World Events

  • British overcome Argentina in Falklands war (April 2-June 15).
  • Israel invades Lebanon in attack on PLO. (June 4). Background: Arab-Israeli Wars
  • Princess Grace, 52, dies of injuries when car plunges off mountain road; daughter Stephanie, 17, suffers serious injuries (Sept. 14).
  • Lebanese Christian Phalangists kill hundreds of people in two Palestinian refugee camps in West Beirut (Sept. 15).
  • Leonid I. Brezhnev, Soviet leader, dies at 75 (Nov. 10). Yuri V. Andropov, 68, chosen as successor (Nov. 15). Background: Rulers of Russia since 1533
U.S. Events
  • John W. Hinckley, Jr. found not guilty because of insanity in shooting of President Reagan (June 21).
  • Alexander M. Haig, Jr., resigns as Secretary of State (June 25).
  • Equal Rights Amendment fails ratification (June 30).
Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars):   $3,242.10 billion
Federal spending:   $745.76 billion
Federal debt:   $1137.3 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars):  $20,171
Consumer Price Index:   96.5
Unemployment:   9.7%
Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.20

Sports

Super Bowl
San Francisco d. Cincinnati (26-21)

World Series
St. Louis Cardinals d. Milwaukee Brewers (4-3)

NBA Championship
LA Lakers d. Philadelphia 76ers (4-2)

Stanley Cup
NY Islanders d. Vancouver (4-0)

Wimbledon
Women: Martina Navratilova d. C. Evert Lloyd (6-1 3-6 6-2)
Men: Jimmy Connors d. J. McEnroe (3-6 6-3 6-7 7-6 6-4)

Kentucky Derby Champion
Gato Del Sol

NCAA Basketball Championship
North Carolina d. Georgetown (63-62)

NCAA Football Champions
Penn St. (11-1-0)

World Cup
Italy d. W. Germany (3-1)

Entertainment

Events

  • Michael Jackson releases Thriller, which sells more than 25 million copies, becoming the biggest-selling album in history.
  • John Belushi dies of a drug overdose at age 33.
  • Cats opens on Broadway. Becomes Broadway’s longest-running play.

Movies

  • E.T. – the Extra-Terrestrial, Tootsie, Gandhi, The Verdict

Music

  • Michael Jackson, Thriller

Books

  • Thomas Keneally, Schindler’s List
  • Alice Walker, The Color Purple
Science
  • A permanent artificial heart is implanted in a human for first time in Dr. Barney B. Clark, 61, at University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City (Dec. 2). Background: Health & Nutrition
  • The space shuttle Columbia makes its first mission, deploying two communications satellites (Nov. 16). Background: US Staffed Space Flights
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) diagnostic machines are introduced in Britain.
  • Washington University in St. Louis develops the Flavr Savr tomato, the first genetically-engineered plant approved for sale.
Deaths
  • John Belushi
  • Ingrid Bergman
  • Leonid Brezhnev
  • Grace Kelly
  • Satchel Paige

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The movie “E.T.” Came out
(Henry Thomas & Drew Barrymore)