Important Events in 1985
- Jan 3 Israel government confirms resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews
- Jan 31 South African President P. W. Botha offers to free Nelson Mandela if he denounces violence
- Mar 11 Mikhail Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader
- Jul 10 French foreign intelligence agents blow up the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbor, New Zealand to prevent it interfering with French nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira is killed.
- Sep 19 8.1 earthquake in Mexico City kills an estimated 10,000 and leaves 250,000 homeless
- Nov 13 Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts in Colombia, killing 25,000 in the town of Armero
- Nov 19 US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time
More Historical Events
1985 in Film & TV
- Mar 3 "Moonlighting" with Cybill Shepard & Bruce Willis premieres on ABC TV in the US
- Mar 18 Capital Cities Communications Inc acquires ABC for $3.5 billion, first transfer of ownership of a TV network
- Nov 11 1st AIDS theme TV movie - "An Early Frost" screens in US on NBC
1985 in Music
- Jan 28 Charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars)
- Feb 7 "New York, New York" becomes the official anthem of New York City
- Apr 18 Wham become the first western pop act to release an album in China
- Jul 13 "Live Aid" concerts held at both Wembley Stadium (London) and John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia) raises over $70 million for African famine relief
1985 in Sport
- May 16 Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of Year
- Jun 5 Steve Cauthen wins aboard Slip Anchor at Epsom Downs to become the only jockey to win both the Kentucky Derby (1978) and The Derby
- Sep 11 Sri Lanka score their 1st Test Cricket victory, by 149 runs v India
- Nov 9 Garry Kasparov becomes the youngest ever world chess champion (22), with a 13-11 win over fellow Russian Anatoly Karpov
Did You Know?
Ashley Tisdale
Bruno Mars
Cristiano Ronaldo
Kaley Cuoco
Lewis Hamilton
Michael PhelpsFamous People in 1985
Geraldine Page
Oscar for Best Actress- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sportsperson
of the Year - Lionel Richie
Grammy for Album of the Year - William Hurt
Oscar for Best Actor
Geraldine Page
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Lionel Richie
William HurtWorld Leaders in 1985
- Deng Xiaoping
Paramount Leader of China - Francois Mitterrand
21st President of France - Helmut Kohl
German Chancellor - Margaret Thatcher
British Prime Minister - Mikhail Gorbachev
Soviet General Secretary - Ronald Reagan
US President & Actor
Deng Xiaoping
Francois Mitterrand
Helmut Kohl
Margaret Thatcher
Mikhail Gorbachev
Ronald ReaganFamous Weddings in 1985
- Jan 5 Baseball player Darryl Strawberry (22) weds Lisa Andrews
- Jan 5 NFL football player Reggie White (23) weds Sara Copeland
- Jan 22 Zak Starkey (Ringo's son) marries Sarah Menikides
Famous Divorces in 1985
- Jan 7 Actress-singer Janet Jackson (18) divorces fellow R&B singer James DeBarge (21) only 4 months after getting married
- Feb 4 Professional boxer George Foreman (35) divorces Andrea Skeete after almost 3 years of marriage
More Weddings & Divorces
E. B. White
Konstantin Chernenko
Margaret Hamilton
Orson Welles
Roger Maris
Yul Brynner1985 in Articles and Photos
The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
The Rainbow Warrior sunk in Auckland harbour
July 11, 1985The Tragic and Fatal Secret of Rock Hudson
He was seen as the ultimate ladies' man, but Hollywood actor Rock Hudson, who died on this day, was secretly gay and became the first major star to die of Aids.
October 2, 1985Garry Kasparov Becomes World Chess Champion
Garry Kasparov vs. Anatoly Karpov in Moscow on November 9, 1985
November 9, 1985
