What happened in January 1982?
The top front-page story of each day in January 1982, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jan 1🔬 Better Birth Control Pill – Scientists reported successful tests of a synthetic brain hormone that may lead to a new monthly birth control pill.
- Jan 2📉 China Alters Import Tax – China reduces customs duties on 149 categories of industrial equipment to encourage imports for modernization.
- Jan 3🌍 Clemson Wins Championship – Clemson football team secures its first national championship by defeating Nebraska, 22-15, in the Orange Bowl.
- Jan 4🏆 Kriek Wins Australian Open – Johan Kriek became the first South African to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament, defeating Steve Denton in the final.
- Jan 5🔭 First Test Tube Baby – The first baby conceived outside the mother's body in the U.S. was taken home to Massachusetts a week after her birth.
- Jan 6📚 China to Sell Writings – China announced the sale of selected writings by former President Liu Shaoqi, who was exonerated after his death.
- Jan 7🔬 Synthetic Fuel Plans Advance – The U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation announced $14.8 billion for development projects, identifying 27 applicants for funding.
- Jan 8🌍 Polar Ice Melting – About 20,000 cubic miles of polar ice has melted in 40 years due to global heating, contributing to rising sea levels.
- Jan 9🌍 Spain Reopens Gibraltar Border – Spain announced the reopening of its border with Gibraltar after 12 years, coinciding with upcoming talks with London.
- Jan 10🌍 Cousteau's Amazon Study – Jacques Cousteau will lead a 13-month study of Amazon wildlife with 40 scientists using submarines and helicopters.
- Jan 11❄️ Record Cold Wave – A severe cold wave gripped the U.S., with Chicago recording its coldest day at -26°F, leading to multiple fatalities and widespread disruptions.
- Jan 12🌌 Universe's Size Reappraised – Astronomers suggest the universe is only half as large and old as previously thought, based on new evidence from distant galaxies.
- Jan 13🏛️ Pope Meets Polish Official – Pope John Paul II met privately with Kazimierz Szablewski, a Polish Government official, at the Vatican.
- Jan 14✈️ Plane Hits Bridge – An Air Florida jetliner crashed into a bridge during takeoff in a snowstorm, resulting in at least 12 deaths and over 50 missing.
- Jan 15🎨 Arts Fund Leadership – Francis S.M. Hodsoll, new chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, calls for stronger federal-private partnerships in arts funding.
- Jan 16🏭 G.M. Cutbacks Announced – General Motors Corporation announced plant closings and production cutbacks affecting 60,400 employees over the next four months.
- Jan 17🏭 GM-UAW Cost Deal – General Motors and the United Auto Workers agreed to pass savings from wage concessions to customers, marking a significant labor agreement.
- Jan 18🌉 40 Tourists Drown – A footbridge over a waterfall collapsed on the Paraguay-Brazil border, resulting in at least 40 drownings and 10 injuries.
- Jan 19⛷️ Flanders Wins Downhill – Holly Flanders of Deerfield, N.H., scored her first World Cup triumph, marking the first American downhill victory in three years.
- Jan 20🏛️ Dutch Socialist Elected – Pieter Dankert, a Dutch Socialist, was elected president of the European Parliament, succeeding Simone Veil of France.
- Jan 21🚀 Space Shuttle Launch Date – NASA announced March 22 as the launch date for the space shuttle Columbia's third test flight, a weeklong orbital mission.
- Jan 22📸 Photography Exhibition Opens – A new exhibition at the International Center of Photography explores the history of photography in Germany during the 1800s.
- Jan 23🚀 Galileo Mission Extended – NASA announced an extension for the Galileo mission to explore Jupiter, adding 30 months and $170 million to the project.
- Jan 24🌍 Egyptian Students Visit – Sixty Egyptian high school students arrived in Israel for a 10-day visit, marking the first cultural exchange under a recent agreement.
- Jan 25🏆 49ers Win Super Bowl – The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI, marking their first championship win.
- Jan 26🌧️ 200 Killed in Peru – About 200 people were reported drowned when rivers burst their banks in the Peruvian jungle after torrential rains.
- Jan 27🚍 Bus Tragedy in Mexico – A bus plunged into a river near Tuxpan, Mexico, resulting in 19 fatalities and 56 injuries, according to authorities.
- Jan 28🏛️ New Golf Course in China – Arnold Palmer announced plans to build China's first golf course in Canton, hiring 4,000 locals for construction.
- Jan 29🌍 Japan Eases Trade Policy – Japan announced plans to liberalize trade policies, responding to pressures from the U.S. and Europe, affecting various industries.
- Jan 30🏗️ Trump Tower Fire – Flaming debris fell from the 28th floor of Trump Tower during construction, causing significant damage and raising safety concerns.
- Jan 31🌍 Kuwait Legalizes Abortions – Kuwait becomes the first Arab nation on the Persian Gulf to permit abortion, allowing it under specific health conditions.
Happy Birthday! 1982 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1982 in real headlines. See the 1982 book →
Born in January? Pick the day
Every birthday in January has its own On This Day in Headlines book: