What happened in August 1982?
The top front-page story of each day in August 1982, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Aug 1🏊 Japanese Woman Swims Channel – Teruku Onuki, a 21-year-old Japanese student, successfully swam the English Channel in 9 hours and 30 minutes.
- Aug 2🌪️ Typhoon Strikes Japan – A typhoon in central Japan resulted in 38 deaths and 37 missing, causing widespread damage and disruption.
- Aug 3🌍 Uranus Moon Sizes Measured – Astronomers measured the sizes of four moons of Uranus, revealing they are larger and darker than previously estimated.
- Aug 4📬 Jackie Robinson Stamp – Jackie Robinson becomes the first baseball player to appear on a U.S. stamp, commemorating his role in breaking the color barrier in baseball.
- Aug 5👶 Quintuplets Born – A woman in Illinois gave birth to quintuplets, four girls and a boy, all expected to survive, marking a significant event in obstetrics.
- Aug 6🏊 World Swim Marks Set – Victor Davis of Canada and the American 400-meter relay team set world records at the world swimming championships.
- Aug 7🏊 Swim Record Set – Birgit Meineke and Kristin Otto won gold medals as East Germany's relay team set a world record of 4:05.88 at the World Swimming Championships.
- Aug 8🌍 300 Feared Drowned – At least 300 people were feared drowned in the capsizing of an overloaded ship off the Sulawesi coast in Indonesia.
- Aug 9🏆 Floyd Wins P.G.A – Ray Floyd won the 64th Professional Golfers' Association championship by three shots, overcoming a challenging final round.
- Aug 10🌋 New Hawaii Island – Hawaii is gaining a new island as the Loihi Seamount shows vigorous volcanic growth, expected to rise above sea level.
- Aug 11🕊️ Mother Teresa Visits Beirut – Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize winner, flew to Cyprus to visit members of her order in east Beirut amid ongoing conflict.
- Aug 12🏌️ Palmer Wins Golf Classic – Sandra Palmer won the Ladies' Professional Golf Association Boston Five Classic, marking her first victory in 19 months.
- Aug 13🚢 Relief Ship Arrives – A Red Cross ship carrying 900 tons of relief supplies reached Tripoli, Lebanon, marking the first successful delivery since July 27.
- Aug 14📉 Air Florida Loss – Air Florida reported a $15.7 million loss in Q2 1982, down from a profit of $6.3 million last year, citing reduced travel demand.
- Aug 15🌊 Typhoon Hits South Korea – A typhoon weakened into a tropical storm after killing at least 13 people and injuring 100 on South Korea's southwestern coast.
- Aug 16🏎️ De Angelis Wins Grand Prix – Elio de Angelis of Italy secured his first Grand Prix victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, fending off Keke Rosberg's challenge.
- Aug 17🔬 Powerful Physics Test – Scientists prepare to launch a monumental physics project, comparable to space missions, aiming to explore new realms of physics.
- Aug 18📈 Stock Market Surges – The stock market experienced its largest one-day gain in history as interest rates dropped, boosting investor confidence.
- Aug 19🌋 Mount St. Helens Update – Mount St. Helens is churning molten lava inside its dome, but escaping gases reduce chances of an explosive eruption, scientists report.
- Aug 20🕊️ P.L.O. Withdrawal Approved – The Israeli Cabinet approved a plan for the withdrawal of Palestinian and Syrian fighters from west Beirut, marking a significant step towards peace.
- Aug 21🚀 Soviet Space Docking – A Soviet spacecraft with the second woman in space docked with Salyut 7 for experiments on women's adaptation to space travel.
- Aug 22🔬 New Fusion Method – Recent experiments suggest a new method of nuclear fusion could increase energy production by 50% using the same fuel.
- Aug 23🎨 Spanish Arts Festival – The Association of Hispanic Arts announces ''Festival 1982,'' a monthlong celebration of Spanish music, dance, and theater starting Oct. 5.
- Aug 24🌍 Lebanon Elects President – Bashir Gemayel, leader of the rightist Christian militia, was elected President of Lebanon amid celebrations in East Beirut.
- Aug 25⚓ Tudor Flagship Raised – The flagship of King Henry VIII will be raised from the seabed on Sept. 28, after being buried for 437 years.
- Aug 26🌍 Mother Teresa Visits Refugees – Mother Teresa arrived in Honduras to tour refugee camps housing thousands of Salvadoran peasants displaced by conflict.
- Aug 27📉 Federal Reserve Cuts Rates – The Federal Reserve announced a half-point reduction in the discount rate to 10%, impacting loans to banks and financial institutions.
- Aug 28🚢 Lost Wrecks Sought – Explorers plan to search Drake's Bay for early shipwrecks, believed to be among the richest in the nation.
- Aug 29🌋 Volcano Site Designated – President Reagan signed a bill designating 110,000 acres in Washington state as the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
- Aug 30🏆 Trans-Atlantic Sailor Celebrated – Bill Dunlop set a record for crossing the Atlantic west to east in the smallest boat, receiving a warm welcome upon arrival.
- Aug 31🌌 Halley's Comet Observations – Scientists are organizing an international network to observe Halley's comet's return in 1985 and 1986, coordinating data sharing globally.
Happy Birthday! 1982 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1982 in real headlines. See the 1982 book →
Born in August? Pick the day
Every birthday in August has its own On This Day in Headlines book: