This Year in History:
1982
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
On January 4, 1982, President Ronald Reagan signs off on a top secret document, National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD‑17), which gives the Central Intelligence Agency the power to recruit…
On January 13, 1982, an Air Florida Boeing 737‑222 plunges into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing 78 people. The crash, caused by bad weather, took place only two…
A 21‑year‑old woman named Mary accepts a ride from a man in the ski town of Breckenridge, Colorado, and is raped and severely beaten with a claw hammer. The attacker,…
On February 28, 1982, the J. Paul Getty Museum becomes the most richly endowed museum on earth when it receives a $1.2 billion bequest left to it by the late…
On March 6, 1982, bestselling writer and philosopher Alice O’Connor—known mostly by her pen name, Ayn Rand—dies at age 77. Two days later, at the funeral home visitation, a floral…
On March 29, 1982, 19‑year‑old North Carolina freshman Michael Jordan makes a 16‑foot jump shot with 15 seconds left to give the Tar Heels a 63‑62 win over Georgetown for…
On April 2, 1982, Argentina invades the Falklands Islands, a British colony since 1892 and British possession since 1833. Argentine amphibious forces rapidly overcame the small garrison of British marines…
On April 24, 1982, Oscar‑winning actress, anti‑war activist and Hollywood royalty Jane Fonda adds a new title—exercise guru—as she extends her reach into the home‑video market with the release of…
On May 15, 1982, “Ebony And Ivory” takes the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 , holding the spot for seven weeks. Recorded as a duet with the great…
Then 34‑year‑old director Steven Spielberg reportedly drew on his own experiences as an unusually imaginative, often‑lonely child of divorce for his science‑fiction classic E.T. the Extra‑Terrestrial, which is released on…
A stunningly large and diverse crowd descends upon New York City’s Central Park on June 12, 1982, demanding nuclear disarmament and an end to the Cold War arms race. By…
After suffering through six weeks of military defeats against Britain’s armed forces, Argentina surrenders to Great Britain, ending the Falklands War. The Falkland Islands, located about 300 miles off the…
Chinese American Vincent Chin, 27, is beaten in the head with a baseball bat by two white autoworkers in Detroit on June 19, 1982. Chin died in a hospital four days later,…
John W. Hinckley, Jr., who on March 30, 1981, shot President Ronald Reagan and three others outside a Washington, D.C., hotel, is found not guilty of attempted murder by reason…
Over 20,000 garment workers, almost all of them Asian American women, pack into Columbus Park in New York City’s Chinatown on June 24, 1982. The rally and subsequent march demonstrate…
On July 23, 1982, Vic Morrow and two child actors, Renee Shinn Chen and Myca Dinh Le, are killed in an accident involving a helicopter during filming on the California…
On July 24, 1982, Sylvester Stallone’s hit Rocky franchise produces its second #1 pop hit when Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger” begins a six‑week run atop the Billboard pop chart.…
Michael Hardwick is arrested for “sodomy” after a police officer observes him having sex with another man in his own bedroom in Georgia. Although the district attorney eventually dropped the…
On August 13, 1982, the teenage coming‑of‑age comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High opens in theaters around the United States. Written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, the…
During the Lebanese Civil War, a multinational force including 800 U.S. Marines lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon. It was the beginning of a problem‑plagued mission…
