At A Glance

17 March 1983 at a glance

Day of the week
17 March 1983 was a Thursday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson.
Top Film of 1983
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1983 was Return of the Jedi.
Bestselling Novel of 1983
“Return of the Jedi” by James Kahn was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1983.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Dallas” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1983–84 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 March 1983 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 March 1983 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 17 March

  • 1969 Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel.
  • 1973 The Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family, which came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War.
  • 1988 Eritrean War of Independence: The Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps in Eritrea, is attacked on three sides by military units of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in the opening action of the Battle of Afabet.
  • 1992 A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%.
  • 2003 Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, Robin Cook, resigns from the British Cabinet in disagreement with government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Famous people born on March 17

  • Rob Lowe, American actor (born 1964)
  • Pattie Boyd, English model, author, and photographer (born 1944)
  • Grimes, Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and visual artist (born 1988)
  • Claressa Shields, American boxer and mixed martial artist (born 1995)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1983 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1983 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • March 25 – Rob Lowe's feature film debut The Outsiders is released.
  • April 11 – The 55th Academy Awards, hosted by Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor and Walter Matthau, are held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Richard Attenborough's Gandhi receives 11 nominations and wins eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
  • April 18 – The Disney Channel is initiated on American cable TV.
More events of 1983 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1983

President

Ronald Reagan

Gas (per gallon)

$1.16

Loaf of Bread

$0.59

Average House

$75,300

Weekly Wage

$308

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

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

Hayden Panettiere21 August 1989Actress & singerView their day →Alan Ritchson28 November 1982ActorView their day →Anne Hathaway12 November 1982ActressView their day →Dakota Johnson4 October 1989Actress & modelView their day →Macklemore19 June 1983RapperView their day →Andrew Garfield20 August 1983ActorView their day →Julia Stiles28 March 1981ActressView their day →Taylor Swift13 December 1989Singer-songwriterView their day →

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 →