On This Day

Allen, the most powerful hurricane in the Caribbean, hits Brownsville, Texas

Hurricane Allen was the most powerful Atlantic hurricane by wind speed on record. The second tropical depression and first named storm of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, Allen was also the...

Hurricane Allen was the most powerful Atlantic hurricane by wind speed on record. The second tropical depression and first named storm of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, Allen was also the seventh most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure. It was one of the few hurricanes to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale on three occasions, and spent more time at Category 5 status than all but two other Atlantic hurricanes. Allen is the only hurricane in the recorded history of the Atlantic basin to achieve sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km Fort Worth, Texas, which had recorded 69 days of 100 °F (38 °C) heat.

Historical Significance

Hurricane Allen was the most powerful Atlantic hurricane by wind speed on record.

Events Before

  1. International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)

    International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)

  2. Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day

    Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day

  3. BBC landmark nature series "Life on Earth" presented by David Attenborough first shown on BBC One

    Life on Earth: A Natural History by David Attenborough is a British television natural history series made by the BBC in association with Warner Bros. Television and Reiner Moritz Productions.

  4. Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile

    Ruhollah Khomeini's return to Iran on 1 February 1979, after 14 years in exile, was an important event in the Iranian Revolution.

  5. Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage

    Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Greece becomes the 10th country to join the European Economic Community

    Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...

  2. Police drama "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC

    "Hill Street Station" is the first episode of the first season of the American serial police drama Hill Street Blues.

  3. Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States

    The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

  4. Twenty-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to score five career hat tricks be

    Twenty-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to score five career hat tricks before age 21, scoring five goals and two assists in a 9-2 Oilers home win against St. Louis

  5. George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ro

    George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ronnie Mack's song "He's So Fine"

More from the 1980s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 10, 1980?
Hurricane Allen was the most powerful Atlantic hurricane by wind speed on record. The second tropical depression and first named storm of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, Allen was also the seventh most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure. It was one of the few hurricanes to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale on three occasions, and spent more time at Category 5 status than all but two other Atlantic hurricanes.
Why is Allen, the most powerful hurricane in the Caribbean, hits Brownsville, Texas significant?
Hurricane Allen was the most powerful Atlantic hurricane by wind speed on record.

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