The Year 1983 From The People History

What Events Happened in 1983

• Seatbelt use for drivers and front seat passengers becomes mandatory in the United Kingdom.

• The U.S Embassy is bombed in Beirut, killing 63 people

• Unemployment Rises in the US to 12 million the highest figure since 1941

• IRA Bomb Exploded outside Harrods on December 17th during the pre Christmas Shopping Season

• Hurricane Alicia hits the Texas coast, killing 22

• Ethiopia Appeals for world Aid for when the death toll reaches4 million

• The Worlds Population is estimated at 4.72 billion

• The Philippines opposition leader, Benigno Aquino, assassinated

• China's Population reaches 1 billion

• Civil War breaks out in Zimbabwe

• A 5.2 earthquake hits Central New York

• Richard Noble sets a new land speed record of 633.468 mph, driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

• Due to the deployment of Cruise Missiles in the UK CND organises marches and rallies with over 200,000 attending.

• Brinks Mat warehouse robbery at Heathrow Airport making off with three tons of gold bars valued at $37.5 million

• Mass prisoner breakout from Maze High Security Prison near Lisburn, Northern Ireland

• A Terrorist attack by a suicide bomber destroys the United States Embassy in Beirut, killing 63

• The first mobile phones, are introduced to the public by the Motorola Company.

• Breakfast TV starts in UK with the BBC Breakfast Time and TV-am

• Sally Ride on June 18th becomes first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger.

• The US deploys Cruise Missiles in Europe at the Greenham Common Air Force Base in England and Deploys Pershing Missiles in West Germany

• President Ronald Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

• Margaret Thatcher wins landslide victory in General Elections in the UK

• Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín wins democratic elections to become the President of Argentina

Technology

• ARPANET officially changes to use the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.
• Lotus 1-2-3 is released
• IBM releases the IBM PC XT
• US Space Shuttle Challenger is launched on it's maiden flight
• Microsoft Word is first released
• The First Person to Receive an Artificial Heart Barney Clark US dies after 112 days
• Swatch introduce their first watches

Popular Culture 1983

• Final Episode of M*A*S*H airs record 125 million watch
• Cabbage Patch Dolls are sold in shops and become a success
• West German news magazine Stern publish the Hitler Diaries which turn out to be Forgeries

Popular Films

• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
• Tootsie
• Trading Places
• WarGames
• Superman III
• Flashdance
• Staying Alive
• Octopussy
• National Lampoon's Vacation
• Never Say Never Again
• Terms of Endearment
• Yentl
• Educating Rita

Check out our Television Programmes From The 80s whenever possible we have included a trailer to jog your memory. Series trailers and more information are found on the decade they started.

Popular Musicians

• Phil Collins
• The Police with " Every Breath that you take "
• Hot Chocolate
• Big Country
• Black Sabbath
• David Bowie
• Johnny Cash
• Culture Club
• Duran Duran
• Elton John
• Pink Floyd
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Lionel Richie with " All Night Long "
• Rod Stewart
• Michael Jackson with " Beat It and Billy Jean "
• The Moody Blues
• Bob Marley and the Wailers