan, in one of the last recorded lynchings in the United States.
• March 30 - John Hinckley Jr. attempts to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
• July 6 - Cuban American National Foundation is founded.
• July 27 - Serial killer Ottis Toole abducts 6-year old Adam Walsh from the parking lot of the Hollywood Mall in Hollywood, Florida, later raping him and decapitating him with a machete.
• December 13 - Wojciech Jaruzelski, the head of state of Poland, declares martial law in Poland in response to protests by the Solidarity trade union.

Births

Villain births

• February 2 - Salem al-Hazmi
• February 5 - Luke Woodham
• February 23 - Melissa Huckaby
• February 26 - Barry Loukaitis
• April 9 - Eric Harris
• July 9 - Kimveer Gill
• July 24 - Steven Anderson
• September 11 - Dylan Klebold
• November 30 - War Machine

Victim births

• January 3 - Polly Klaas
• January 11 - Toshiya Kuge
• January 17 - Lauren Dawn Townsend 
• March 5 - Candace Lee Williams (9/11 Victim)
• April 8 - Deora Frances Bodley
• August 5 - Rachel Scott (Victim of Columbine High School massacre)
• November 6 - Cassie René Bernall
• December 23 - Eric Samadikan Hartono

Deaths

Villain deaths

• February 15 - Mecislovas Gedvilas
• September 1 - Albert Speer
• December 6 - Dr. Harry Harlow

Victim deaths

• March 21 - Michael Donald
• July 27 - Adam Walsh