A Look Back At

Born in 1982

What Was Life Like in 1982?

Who Was in Charge?

President

Ronald Reagan

Gas (per gallon)

$1.22

Loaf of Bread

$0.57

Average House

$70,800

Weekly Wage

$298

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.
June 4 – Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper's horror film collaboration, Poltergeist, is released.
July 2 – Larry Walters, a.k.a. Lawnchair Larry, flies 16,000 feet above Long Beach, California, in a lawn chair with weather balloons attached.
October 1 – In Orlando, Florida, Walt Disney World opens the second largest theme park, EPCOT Center, to the public for the first time.
November 20 – University of California, Berkeley, executes "The Play" in a college football game against Stanford. Completing a wacky 57-yard kickoff return that includes 5 laterals, Kevin Moen runs through Stanford band members who had prematurely come onto the field.
November 30 – Michael Jackson releases Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.