February 1983

Tuesday 08:

Irish racehorse Shergar was kidnapped in County Kildare. The fate of the horse is still unknown.

Friday 11:

President Ronald Reagan declares Edisons birthday National Inventors' Day

Wednesday 16:

The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia claim the lives of 71 people in Australia's worst ever fires.

Friday 18:

Thirteen people die and one is seriously injured in the Wah Mee Massacre in Seattle, Washington, said to be the largest robbery-motivated mass-murder in American history.

Wednesday 23:

The Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri.

Thursday 24:

A special commission of the U.S. Congress releases a report that condemns the practice of Japanese internment during World War II.

Monday 28:

The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the USA, becoming the most watched television episode in history, with 106–125 million viewers in the U.S. (estimate varies by source).