Nov 13
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedicated
Maya Lin's black granite wall bearing 58,318 names was dedicated on the National Mall. Veterans wept. Critics called it a 'black gash of shame.' America called it healing.
war memorial
🇺🇸United States · 80s
Thriller
Michael Jackson's Thriller, E.T. phones home, and the Vietnam Memorial rises.
What happened
5 milestones of 1982
Sep 29
Tylenol Murders
Seven people in Chicago died from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. The case was never solved but it led to tamper-proof packaging for all consumer products. The era of product safety began.
poisoning
Year-round
Severe Recession
Unemployment hit 10.8% — the worst since the Great Depression. Volcker's high interest rates were killing inflation but also killing jobs. Factory towns were devastated.
Apr-Jun
Falklands War
Argentina invaded the British Falkland Islands. The US backed Britain. Margaret Thatcher sent the Royal Navy 8,000 miles. Britain won in 74 days. The last colonial war.
war
Oct 1
EPCOT Center Opens
Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center opened — a permanent World's Fair celebrating technology and world cultures. Walt's vision of a city of the future became a theme park.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Steven Spielberg — 'E.T. phone home.' The highest-grossing film of all time (until Jurassic Park). America cried.
Blade Runner
Ridley Scott — Harrison Ford hunted replicants. A box office flop that became the most influential sci-fi film ever.
Gandhi
Richard Attenborough — Ben Kingsley was Gandhi. Won 8 Oscars including Best Picture.
The Thing
John Carpenter — Kurt Russell in Antarctica. Horror and paranoia. A box office flop turned cult classic.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Amy Heckerling — Sean Penn as Spicoli. The definitive 80s teen comedy.
What was on TV
Cheers
1982-1993 — A Boston bar where everybody knows your name. One of the greatest sitcoms ever.
Late Night with David Letterman
1982-2015 — Letterman reinvented late-night with irony, stupid pet tricks, and dropping things off buildings.
Knight Rider
1982-1986 — David Hasselhoff and KITT — a talking Trans Am. 80s TV at its most fun.
Family Ties
1982-1989 — Michael J. Fox as teen Republican Alex P. Keaton. Generational comedy.
M*A*S*H
1972-1983 — Final season. The farewell episode was coming — and 106 million would watch.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$1.79
Gallon of gas$1.22
New house (median)$69,300
New car (average)$7,983
Loaf of bread$0.39
Movie ticket$2.94
Inflation: 6.2%
The worst recession since the 1930s. 10.8% unemployment. But inflation was finally coming down.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1982 (USD)
$1.79
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1982 (USD)
$1.22
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1982 (USD)
$69,300
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
1982 (USD)
$7,983
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
1982 (USD)
$0.39
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
1982 (USD)
$2.94
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
Commodore 64
The best-selling personal computer of all time launched at $595.
CD player
Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc player. Digital music began.
Internet protocol (TCP/IP)
ARPANET adopted TCP/IP — the internet's birth date is often cited as January 1, 1983.
Time Magazine's Machine of the Year
Time named the personal computer its 'Machine of the Year' instead of Person of the Year.
Artificial heart
Dr. Barney Clark received the first permanent artificial heart.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Parachute pantsRay-Ban Wayfarers (Tom Cruise effect coming)Members Only jackets
Slang
Gnarly— Extreme, awesome (from surfing)
Tubular— Excellent, cool
Gag me— That's disgusting
Behavior
- Pac-Man fever — arcades were packed with teenagers
- Thriller transformed Michael Jackson into the King of Pop
- The Vietnam Memorial finally gave veterans their due
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