What happened in December 1984?
The top front-page story of each day in December 1984, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Dec 1🔬 Artificial Heart Breakthrough – Doctors successfully switched a patient to a portable power source for an artificial heart, paving the way for more comfortable living.
- Dec 2🛩️ Jet Crash Test Fireball – An unmanned jetliner was crashed in a government-sponsored test, creating a massive fireball to assess fuel safety.
- Dec 3🏆 Girardelli Takes Slalom – Marc Girardelli won the opening slalom event of the men's World Cup, showcasing a significant achievement in skiing.
- Dec 4🌍 Bhopal Gas Tragedy – A toxic gas leak in Bhopal, India, from an American-owned plant killed at least 410 people, marking one of the worst industrial disasters in history.
- Dec 5💔 Bhopal Disaster – A poisonous gas leak in Bhopal, India, kills over 1,000 people, marking one of the worst industrial accidents in history.
- Dec 6🌍 Bhopal Disaster Deaths – The death toll from the gas leak at an insecticide plant in Bhopal, India, has risen to at least 1,200, with fears of an epidemic.
- Dec 7🏭 Dioxin Cleanup Success – A New Jersey firm reported success in using an electrical process to remove toxic dioxin from contaminated soil, though state officials remain cautious.
- Dec 8🚀 Astronauts Honored – President Reagan awarded silver medals to the crew of the space shuttle Discovery for retrieving two satellites last month.
- Dec 9🏭 Bhopal Disaster Aftermath – Deaths at Bhopal hospital drop for the first time since the gas leak, suggesting medical consequences may be less severe than predicted.
- Dec 10🌍 Artificial Heart Success – William J. Schroeder declared the experiment in which he received an artificial heart a success, feeling 'super' after the procedure.
- Dec 11🌌 Planet Found Outside Solar System – Astronomers announced the discovery of what is believed to be the first planet detected beyond our solar system.
- Dec 12🕊️ Mother Teresa Visits Bhopal – Mother Teresa comforted victims of the Bhopal gas disaster, visiting hospitals and praying for those affected by the tragedy.
- Dec 13🚀 Satellite Launched Successfully – A weather and search-and-rescue satellite was launched into space after 13 delays, marking a significant achievement in aerospace technology.
- Dec 14🌍 Ethiopia Moves 1.5 Million – Ethiopia relocates 1.5 million famine-stricken people to fertile areas, using buses and helicopters to aid the desperate population.
- Dec 15🧬 Ancient DNA Discovery – Archeologists in Florida found two 7,000-year-old skulls with largely intact brains, containing DNA, offering insights into ancient human history.
- Dec 16🎉 Twitter's Growth – Twitter’s user base surpassed 1 million users, signifying a major milestone in social media.
- Dec 17🌍 Ecuador Debt Revamped – Ecuador's creditor banks agreed to reschedule $4.3 billion in public-sector debt and provide over $1 billion in new financing.
- Dec 18🎾 Sweden Wins Davis Cup – Sweden clinched the 1984 Davis Cup title, defeating the U.S. team in doubles, marking a historic victory for Swedish tennis.
- Dec 19🕊️ Thatcher Signs Accord – Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the agreement to return sovereignty over Hong Kong to China on July 1, 1997.
- Dec 20🏙️ Hong Kong Accord Signed – Margaret Thatcher signed an agreement committing Britain to hand over Hong Kong to China in 1997, ensuring a 50-year capitalist system.
- Dec 21🔬 Key Gene Purified – Scientists have detected, purified, and reproduced a human gene believed vital to the body's defenses against disease.
- Dec 22💡 Federal Reserve Cuts Rates – The Federal Reserve Board reduced its loan rate to 8%, marking a six-year low to ease credit conditions in the economy.
- Dec 23🏢 Soviet Georgian Gas Blast – At least 100 people were killed in a gas explosion that ripped through a nine-story apartment building in Tbilisi, Soviet Georgia.
- Dec 24🐟 U.S. Office to Study Fish – NOAA announces new Estuarine Programs Office to research pollution effects on fish and shellfish.
- Dec 25🎨 Caravaggio Show at Met – The exhibition ''The Age of Caravaggio'' opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, featuring 40 paintings by Caravaggio and contemporaries.
- Dec 26🎨 Beethoven Letter Auction – A letter from Ludwig van Beethoven to his 'Immortal Beloved' will be auctioned in London in May, Sotheby's announced.
- Dec 27🏭 Chrysler Plant Expansion – Chrysler announced a second shift at its Sterling Heights assembly plant, recalling 1,000 laid-off workers and hiring 700 new employees.
- Dec 28🌌 Artificial Comet Launched – The first artificial comet was launched from a satellite, quickly growing a 25,000-mile tail in solar wind, marking a significant scientific achievement.
- Dec 29🎉 Indian Election Victory – Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's Congress Party scored a significant victory in India's parliamentary elections, marking a major political triumph.
- Dec 30🌍 Grenada Returns to Democracy – Grenada's new Parliament members took their seats, marking the return to democratic rule after a coup in 1979.
- Dec 31🎉 Vienna Concert Digital – The Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert will be broadcast digitally across the Atlantic for the first time, enhancing global reach.
Happy Birthday! 1984 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1984 in real headlines. See the 1984 book →
Born in December? Pick the day
Every birthday in December has its own On This Day in Headlines book: