December 1982

Thursday 02:

At the University of Utah, Barney Clark, becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.

Friday 03:

A soil sample is taken from Times Beach, Missouri that would be found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin.

Saturday 04:

The People's Republic of China adopts its current constitution.

Tuesday 07:

First US execution by lethal injection is carried out in Texas.

Thursday 09:

Norman Mayer threatens to blow up the Washington Monument, before being killed by United States Park Police.

Thursday 23:

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the evacuation of Times Beach, Missouri due to dangerous levels of dioxin contamination

Sunday 26:

TIME magazine's Man of the Year was for the first time given to a non-human; the personal computer