What happened in February 1982?
The top front-page story of each day in February 1982, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Feb 1🏔️ Avalanche in Austria – An avalanche buried a West German school group on a ski tour, killing 11 people and leaving one missing, police reported.
- Feb 2🔬 New Drug Class Emerges – A new class of beta blocker drugs is revolutionizing heart disease treatment, significantly impacting medical practices since 1965.
- Feb 3🏛️ Dublin Honors Joyce – Ireland celebrates James Joyce's 100th birthday with events honoring the author, who faced criticism during his lifetime.
- Feb 4📸 Kodak Introduces Disk Cameras – Kodak unveiled a new line of cameras using film disks, aiming to dominate amateur photography for the decade.
- Feb 5🔬 Reagan and Mubarak Meet – President Reagan and Egyptian President Mubarak pledge to continue peace efforts in the Middle East through Camp David agreements.
- Feb 6🏔️ Oldest Structure Found – Archaeologists in Chile discovered what may be the oldest architectural structure in the Americas, dating back 12,000 to 14,000 years.
- Feb 7🏆 Weirather Wins Gold – Harti Weirather won Austria's first gold medal at the World Alpine Skiing Championships in the men's downhill event.
- Feb 8🏆 Stenmark Wins Slalom – Ingemar Stenmark skied flawlessly to retain the world slalom championship, marking his third title in this event.
- Feb 9✈️ Tokyo Bay Jet Crash – A Japan Airlines DC-8 crashed into Tokyo Bay, killing 23 and leaving 4 missing among 174 aboard during landing at Haneda Airport.
- Feb 10📡 Zimbabwe Expands Radio Links – Zimbabwe takes a major step to reduce dependence on South Africa for communication with a new grant to expand radio links.
- Feb 11🌍 Egypt-Canada Nuclear Pact – Egypt initialed an agreement to purchase Canadian nuclear power equipment, following similar agreements with the U.S., France, and West Germany.
- Feb 12🌍 Pope Visits Africa – Pope John Paul II begins a seven-day trip to West Africa, resuming travels after surviving an assassination attempt.
- Feb 13🌍 Pope Visits Nigeria – Pope John Paul II received an exuberant welcome in Nigeria as he began an eight-day tour across four West African nations.
- Feb 14💖 Valentine's Day Celebrations – Hallmark estimates 800 million Valentine's Day cards exchanged in the U.S., highlighting the universal desire for love and connection.
- Feb 15🏆 Swiss Win Bobsled Title – Switzerland won the four-man world bobsled championship, ending East Germany's dominance in the event.
- Feb 16🔬 Expedition to Antarctica – A scientific expedition from India has landed in East Antarctica for research on climate, oceanography, and seismic activity.
- Feb 17🔬 Largest Molecule Detected – Astronomers in Ottawa discovered the largest molecule yet detected outside Earth's atmosphere, suggesting more building blocks of life in the universe.
- Feb 18🎤 Reagan News Conference – President Reagan will hold a televised news conference today at 2 P.M. in Washington.
- Feb 19🏛️ Pope Visits Equatorial Guinea – Pope John Paul II was warmly welcomed upon his arrival in Equatorial Guinea, a country with a history of church persecution.
- Feb 20🔬 Gretzky Sets Points Mark – Wayne Gretzky scored three goals and had two assists, surpassing his NHL record for points in a season.
- Feb 21🎭 Edinburgh Festival Announced – The 1982 Edinburgh International Festival will run from Aug. 22 to Sept. 11, highlighting Italy's cultural contributions.
- Feb 22🎾 Noah Ends Lendl Streak – Yannick Noah defeated Ivan Lendl, ending his 44-match winning streak at the Congoleum Classic tennis tournament.
- Feb 23🔬 Winged Bean Against Malnutrition – The winged bean, now grown in over 70 countries, is hailed as a key crop to combat malnutrition in tropical regions.
- Feb 24🏅 Bra Wins Ski Race – Oddvar Bra of Norway won the 15-kilometer cross-country race at the world Nordic skiing championships today.
- Feb 25👶 First French Test Tube Baby – France's first test tube baby was born today, a 7-pound 12-ounce girl, marking a significant milestone in reproductive technology.
- Feb 26🏭 Oil Rig Inquiry Merges – Canada and Newfoundland announced a merger of inquiries into the Ocean Ranger oil rig disaster, which claimed 84 lives.
- Feb 27🦗 40-Million-Year-Old Insect – A mummified insect with intact soft tissues has been found, providing insights into ancient life, reported scientists at UC Berkeley.
- Feb 28🏅 Olson Vaults Record – Billy Olson cleared an indoor world-best height of 18 feet 10 inches in the pole vault at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championships.
Happy Birthday! 1982 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1982 in real headlines. See the 1982 book →