1982 News and Interesting History Tidbits

Falkland Islands Conflict
50 Argentines land at Leith Harbour, on South Georgia a British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and plant their nation's flag.

Argentina invades the main Falkland Islands on April 2nd

Britain launched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Argentine Air Force, and retake the islands by amphibious assault on 25th April.

The first major shipping loss was the Argentine light cruiser ARA General Belgrano which was outside the exclusion zone, and sailing away from the area of conflict, sunk by the British nuclear powered submarine HMS Conqueror on 2nd May 1982. Following the sinking all Argentinian Ships returned to port taking no further part in the conflict.

The second major shipping loss was the British Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield following an Exocet missile strike.

Argentine aircraft attack the supply ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram in the Falklands.

British Forces prevailed and the islands remained under British control.

The Conflict ended in with 258 British and 649 Argentine deaths.

The ownership of the Islands is still in dispute with Argentina still claiming sovereignty.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Washington, D.C., for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The Memorial came about from the work of the The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. (VVMF), established in 1979 to create a memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War, and in 1980 congress authorizes three acres near the Lincoln Memorial for the site.

The main part of the memorial was completed in 1982 and receives around 3 million visitors each year.

Jamaica Polio Vaccinations
When we think of Polio vaccinations we associate the fight against polio as much earlier but many countries including Jamaica could not afford the cost which makes it all the more interesting to read this and realise the year was 1982
The British government and the Welkome Foundation donate 1 million Polio vaccinations to Jamaica. The estimated value of the vaccinations is $1 million Jamaican dollars. This gift is viewed as a big step in combating the outbreak of the disease.

Man Arrested For Sodomy In His Own Home
Michael Hardwick is arrested for sodomy after a police officer observes him having sex with another man in his own bedroom in Georgia.


In 1986, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Bowers v. Hardwick, ruling by a 5-4 vote that states could continue to treat certain types of consensual sex as criminal acts.

Sophia Loren Goes To Jail For Tax Evasion
Actress Sophia Loren began serving a 30-day prison sentence in Italy for failing to report five million lire on her income tax return for 1970

Michael Fagan Brakes Into The Queens Bedroom
30-year-old Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace morning and spent 10 minutes talking with Queen Elizabeth II in her bedroom before being arrested inside the palace at 3 a.m. Major questions were asked on how he evaded 43 soldiers, 24 police, 350 palace staff members, dog patrols, surveillance cameras, electronic listening devices and other equipment.

Deep Recession Argentina
The new economy minister has announced a number of measures to combat the current deep recession the country is experiencing including


Devaluation of the Peso


Lowering of interest rates


New Stricter limitations of foreign imports


This is in response to growing unemployment and unrest in the country combined with the 35 billion dollar national debt

Anti Nuclear Demonstrations
Around 700,000 demonstrators gathered in New York City's Central Park demanding an end to the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Graceland Opens to the public
Graceland is opened to the public for the first time, almost five years after the death of Elvis Presley.

First Artificial Heart
Doctors at the University of Utah Medical Center performed the first implant of a permanent artificial heart in Barney Clark the artificial heart used was designed by Robert Jarvik The Jarvik-7. Barney Clark lived 112 days with the device.

World’s Fair opens in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The 1982 World’s Fair opens in Knoxville, Tennessee. The theme of the year was “Energy Turns the World” and more than 11 million people visited the exposition during the seven months that it was open.

John DeLorean
John DeLorean is arrested in an airport motel with a briefcase containing $24 million dollars worth of cocaine. He had headed up the DeLorean Motor Company and built one of the coolest looking sports cars with gull wing doors, The company received large subsidies provided by the British government because he set up a factory in Northern Ireland, but the car had a number of technical problems and less than 10,000 were produced which are now highly collectible

Yassar Arafat Elected
Yassar Arafat receives over 88 percent of the popular vote and as a result is officially elected the President of the Palestinian National Council. Over the years, Arafat has been noted as one who has changed his tune, so to speak.

He used to apply guerrilla warfare which accompanied terrorist tactics during his process of fighting for Palestine to become an independent state. However, in the 1980s Arafat became willing to make peace with Israel, and acknowledged Israel’s right to exist along with Palestine. A peace treaty was signed between Palestine and Israel at this time.

El Chichon Earthquake and Volcano
An earthquake and a volcanic eruption at El Chichon in southern Mexico, kills many thousands. The eruptions, which continued for over a week, caught many local people unaware and unprepared as the last time the Volcano had erupted was 130 years earlier .

Few Tidbits From 1982
The first CD player is sold

Atari and Commodore Home Computers Sell Well

The Start of Genetic Engineering

Human Insulin that is produced by bacteria becomes available

Argentina invades the Falkland Islands And the Falkland War begins between the UK and Argentina

Epcot Opens

Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide kill 7 in Chicago

The Mary Rose flagship of Henry VIII is Raised

Yassar Arafat becomes President

Recession Bites hard in US

Dutch Elm Disease Kills Millions of Elm Trees

Commercial Whaling ends

Few Prices From 1982

New House Average Price $82,200

Wages Average $21,050

Gallon of Gas 91 cents

Firestone Car Tires from $23.95

Laundry Detergent $1.59


Cars
Datsun Stanza $6,600

Ford Escort $5,189

GMC 1500 Pickup $5,400

Pontiac Le mans 6000 $6,230



Electrical

TRS 80 PC1 $149.95

Sony 19 inch color TV $499

Teac Cassette Deck $139

Brass Finish Cieling Fan $199

The Fed Interest rate is 11.50% and Bank Of England Interest Rate is 10%

Music
Michael Jackson releases the Album Thriller.
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder Ebony and Ivory
Survivor with Eye of The Tiger


Movies
E.T., On Golden Pond, Porky's, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Chariots of Fire and Gandhi

TV
Dynasty, Hill Street Blues, Knight Rider

A few cars for sale that year
Datsun Stanza
Ford Escort
GMC 1500 Pickup
Pontiac Le mans


A few of the Computers and Games For Sale That Year
Commodore 64
Commodore Vic-20
TRS 80 PC1
IBM XT PC
Atari 5200
Colecovision
Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Frogger
Pac-Man

Mary Whitehouse
The British Moral Decency in Public campaigner Mary Whitehouse has her private prosecution against director Michael Bogdanov over the play Romans in Britain, which features a male rape scene, with charges of gross indecency under the Sexual Offences Act 1956, ended today after intervention by the Attorney-General to end the case - with both sides claiming victory.

Mary Whitehouse considered herself to be safeguarding morality in a society that was losing it's decency and that much stronger and more severe censorship was needed to protect children and society from itself.

Italy Wins 1982 World Cup
Italy Wins the 1982 World Cup beating West Germany 3–1 in the final in Spain

Corporal Punishment England
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that beating school children against their parents' wishes is a violation of the Human Rights Convention. Britain was the last country in Western Europe to ban corporal punishment in state schools in 1986.

Michael Jackson Thriller
Michael Jackson records the Thriller Album in 1982 which becomes the biggest selling album worldwide with an estimated 59 copies sold, below are some of the other sales estimates.


Michael Jackson 1982
"Thriller" 59 million sold

Eagles 1976
"Eagles Greatest Hits" 42 million sold

AC/DC 1980
"Back In Black" 42 million sold

Soundtrack Saturday Night Fever Movie 1977
"Saturday Night Fever" 40 million sold

Pink Floyd 1973
"The Dark Side Of The Moon" 40 million sold

Meatloaf 1978
"Bat Out Of Hell" 40 million sold

Soundtrack The Bodyguard Movie 1992
"The Bodyguard" 37 million sold

Shania Twain 1997
"Come On Over" 35 million sold

Led Zeppelin 1971
"Led Zeppelin IV" 32 million sold

The Beatles 1967
"Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" 32 million sold

Barbican Centre
The Queen opens the Barbican Centre the largest arts centre in western Europe covering five-and-a-half acres of Cripplegate, which was destroyed by Nazi bombers in World War II.

The Rock Opens After 13 Years
After 13 years the gates connecting Gibraltar Known as the Rock have been opened to allow pedestrian access to Spain. ( Currently Only Spanish citizens or inhabitants of Gibraltar are allowed across )
The gates were closed during General Franco's Regime in 1969 as part of the siege of Gibraltar.

Both the British government and the Spanish government would like sovereignty to move to Spanish control but the 30,000 inhabitants of Gibraltar have voted to stay under British control by large majorities in local referendum .

Oil Rig Sinks
The world's largest oil rig ( The Ocean Ranger ) sank in the storm-tossed north Atlantic with the loss of 84 crew members

Laker Airways
Laker Airways the first of the low cost airlines operating out of the UK has collapsed owing £270 million to banks and other creditors and the company chairman Sir Freddie Laker asked Clydesdale Bank to appoint a receiver.
Later in the Year Sir Freddie Laker he was forced to wind up his second Aviation Company Skytrain Holidays,

Tylenol laced with Cyanide poison 1982
A young girl who is sick in Illinois takes an extra strength Tylenol capsule that had been laced with Cyanide poison and died later that day

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