Featured moment
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Steven Spielberg's heartwarming sci-fi film became the highest-grossing film of all time, holding the record for 11 years.
E.T. phone home.
An alien touched our hearts, Michael Jackson dropped Thriller, and CDs promised perfect sound forever.
The Cost of Living in 1982
Gallon of Gas
$1.16
Loaf of Bread
$0.52
Gallon of Milk
$2.18
World Population
4.62 billion
Featured moment
Michael Jackson Releases "Thriller"
The album became the best-selling album of all time, breaking racial barriers on MTV and redefining the music video.
Featured moment
First Compact Discs Produced
The first commercial CDs were pressed in Germany (ABBA's "The Visitors"), beginning the digital audio revolution.
The wider picture
More from 1982
A few more things worth remembering.
Cinema & TV
Blade Runner Released
Ridley Scott's dystopian neo-noir flopped initially but became one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made.
Technology
Commodore 64 Introduced
The 8-bit home computer became the best-selling single computer model of all time, dominating the 80s market.
Cinema & TV
Tron Released
Disney's sci-fi film pioneered computer-generated imagery (CGI) in cinema.
World Events
Falklands War
A 10-week undeclared war between Argentina and the UK over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic.
Science & Space
First Artificial Heart Transplant
Dr. Robert Jarvik's artificial heart (Jarvik-7) was successfully implanted into Barney Clark, who lived for 112 days.
Cinema & TV
Late Night with David Letterman Premieres
Letterman's ironic, subversive talk show began on NBC, changing the landscape of late-night comedy.
You arrivedin 1982.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 1982 to today.