February 4
February 4
Singer‑songwriter Karen Carpenter dies
Karen Carpenter, a singer who long suffered under the burden of the expectations that came with pop stardom, died on February 4, 1983, succumbing to heart failure brought on by…
A Year In History: 1983
This Year in History:
1983
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
February 8
February 8
Irish race horse stolen
Gunmen steal the champion Irish race horse Shergar from a stud farm owned by the Aga Khan in County Kildare, Ireland. The five‑year‑old thoroughbred stallion, named European horse of the…
February 22
February 22
“Moose Murders” opens—and closes—on Broadway
The notorious play “Moose Murders” bombs on Broadway, opening and closing at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theater on the same night. In doing so, its name becomes synonymous for an…
February 28
February 28
Final episode of M*A*S*H airs
On February 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special two‑and‑a‑half hour episode watched by 77 percent of the television viewing audience. It was…
March 6
March 6
Helmut Kohl elected West German chancellor
Helmut Kohl, the interim chancellor of West Germany since the fall of Helmut Schmidt’s Social Democrat government in 1982, is elected German chancellor as his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party…
March 8
March 8
Reagan refers to U.S.S.R. as “evil empire,” again
Speaking to a convention of the National Association of Evangelicals in Florida on March 8, 1983, President Ronald Reagan publicly refers to the Soviet Union as an evil empire for…
March 22
March 22
The origins of the Hummer
On March 22, 1983, the Pentagon awards a production contract worth more than $1 billion to AM General Corporation to develop 55,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). Nicknamed the…
March 23
March 23
President Reagan calls for new antimissile technology
In an address to the nation, President Ronald Reagan proposes that the United States embark on a program to develop antimissile technology that would make the country nearly impervious to…
March 23
March 23
First artificial heart patient dies
On March 23, 1983, Barney Clark dies 112 days after becoming the world’s first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. The 61‑year‑old dentist spent the last four months of his…
April 18
April 18
Joan Benoit wins Boston Marathon, besting women’s record by almost three minutes
On April 18, 1983, Joan Benoit wins her second Boston Marathon in the women’s division with a time of 2:22:43, shattering the record time by nearly three minutes. The following…
April 18
April 18
Suicide bomber destroys U.S. embassy in Beirut
The U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, is almost completely destroyed by a car‑bomb explosion that kills 63 people, including the suicide bomber and 17 Americans. The terrorist attack was carried…
April 26
April 26
Soviet leader Yuri Andropov writes letter to U.S. fifth‑grader Samantha Smith
On April 26, 1983, the Soviet Union releases a letter that Russian leader Yuri Andropov wrote to Samantha Smith, an American fifth‑grader from Manchester, Maine, inviting her to visit his…
May 28
May 28
Irene Cara has a #1 pop hit with the “Flashdance” theme
Irene Cara’s song “Flashdance (What a Feeling)”, from the Flashdance movie soundtrack, goes to the top of the U.S. pop charts on May 28, 1983. “Flashdance (What a Feeling)” was…
June 13
June 13
Pioneer 10 crosses the orbit of Neptune
After more than a decade in space, Pioneer 10, the world’s first outer‑planetary probe, leaves the outer limits of the known solar system by crossing the orbit of Neptune, the…
June 18
June 18
Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space
On June 18, 1983, the space shuttle Challenger is launched into space on its second mission. On board the shuttle is Dr. Sally K. Ride, who as a mission specialist, becomes…
July 7
July 7
11‑year‑old Samantha Smith leaves for visit to the USSR
Samantha Smith, an 11‑year‑old American girl, begins a two‑week visit to the Soviet Union at the invitation of Soviet leader Yuri Andropov. Some American observers believed that Smith was merely…
August 5
August 5
“Risky Business” debuts, launches Tom Cruise to stardom
On August 5, 1983, the comedy Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise in a breakout performance, opens in U.S. theaters. In the film, Cruise played Joel Goodsen, a suburban Chicago teen…
August 30
August 30
Guion S. Bluford becomes the first African American to travel to space
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guion S. Bluford becomes the first African American to travel into space when the space shuttle Challenger lifts off on its third mission. It was…
September 1
September 1
Korean Airlines flight shot down by Soviet Union
Soviet jet fighters intercept a Korean Airlines passenger flight in Russian airspace and shoot the plane down, killing 269 passengers and crew‑members. The incident dramatically increased tensions between the Soviet…
September 17
September 17
Vanessa Williams becomes first Black Miss America
On September 17, 1983, 20‑year‑old Vanessa Williams becomes the first Black woman to win the Miss America crown. Less than a year later, on July 23, 1984, Williams gave up…
