The following events occurred in January 1981:
January 20, 1981: Reagan inaugurated as 40th U.S. President
January 21, 1981: First DeLorean manufactured
January 20, 1981: American hostages leave Iran after 444 days
The following events occurred in February 1981:
February 9, 1981: General Jaruzelski takes over in Poland
February 5, 1981: Toxic waste renders government building uninhabitable for 13 years