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On the date

Friday, May 20, 1983

From the day

Perspective: The Future Historian · Sound

The rhythmic pulse of Bowie’s "Let’s Dance" bleeds from a passing Camaro, competing with the digital chirps of a nearby arcade and the heavy static of a world transitioning to TCP/IP. Above the street noise, a commuter grumbles at the pump, hissing that $1.19 a gallon is a bodacious robbery for a tank of unleaded. Neon signs flicker against the spring dusk, casting a synthetic glow over shoppers clutching crinkling bags of new software. The air is thick with the scent of ozone and exhaust, punctuated by the sharp click of heels on pavement as the analog age begins its loud, frantic surrender to the silicon future.

Memories from that day

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#1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Let's Dance

David Bowie

The must-have

Cabbage Patch Kids

On This Day

  • First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by a team of French scientists including Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Jean-Claude Chermann, and Luc Montagnier.

    Wikipedia →
  • Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by UMkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, killing 19 people and injuring 217 others.

    Wikipedia →

Slang

Slang of the decade

General

awesomebodaciouscheesychill

Valley Girl

as ifbarf me outgag me with a spoongrodytotally

Hip Hop

baddefdopeflyfreshword

Yuppie

greed is goodpower lunchnetworking

Catchphrases of 1983

  • Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Willis?
  • Say hello to my little friend

Tech Check

Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, Internet (TCP/IP Standard) & Microsoft Word.

Cost of Living (1980)

Loaf of Bread

$0.50

Gallon of Gas

$1.19

Average Home

$47,200

New Car

$7,200

Time Elapsed

15,722 days ago

(43 years, 27 days)