30 Years Later: What were things like in 1983?

As of 2013, Wayne's Solar is celebrating 30 years in the solar business! 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a very remarkable year in many ways including Wayne Phillips' idea to begin a solar thermal pool heating business in Central Florida, which has now grown into a thriving solar energy contractor spanning six counties. Read on to find out what else was happening that year...

What did things cost 30 years ago?
  •  Interest Rate Year End Federal Reserve: 11.00%
  •  Average cost of new house: $82,600
  •  Median price of an existing home: $70,300
  •  Average income per year: $21,070
  •  Average monthly rent: $335
What were the top five songs on the Billboard chart?
  1. Every Breath You Take - Police 
  2. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson 
  3. Flashdance...What A Feeling - Irene Cara 
  4. Down Under - Men At Work 
  5. Beat It - Michael Jackson 
Aside from Wayne's Solar, what else made its debut?
  • Cabbage Patch Dolls
  • Swatch Watches
  • Microsoft Word
  • Cellular Phones (introduced by Motorola)
  • The Internet (Arpanet officially switched to the Internet Protocol)
  • Space Shuttle Challenger
  • Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
  • McDonald's McNugget
What popular movies hit the theater in 1983?
  • "National Lampoon's Vacation"  
  • "Return of the Jedi" 
  • "Terms of Endearment" 
  • "Risky Business" 
  • "Flashdance" 
  • "Mr. Mom" 
  • "Trading Places" 
  • "Scarface" 
  • "The Big Chill" 
  • "Tootsie" 
Happy 30th Birthday Wayne's Solar!  Contact this licensed and trusted company for all your solar needs in Daytona, Ormond, Palm Coast, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, New Smyrna, Port Orange, Palatka, and the surrounding areas of Florida.