Feb 28
M*A*S*H Finale — Most Watched TV Episode Ever
105.9 million viewers watched the M*A*S*H finale 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.' It remains the most-watched broadcast in American television history. Alan Alda wrote and directed.
🇺🇸United States · 80s
The Final Episode
M*A*S*H says goodbye, Reagan's Star Wars, and the internet is born.
What happened
5 milestones of 1983
Mar 23
Reagan's 'Star Wars' Speech
Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative — a space-based missile defense system. Critics called it 'Star Wars.' It may have helped end the Cold War by terrifying the Soviets.
Oct 23
Beirut Barracks Bombing
A truck bomb killed 241 American service members at their barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The deadliest day for the US Marines since Iwo Jima. Reagan withdrew US forces shortly after.
terrorism
Jan 1
Internet Is Born (ARPANET Switches to TCP/IP)
ARPANET switched to TCP/IP protocol on January 1, 1983 — the technical birthday of the internet. Nobody noticed. Nobody could have imagined what it would become.
Jun 18
Sally Ride — First American Woman in Space
Sally Ride flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, becoming the first American woman in space. Asked if the ride affected her differently as a woman, she replied: 'I didn't really think about it that way.'
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Return of the Jedi
Richard Marquand — The Star Wars trilogy concluded. Darth Vader redeemed. Ewoks divided fans.
Scarface
Brian De Palma — 'Say hello to my little friend!' Al Pacino as Tony Montana. Excess incarnate.
Terms of Endearment
James L. Brooks — Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger. Won Best Picture. America sobbed.
WarGames
John Badham — 'Shall we play a game?' Matthew Broderick nearly starts WWIII from his bedroom.
A Christmas Story
Bob Clark — 'You'll shoot your eye out!' The ultimate Christmas movie for millions of families.
What was on TV
The A-Team
1983-1987 — 'I love it when a plan comes together.' Mr. T and explosions.
Night Court
1984-1992 — Harry Anderson presided over the zaniest courtroom on TV.
Fraggle Rock
1983-1987 — Jim Henson's underground world of Muppet-like creatures.
60 Minutes
1968-present — Most-watched news program. Mike Wallace made people sweat.
Dallas
1978-1991 — J.R. Ewing was still scheming. America kept watching.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$1.79
Gallon of gas$1.16
New house (median)$75,300
New car (average)$8,500
Loaf of bread$0.40
Movie ticket$3.15
Inflation: 3.2%
Inflation was finally tamed. The recovery from the 1982 recession began. Reagan's boom was starting.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1983 (USD)
$1.79
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1983 (USD)
$1.16
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1983 (USD)
$75,300
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
1983 (USD)
$8,500
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
1983 (USD)
$0.40
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
1983 (USD)
$3.15
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
Internet born (TCP/IP)
ARPANET adopted TCP/IP on January 1, 1983 — the internet's birthday.
Apple Lisa
Apple released the Lisa, the first personal computer with a graphical user interface. It flopped but pointed the way.
Compact discs
CDs went on sale in the US. The digital music revolution began.
Motorola DynaTAC
The first commercial cell phone was authorized by the FCC. It cost $3,995.
Nintendo Famicom
Nintendo released the Famicom in Japan. It would come to the US as the NES in 1985.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Flashdance off-shoulder sweatshirtsHeadbands and leg warmersJelly shoes
Slang
Rad— Really cool
Duh— Obviously
Psych!— Just kidding!
Behavior
- Breakdancing emerged from New York streets to mainstream pop culture
- Cabbage Patch Kids caused shopping riots at Christmas
- WarGames sparked the first national conversation about computer hacking
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