Major Events
- Jun 23 Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa meets Pope John Paul II during papal visit to Poland
- Oct 19 US Senate establishes Martin Luther King Jr. Day as federal holiday, observed on the 3rd Monday in January (on or near his 1/15 birthday)
- More 1983 Events
1983 in Film & TV
- Feb 28 Final TV episode of "M*A*S*H", a 2-hour special directed by series star Alan Alda titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen", airs (CBS); record 125 million watch in the US
- Oct 11 "Can't Slow Down" second studio album by Lionel Richie is released
- Nov 20 100 million watch ABC TV movie "The Day After" about nuclear war
1983 in Music
- May 20 "Every Breath You Take" single released by The Police (Billboard Song of the Year, 1983)
- Nov 2 "Thriller" single released worldwide by Michael Jackson
1983 in Sport
- Jan 18 IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals (Pentathlon & Decathlon victories) 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semi-pro baseball
- Sep 26 Australia II wins America's Cup yacht race - 1st non-US winner
Did You Know?
World's greatest robbery; 26 million pounds (sterling) worth of gold, diamonds and cash stolen from Brink's-Mat warehouse at Heathrow Airport, England
More People Born in 1983
Fun Fact About 1983
World's lowest-ever natural temperature recorded −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F; 184.0 K) at Soviet Vostok Station, Antarctica
More 1983 Deaths
Famous Weddings in 1983
- Feb 13 Film genius Jerry Lewis (56) marries 2nd wife dancer SanDee Pitnick
- Mar 4 Actor Harrison Ford marries screenwriter Melissa Mathison (divorced 2004)
- Jun 17 American singer-songwriter, of The Eagles, Glenn Frey (34) weds America artist Janie Beggs; divorce in 1988
Famous Divorces in 1983
- Mar 16 Producer Dick Wolf (36) divorces Susan Scranton after more than 13 years of marriage
- Sep 20 Actor James Woods (36) divorces costume designer Kathryn Morrison after 3 years of marriage
- Nov 14 British theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (35) divorces Sarah Hugill after more than 11 years of marriage
More 1983 Weddings