USA Today News
USA Today Newspaper started. The first edition hit the newsstands on September 15, 1982. It was the first national daily general-interest newspaper.
As American’s attention spans were getting shorter and shorter, USA Today, featuring a lot of colorful graphics and very short articles, became the perfect 80s newspaper.
Tylenol Murders
7 people in the Chicagoland area died as a result of taking Tylenol capsules that were laced with cyanide. A nationwide panic ensued.
Hundreds of copycat incidents of product tampering were reported. Stores scrambled to remove the products from their shelves.
This lead to the tamperproof seals you see today.
Compact Discs
The music industry was changed forever when CDs were introduced in 1982. The higher quality sound and convenience of use meant that people would soon be buying CD players and having to replace their record collections.
February 1, 1982: Late night with David Letterman premiers. Dave’s first guest was Bill Murray.
March 7, 1982: The NCAA Tournament Selection Show was televised for the first time.
April 2, 1982: The Falklands War began when Argentina invaded the British-owned Falkland Islands.
October 14, 1982: President Reagan announces a War On Drugs.
November 10, 1982: Vietnam War Memorial opens in Washington D.C.
November 13, 1982: Boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini defeats Duk Koo Kim. Kim dies from brain injuries four days later.
December 1, 1982: Barney Clark receives the first artificial heart transplant. The Jarvik 7 artificial heart keeps Clark alive for 112 days.