Then as now, dead dolphins and theme parks in news
A weekly look through the archives at how the century progressed January 10, 1977: Ocean Park was opened by Governor Sir Murray Maclehose after years of speculation about Hong Kong's first theme park. By then 24 dolphins had already died 'of rare disease', a problem that has continued to this year's killer whale fatalities. Entrance was $5 for adults and $2 for children to the Fresh Water gardens, and a further $10 and $5 to the park.
August 26, 1981: Twenty Hong Kong sailors were reunited with their families after running aground off the remote Andaman Islands. For 11 days, the men kept watch on 50 'spear-wielding natives' who threw weapons at the ship, and were thwarted in attempts to board by the rough seas. Chief officer Cheung Kai-wa said: 'There was no misunderstanding their hostile intentions.' June 23, 1982: The 62-year-old Repulse Bay Hotel hosted its last dinner with a farewell ceremony featuring the 1st Battalion Scots Guards Beating the Retreat, before bulldozers moved in.
September 24, 1982: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made her historic visit to Beijing, to discuss Hong Kong's sovereignty. Deng Xiaoping is said to have muttered: 'I can't talk to that woman: she is utterly unreasonable.' October 2, 1982: George Tan, chairman of the ailing Carrian financial and property empire, was arrested and taken to Wan Chai Police Station, following the announcement of massive debts. So began a saga of cover-ups and scandals that was to last 14 years: 10 of them in the courts.
May 2, 1983: ID cards were introduced, the Immigration Department overwhelmed by applicants.
September 9, 1983: Typhoon Ellen left six dead, three missing, 333 injured and 1,200 homeless. At least 26 vessels ran aground, with at least one serious collision, in a 65-hour battering.
October 15, 1983: The Financial Secretary pegged Hong Kong's currency to the US dollar, after the exchange rate plummeted from $7.80 to $9.50 against the greenback. In decline since 1979, the Hong Kong dollar's fortunes fell sharply in September 1982, when Sino-British talks over the territory's future seemed in deadlock.