What do record-breaking astronauts, an iconic Miss America winner, Pat Morita, and a Soviet Union Leader's fifth-grade pen pal all have in common? They were all integral players in 1983, a year defined by new tech, iconic movies, and several legendary firsts that would pave the way for decades to come.
From a Dungeons & Dragons group smiling for the camera to a wild night out with David Bowie, here are 43 pics of what the world looked like in 1983.
1
Vanessa Williams moments after her historic Miss America win. She was the first African American woman to be crowned in the prestigious beauty pageant.
2
Joan Benoit crosses the finish line of the 1983 Boston Marathon. She placed first with a record-breaking time of 2:22:43.
3
President Ronald Reagan takes the stage at the 1983 National Association of Evangelicals convention, where delivered his famed "Evil Empire" speech. The address, in which Reagan denounced the “evil empire” of the Soviet Union as "the focus of evil in the modern world,” sparked criticism for its inflammatory language, with some worried the President’s statements would only increase tensions between the two nations.
4
“US Marine In the Aftermath of the Beirut Bombing, 1983.”
5
Maine fifth grader Samantha Smith poses with a letter she received from then-Soviet Union Leader Yuri Andropov amid the Cold War. That previous December, Smith wrote the politician asking whether he was considering engaging in a nuclear war with the United States. “We in the Soviet Union are endeavoring and doing everything so that there will be no war between our two countries, so that there will be no war at all on Earth,” Andropov explained in his reply.
6
“Hirohito (Emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989) and Helmut Kohl (Chancellor of german reunification), 1983.”
7
Guy Bluford as seen during his August 1983 mission on NASA’s Challenger space shuttle. He was the first African American astronaut to ever go to space.
8
A still from “Flashdance,” which premiered in 1983. Irene Cara’s contribution to the film’s soundtrack, “Flashdance (What a Feeling)”, would later hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for six weeks.
9
“Kim Basinger and Sean Connery in ‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983).”
10
“Joaquin Phoenix and River Phoenix, with their parents and siblings, Summer,Liberty & Rain at home in LA California circa 1983.”
11
“Me, in all my 1980s glory at 22 years old (1983).”
12
“Behind the scenes shot from ‘Scarface’, 1983.”
15
“Freshman Year - 1983. I didn’t choose the Nerd Life. It chose me.”
16
“Video store checkout @ 1983.”
17
“Cyndi Lauper in 1983. She was 29 or 30 years old in this picture. Her first studio album, ‘She's So Unusual’ released that year, making her famous worldwide.”
18
“Only some of us were lucky enough to get a Cabbage Patch Kid during the craze in 1983/84.”
20
“Secret Service in 1983.”
21
Astronaut Sally Ride aboard NASA’s Challenger space shuttle during the STS-7 mission in June 1983. She was the first American woman to visit space.
22
“My father, my brothers, and me, 1983. The sad part is it wasn’t even planned. We all just showed up this way.”
23
“My 4 year old daughter in 1983.”
24
“The Burger Chef Big Shef. Became extinct 1983.”
25
“My mommy at 15 - 1983.”
26
“An inebriated evening with Susan Sarandon and David Bowie (1983).”
27
“That time my mom attempted to make a R2-D2 birthday cake, 1983.”
28
“Billy Joel with his ‘Uptown Girl’ Christie Brinkley in 1983.”
29
“Atmosphere at the US Festival in May 1983.”
30
“Boys with Boom Box, 14th Street, New York, 1983.”
31
“Here is my friend's T-Ball team photo from 1983. They didn't know Coach Jimmy was famous.”
32
“Flea and Anthony Kiedis: Red Hot Chili Peppers..1983.”
33
“My Dungeons and Dragons buddies and I, 1983.”
35
“Bill Gates in his office, 1983.”
36
“Stig Lennart Blomqvist in his (Group B Rally) Audi Quattro, taking a turn at high speed and inches away from dozens of spectators during the Rallye Sanremo, in Italy, c. 1983.”
37
“Arnold Schwarzenegger on the day he received his American citizenship, 1983.”
38
“Pope Saint John Paul II meets with Mehmet Agca, the man who attempted to assassinate him, 1983.”
39
“The Greasers from Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film ‘The Outsiders.’”
40
“National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry photographed during his coverage of the 1983 Monsoon in Gujarat, India.”
41
“Ronald Reagan ‘punching’ Muhammad Ali during his visit to the White House, 1983.”
42
A still from “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” the final episode of M*A*S*H, which aired in February, 1983.
43
“Pat Morita with the Cobra Kai gang, 1983.”
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