1st » Provisional Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands begins his 1981 Irish hunger strike called hunger strike in Maze (HM Prison) e.g HM Prison Maze.
5th » The ZX81, a pioneering United Kingdom called British home computer, is launched by Sinclair Research and would go on to sell over 1.5 million units around the world.
6th » After 19 years of presenting the 'CBS Evening News', Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
27th » The Solidarity (Polish trade union) e.g Solidarity movement in Poland stages a 1981 warning strike in Poland called warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours.
30th » President of the United States called U.S. President Ronald Reagan is Reagan assassination attempt e.g shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr. Another two people are wounded at the same time.