- January 17
- US Supreme Court rules (5-4) private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws. [1]
- January 19
- California Supreme Court refuses to allow quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia to starve herself to death in a public hospital; she appeals and is later granted the right to die. [1]
- January 22
- Apple Computer runs its "1984" 60 second TV commercial during the NFL SuperBowl football game, introducing the Macintosh computer, without showing the computer, or listing features. Apple Computer runs the ad publicly only once, but dozens of news and talk shows replay it, making it one of the most memorable advertisements in TV history. [4]
- January 24
- Apple Computer introduces the Apple Macintosh computer. It features 7.83 MHz 32-bit Motorola 68000 processor, built-in 9-inch 512x342 graphics monochrome monitor, 3.5-inch diskette drive, and 128 kB RAM. Price is $2500, well above the original $1000 target. [1] [4] [114]
- January 26
- US navy exhibits Piasecki helistat-4 helicopters and a blimp able to lift 26 tons in Lakehurst, New Jersey. [1]
- January 28
- 41st Golden Globes: Thornbirds wins. [1]
- January 29
- US President Ronald Reagan formally announces he will seek a second term. [1]
- Space Shuttle 41-B (STS-11) Challenger launched. [1]
- January 31
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- February 3
- Birth of first baby conceived by embryo transplant, in Long Beach, California. [1]
- Mattel announces it is selling its Intellivision video game business for US$20 million in cash to a group lead by Terrence Valeski, an executive of Mattel Electronics. [9]
- STS-41-B: Space Shuttle Challenger is launched on the 10th space shuttle mission. [1] [114]
- February 7
- Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk. [1] [114]
- February 11
- STS-41-B: Space Shuttle Challenger makes the first shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center. [1] [114]
- February 13
- Six-year-old Texan Stormie Jones gets first heart and liver transplant. [1]
- February 21
- Timex withdraws from the home computer business. Timex introduced the British Sinclair Research ZX81 computer to North America as the Timex/Sinclair 1000 in 1982. Priced at $100, then dropped to $50, a lack of software and physical size and memory size limitations dampened initial public enthusiasm. [4]
- February 26
- Reverend Jesse Jackson acknowledges that he called New York City "Hymietown". [1]
- Robert Penn Warren, Pulitzer Prize winner, named first US poet laureate. [1]
- Last US marines in multinational peace-keeping force in Lebanon leave Beirut. [1] [114]
- February 28
- 26th Grammy Awards: "Beat It", Michael Jackson wins eight. [1]
- March 1
- NASA launches Landsat-D Prime (Landsat 5) to thematic map the Earth. [1]
- March 5
- US Supreme Court rules 5-4 that city may use public money for Nativity scene. [1]
- March 9
- Buena Vista releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Splash to theaters in the US. This is the first film release from Touchstone Pictures. (Gross revenue is US$69 million, a new Disney record for a live-action film.) [6]
- March 15
- 10th People's Choice Awards: Brooke Shields wins. [1]
- March 16
- Islamic Jihad gunmen kidnap William Buckley, US Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Beirut, Lebanon (later dies in captivity). [1] [114]
- March 19
- Mobil oil tanker spills 200,000 gallons into Columbia River. [1]
- John J O'Connor named 8th archbishop of New York. [1]
- March 20
- US Senate rejects amendment to permit spoken prayer in public schools. [1]
- March 21
- Soviet submarine crashes into USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier off Japan. [1]
- Part of Central Park is named Strawberry Fields honoring John Lennon. [1]
- March 22
- Teachers at the McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach, California are charged with Satanic ritual abuse of the schoolchildren. (The charges are later dropped as completely unfounded.) [114]
- March 30
- US ends participation in multinational Lebanon peace force. [1]
- March 31
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- April 1
- 14th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$24,600,000. [1]
- April 4
- U.S. President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons. [114]
- April 6
- The 56th Academy Awards, hosted by Jack Lemmon, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with Terms of Endearment winning Best Picture. Best Actor: Robert Duvall, Best Actress: Shirley Maclaine. [114] (April 9 [1])
- 11th Space Shuttle Mission (41-C)- Challenger 5 is launched; first time 11 people in space. [1]
- April 8
- 4th Golden Raspberry Awards: Lonely Lady wins. [1]
- April 10
- US Senate condemns Central Intelligence Agency mining of Nicaraguan harbors. [1]
- April 13
- Christopher Wilder, FBI's "most wanted man", accidentally kills self. [1]
- April 21
- Centers for Disease Control says virus discovered in France causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). [1]
- April 23
- In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurs. [53]
- April 24
- In Morgan Hill, California, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurs. [53]
- April 26
- US President Ronald Reagan visits China. [1]
- April 27
- Over 70 inches of snow falls on Red Lake, Montana. [1]
- May 2
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- May 7
- US$180 million out-of-court settlement reached in Agent Orange suit. [1]
- May 8
- The Soviet Union announces that it will boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. [1] [114]
- May 10
- International Court of Justice rules on US blockade of Nicaragua. [1]
- May 11
- Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure burns down, killing eight. [114]
- May 12
- World of Rivers world exposition opens in New Orleans, Louisiana. [1] [114]
- May 14
- 19th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama wins. [1]
- Ashton-Tate introduces the dBase III relational database program for 16-bit IBM PC-compatible computers. [4]
- May 16
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- May 17
- Mai Shanley, age 21 of New Mexico, crowned 33rd Miss USA. [1]
- May 21
- Atari introduces the Atari 7800 ProSystem video game system. It features higher resolution graphics than the Atari 5200, optional keyboard to make it a home computer, and compatibility with Atari 2600 cartridges. Price is US$149. [9]
- May 26
- Tulsa, Oklahoma gets 13 inches of rain, 14 die. [1]
- May 31
- 57th US National Spelling Bee: Daniel Greenblatt wins spelling "luge". [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- June 8
- Warner Bros. Pictures releases the film Gremlins to theaters in the USA. [8]
- A deadly F5 tornado nearly destroys the town of Barneveld, Wisconsin, killing 9 people, injuring nearly 200, and causing over US$25 million in damage. [114]
- June 9
- NASA launches Intelsat V, it fails. [1]
- Donald Duck and Clarence Nash (original voice of Donald Duck) lead a ticker-tape parade through Disneyland, celebrating 50 years since Donald Duck's film debut in The Wise Little Hen. [6]
- June 10
- US missile shoots down an incoming missile in space for first time. [1]
- June
- In the USA, the Massachusetts Megabucks lottery draw sets a record for an unshared win, giving US$15.6 million to one person. [40.8]
- June 27
- US Supreme Court ends NCAA monopoly on college football telecasts. [1]
- June 28
- Motorola introduces the 16-MHz 68020 processor, a 32-bit version of the 68000, in CMOS, with on-board cache. Estimated performance is 2-3 MIPS. Price is US$487 each. [4]
- Richard Ramírez, aka the "Night Stalker," performs his first recorded murder. [114]
- June 29
- USSR offers to start talking about banning Strategic Defence Initiative. [1]
- July 2
- Standard Oil of California changes its company name to Chevron. [228]
- July 3
- Dolphin rocket launched off San Clemente Island. [1]
- US Supreme Court rules Jaycees may be forced to admit women as members. [1]
- July 5
- US Supreme Court weakens 70-year-old "exclusionary rule"-evidence seized. [1]
- July 6
- Warner Communications sells off the home video game and computer systems business of Atari to Jack Tramiel for US$240 million in long-term loans. Warner has the option to purchase up to 32 percent interest in the new company for US$2 per share. [9]
- July 7
- Five die in a train crash in Williston, Vermont. [1]
- July 12
- In San Francisco, the Democratic National Convention nominates Walter F. Mondale for U.S. President, and Geraldine Ferraro for Vice President. [1] [114]
- July 18
- In San Ysidro, California, 41-year-old James Oliver Huberty sprays a McDonald's restaurant with gunfire, killing 21 people before being shot and killed by police. [1] [114]
- July 21
- In Jackson, Michigan, a factory robot crushes a worker against a safety bar in the first robot-related death in the United States. [1] [114]
- July 23
- Vanessa Lynn Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown, after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse magazine. [1] [114]
- July 26
- In the USA, one New York resident wins US$20 million in the state lottery, a new record for unshared win. [40.8]
- July 30
- Alvenus tanker at Cameron, Louisiana, spills 2.8 million gallons of oil. [1]
- August 11
- United States President Ronald Reagan, during a voice check for a radio broadcast remarks "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes". [1] [114]
- August 14
- IBM releases the IBM PC/AT, with 6 MHz 80286 processor, MS-DOS 3.0, 256 kB RAM, and 1.2 MB floppy drive, for prices starting at US$4000. [4]
- IBM releases MS-DOS version 3.0. [1]
- August 16
- John De Lorean is acquitted of all eight charges of possessing and distributing cocaine. [1] [114]
- August 18
- Triangle Oil Corp, above-ground storage tank at Jacksonville Florida, spills 2.5 million gallons of oil burned after lightning sparked a fire. [1]
- August 22
- Republican convention in Dallas, Texas, renominates President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush. [1] [114]
- August 27
- US President Ronald Reagan announces the Teacher in Space project. [1]
- August 30
- 12th Space Shuttle Mission (41-D) - Discovery 1 - launched (6 days). [1] [114]
- September 3
- 28-year-old Chicago resident wins US$40 million in Illinois Lottery Lotto state lottery. [1] [86.41,102]
- September 5
- 12th Space Shuttle Mission (41-D) - Discovery 1 - lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] [5] [114]
- September 10
- Sean O'Keefe (11) is youngest to cycle across US (24 days). [1]
- September 14
- The first MTV Video Music Awards are held in Radio City Music Hall, New York City; Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd host. [1] [114]
- September 20
- Hezbollah car-bombs the U.S. embassy annex in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 22 people. [1] [114]
- September 21
- NASA launches Galaxy-C. [1]
- September 22
- Disney's board of directors meets to vote on filling executive positions. They vote unanimously to hire Michael Eisner as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Ray Watson, and Frank Wells as President and Chief Operating Officer. Eisner's contract gives him US$750,000 per year, US$750,000 signing bonus, annual bonus two percent above company net growth of nine percent, and over two million share options at US$14.359 each. Wells' contract gives him US$400,000 per year, US$250,000 signing bonus, annual bonus equal to fifty percent of Eisner's, and options on 460,000 shares. [6]
- September 26
- US President Ronald Reagan vetoes sanctions against South Africa. [1]
- October 1
- Gary Trudeau's Doonesbury comic strip resumes after two-year hiatus. [1]
- October 2
- Richard Miller becomes first (former) FBI agent charged with espionage. [1]
- October 4
- US government closes down due to budget problems. [1]
- October 5
- 13th Space Shuttle Mission (41-G) - Challenger 6 - launched. Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space. [1] [5] [114]
- October 11
- US Vice Presidential candidate debate: Geraldine Ferraro (Democrat) and George Bush (Republican). [1]
- October 24
- Intelsat 5 re-enters Earth's atmosphere five months after it failed. [1]
- October 26
- "Baby Fae" gets baboon heart transplant, lives 21 days. [1]
- November 4
- PC's Limited computer company founded (later renamed Dell Computer). [114]
- November 6
- U.S. presidential election: Ronald Reagan defeats Walter F. Mondale with 59 percent of the popular vote, the highest since Richard Nixon's 61 percent victory in 1972. Reagan carries 49 states in the electoral college; Mondale wins only his home state of Minnesota by a mere 3,761 vote margin, and the District of Columbia. [1] [114]
- In the USA, voters approve introduction of state lotteries in California, Oregon, Missouri, and West Virginia. Pari-mutuel racing betting is approved in Missouri. Colorado and Arkansas defeat proposed casino introductions. Oregon votes to amend constitution to prohibit casinos. [39] [86.68,101,104]
- November 8
- STS 51-A mission launched. Anna Fisher becomes the first "mom" to go into orbit. [1]
- November 9
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial ("3 Servicemen") completed. [1]
- November 12
- Space shuttle astronauts snare a satellite; first space salvage. [1]
- November 14
- Astronauts aboard Discovery pluck a second satellite from orbit. [1]
- November
- William Lee Bergstrom bets US$1 million on the "don't pass" line at The Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas, and loses. [187.412]
- November 16
- 14th Shuttle Mission (51A) - Discovery 2 - lands at Kennedy Center. [1]
- November 20
- SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) is founded. [5]
- November 28
- Over 250 years after their deaths, William Penn and his wife Hannah Callowhill Penn are made Honorary Citizens of the United States. [114]
- December 1
- Controlled Impact Demonstration: NASA crashes remote controlled Boeing 720. [114]
- December 3
- A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, kills more than 2,000 people outright and injures 15,000 to 22,000 others (some 6,000 of whom later die from their injuries). [1] [114]
- Oldest groom - Harry Stevens, 103, weds Thelma Lucas, 83, in Wisconsin, USA. [1]
- December 9
- Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- December 10
- In Claxton, Georgia, USA a mailbox is destroyed by a meteorite fall. [521]
- December 19
- Fire at the Wilberg Mine in central Utah kills 27 people. [1]
- December 20
- 33 unknown keyboard (piano) works of Johann Sebastion Bach are found in the Yale library. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- December 22
- Four African-American youths board an express train in The Bronx borough of New York City. They attempt to rob Bernhard Goetz, who shoots them. The event starts a national debate about urban crime. [1] [114]
- December 31
- New York City subway gunman Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in New Hampshire. [1]
- US leaves UNESCO. [1]
- Year
- Lottery ticket sales in the USA: almost US$10 billion. [40.8]
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