World Events

• Pope John Paul II signs new Roman Catholic code incorporating changes brought about by Second Vatican Council (Jan. 25).
  
  
• Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., 50, political rival of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, is assassinated in Manila (Aug. 21).
  
  
• South Korean Boeing 747 jetliner bound for Seoul apparently strays into Soviet airspace and is shot down by a Soviet SU-15 fighter after it had tracked the airliner for two hours; all 269 aboard are killed. (Aug. 30).
  
  
• Terrorist explosion kills 237 US Marines in Beirut (Oct. 23).
  
  
• US invades Grenada (Oct. 25).
  
  

U.S. Events

• Second space shuttle, Challenger, makes successful maiden voyage, which includes the first US space walk in nine years (April 4).
  
  
• US Supreme Court declares many local abortion restrictions unconstitutional (June 15).
  
  
• Sally K. Ride, 32, first US woman astronaut in space as a crew member aboard space shuttle Challenger (June 18).
  
  
• US admits shielding former Nazi Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie, 69, the "butcher of Lyon," wanted inFrance for war crimes (Aug. 15). 
  
  

Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars):   $3,514.50 billion
Federal spending:   $808.38 billion
Federal debt:   $1371.7 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars):  $20,885 
Consumer Price Index:   99.6
Unemployment:   9.6%
Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.20

Sports

Super Bowl

Washington d. Miami (27-17)

World Series

Baltimore d. Philadelphia Phillies (4-1)

NBA Championship

Philadelphia 76ers d. LA Lakers (4-0)

Stanley Cup

NY Islanders d. Edmonton (4-0)

Wimbledon

Women: Martina Navratilova d. A. Jaeger (6-0 6-3)
Men: John McEnroe d. C. Lewis (6-2 6-2 6-2)

Kentucky Derby Champion

Sunny's Halo

NCAA Basketball Championship

N.C. State d. Houston (54-52)

NCAA Football Champions

Miami-FL (11-1-0)

Entertainment

Events

• With the introduction of noise-free compact discs, the vinyl record begins a steep decline.
• Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy wins the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and Tony Award for best play, marking the acceptance of gay theater.
• Singer Karen Carpenter dies of complications from anorexia nervosa at age 32.
• More than 125 million viewers tune in to the last episode of M*A*S*H.

Movies

• The Big Chill, Terms of Endearment, Fanny & Alexander, The Right Stuff

Books

• J.M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
• William Kennedy, Ironweed

Theater

• Torch Song Trilogy

Science

• "Crack" cocaine is developed in the Bahamas, and soon appears in the United States. Background: Nationwide Trends in Drug Abuse
• The FCC authorizes Motorola to begin testing cellular phone service in Chicago.
• The El Niño phenomenon disrupts global weather patterns. Background: What's Wrong With Our Weather?

Deaths

• Tennessee Williams
  
  
• Joan Miró
  
  
• Buckminster Fuller
  
  
• Jack Dempsey

Read more: Top News Stories from 1983 — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/year/1983.html#ixzz2LeazWkoU