UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 1982 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 1982 was a Friday.
- Kent Music Report No. 1
- The Kent Music Report No. 1 was “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” by Culture Club.
- Top Film of 1982
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1982 was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
- Best-Selling Vehicle of 1982
- Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1982 was the Ford Falcon.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1982 fell in the Year of the Dog.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 1982 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 31 December
- 1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
- 1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.
- 1983 Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner.
- 1983 In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.
- 1991 All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.
Famous people born on 31 December
- Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
- Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
- Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
- Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1982 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1982 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 5 January – Sir William McMahon announces his retirement from politics after 32 years. His resignation comes at an awkward time for the Federal Government, not keen to test its mid-term popularity in so vulnerable a seat as Lowe.
- February 14 – Devo on Countdown Tour Rockout Band
- 20 March – Thousands of people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark its 50th anniversary.
Life in Australia in 1982
Prime Minister
Malcolm Fraser
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$0.38
Loaf of Bread
$0.70
Average House
$54,000
Weekly Wage
$275.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 1980s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Chris Hemsworth11 August 1983ActorView their day →Delta Goodrem9 November 1984Singer & songwriterView their day →Ruby Rose20 March 1986Actor & modelView their day →Sam Reid19 February 1987ActorView their day →Rebel Wilson2 March 1980Actress & writerView their day →Teresa Palmer26 February 1986Actress & modelView their day →Alexander Volkanovski29 September 1988Mixed martial artist & kickboxerView their day →Abbie Cornish7 August 1982ActressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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