At A Glance

20 January 1983 at a glance

Day of the week
20 January 1983 was a Thursday.
Irish Chart Song in 1983
The Irish chart song for 1983 was “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club.
Top Film of 1983
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1983 was Return of the Jedi.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 January 1983 fell in the Year of the Dog.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 January 1983 was Waxing 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)

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Events of 1983 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1983 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 19 January – The government confirmed that the Garda Síochána bugged politicians' and journalists' telephones.
  • 8 February – A motion calling for the resignation of Charles Haughey as leader failed after a 12-hour Fianna Fáil meeting.
  • 23 April – While more than 50 illegal pirate radio stations were broadcasting in Ireland, a Government memorandum described how their signals were interfering seriously with ambulance, fire brigade and police radio systems, airport traffic systems, and legitimate radio and television reception throughout the country.

Life in Ireland in 1983

Taoiseach

Garret FitzGerald

Petrol (per litre)

£1.45/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.42

Average House

£26,500

Weekly Wage

£63

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.

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

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