On This Day
·

56th National Spelling Bee: Blake Giddens wins spelling purim

The 56th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on June 8–9, 1983, sponsored by the E.W.

The 56th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on June 8–9, 1983, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.

The winner was 14-year-old Blake Giddens of Alamogordo, New Mexico, correctly guessing the proper spelling of "Purim". Giddens' sister Nicole had been a contestant in the 1980 and 1981 bees, where she finished 103rd and 43rd, respectively.

Second place was captured by 13-year-old Eric Rauchway of St. Petersburg, Florida, who missed "ratatouille" by putting an "i" at the end. Third-place went to 11-year-old Tanya Solomon of Kansas City, Missouri who missed "Vichyite". She was among 17 return competitors this year, and had finished 27th the prior year.

Giddens was crowned the winner at 11 a.m.

Historical Significance

The 56th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Events Before

  1. The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the

    The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff, setting numerous playoff scoring records

  2. Paul Belmondo dies

    Paul Belmondo dies

  3. "Thirtysomething" stars Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig meet; they later marry

    "Thirtysomething" stars Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig meet; they later marry

  4. American singer Barbra Streisand and hairdresser/film producer Jon Peters' romantic relationship ends

    Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director.

  5. NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers defeat Dallas Cowboys 28-27; "The Catch," an iconic moment i

    NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers defeat Dallas Cowboys 28-27; "The Catch," an iconic moment in NFL history, Dwight Clark makes a fingertip touchdown catch from Joe Montana with 58 seconds remaining; SF goes on to win the Super Bowl

Events After

  1. AT&T's 22 owned Bell System companies divest into seven independent companies

    The Bell System was a system of telecommunication companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by AT&T, that dominated the telephone services industry in North America for over 100 years…

  2. "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC; runs for nine seas

    "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC; runs for nine seasons

  3. Supreme Court rules 5-4 that private home use of VCRs to record TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal c

    Supreme Court rules 5-4 that private home use of VCRs to record TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright law

  4. Apple Computer Inc. unveils its revolutionary Macintosh personal computer in a Super Bowl TV ad directed by Ridley Scott

    Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, best known for its consumer electronics, software and online services.

  5. Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominate ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performing t

    Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominate ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performing to Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" in their free dance routine and recording 9-of-9 perfect scores for artistic impression [1]

More from the 1980s

Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall falls as East Germany opens its borders, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the beginning of German reunification.

politics governmentwars conflicts

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

The Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members in one of the most devastating disasters in space exploration history.

space explorationscience technology

The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the

The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff, setting numerous playoff scoring records

death

Bill Veeck dies

Bill Veeck baseball executive, known for american baseball executive, died on 1986-01-02. William Louis Veeck Jr.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 9, 1983?
The 56th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on June 8–9, 1983, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Why is 56th National Spelling Bee: Blake Giddens wins spelling purim significant?
The 56th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Explore More

June 9 in HistoryYear 1983