Born in 1983
Turns 43 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1983
1983 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $50.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $50.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $50.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $50.50
Front Page: Australia edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1983 · Australia
A little history to go with their gift.
ARPANET’s shift to TCP/IP helped shape the modern internet, Nintendo launched its Family Computer in Japan, and Return of the Jedi concluded the original Star Wars trilogy. The year connected a foundational network change with home gaming and a major cinema finale.
What happened in 1983?
Bob Hawke leads Labor to a decisive election win
Labor, led by Bob Hawke, won the Australian federal election held on 5 March 1983, ending the Fraser government.
Australia II ends a long America’s Cup reign
Australia II beat Liberty in September 1983, ending the New York Yacht Club?s 132-year America?s Cup winning run.
Guion Bluford becomes the first African American in space
Guion Bluford became the first African American to travel into space when Challenger launched on STS-8 on August 30, 1983.
Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space
Sally Ride launched aboard Challenger on June 18, 1983, becoming the first American woman in space.
Firsts and new ideas
The internet adopted a common protocol family
ARPANET adopted TCP/IP as its standard protocol suite on 1 January 1983, a key step toward the modern internet.
Internet Society; Barry M. Leiner, Vinton G. Cerf, David D. Clark, et al. · Internet Engineering Task Force, RFC Editor; Jon Postel
Nintendo’s Family Computer debuts in Japan
Nintendo released the Family Computer, known as the Famicom, in Japan on July 15, 1983.
Number ones and music in 1983
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Toto IV wins Album of the Year
Toto IV won the Grammy for Album of the Year at the 25th Grammy Awards on February 23, 1983.
Thriller gives pop video a bigger stage
Michael Jackson's nearly fourteen-minute Thriller video debuted on MTV on December 2, 1983, joining pop music and horror-film spectacle.
Prices and everyday money in 1983
Australia figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Bread, sliced milk loaf (about 1½ lb loaf) | about 84 cents | per about 1½ lb loaf Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| Tea (½ lb equivalent) | about 94 cents | per ½ lb equivalent Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| Sugar (2 lb equivalent) | about 58 cents | per 2 lb equivalent Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| Potatoes (per lb equivalent) | about 27 cents | per lb equivalent Australian Bureau of Statistics |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1983 turns 43 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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