1982 History Events: What Happened in 1982

People were enthralled by new technologies in 1982, which resulted in a substantial shift in their purchasing habits. Smaller and less expensive electronic devices, such as the first CD player, were introduced to the market. It was also the start of a new sort of industry, since for the first time, a genetically engineered human insulin manufactured by bacteria was used and sold.

On the other hand, in Europe, Argentina invaded Falkland, resulting in a significant war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the island. As a result, the British won the Falkland War after a hard conflict. It is also the year that Israel invaded Lebanon in the well-known PLO invasion, and Lebanese Christian Phalangists massacred hundreds of people in two large Palestinian refugee camps in West Beirut.

Princes Grace died in 1982 at the age of 52 after suffering catastrophic injuries when the automobile she was driving crashed off Mountain Road. Stephanie, her daughter, who was also in the car, was critically injured but survived. Leonid I. Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, died at the age of 75, and Yuri V. Andropov, 68, was picked as his successor. Due to his insanity, a jury in the United States decided that President Ronald Reagan’s gunman, John W. Hinckley Jr., was not guilty of the shooting. However, as the Equal Rights Amendment was failing to gain traction, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. proposed his retirement as Secretary of State.

Michael Jackson’s career was at its pinnacle in this year. He released the iconic Thriller, which went on to sell a record-breaking 25 million copies, making it the best-selling album in history. John Belushi, on the other hand, dies at the age of 33 from a drug overdose. Cats, the longest-running Broadway show, debuted in 1982.

In the field of health and nutrition, this was the year that Dr. Barney B. Clark, who was 61 at the time, had the first permanent artificial heart implanted at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake. The first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic machines are also introduced in the United Kingdom.

Continue reading to discover more about the events of 1982.

Event
(January 09, 1982) Catherine Middleton was born in Reading, Berkshire, England, and married Prince William in 2011. She is now the Duchess of Cambridge. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (March 19, 1982) After a disagreement between Argentine labourers and British scientists on the British-controlled South Georgia island, Argentine forces mobilised, leading to Argentina's invasion of the Falklands two weeks later.
(April 02, 1982) The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) were taken by Argentine troops, sparking the Falkland Islands War with Britain.
(April 17, 1982) On this day in 1982, the Canada Act, commonly known as the Constitution Act, came into effect, establishing some individual rights, safeguarding parliamentary sovereignty, and establishing Canada as a fully independent and sovereign nation.
(June 07, 1982) Graceland, Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, Tennessee, where he died in 1977, was opened to the public for visits and quickly became one of America's most popular tourist destinations.
Advertisements (June 13, 1982) Fahd became king of Saudi Arabia after his half brother Khalid died, overseeing a period of development in the nation.
(June 14, 1982) The Falkland Islands Conflict came to an end with the surrender of the huge Argentine garrison at Port Stanley to the British troops. The war was fought for control of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and its dependencies—territory long disputed by the warring nations.
(August 02, 1982) The Helsinki Metro, Finland's first rapid transport system, opened to the public.
(September 19, 1982) Scott Fahlman, a Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist, writes the first recorded smiley faces :-), and the frowny faces :-( on the university's bulletin board system. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (November 30, 1982) Michael Jackson, an American singer and composer, released Thriller, which went on to become the best-selling album in the world and earned an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards. photo source: wikimedia.org
(December 02, 1982) In Barney Clark, William C. DeVries installed the first permanent artificial heart, the Jarvik-7, made of aluminium and plastic. photo source: wikimedia.org