The pound coin is 30 years old this week!

The chunky gold coin replaced the pound note back on April 21, 1983 – and was immediately hailed as a world-leading innovation.

It also proved instantly popular with the majority of the British public.

The pound note was gradually withdrawn from circulation from 1985 onwards – and eventually the note was declared no longer legal tender on the 11th March 1988.

So, as the £1 coin celebrates hitting 30, it is very interesting to see just what other things hit the headlines or came into being back in 1983…….

The Austin Metro was Britain’s best selling car

The wearing of seatbelts becomes compulsory for passengers in the front seat of cars

BBC Breakfast Time is launched

The compact disc (CD) goes on sale for the first time in the UK

The first heart and lung transplant is carried out in Britain

The best-selling pop single was Karma Chameleon by Culture Club which spent six weeks at number one

James Dyson produces his prototype vacuum cleaner

The Motorola 8000x (pictured below) becomes the first mobile phone available for sale

Swedish star Bjorn Borg announces his retirement from tennis

Michael Jackson’s Thriller single is released in the UK