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1983 MAJOR EVENTS
Nobel Peace Prize Winner 1983Lech Walesa Poland
 Founder of Solidarity, campaigner for human rights1983 certainly was a year filled with news breaking events some of which we shall never forget. These events for the entire year are listed directly below a few other news events that also occured in 1983 and deserve to be mentioned.
Singer Karen Carpenter died of complications from anorexia nervosa at age 32.
Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys died from a drowning accident while diving off his friends 52 foot yacht Emerald in Marina Del Ray, California. By special dispensation of the United States government he was buried at sea.
The Last Deloreans were produced in 1983.
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| February |
A flood covers the California coast and kills 13 people |
| February 12 |
The coal freighter Marine Electric sinks during a storm off the coast of Chincoteague, Virginia, 33 people die
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| February 13 |
A fire at a movie theater in Turin, Italy, kills 64 |
| February 19 |
A railroad disaster in Empalme, Mexico, leaves 100 people dead |
| March 23 |
Reagan gives a speech on National Security & Operation Stauch starts where the State Department discourages other countries from selling arms to Iran
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| April 1 |
The first Hooter's opened in Clearwater, Florida by six fun-loving businessmen with no experience in the restaurant industry. Their company Hooters Inc. was based out of Atlanta, Georgia. The casual beach-theme establishments feature "50s & '60s jukebox music, sports on television, and a menu that includes seafood, sandwiches, salads and spicy chicken wings. Hooters is mainly famous for their waitresses who wear orange shorts and T-shirts with the Hooters Logo.
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| April 4 |
Challenger makes its first flight (STS-6)
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| April 6-12 |
A flood in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee kills 15 people |
| April 10 |
PLO representative Dr. Issam Sartawi is shot and killed by an unkown gunman. In Albufeira, Portugal a splinter group of the PLO claims responsibility.
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| April 18 |
U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon was bombed. Sixty-three people, including the CIA's Middle East director, were killed, and 120 were injured in a 400-pound suicide truck-bomb attack.
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| April 20 |
Reagan signs a bipartisan compromise bill that is supposed to save Social Security
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| April 27 |
Reagan addresses Congress about Central America and defends giving aid to the Contras. |
| May 18-22 |
A tornado in Texas kills 12 people |
| May 24 |
The Supreme Court held with an 8-1 decision that the IRS can deny tax exemptions to racial-discriminating private schools |
| May 25 |
The Nile streamer 10th of Ramadan catches fire and sinks in Lake Nasser, killing 357 people |
| May 26 |
A 7.7 earthquake in Northern Honshu, Japan leaves 81 dead
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| June |
A Monsoon in India leaves 900 dead and 500 missing. The US Air Force is called in to drop relief supplies to over 100,000 stranded people |
| June 15 |
US Supreme Court declares many local abortion restrictions unconstitutional |
| June 18-24 |
Challenger makes its second flight (STS-7). It is the first five member crew with Crippen, Hauck, Fabian, Thagard, and Ride. Sally K. Ride is the first woman in space.
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| June 27 - July 17 |
The Soviet Soyuz T-9 mission by Layakhov and Aleksandrov is the first flight during which construction takes place
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| August 15 |
US admits shielding former Nazi Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie, 69, the "butcher of Lyon" wanted in France for war crimes
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| August 18 |
Hurrican Alicia in southern Texas, leaves 17 dead
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| August 21 |
Phillippine opposition political leader Benigno Aquino Jr. is shot and killed by a gunman at the Manila International Airport
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| August 30 - September 5 |
Challenger makes it third flight (STS-8). The crew includes Truly, Branderstein, Thorton, Bluford, and Gardner. Gulon Bluford is the first US black person in space
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| September |
Reagan signs the First Presidential Finding on Contras |
| September 1 |
A South Korean passenger jet (Boeing 747) is shot down when it infringes on Soviet air space. 269 people are killed. The plane was shot down without warning on a flight from New York to Seoul, Korea. The Soviets claimed that the plane was flying on a spy mission. In fact, however, the actions of the Soviets was a horrible accident. |
| September 12 |
In the second largest theft in U.S. history, an employee of Wells Fargo makes off with $7 million in cash from a company warehouse in Connecticut. Victor M. Gerena, a company guard accused of staging the heist, was one of 19 people later indicted in U.S. District Court for the theft. He escaped to Cuba with part of the $7 million he allegedly stole.
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| October 17 |
Robert McFarlane is appointed as a National Security Advisor
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| October 23 |
US Peace Keepers are killed in Lebanon. Over 200 Marines were killed when a truck loaded with explosives crashed into the US Marine compound at Beirut Airport. The Marines, who had been in Beirut as part of a multi-national force to promote peace in Lebanon, had after a short stay in Lebanon become a target of Syrian-supported extremists. Soon after the bombings US forces withdrew from Lebanon. 58 French troops were also killed when a 400-pound device destroyed a French base. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility
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| October 25 |
Prime Minister Maurice Bishop of Grenada was placed under arrest by General Hudson Austin and Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard - both avowed Marxists. The United States feared that Grenada would become another Cuba sent US Marines & Rangers along with a small force from six Carribean nations to invade the island of Grenada in response to a request by the Organization Of Eastern Caribbean States. After a few days the forces take control of the island, they evacuate hundreds of US citizens including a large number of medical students and deposes the Marxist regime. Sixteen Americans were killed and seventy-seven were injured in the military action. The US Congress required that the troops leave by December 24 to abide by the War Powers Resolution.
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| October 30 |
A 7.1 earthquake in Eastern Turkey leaves 1,300 dead and causes $10 million of damage. Many people are injured because of bad housing, mainly made of mud. |
| November |
The ERA comes within six votes of being passed by Congress. Amusingly, 14 co-sponsers vote NO and 3 do not vote. The ERA is now submitted every year, and each time it fails in Congress |
| November |
President Reagan signs legislation that makes the third monday in January a national holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. This is the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American.  |
| November 3 |
Rodriguez, Gregg & Vice President Bush meet about Iran-Contra |
| November 18 |
Project America is approved |
| November 23 |
US Deploys Pershing Missiles - Soviets walk out of disarmament talks taking place in Geneva in protest. US deployed the first Pershing Intermediate-range Ballistic Missile, in West Germany. The Pershing was developed and deployed in response to the Soviet intermediate missile previously targeted at Western Europe. The Soviets opposed US deployments, and peace groups throughout Europe demonstrated against them. |
| November 27 |
A Columbian airplane, a Boeing 747, crashes near Barajas Airport, Madrid, leaving 183 dead. |
| November 28 - December 8 |
The Columbia Space Shuttle makes the first flight with a six person crew. The crew includes Young, Shaw, Parker, Garriott, Lichtenberg, and Merbold
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| December |
Congress imposes a $24 million cap on aid to the Contras |
| December 8 |
The Second Boland Amendment is approved |
| December 12 |
In regards to the bombings in Kuwait, 17 terrorists are convicted |
| December 17 |
A fire at a discotheque in Madrid, Spain kills 83 |
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