What happened in October 1983?
The top front-page story of each day in October 1983, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Oct 1🎨 Kurt Weill Conference – An international conference on Kurt Weill will be held at Yale University, featuring performances and exhibitions of his music.
- Oct 2🦶 Ancient Footprints Found – Well-preserved footprints from prehistoric people, dating back 4,500 years, discovered in a cave alongside extinct animal remains.
- Oct 3🌋 Mt. St. Helens Dome Grows – The dome in Mount St. Helens' crater is inflating rapidly, with new material expected to be released in 5 to 10 days, according to geological surveys.
- Oct 4🌋 Volcano Erupts in Japan – A volcano erupted on a small Japanese island, forcing 4,500 residents to evacuate as villages were buried by lava and destroyed by fire.
- Oct 5🧬 New Medical Scanner – A powerful magnetic device that can diagnose strokes and other disorders was unveiled at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.
- Oct 6🌋 Kilauea Volcano Erupts – Kilauea volcano erupted, shooting lava 700 feet high, marking a significant phase in its ongoing eruption since January.
- Oct 7🌍 Spain Eases Abortion Law – Spain's Parliament voted to legalize abortion in certain cases, marking the first such legalization in nearly 50 years.
- Oct 8🌍 Suharto Hopes for Visit – President Suharto expressed understanding for Reagan's postponed visit to Indonesia and hopes for a rescheduled date.
- Oct 9🏆 Walesa Wins Nobel Prize – Lech Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing his efforts to promote free trade unions in Poland.
- Oct 10🔬 Spacelab Plans Proceed – Kennedy Space Center crews continue preparations for a simulated launch of the European Spacelab despite potential delays.
- Oct 11🔬 Nobel Prize in Medicine – Dr. Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for her groundbreaking work on gene mobility in plants.
- Oct 12🌍 China Joins IAEA – China became the 112th member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, enhancing global nuclear safety and cooperation.
- Oct 13🚀 NASA Shuttle Delay – NASA considers a delay of one to four months for the next space shuttle mission due to concerns over booster rocket nozzles.
- Oct 14🌍 7,000 Women March – About 7,000 women marched in Manila, led by the widow of Benigno S. Aquino Jr., demanding the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos.
- Oct 15☀️ Dust Rings Around Sun – Japanese astronomers captured the first image of twin dust rings around the Sun, a significant astronomical achievement.
- Oct 16♻️ Recycling Study Released – A Worldwatch Institute study warns that costs of basic materials may rise unless industrial countries enhance recycling efforts.
- Oct 17🕊️ Pope Canonizes Saint – Pope John Paul II canonized a new saint and prayed for the world to avoid nuclear catastrophe on his fifth anniversary as pope.
- Oct 18🌌 Irregular Comet Found – Radar echoes reveal comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock has an irregular shape, resembling a cardboard box rather than a sphere.
- Oct 19🌌 Billions of Comets – Scientists estimate there may be up to 2,000 billion comets in the solar system, far more than previously thought.
- Oct 20🔬 Nobel Prize Winners – Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and William Fowler were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on stellar evolution.
- Oct 21🌧️ Storm Batters Oklahoma – Severe storms caused a state of emergency in Oklahoma, displacing 200 residents and resulting in at least three fatalities.
- Oct 22🏔️ Americans Scale Everest – Three Americans became the first non-Chinese to conquer Mount Everest from the Tibetan side, marking a significant achievement in mountaineering.
- Oct 23🐋 Japanese Whalers Depart – Japan's last whaling mother ship sets sail from Yokosuka for the Antarctic Ocean, sparking global environmental concerns.
- Oct 24🚢 Soviet Ships Freed – Soviet ships trapped in Arctic ice reached Murmansk after being freed, including the Kolya Myagotin, which was at risk of sinking.
- Oct 25🔬 Laser Heart Treatment – Researchers reported the first use of a laser beam to unblock obstructed arteries in heart patients in Toulouse, France.
- Oct 26🏨 Fire in Scotland – A gas explosion in a luxury hotel in Scotland killed 5 people and injured 14 others during breakfast hours.
- Oct 27📈 Chrysler's Net Soars – Chrysler Corporation reported a significant recovery, earning $100.2 million in the third quarter, up from $9.4 million last year.
- Oct 28🌍 800,000 at Rally – Argentina's Radical Party concluded its campaign with a massive rally attended by 800,000 people, marking a significant political event in modern history.
- Oct 29🌊 Waste Spill Disaster – Soviet Union acknowledges a major disaster in western Ukraine with over a billion gallons of waste salts spilling into the Dniester River.
- Oct 30🏛️ Pope Appeals for Peace – Pope John Paul II urged President Reagan and Soviet leader Andropov to work towards ending the arms race during the Synod of Bishops.
- Oct 31🌅 NASA Plans Sky Display – NASA plans to create spectacular pink and blue clouds visible from Massachusetts to North Carolina this evening.
Happy Birthday! 1983 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1983 in real headlines. See the 1983 book →
Born in October? Pick the day
Every birthday in October has its own On This Day in Headlines book: