1982

HISTORY & POLITICS

Cold Sunday was a meteorological event which took place on January 17 when unprecedentedly cold air swept down from Canada and plunged temperatures across much of the United States far below existing all-time record lows.

On March 10 all 9 planets align on the same side of the Sun.

Israel completes withdrawing from the Sinai peninsula per the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.

The Weather Channel (United States) airs on cable television for the first time.

Longest Luna Eclipse of the 20th century took place on July 6, lasting 106 min.

The first International Day of Peace on Sept 21.

The Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World opens to the public for the first time.

Sony launches the first consumer compact disc player (model CDP-101).

On Nov 13, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., after a march to its site by thousands of Vietnam War veterans.

Thriller album by Michael Jackson is released, becoming the biggest selling album of all time in entertainment history.

Prince William is born on June 21 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London.

MUSIC

Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
I Love Rock N' Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Ebony And Ivory - Paul McCartney / Stevie Wonder
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats
Rosanna - Toto
Eye in the Sky - The Alan Parsons Project
Mickey - Toni Basil
Gloria - Laura Branigan
Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Who Can It Be Now? - Men at Work
Open Arms - Journey
Don't Talk to Strangers - Rick Springfield
Maneater - Hall & Oates
Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes
I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
Key Largo - Bertie Higgins
I Melt With You - Modern English

TELEVISION

Cheers: Starring: Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, & Shelley Long
The regulars of the Boston bar Cheers share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.
   
Family Ties: Starring: Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross, Michael J. Fox, Justine Bateman, & Tina Yothers
A couple who were ardently leftwing political activists in the sixties face the problems of raising a family with children who have strongly conservative views.
   
Cagney & Lacey: Starring: Tyne Daly & Sharon Gless
Two female police detectives cooperate with each other both in their professions and in their personal lives.

MOVIES
 
An Officer and a Gentleman: Starring: Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith
A young man must complete his work at a Navy Flight school to become an aviator, with the help of a tough gunnery sergeant and his new girlfriend.
      
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, & Ricardo Montalban
Admiral James T. Kirk is still in charge of a space fleet, but from behind a desk. Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock convince him to take on a mission which sounds simple, but with the appearance of the mysterious Khan, things get a little tricky.
 
48 HRS: Starring: Nick Nolte & Eddie Murphy
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
 
Poltergeist: Starring: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke
A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they "kidnap" the youngest daughter.
 
Gandhi: Starring: Ben Kingsley
Biography of Mahatma Gandhi, the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British through his philosophy of non-violent protest.
 
First Blood: Starring: Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo
A mentally unstable Vietnam war vet, when abused with a small town's police force, begins a one man war with it.
 
Conan the Barbarian: Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Gerry Lopez, Cassandra Gava, Mako, & Valerie Quennessen
The epic tale of child sold into slavery who grows into a man who seeks revenge against the warlord who massacred his tribe.

SPORTS

Cal Ripken starts the first game of what will eventually become his record-breaking consecutive games played streak of 2,632.

University of California, Berkeley executes "The Play" in a college football game against Stanford. Completing a wacky 57-yard kickoff return that includes five laterals, Kevin Moen runs through Stanford band members who had prematurely come onto the field. His touchdown stands and California wins 25-20.

Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 26–21.

New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup.

Bernard Hinault (France) wins the Tour de France.

Italy beats West Germany 3-1 to win the FIFA World Cup.

PEOPLE WHO DIED

Lee Strasberg (b. 1901) - Director, actor, producer, & acting teacher (taught Marylin Monroe)
John Belushi (b. 1949) - Actor / Comedian / Singer - Known for his work on Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon's Animal House, & The Blues Brothers.
Randy Rhoads (b. 1956) - Guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne
Satchel Paige (b. 1906) - Professional baseball player - Considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
Jack Sigert (b. 1931) - NASA astronaunt who was one of the 3 astronauts on the Apollo 13 moon mission.
Bess Truman (b. 1885) - First Lady of the United States

PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN

Kelly Clarkson - Singer & winner of the 1st season of American Idol
Kirsten Dunst - Actress - Claudia in Interview with the Vampire, Torrence Shipman in Bring It On, Mary Jane Watson in the Spiderman film series
Prince William of Wales - son of Princess Dianna & Prince Charles
Sophia Bush - Actress - Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill
Anna Paquin - Actress - Flora McGrath in The Piano (won Oscar), Amy Alden in Fly Away Home, & Rogue in X-Men movie series
Allison Mack - Actress - Chloe Sullivan on Smallville
Lacey Chabert - Claudia Salinger on Party of Five
Ian James Thorpe - Australian swimmer known as the "Thorpedo" who has 9 Olympic medal from the 2000 & 2004 Summer Olympics (5 of which are Gold)