The following events occurred in the year 1981:

Events

• 31 October:
  • Lord Voldemort kills James and Lily Potter, but his Killing Curse rebounds off infant Harry Potter, causing the Dark Lord to lose physical form and Harry to gain a lightning-shaped scar and become a Horcrux.^{[citation needed]}
  • The First Wizarding War ends.^{[citation needed]}
  • Horace Slughorn's fish dies.^{[citation needed]}
• 1 November:
  • Sirius Black is arrested for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles. In reality, Pettigrew faked his death and went into hiding. Black is sentenced to Azkaban, without a trial.^{[citation needed]}
  • Vernon and Petunia Dursley (née Evans) reluctantly become Harry James Potter's guardians when he is brought to 4 Privet Drive by Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, and Minerva McGonagall.^{[citation needed]}
• Horace Slughorn retires from his post at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.^{[citation needed]}
• Severus Snape is appointed the new Potions Master at Hogwarts.^{[citation needed]}
• Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr. are arrested for the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom. The Longbottoms are committed to St. Mungo's and their infant son Neville is taken into the care of his paternal grandmother, Augusta Longbottom.^{[citation needed]}

Births

• Colin Creevey to Muggle parents Mr. and Mrs. Creevey (presumably)^{[citation needed]}
• Luna Lovegood to Xenophilius Lovegood and Mrs. Lovegood (presumably)^{[citation needed]}
• 11 August: Ginny Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley.^{[citation needed]}

Deaths

• July - Marlene McKinnon and her family^[1]
• 31 October: James and Lily Potter, Francis the fish.^{[citation needed]}
• Edgar Bones, his wife, and their children^[1]
• Dorcas Meadowes^[1]
• Caradoc Dearborn^[1]
• Fabian and Gideon Prewett^[1]
• Adalbert Waffling^{[citation needed]}
• Twelve Muggles, murdered by Peter Pettigrew^{[citation needed]}
• Benjy Fenwick

Behind the scenes

• Paul Davies, a British actor who portrayed a Death Eater in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, is born on July 4^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Dating conventions

External links

• 1981 on Wikipedia

Notes and references