1983 Newspaper Headlines
Which 1983 headlines caught the attention of reporters and made it into the headlines? With original 1983 newspaper articles you can gain a deeper insight into what it was like to live the experience. Understanding history is the best way to understand the present, and it is essential to be aware of the events of the past which shaped the world today.
It was the year Sally Ride became the first woman in space, the most famous music video ever made, “Thriller”, was broadcast for the first time, and the final episode of the popular show M*A*S*H aired. Read about all these events and more in an authentic 1983 newspaper from Historic Newspapers’ extensive collection.
January 2, 1983
The musical Annie is performed for the last time after 2,377 shows at the Alvin Theater on Broadway, New York City.
January 3, 1983
Volcano Kilauea begins slowly erupting on the Big Island of Hawaii. On December 5, 2018, after 90 days of inactivity from the volcano, the eruption that started in 1983 was declared to be over.
January 22, 1983
Björn Borg retires from tennis after winning five consecutive Wimbledon championships.
February 4, 1983
Karen Carpenter, American singer and drummer (b. 1950) dies from heart failure, which is attributed to her long battle with anorexia.
February 18, 1983
The Wah Mee massacre takes place, with 13 people killed in an attempted robbery in Seattle, Washington.
February 8, 1983
The final episode of M*A*S*H airs, setting a new record for most-watched television broadcast in American history.
March 5, 1983
Bob Hawke is elected Prime Minister of Australia.
March 23, 1983
Strategic Defense Initiative: President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles. The media dub this plan “Star Wars”.
March 25, 1983
Michael Jackson performs the dance move that will forever be known as the “moonwalk” at Motown 25.
April 18, 1983
The April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut kills sixty-three people.
June 18, 1983
Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space, on the Space Shuttle ‘Challenger’
July 21, 1983
The lowest temperature on earth is recorded in Vostok Station, Antarctica with -89.2 °C (-128.6 °F).
August 20, 1983
Space Shuttle Challenger carries Guion S. Bluford, the first African-American astronaut, into space.
September 1, 1983
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 is shot down by a Soviet Union jet fighter when the commercial aircraft enters Soviet airspace. All 269 on board are killed including U.S. Congressman Larry McDonald.
October 4, 1983
Richard Noble sets a new land speed record of 633.468 mph, driving ‘Thrust 2’ at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
October 25, 1983
Microsoft Word is released for the first time.
December 2, 1983
Michael Jackson’s music video for “Thriller” is broadcast for the first time. It becomes the most famous music video ever made, increasing record sales of the already popular album “Thriller”.
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