‘YOU’LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT’
Who doesn’t like Christmas? Those of us in Northeast Ohio get to celebrate it year-round with “A Christmas Story” house and museum. The movie arrived in theaters in 1983. Shots that included Cleveland locales were the outside of Ralphie’s house (3159 W. 11th St.), Public Square and Higbee’s department store on Prospect Avenue. The restored house and adjoining gift shop are open year-round. For details, visit achristmasstoryhouse.com.
FILE SAVER
When computer users save something in a Word file, they click on a tiny image of a floppy disk. Those of us old enough to remember early computer technology treated those black disks with care. Now mostly obsolete, the 3 1/2 inch floppy disk became a standard size in 1983. It continued to be the main, external storage device for everyday computer users who wanted to keep and transfer files back in the network-free age.
BABY, THESE NAMES SOUND FAMILIAR
Most Popular Baby Names Rank
1 Michael – Jennifer
2 Christopher – Jessica
3 Matthew – Amanda
4 David – Ashley
5 Joshua – Sarah
A FUTURE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND HIS CLEVELAND SPEECH
The Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke at an annual Labor Day event in 1983 at Luke Easter Park at Kinsman Road and East 116th streets. Louis Stokes established the 21st Congressional District Caucus Parade and Picnic at the park. The following year, Jackson organized the Rainbow Coalition and ran for president of the United States.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
TORN SWEATSHIRTS AND LEG WARMERS
Admit it: you took a perfectly good sweatshirt, tore it and wore it off your shoulder. And you weren’t even a dancer or a welder. Heck, you didn’t even live in Pittsburgh. The music was frenetic, the story predictable. But the fashion — oh — fashion — was irresistible. With its leg warmers and oversized, torn sweatshirts, “Flashdance” influenced women’s clothing choices throughout the decade. We bought leg warmers, slid them up our un-dancer like legs and became Jennifer Beals — if only in our minds.
MEMBERS ONLY — NOT ALL THAT EXCLUSIVE
This was the year Members Only jackets were everywhere. The ubiquitous logo adorned the left hand chest corner of men’s jackets. It seems like every fashion-for- ward person (and wannabe) sported the label. They’re still available online and at thrift stores and vintage shops. Check around — you may have one tucked in the back of your closet today.
