August 31, 1980: The Gdańsk Agreement

August 31, 1980: The Gdańsk Agreement is reached. The accord, signed by government representative Mieczysław Jagielski and strike leader Lech Wałęsa, led to the creation of the trade union Solidarność (meaning "Solidarity), and was an important milestone in the fall of Communist rule in Poland.

That Summer, faced with a major economic crisis, the Polish government authorized a rise in food prices, which immediately led to a wave of strikes and factory occupations across the country. On August 14, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk went on strike. Thanks to popular support within the country, the workers held out until the government gave in to their demands, and an agreement was formalized on August 31.

In the aftermath of the strike, Solidarity emerged as an independent trade union and rapidly grew, ultimately claiming over 10 million members nationwide and establishing itself as a major force in Polish politics.

If any one man "won the Cold War," Wałęsa could be the one, because he showed the Soviet Union what a real "workers' revolution" looked like. And forced American conservatives to praise the leader of a labor union.

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August 31, 1980 was a Sunday. These Major League Baseball games were played: 

* The New York Yankees lost to the Seattle Mariners, 1-0 at Yankee Stadium. Luis Tiant pitched 8 shutout innings, then manager Dick Howser brought Ron Guidry in to pitch the 9th, and an error by Willie Randolph does him in. Floyd Bannister (5 hits over 5 1/3rd innings) and future Yankee Shane Ralwey (1 over 3 2/3rds) combined on a 6-hit shutout. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-4.

* The New York Mets were swept in a doubleheader by the San Francisco Giants, 11-4 and 9-4 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics, 5-1 at Fenway Park in Boston. Carl Yastrzemski did not play. Rookie Rickey Henderson went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the California Angels, 5-0 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Scott McGregor pitched a 3-hit shutout. Eddie Murray went 0-for-3 with a walk. Rod Carew went 0-for-3.

* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-1 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-4 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Johnny Bench went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Willie Stargell did not play.

* The Chicago White Sox swept a doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians, 10-8 and 8-7 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Detroit Tigers, 11-6 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Robin Yount went 1-for-4 with a walk. Paul Molitor went 1-for-5 with an RBI.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros, 8-7 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Astros scored a run in the top of the 9th to take a 7-5 lead, but the Cubs scored 3 in the bottom of the 9th.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-2 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. 

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers, 4-3 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) in Kansas City. George Brett went 0-for-3 with 2 walks.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-3 at San Diego Stadium (soon to be renamed Jack Murphy Stadium). Mike Schmidt went 1-for-3 with a walk. Pete Rose went 1-for-4. Dave Winfield went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

* And the Los Angeles Dodgers swept a doubleheader from the Montreal Expos, 2-0 and 7-2 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Jerry Reuss pitched a 4-hit shutout in the 1st game.