1983

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1950s  1960s  1970s  – 1980s –  1990s  2000s  2010s
Years:	1980 1981 1982 – 1983 – 1984 1985 1986

1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January – June

• January 3 – Kilauea on the island of Hawaii begins erupting.
• February 16 – The Ash Wednesday bushfires hit Victoria and South Australia.
• February 28 – The TV Show, M*A*S*H ends with 125 million people watching the last show.
• April 25 – Maine schoolgirl Samantha Smith is invited to the Soviet Union by Yuri Andropov, after she wrote a letter, expressing concern over a possible nuclear war.
• May 6 – The fake Hitler Diaries are published by Stern magazine.
• May 26 – An earthquake and tsunami hits Honshu, Japan, killing 104 people.
• June 9 – In the UK, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party scores a landslide election victory over Michael Foot's Labour Party.
• June 18 – Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.

July – December

• July 1 – A North Korean Ilyushin II-62 jet crashes in Guinea-Bissau.
• August 4 – Thomas Sankara takes control in Upper Volta, which he renames Burkina Faso exactly a year later.
• August 21 – Filipino opposition leader Benigno Aquino is assassinated.
• September 1 – Korean Airlines Flight 007 is shot down by the Soviet Union, after it passed over Sakhalin Island, as it had come off-course. All 269 people on board are killed.
• September 19 – St. Kitts and Nevis becomes an independent nation.
• September 27 – The GNU Project is announced publicly on net.unix wizards and net.usoftnewsgroups.
• October 19 – Grenadan prime minister Maurice Bishop, and 40 other people are assassinated in a coup.
• November 11 – Ronald Reagan addressed the Japanese Diet (national legislature).
• December 10 – Military rule ends in Argentina.
• December 31 – Brunei becomes independent.

Culture

• Compact discs are introduced; vinyl records begin a dramatic decline in sales.
• "Crack" cocaine is first developed.
• Phish forms
• Billie Jean King retires from tennis
• Social Distortion release their debut album Mommy's Little Monster, which is considered by many to be one of the best hardcore punk records ever made.

Births

January – June

• January 2 – Kate Bosworth, American actress
• January 16 – Emanuel Pogatetz, Austrian footballer
• January 17 – Yelle, French singer and songwriter
• January 21 – Maryse Ouellet, Canadian professional wrestler
• February 3 – Gabriel Sargissian, Armenian chess Grandmaster
• February 23 – Emily Blunt, English actress
• February 25 – Eduardo da Silva, Brazilian-Croatian footballer
• March 9 – Clint Dempsey, American footballer
• April 1 – Franck Ribéry, French footballer
• April 14 – James McFadden, Scottish footballer
• April 23 – Taio Cruz, English singer
• May 11 – Matt Leinart, American Football player
• May 11 – Holly Valance, Australian actress and singer
• June 8 – Kim Clijsters, Belgian tennis player
• June 19 – Mark Selby, English snooker player
• June 30 – Cheryl Cole, English singer (Girls Aloud)

July – December

• July 5 – Zheng Jie, Chinese tennis player
• August 6 – Robin van Persie, Dutch footballer
• August 14 – Mila Kunis, Russian-American actress
• August 18 – Mika, Lebanese-English singer
• August 18 – Kris Boyd, Scottish footballer
• September 14 – Amy Winehouse, English singer
• September 26 – Ricardo Quaresma, Portuguese footballer
• October 14 – Lin Dan, Chinese badminton player
• October 17 – Ivan Saenko, Russian footballer
• November 11 – Philipp Lahm, German footballer
• December 9 – Dariusz Dudka, Polish footballer
• December 15 – Ronnie Radke, American singer
• December 31 – Sayaka Ichii, Japanese singer (Morning Musume)

Deaths

January – June

• January 28 – Frank Forde, Australian politician (b. 1890).
• January 28 – Billy Fury, English singer (b. 1940).
• February 4 – Karen Carpenter, American singer (b. 1950).
• February 12 – Eubie Blake, American musician (b. 1887).
• February 25 – Tennessee Williams, American writer (b. 1911).
• March 3 – Hergé, Belgian creator of Tintin (b. 1907).
• March 18 – Umberto II of Italy (b. 1904).
• April 15 – Corrie ten Boom, Dutch resistance fighter (b. 1892).
• April 30 – Muddy Waters, American musician (b. 1915).
• May 22 – Idris I, Libyan king (b. 1890).
• May 31 – Jack Dempsey, American heavyweight boxer (b. 1895).

July – December

• July 1 – Buckminster Fuller, American architect (b. 1895).
• July 29 – David Niven, English actor (b. 1910).
• August 17 – Ira Gershwin, American lyricist (b. 1896).
• August 21 – Benigno Aquino, Filipino politician (b. 1932).
• September 1 – Larry McDonald, American politician (b. 1935).
• September 25 – Leopold III of Belgium (b. 1901).
• October 19 – Maurice Bishop, Grenadan politician (b. 1944).
• December 13 – Leora Dana, American actress (b. 1923).
• December 25 – Joan Miro, Spanish artist (b. 1893).
• December 28 – Dennis Wilson, American musician (The Beach Boys) (b. 1944)

Films released

• National Lampoon's Vacation
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
• Tootsie
• Trading Places
• WarGames
• Superman III
• Flashdance
• Staying Alive
• Octopussy
• Mr. Mom, starring Michael Keaton and Teri Garr
• 48 Hrs.
• Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca DeMornay
• The Verdict
• Jaws 3-D
• Never Say Never Again
• The Outsiders

Hit songs

• "99 Luftballons" (99 Red Balloons) – Nena
• "1999" – Prince
• "2000 Miles" – The Pretenders
• "Add It Up" – Violent Femmes
• "Africa" – Toto
• "All Night Long (All Night)" – Lionel Richie
• "All Time High" – Rita Coolidge
• "Always Something There to Remind Me" – Naked Eyes
• "Another State Of Mind" – Social Distortion
• "Australiana" – Austen Tayshus #1 (a)
• "Baby, Come to Me" – Patti Austin with James Ingram
• "Baby Jane" – Rod Stewart
• "Bad Boys" – Wham!
• "Bad Day" – Carmel
• "Beat It" – Michael Jackson
• "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson
• "Blind Vision" – Blancmange
• "Blister In The Sun" – Violent Femmes
• "Bloodstone" – Judas Priest
• "Blue Monday" – New Order
• "Blue World" – The Moody Blues
• "Bop Girl – Pat Wilson #1 (a)
• "Boxerbeat" – JoBoxers
• "Breaking Us In Two" – Joe Jackson
• "Buffalo Soldier" – Bob Marley and the Wailers
• "Buried Treasure" -Kenny Rogers
• "Burning Down The House" – Talking Heads
• "Calling Your Name" – Marilyn
• "Candy Girl" – New Edition
• "Can't Get Used To Losing You" – The Beat
• "Chance" – Big Country
• "Change" – Tears For Fears
• "China Girl" – David Bowie
• "Chinese Cafe" – Joni Mitchell
• "Church of the Poison Mind" – Culture Club
• "Club Tropicana" – Wham!
• "Come Back And Stay" – Paul Young
• "Cruel Summer" – Bananarama
• "Cry Me A River" – Mari Wilson
• "Dark Is The Night" – Shakatak
• "Dear Prudence" – Siouxsie and the Banshees
• "Did You Have To Love Me Like You Do?" – The Coconuts
• "Dirty Laundry" – Don Henley
• "Don't Cry" – Asia
• "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" – Phil Collins
• "Don't Talk To Me About Love" – Altered Images
• "Double Dutch" – Malcolm McLaren
• "Down Under" – Men at Work
• "Drop The Pilot" – Joan Armatrading
• "Electric Avenue" – Eddy Grant
• "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
• "Everyday I Write The Book" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• "Everything Counts" – Depeche Mode
• "Family Man" – Hall & Oates
• "Femme" – Dalida
• "Fields Of Fire(400 Miles)" – Big Country
• "Flashdance... What a Feeling" – Irene Cara
• "Garden Party" – Marillion
• "Gimme All Your Lovin'" – ZZ Top
• "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper
• "Give It Up" – KC and the Sunshine Band
• "Gloria" – Laura Branigan
• "Gold" – Spandau Ballet
• "He Knows You Know" – Marillion
• "Heartache Avenue" – The Maisonettes
• "Hold Me Now" – The Thompson Twins
• "Hungry Like The Wolf" – Duran Duran
• "I Cannot Believe It's True" – Phil Collins
• "I Don't Care Anymore" – Phil Collins
• "I Don't Remember(Live)" – Peter Gabriel
• "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" – Elton John
• "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" – Culture Club
• "I'm Still Standing" – Elton John
• "In A Big Country" – Big Country
• In The Neighborhood – Tom Waits
• "I.O.U." – Freeez
• "Is There Something I Should Know?" – Duran Duran
• "Islands In The Stream" – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
• "It Don't Matter To Me" – Phil Collins
• "It's Raining Men" – The Weather Girls
• "Johnny B.Goode" – Peter Tosh
• "Jump (For My Love)" – Pointer Sisters
• "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club
• "Keep Feeling (Fascination)" – The Human League
• "Kiss The Bride" – Elton John
• "Le restaurant italien" – Dalida
• "Les p'tits mots" – Dalida
• "Let's Dance" – David Bowie
• "Let's Stay Together" – Tina Turner
• "Little Red Corvette" – Prince
• "Long Hot Summer" – The Style Council
• "Love Blonde" – Kim Wilde
• "Love is a Battlefield" – Pat Benatar
• "Love Is A Stranger" – The Eurythmics
• "Love On Your Side" – The Thompson Twins
• "Love Town" – Booker Newberry III
• "Mama" – Genesis
• "Many Rivers To Cross" – UB40
• "Marguerita Time" – Status Quo
• "Market Square Heroes" – Marillion
• "Modern Love" – David Bowie
• "Moonlight Shadow" – Mike Oldfield
• "Mourir sur scène" – Dalida
• "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" – Bananarama
• "New Frontier" – Donald Fagen
• "New Song" – Howard Jones
• "New Year's Day" – U2
• "Nobody's Diary" – Yazoo
• "Oblivious" – Aztec Camera
• "One On One" – Hall & Oates
• "Only For Love" – Limahl
• "Only You" – The Flying Pickets
• "Ooh To Be Ah" – Kajagoogoo
• "Our Lips Are Sealed" – Fun Boy Three
• "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" – Yes
• "Photograph" – Def Leppard
• Pills And Soap – The Imposter
• "Radio Free Europe" – REM
• "Reckless" – Australian Crawl #1
• "Red Red Wine" – UB40
• Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
• "Right By Your Side" – The Eurythmics
• "Rio" – Duran Duran
• "Rip It Up" – Orange Juice
• "Rock And Roll Is King" – Electric Light Orchestra
• "Rockit" – Herbie Hancock
• "Rosanna" – Toto
• "Save A Prayer" – Duran Duran
• "Say, Say, Say" – Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
• "Screaming for Vengeance" – Judas Priest
• "Send Me An Angel" – Real Life
• "Sharp Dressed Man" – ZZ Top
• "She Works Hard For The Money" – Donna Summer
• "Shiny Shiny" – Haysi Fantazee
• "Shipbuilding" – Robert Wyatt
• "Sign Of The Times" – The Belle Stars
• "Soul Inside" – Soft Cell
• "Speak Like A Child" – The Style Council
• "Steppin' Out" – Joe Jackson
• "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" – Eurythmics
• "Synchronicity 2" – The Police
• "Tell Her About It" – Billy Joel
• "Talking In Your Sleep" – The Romantics
• "Temptation" – Heaven 17
• "Tender Is The Night" – Jackson Browne
• "That's All" – Genesis
• "The Big Apple" – Kajagoogoo
• "The Celtic Soul Brothers" – Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "The Chinese Way" – Level 42
• "The Cutter" – Echo and the Bunnymen
• "The First Picture Of You" – The Lotus Eaters
• "The Love Cats" – The Cure
• "The Safety Dance" – Men Without Hats
• "The Shape You're In" – Eric Clapton
• "The Story Of The Blues" – Wah!
• "The Sun Goes Down(Living It Up)" – Level 42
• "The Walk" – The Cure
• "They Don't Know" – Tracey Ullman
• "This Is The Day" – The The
• "Thriller" – Michael Jackson
• "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" – Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
• "Too Shy" – Kajagoogoo
• "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – Bonnie Tyler
• "True" – Spandau Ballet
• "True Love Ways" – Cliff Richard
• "Tunnel Of Love" – Fun Boy Three
• "Twisting By The Pool" – Dire Straits
• "Under Attack" – ABBA
• "Undercover Of The Night" – The Rolling Stones
• "Union Of The Snake" – Duran Duran
• "Up Where We Belong" – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
• "Uptown Girl" – Billy Joel
• "Vintage'77(EP)" – The Heartbreakers
• "Vision In Blue" – Ultravox
• "A Volar"- Menudo
• "Walk Out To Winter" – Aztec Camera
• "Walkin' The Line" – Brass Construction
• "Watching You Watching Me" – David Grant
• "We Are Detective" – The Thompson Twins
• "We've Got Tonight" Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
• "What Is Love?" – Howard Jones
• "What Kinda Boy You're Lookin' For(Girl)" – Hot Chocolate
• "Wherever I Lay My Hat(That's My Home)" – Paul Young
• "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" – Grandmaster and Melle Mel
• "Who's That Girl?" – The Eurythmics
• "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning?" – Phil Collins
• "Wings Of A Dove" – Madness
• "Wrapped Around Your Finger" – The Police
• "You Can't Hurry Love" – Phil Collins

New books

• The Anubis Gates – Tim Powers
• Changes – Danielle Steel
• Christine – Stephen King
• Cold Heaven – Anita Brian Moore
• The Colour of Magic – Terry Pratchett
• The Dark Green Tunnel – Allan W. Eckert
• Hollywood Wives – Jackie Collins
• Icebreaker – John Gardner
• Ironweed – William Kennedy
• The Last Warrior Queen – Mary Mackey
• Life and Times of Michael K – J. M. Coetzee
• The Little Drummer Girl – John le Carré
• The Lonesome Gods – Louis L'Amour
• The Loser – Thomas Bernhard
• The Mists of Avalon – Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Odyssey: A Daring Transatlantic Journey – Susan Oliver
• On Wings of Eagles – Ken Follett
• Pet Sematary – Stephen King
• Phantoms – Dean R. Koontz
• The Piano Teacher – Elfriede Jelinek
• Poland – James A. Michener
• Resistance and Persecution in Passau from 1933 to 1939 – Anna Rosmus
• The Robots of Dawn – Isaac Asimov
• Scandal – A. N. Wilson
• Shame – Salman Rushdie
• A Time for Judas – Morley Callaghan
• White Gold Wielder: Book Three of the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant – Stephen R. Donaldson
• Winter's Tale – Mark Helprin
• Worstward Ho – Samuel Beckett