A Year In The Life: 1982

The Dapper Days of 1982

The Dapper Days of 1982

Part of an ongoing series that highlights some of what was happening during one of my trips around Spaceship Earth. When possible, I will include any meaningful memories and/or photos from a particular year.

This is my third exploration into what was going on around me during a given year of my life. What did the world look like in 1982…

MAJOR EVENTS OF 1982:

  • Argentina invades the Falkland Islands (April 02).

  • Doctors performed the first implant of a permanent artificial heart designed by Robert Jarvik.

  • Yassar Arafat elected the President of the Palestinian National Council.

  • Leonid Brezhnev the General Secretary of the Communist Party dies of a heart attack while in office.

  • Vietnam War Memorial opens in Washington, D.C. (November 13).

THE SPORTING NEWS IN 1982:

  • The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.

  • The North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Georgetown Hoyas in the Men’s College Basketball Championship game.

  • The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals.

  • The San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.

THE TOP TEN SONGS OF 1982:

  • Physical by Olivia Newton-John

  • Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

  • I Love Rock ‘n Roll by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

  • Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder

  • Centerfold by J. Geils Band

  • Don’t You Want Me by the Human League

  • Jack & Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp

  • Hurts So Good by John Cougar Mellencamp

  • Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band

  • Hard to Say I’m Sorry by Chicago

FIVE MEANINGFUL (TO ME) ALBUMS RELEASED IN 1982:

  1. Combat Rock by the Clash

  2. Nothing to Fear by Oingo Boingo

  3. Simple Man by Klaus Nomi

  4. Rio by Duran Duran

  5. The Envoy by Warren Zevon

SOME FILMS FROM 1982 THAT I LOVE:

  • The Thing

  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

  • Rocky III

  • Poltergeist

  • The Atomic Cafe

  • Blade Runner

  • Conan the Barbarian

  • Creepshow

  • Friday the 13th Part III

A SMATTERING OF BOOKS FROM 1982 THAT I ENJOY:

  • The Gunslinger (Dark Tower Part I) by Stephen King

  • Different Seasons by Stephen King

  • V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

  • Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut

MEMORY LANE:

Still a little too early for me to have distinct memories from this year of my life. One that is lodged in there though is going to see E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in the theater with my mom and aunt. It was a followed by a stop at the chalet-style shopping center in Holladay Utah that now houses Black Diamond. I don’t really trust the memory of my two-year old self much, however, as that could be a conflation of moments from different parts of my childhood. In any event, what a great year for movies, amiright!?