At A Glance

15 May 1982 at a glance

Day of the week
15 May 1982 was a Saturday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Ebony and Ivory” by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.
Top Film of 1982
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1982 was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Bestselling Novel of 1982
“E.T., The Extraterrestrial” by William Kotzwinkle was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1982.
Top-Rated TV Show
“60 Minutes” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1982–83 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 15 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 15 May 1982 fell in the Year of the Dog.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 15 May 1982 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 15 May

  • 1970 President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington as the first female United States Army generals.
  • 1972 The Ryukyu Islands, under U.S. military governance since their conquest in 1945, revert to Japanese control.
  • 1988 Soviet–Afghan War: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan.
  • 1991 Édith Cresson becomes France's first female Prime Minister.
  • 1997 The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans.

Famous people born on May 15

  • Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach (1940–2026)
  • Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress and singer (born 1981)
  • David Krumholtz, American actor (born 1978)
  • Ousmane Dembélé, French footballer (born 1997)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1982 in the United States

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

  • January 7 – The Commodore 64 8-bit home computer is launched by Commodore International in Las Vegas
  • February 28 – Adobe Systems is founded in the United States.
  • March 29 – The 54th Academy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson, are held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Hugh Hudson's Chariots of Fire wins Best Picture and three other Academy Awards.

Life in the US in 1982

President

Ronald Reagan

Gas (per gallon)

$1.22

Loaf of Bread

$0.57

Average House

$70,800

Weekly Wage

$298

Or

Browse by Year

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →