At A Glance

20 January 1982 at a glance

Day of the week
20 January 1982 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “The Land of Make Believe” by Bucks Fizz.
Top Film of 1982
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1982 was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 January 1982 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 January 1982 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 20 January

  • 1974 China gains control over all the Paracel Islands after a military engagement between the naval forces of China and South Vietnam.
  • 1986 In the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.
  • 1986 Leabua Jonathan, Prime Minister of Lesotho, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by General Justin Lekhanya.
  • 1990 Protests in Azerbaijan, part of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  • 1991 Sudan's government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.

Famous people born on 20 January

  • J. J. McCarthy, American football player (born 2003)
  • David Lynch, American director, producer, and screenwriter (1946–2025)
  • Evan Peters, American actor (born 1987)
  • Sid Wilson, American musician (born 1977)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1982 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1982 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 12 February – Opening of the first Next clothing store, a rebranding of the merged Joseph Hepworth and Kendall chains masterminded by George Davies. It specialises in women's clothing.
  • 3 March – The Queen opens the Barbican Centre, a performing arts venue in the City of London.
  • 2 April – Falklands War begins as Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
More events of 1982 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1982

Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

55p

Loaf of Bread

40p

Average House

£23,661

Weekly Wage

£145.00

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Theo James16 December 1984Actor & musicianView their day →Pac22 August 1986WrestlerView their day →Robert Pattinson13 May 1986Actor & film producerView their day →Andrew Garfield20 August 1983ActorView their day →Charlie Hunnam10 April 1980ActorView their day →Juno Temple21 July 1989ActressView their day →Rebecca Hall3 May 1982Actress & filmmakerView their day →Lewis Hamilton7 January 1985Racing driverView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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