1982

The year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) of the Gregorian Calendar began on a Friday and ended on a Friday. The Lunar calendar marked this year as the Year of the Dog, and the Chinese New Year was celebrated on January 25, 1982.

1982 was marked by a number of FAA incidents, including two major U.S. plane crashes that killed over 200 passengers and individuals on the ground, and an incident involving a homemade flying apparatus; on July 2, 1982 Larry Walters attached 42 weather balloons to a lawn chair, and proceeded to take lift. Walters reached heights of approximately 16 thousand feet before shooting and popping the balloons with a pellet gun. Walters landed 90 minutes after he began popping the balloons. The FAA fined him $1,500 for the incident.

• January 6: William Boni is convicted of being the Freeway Killer
• January 8: American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) agreed to relinquish its 22 regional and local companies to settle an antitrust suit.

• January 13: An Air Florida jetliner taking off from Washington National Airport hit the 14th Street bridge and crashes into the Potomac River, killing 78. Five passengers had to be rescued from the frigid waters

• January 17: Record low temperatures hit US cities, the day was nicknamed "Cold Sunday."

January 20: Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a live bat during a performance

• January 24: The San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21, to win Super Bowl XVI.

January 27: Honduras ends nine years of military rule

• February 2: Late Night with David Letterman premieres on NBC.
• February 27:Wayne Williams is convicted of murdering two children in Atlanta, sentenced to two consecutive life sentences

• March 5: Comedian John Belushi died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin in a Hollywood hotel room.
• March 10: The U.S. placed an embargo on Libyan oil, after warning Libya to end their support of terrorism
• March 23: Guatemalan dictator Romeo Lucas Garcia was overthrown

• April 2: Argentina Argentinian troops invaded Great Britain's Falkland Island retaking the disputed Falkland Islands from the British.
• April 17: Canada got a new constitution with the signing of the Constitution Act in Ottawa.

• May 21: British troops land on East Falkland Island and begin a major offensive against Argentine stations.
• May 25: Dozens killed as Argentina and Britain clash in the seas around the Falkland Islands.

• June 6: Israel invaded Lebanon
• June 12: 600,000 people protest in New York's Central Park is support of the nuclear freeze
• June 15: The Falklands War ended with Argentine troops surrendering to the British
• June 21: John Hinckley, Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a mental hospital
• June 21: Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born to Prince Charles and Princess Di

• July 2: Larry Walters tied 42 weather balloons to a lawn chair and flew as high as 16 thousand feet before shooting the balloons with a pellet gun and landing about 90 minutes later. The FAA fined him $1,500
• July 9: A Pan Am 727 takes off from New Orleans' Moisant Airport in a storm and crashes. All 145 passengers, and four people on the ground, were killed.
• July 19: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, the theme song to the film Rocky III, reached the top of the Billboard music charts

• August 1: Israeli planes bombed West Beirut
• August 19: U.S. Congress approved a $98.3 million tax increase.
• August 20: Mexico economy collapsed, failing to repay a $60 billion foreign debt

• September 14: Princess Grace of Monaco, Grace Kelly, was killed in an auto accident.
• September 21: The NFL players and owners could not reach a salary agreement and a 57 day strike begun. As a result the 16 games schedule was reduced to 9 games.
• September 29: Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide claim the lives of seven people in Chicago.
• September 30: Boston based comedy Cheers debuts on NBC, starring Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer and Rhea Perlman

• October 7: Andrew Lloyd Webber's Musical, Cats opens on Broadway in New York City.
• October 29: Lindy Chamberlain, the Austrian who claimed "A Dingo took my baby" was found guilty of murder after a court didn't buy her story.

• November 2: A Bomb goes off in the Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan killing over 3,000 people, most of which were soldiers from the Soviet Union.
• November 13: The Vietnam War Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC
• November 16: The space shuttle Columbia landed at Edwards AFB, finishing its first mission

• December 2: The world's fist permanent artificial heart surgery performed on Barney Clark. Clark survived for 112 days before dying of multiple organ failure

• Jan. 19: Jodie Sweetin - Full House
• Mar. 03: Jessica Biel - 7th Heaven
• Mar. 12: Samm Levine - Inglourious Basterds
• Mar. 25: Danica Patrick - Race Car Driver
• Apr. 15: Seth Rogen - Knocked Up
• Apr. 30: Kirsten Dunst - Bring It On
• Jun. 30: Lizzy Caplan - True Blood
• Oct. 28: Anthony Lerew, MLB pitcher
• Nov. 30: Elisha Cuthbert - The Girl Next Door
• Dec. 20: David Cook - American Idol

• Mar. 05: John Belushi - The Blues Brothers
• Mar. 06: Ayn Rand - Writer
• Mar. 19: Randy Rhoads - Guitarist

• Jan. 02: Olivia Newton John - Physical
• Jan. 30: Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That
• Feb. 06: The J. Geils Band - Centerfold
• Mar. 20: Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'n Roll
• May 08: Vangelis - Chariots of Fire
• May 15: McCartney/Wonder - Ebony and Ivory
• Jul. 03: The Human League - Don't You Want Me
• Jul. 24: Survivor Band - Eye of the Tiger
• Sep. 04: Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra
• Sep. 11: Chicago - Hard to Say I'm Sorry
• Sep. 25: Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra
• Oct. 02: John Mellencamp - Jack and Diane
• Oct. 30: Men at Work - Who Can It Be Now?
• Nov. 06: Joe Cocker - Up Where We Belong
• Nov. 27: Lionel Richie - Truly
• Dec. 11: Toni Basil - Mickey
• Dec. 18: Hall and Oates - ManeaterBillboard: Historical Billboard Charts

1. An Officer and a Gentleman
2. Tootsie
3. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
4. Poltergeist
5. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas IMBD: Top Grossing Films of 1982

• Presented on: April 11, 1983
• Best Picture: Gandhi
• Lead Actor: Ben Kingsley in Gandhi
• Lead Actress: Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice
• Best Director: Richard Attenborough for Gandhi
• Best Documentary: Just Another Missing Kid directed by John ZaritskyRopesofSilicon: Complete Oscar winners list

• Stanley Cup - NHL: New York Islanders
• World Series - MLB: St. Louis Cardinals
• NBA Finals - NBA: Los Angeles Lakers
• Super Bowl - NFL: San Francisco 49ers

• NHL MVP: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
• MLB AL MVP: Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers
• MLB NL MVP: Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves
• NBA MVP: Moses Malone, Houston Rockets
• NFL MVP: Mark Moseley, Washington Redskins

• Chemistry: Aaron Klug
• Economics: George Stigler
• Literature: Gabriel Marquez
• Medicine: Sune Bergstrom, Bengt Samuelsson, John Vane
• Peace: Alfronso Robles, Alva Myrdal
• Physics: Kenneth Wilson NoblePrize.org: 1980 Noble Winners