1984 facts for kids
This page is about the year 1984. For the book by George Orwell, see Nineteen Eighty-Four.
1984 (also written as MCMLXXXIV in Roman numerals) was a leap year starting on Sunday in the Gregorian calendar. It was a year filled with many important events around the world, from new laws and inventions to major sports and entertainment moments.
Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
---|---|
Centuries: | 19th century – 20th century – 21st century |
Decades: | 1950s 1960s 1970s – 1980s – 1990s 2000s 2010s |
Years: | 1981 1982 1983 – 1984 – 1985 1986 1987 |
Contents
Key Events of 1984
January to June Highlights
- March 22 – In Manhattan Beach, California, there were claims that teachers at the McMartin preschool had harmed children. However, after a long investigation, police found that these claims were not true.
- March 23 – Sarah Tisdall was sent to prison for six months. She had shared secret information with The Guardian newspaper about cruise missiles coming to Britain.
- March 24 – The Wran Government in New South Wales, Australia, was re-elected for a fourth time.
- March 28 – The 1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak caused a lot of damage and sadly, some people died in North and South Carolina.
- April 4 – President Ronald Reagan spoke out against the use of chemical weapons, saying they should never be used.
- April 12 – Four Palestinians took an Israeli bus hostage. Israeli special forces rescued the passengers. This event led to a big investigation known as the Kav 300 affair.
- April 13 – India started Operation Meghdoot and took control of most of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir.
- April 17 – WPC Yvonne Fletcher was tragically shot outside the Libyan Embassy in London during the 1984 Libyan Embassy Siege.
- April 19 – Advance Australia Fair was officially named Australia's national anthem. Green and gold were also chosen as the national colours.
- April 25 – Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah finished his time as the 7th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- April 26 – Baginda Almutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, the Sultan of Johor, became the 8th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- May 2 – The Liverpool Garden Festival opened in Liverpool.
- May 8 – The Soviet Union announced that it would not participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.
- May 8 – Denis Lortie caused a tragic incident by killing three government workers in the National Assembly of Quebec building.
- May 11 – The planet Earth could be seen passing in front of the Sun from Mars. This is called an astronomical transit.
- May 14 – The one dollar coin was introduced in Australia.
- May 19 – Game show contestant Michael Larson won $100,000 on the show Press Your Luck. People later found out he had found a pattern in the game board.
- May 22 – Helen Branch, who disappeared in 1977, was officially declared legally dead.
- May 27 – Fluminense won the Brazilian soccer league against C.R. Vasco da Gama.
- June 5 – The Indian government began Operation Blue Star, a planned action at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
- June 6 – Indian troops entered the Golden Temple at Amritsar, which is a very holy place for Sikhs. About 10,000 people were killed.
- June 8 – A powerful tornado almost destroyed Barneveld, Wisconsin. It killed nine people, injured nearly 200, and caused over $25 million in damage.
- June 8 – The movie Ghostbusters was released in theaters and became a huge summer hit. The song "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. also became very popular.
July to December Highlights
- October 26 – The movie The Terminator was first shown in movie theaters.
- October 26 – The 1984-85 NBA regular season began.
- November 4 – Ronald Reagan won the presidential elections against Walter Mondale in one of the biggest victories in United States history.
- November 29 – West Hollywood, California, a city known for its large gay community, officially became a city.
Famous People Born in 1984
January to June Births
- January 17 – Calvin Harris, Scottish singer and songwriter
- January 23 – Lina Hahne, Miss Sweden 2007
- January 25 – Stefan Kießling, German footballer
- February 9 – Anna Jurkiewicz, Polish figure skater
- February 12 – Alexandra Dahlström, Swedish actress
- February 21 – David Odonkor, German footballer
- March 25 – Katharine McPhee, American singer
- April 10 – Mandy Moore, American actress and singer
- April 27 – Patrick Stump, American singer, songwriter, actor, guitarist
- April 30 – Shawn Daivari, Iranian-American professional wrestler
- May 29 – Carmelo Anthony, NBA star
- June 30 – Fantasia Barrino, American singer
July to December Births
- July 2 – Johnny Weir, American figure skater
- July 11 – Tanith Belbin, American figure skater
- August 1 – Bastian Schweinsteiger, German footballer
- August 21 – Alizée, French singer
- September 2 – Jack Peñate, English singer-songwriter and musician
- September 27 – Angela Haynes, American tennis player
- September 27 – Avril Lavigne, Canadian singer-songwriter
- September 29 – Per Mertesacker, German footballer
- October 2 – Marion Bartoli, French tennis player
- October 3 – Ashlee Simpson, American singer and actress
- October 26 – Sasha Cohen, American figure skater
- October 27 – Kelly Osbourne, English singer
- November 14 – Marija Šerifović, Serbian singer
- November 23 – Lucas Grabeel, American actor, singer and songwriter
- November 25 – Hồ Ngọc Hà, Vietnamese singer, model and actress
- December 7 – Robert Kubica, Polish Formula 1 driver
- December 22 – Basshunter, Swedish singer, record producer and DJ
Famous People Who Died in 1984
- January 20 – Johnny Weissmuller, famous swimmer and actor
- April 1 – Marvin Gaye, influential singer
- May 16 – Andy Kaufman, comedian and actor
Popular Movies of 1984
- Amadeus
- Beverly Hills Cop
- Splash
- Missing in Action
- Police Academy
- Red Dawn
- Revenge of the Nerds
- Ghostbusters
- The Terminator
Hit Songs of 1984
- Van Halen – Jump
- Ray Parker, Jr. – Ghostbusters
- Phil Collins – Against All Odds
New Books Released in 1984
- The Aquitaine Progression – Robert Ludlum
- The Big U – Neal Stephenson (his first novel)
- Brother in the Land – Robert Swindells
- The Butter Battle Book – Dr. Seuss
- Empire of the Sun – James Ballard
- First Among Equals – Jeffrey Archer
- The Fourth Protocol – Frederick Forsyth
- Full Circle – Danielle Steel
- Lincoln: A Novel – Gore Vidal
- Love and War – John Jakes
- Hotel du Lac – Anita Brookner
- The Lover (French: L'Amant) – Marguerite Duras
- Money – Martin Amis
- Neuromancer – William Gibson
- The Outsider – Howard Fast
- The Practice Effect – David Brin
- Random Hearts – Warren Adler
- Role of Honour – John Gardner
- A Shock to the System – Simon Brett
- The Sicilian – Mario Puzo
- Slow Learner: Early Stories – Thomas Pynchon
- Stanley and the Women – Kingsley Amis
- The Talisman – Stephen King, Peter Straub
- Thinner – Richard Bachman (a pen name for Stephen King)
- The Tie That Binds – Kent Haruf
- The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
- White Noise – Don DeLillo
- The Witches of Eastwick – John Updike
Images for kids
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Diretas Já demonstration held in São Paulo.
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Newspaper vending machine featuring news of the 1984 Summer Olympics, which opened on July 28.
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Sir John Betjeman
See also
In Spanish: 1984 para niños
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1984 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.