1982

What Was Happening in 1982

The Falklands, Thriller, and the dawn of the CD age

Born in

By the Numbers in 1982

World Population

UK Life Expectancy

57.4 years

US Life Expectancy

57.7 years

Gold Price (per oz)

$566.75

Dow Jones Index

1,322

US National Debt

Sovereign Nations

160

How Much Did Things Cost in 1982?

ItemUKUS
Average house price£24,600$69,300
Average salary£7,700$21,500
Pint of milk20p$0.61
Loaf of bread39p$0.53
Gallon of petrol/gas£1.55$1.22
Pint of beer44p$1.15
Dozen eggs58p$0.86
Cinema ticket£1.80$2.94

Technology and Inventions in 1982

The Commodore 64 launched and would become the best-selling home computer ever. The first commercial CDs were pressed. The ZX Spectrum brought affordable computing to British homes. Time magazine named 'The Computer' its Machine of the Year.

  • Commodore 64 launched — became best-selling home computer
  • First commercial CDs produced in Germany
  • ZX Spectrum released in the UK
  • Time magazine named 'The Computer' Machine of the Year

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More About 1982

What Was Happening — A journey through the years