Timeline February 1983

Events in February 1983 7

• 1911 – 1983 Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) Died 25 February 1983, aged 71 Tennessee Williams was an American playwright whose works, including A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, won two Pulitzer Prizes and reshaped American theatre. He is regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of the twentieth century. His plays remain widely performed and adapted.
• 1950 – 1983 Karen Carpenter (1950-1983) Died 4 February 1983, aged 32 Karen Carpenter was an American singer and drummer who, with her brother Richard, formed the pop duo the Carpenters. Her death from complications of anorexia nervosa brought international attention to eating disorders. The duo sold over 100 million records worldwide.
• 1983 Local Hero film score Knopfler scores Bill Forsyth film — February 1983 Mark Knopfler composed the soundtrack to Bill Forsyth's acclaimed film Local Hero, released in February 1983. The score was released as an album and was a major success, demonstrating Knopfler's range beyond rock and beginning his parallel career as a film composer.
• 1983 Klaus Barbie Extradited to France Gestapo officer sent from Bolivia to face charges Klaus Barbie, the former Gestapo chief of Lyon known as the "Butcher of Lyon", was expelled from Bolivia and flown to France to stand trial for war crimes. He was later convicted of crimes against humanity in 1987. His extradition ended decades of evasion after the war.
• 1983 Marvin Gaye sings the anthem at the NBA All-Star Game The Star-Spangled Banner A slow, soulful version over a drum machine.
• 1983 Ash Wednesday Bushfires Catastrophic wildfires sweep South Australia and Victoria A series of bushfires fuelled by drought and high winds killed 75 people and destroyed thousands of homes across South Australia and Victoria. It remained one of Australia's deadliest bushfire disasters for decades. The fires prompted major reforms in fire management and warning systems.
• 1983 U2 release War Sunday Bloody Sunday Their first UK number one album.