- January 11
- (to January 17) A brutal cold snap sends temperatures to all-time record lows in dozens of cities throughout the Midwestern United States. [116]
- January 13
- Shortly after takeoff in a snowstorm, Air Florida Flight 90 crashes into Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78. [1] [116]
- January 19
- Heater explodes at Star Elementary School-Oklahoma, kills six kids and teacher. [1]
- January 20
- Seven miners killed in an explosion in Craynor, Kentucky. [1]
- January 23
- World Airways DC-10 skids at Boston Logan Airport killing two. [1]
- January 25
- 9th American Music Awards: Kenny Rogers win. [1]
- January 27
- Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat opens at Royale theater in New York City, New York for 747 performances. [1]
- January 28
- US conducts nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- Wally Boag gives his last performance at the Golden Horseshoe Revue at Disneyland. He performed in the show almost continuously since its opening in 1955, putting him in the Guiness Book of Records for the most number of performances of a show, about 40,000. [6]
- In Padua, Italy, U.S. Brigadier General James L. Dozier is rescued by Italian anti-terrorism forces after 42 days of captivity under the Red Brigades. [1] [116]
- January 30
- Richard Skrenta writes the first PC virus code, which is 400 lines long and disguised as an Apple boot program called "Elk Cloner." [5]
- February 5
- American Drug Enforcement Agency announces seizure of 3,192 tons of marijuana, 495 people. [1]
- February 12
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- February 19
- The DeLorean Car factory in Belfast is put into receivership. [116]
- February 21
- Ain't Misbehavin' closes at Longacre Theater in New York City after 1604 performances. [1]
- February 24
- 24th Grammy Awards: "Betty Davis Eyes", Double Fantasy win. [1]
- February 27
- In Atlanta, Georgia, Wayne Williams is convicted of murdering two children, and given two consecutive life terms. [1] [116]
- February 28
- FALN (PR Nationalist Group) bombs Wall Street, New York. [1]
- AT&T loses record US$7 billion for fiscal year ending on this day. [1]
- March 3
- US Senate begins debate on expulsion of Senator Harrison Williams (Democrat-New Jersey). [1]
- March 10
- The United States places an embargo on Libyan oil imports, alleging Libyan support of terrorist groups. [1] [116]
- March 11
- Harrison Williams, Democratic Senator for New Jersey, resigns rather than face expulsion. [1]
- March 16
- In Newport, Rhode Island, Claus von Bülow is found guilty of the attempted murder of his wife. [116]
- March 19
- National Guard jet tanker crashes killing 27. [1]
- March 22
- Third Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 3 launched. [1]
- March 24
- US submarine Jacksonville collides with a Turkish freighter near Virginia. [1]
- March 26
- A ground breaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, DC. [1] [116]
- March 28
- 12th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$19,500,000. [1]
- March 29
- Second Golden Raspberry Awards: Mommie Dearest wins. [1]
- The 54th Academy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California with Chariots of Fire winning Best Picture. Henry Fonda wins Best Actor; Katharine Hepburn wins Best Actress. [1] [116]
- March 30
- Third space shuttle mission - Columbia 3 lands at White Sands New Mexico. [1]
- March 31
- Rock group Doobie Brothers split up. [1]
- Arkas tanker at Montz, Louisiana, spills 1.47 million gallons of oil. [1]
- The U.S. Gold Commission issues its 227-page report to Congress. It recommends that Treasury issue gold bullion coins, tentatively called American Eagles. [474.202]
- April 1
- US formally transfers Canal Zone to Panamá. [1]
- April 6
- A blizzard unprecedented in size for April dumps 1-2 feet of snow on the northeastern U.S., closing schools and businesses, snarling traffic, and canceling several major league baseball games. [56] [116]
- April 12
- Three CBS-TV employees are shot to death in New York City parking lot. [1]
- April 17
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- April 20
- Timex Computer announces the Timex/Sinclair 1000, the first personal computer to retail for under $100. The unit is an improved Sinclair ZX81 with 2 kB RAM. [4]
- April 21
- Dutch Queen Beatrice addresses US Congress. [1]
- April 23
- Dennis Wardlow, Mayor of Key West, Florida, declares the independent Conch Republic for a day. [116]
- April 25
- Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- April 26
- CBS radio begins youth-oriented broadcast Radio Radio. [1]
- April 29
- 17th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, Barbara Mandrell win. [1]
- May 1
- A crowd of over 100,000 attends the first day of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. The fair is kicked off with an address by President Ronald Reagan. (Over 11 million people attend the fair during its six month run.) [1] [116]
- May 2
- The Weather Channel (United States) airs on cable television for the first time. [116]
- May 3
- New York Times reports that military will get 25 percent of NASA's budget. [1]
- US President Ronald Reagan begins five-minute weekly radio broadcasts. [1]
- May 5
- A Unabomber bomb explodes in the computer science department at Vanderbilt University; secretary Janet Smith is injured. [116]
- May 7
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- May 13
- Terri Lea Utley, age 20, of Arkansas, crowned 31st Miss USA. [1]
- May 18
- Unification Church founder Reverend Sun Myung Moon convicted of tax evasion. [1]
- May 29
- US Pentagon plans first strategy to fight a nuclear war. [1]
- June 7
- US President Ronald Reagan meets Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II. [1]
- June 8
- President Ronald Reagan becomes the first American chief executive to address a joint session of the British Parliament. [1] [116]
- June 11
- Movie ET The Extra-Terrestrial is released (highest grossing film). [1]
- June 12
- A rally against nuclear weapons draws 750,000 to New York City's Central Park. Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, and Linda Ronstadt attend. [1] [116]
- June 21
- Washington DC jury finds John Hinckley Jr innocent by insanity of attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. [1]
- June 25
- US Secretary of State Alexander Haig Jr resigns, replaced by George Schultz. [1]
- The Institute for Puerto Rican Policy is founded in New York City to research and advocate for Puerto Rican and Latino community issues. [116]
- June 26
- US vetos United Nations Security Council resolution for a limited withdrawal from Lebanon. [1]
- June 27
- 4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 launched. [1]
- June 29
- US Voting Rights Act of 1965 is extended. [1]
- June 30
- US Federal Equal Rights Amendment fails three states short of ratification. [1] [116]
- July 1
- 2100 Unification Church couples marry in New York City. [1]
- July 2
- Larry Walters, a.k.a. Lawn Chair Larry, flies 16,000 feet above Long Beach, California in lawn chair with weather balloons attached. [1] [116]
- July 4
- 4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1]
- July 9
- Pan Am Flight 759 (Boeing 727) crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 146 on board and 8 on the ground. [116]
- July 15
- Body of Wendy Caulfield, first Green River victim, found near Seattle, Washington. [1]
- US Senate confirms George Shultz as 60th secretary of state by vote of 97-0. [1]
- July 16
- In New York City, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon is sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $25,000 for tax fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. [116]
- George P. Shultz begins term as US Secretary of State. [548.99]
- July 19
- David S Dodge becomes the first American hostage in Lebanon. [1]
- July 22
- US President Ronald Reagan signs into law the three-coin 1984 Olympic coin program. [474.54]
- Academic Text Processing Service established in Seattle, Washington. [1]
- July 23
- Vic Morrow, American actor (age 53), and two child actors are killed when struck by a helicopter during filming of Twilight Zone, The Movie in Valencia, California. [1] [116] [467]
- July 26
- Canada's Anik D1 Comsat launched by US Delta rocket. [1]
- July 27
- Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's first visit to US in almost 11 years. [1]
- August 17
- South Bend, Indiana jury acquits self-avowed racist Joseph Paul Franklin. [1]
- August 18
- First time NYSE trading volume tops 100 million figure, 132.69 million shares traded during business day. [1]
- September 1
- In the USA, the maximum speedometer reading on a car is mandated at 85 MPH. [1]
- September 13
- Public Law 97-358 reduces volume of United States notes in circulation to $300,000,000. [502.38]
- September 14
- 36 inches of snow in Red Lodge, Montana. [1]
- September 15
- First issue of USA Today published by Gannett Company Inc. [1]
- September 21
- San Francisco cable cars cease operations on Market Street after 122 years of service, for two years of repairs. [1]
- September 24
- US, Italian, and French peacekeeping troops begin arriving in Lebanon. [1]
- September 25
- Pennsylvania prison guard George Banks kills 13 (5 are his own children). [1]
- September 29
- (to October 1) The Tylenol scare is sparked when 7 people in the Chicago area die after ingesting capsules laced with potassium cyanide. [1] [116]
- October 1
- EPCOT Center opens, at Walt Disney World in Florida. It has two main sections, Future World, and World Showcase. It cost more than US$1.2 billion to build. [6] [116]
- October 5
- Unmanned rocket sled reaches 9,851 kph at White Sands, New Mexico. [1]
- October 7
- Cats musical opens a nearly 18-year run on Broadway. [5]
- October 12
- 38.6 cm (15.2 inches) of rainfall, Angoon, Alaska (state record). [1]
- October 13
- The Ford Sierra automobile is launched in Europe. It replaces the Ford Cortina. [116]
- October 15
- The Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act deregulates the U.S. savings and loan industry. [116]
- October 16
- George Shultz warns US will withdraw from United Nations if they vote to exclude Israel. [1]
- October 19
- American Automaker John De Lorean is arrested for selling cocaine to undercover FBI agents (he is later found not guilty due to entrapment). [1] [116]
- October 27
- (to October 29) In New York City, Bowers and Ruddy Galleries conducts The United States Gold Coin Sale, known as the Eliasberg Sale. Total auction sales: $12.4 million, a record for a single coin auction session. Some highlights:
- 1870-S $3, believed unique: $687,500, highest amount paid for a single US Mint coin;
- 1822 $5, VF-30, one of three known: $687,500;
- 1825/4 $5, PR-60: $220,000;
- 1854-S $5, AU-50: $187,000;
- 1839 $10, PR-65, head of 1838, large letters, one of three known: $121,000;
- 1907 $20, ultra-high relief, roman numerals: $242,000;
- 1927-D $20, MS-65: $176,000.
[599.24]
- October 29
- Car maker John DeLorean indicted for drug trafficking, later acquitted. [1]
- November 3
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average surges 43.41 points, or 4.25 prercent, to close at 1,065.49, its first all-time high in more than nine years. [116]
- November 4
- Compaq Computer introduces the Compaq Portable PC, compatible with the IBM PC, though not violating the IBM BIOS copyright. (Compaq sells about 50,000 in the first year, worth $111 million, a U.S. business record.) [4]
- November 8
- In Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA a falling meteorite pierces the roof of a house. [521]
- November 11
- 5th space shuttle mission-Columbia 5-launches first commercial flight. [1]
- November 13
- The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., after a march to its site by thousands of Vietnam War veterans. [1] [116]
- November 16
- 5th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 5-lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1]
- November 30
- US submarine Thomas Edison collides with US Navy destroyer in South China Sea. [1]
- December 2
- At the University of Utah, 61-year-old retired dentist Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart (he will live for 112 days with the device). [1] [116]
- December 3
- A final soil sample is taken from the site of Times Beach, Missouri. It is found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin. [116]
- 35.7 cm rainfall at Big Fork, Arkansas (state record). [1]
- December 5
- Seattle University Baptist Church declares sanctuary for Central American refugees. [1]
- December 7
- Charlie Brooks Jr, convicted murderer, becomes first US prisoner to be executed by lethal injection, at a prison in Huntsville, Texas. [1] [116]
- December 8
- Demanding an end to nuclear weapons, Norman Mayer holds the Washington Monument hostage; after ten hours, police kill him; he had no explosives. [1]
- December 12
- US$9.8 million in cash stolen from money transport car in New York City, New York. [1]
- December 15
- Roy Williams, Teamsters' president, and four others convicted of bribery. [1]
- December 23
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends the evacuation of Times Beach, Missouri due to dangerous levels of dioxin contamination. [116]
- December 26
- Time magazine's Man of the Year is a computer, first non-human. [1] [5] [116]
- December 30
- US Assay Office in New York City, New York closes. [1]
- December 31
- CBS Mystery Theater final episode on radio after eight years. [1]
- NBC radio cancels almost all of its network daily features. [1]
- Year
- In the USA, total bingo wagering estimated at US3 billion. [86.48]
- Total legal gambling in the USA: US$125 billion. [86.54]
- Gross income from gaming in Nevada: US$2.7 billion. [86.81]
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