On This Day

April 1985 in History

Events in History

  • Apr 2 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
  • Apr 3 French government adopts equal electoral system
  • Apr 3 Players' Association agrees to expand LCS from 5 to 7 games
  • Apr 3 Vic Elliot pockets 15,780 pool balls in 24 hours in London
  • Apr 6 Bombay beat Delhi by 90 runs to win the Ranji Trophy final
  • Apr 6 Sudan suspends constitution after coup under general Swarreddahab
  • Apr 6 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
  • Apr 7 1st live telecast of Easter Parade in New York
  • Apr 7 New Jersey General Hershel Walker rushes for USFL record 233 yards
  • Apr 8 Amdahl releases UTS/V, 1st mainframe Unix
  • Apr 8 India files suit against Union Carbide over Bhopal disaster
  • Apr 10 At 80 Leo Sites becomes oldest bowler to score a 300 game
  • Apr 10 Challenger moves to Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) for mating of STS 51-B mission
  • Apr 12 16th Shuttle Mission (51D)-Discovery 4 launched-with Senator Jake Garn

Event of Interest

Apr 13 Ramiz Alia succeeds Enver Hoxha as party leader of Albania

Enver Hoxha
Dictator of Albania Enver Hoxha
  • Apr 13 Space Shuttle Atlantis ferried to Kennedy Space Center via Ellington AFB, Texas
  • Apr 14 "Take Me Along!" opens/closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC
  • Apr 14 Alan Garcia wins elections in Peru
  • Apr 14 Bob Carpenter is unsuccessful on Wash Caps 1st playoff penalty shot
  • Apr 14 Jack C. Burcham is 5th to receive "Jarvik 7" permanent artificial heart
  • Apr 15 Challenger moves to launch pad for 51-B missing
  • Apr 19 16th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (51-D): Discovery 4 returns to Earth
  • Apr 19 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
  • Apr 20 ATF raid on The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas
  • Apr 20 Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by Mark Williams
  • Apr 20 Karyn Marshall of NYC lifted 303 lbs in a clean & jerk lift
  • Apr 21 Bomb attacks in NATO/AEG-Telefunken building in Brussels
  • Apr 23 New Coke debuts; Coca-Cola announced it is changing its secret flavor formula
  • Apr 24 Pulitzer prize awarded to Carolyn Lizer for "Yin"
  • Apr 25 West German Parliament rules it is illegal to deny the Holocaust
  • Apr 29 17th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (51-B): Challenger 7 launches
  • Apr 29 Ranger Larry Parrish is 5th to hit 3 HRs in a game in both leagues
  • Apr 30 Dale Murphy drives in record tying 28th & 29th runs of April
  • Apr 30 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
  • Apr 30 Last edition of Brink Daily Mail and Sunday Express in South Africa

Birthdays in History

  • Apr 7 Humza Yousaf, Scottish politician (SNP leader and Scottish First Leader elect, 1st Muslim to lead a major UK political party), born in Glasgow, Scotland
  • Apr 11 Will Minson, Australian rules footballer (Western Bulldogs), born in South Australia
  • Apr 16 Mark Baker, Welsh author and historian

Weddings in History

Rodney King

Apr 27 Police violence victim Rodney King (20) weds Dennetta Lyles

Rodney King

Deaths in History

  • Apr 1 Douglass Wallop, American novelist and playwright (b. 1920)
  • Apr 4 Kate Roberts, Welsh nationalist and writer (b. 1891)
  • Apr 7 Carl Schmitt, German political theorist and prominent Nazi (Verfassungslehre), dies at 96

Enver HoxhaEnver Hoxha (1908-1985)

Apr 11 Albanian post-war communist leader and dictator of Albania (1944-85), dies at 76

Enver Hoxha
  • Apr 15 Ben Stroman, Dutch writer (Jomtof & Blue Beard), dies at 82
  • Apr 17 Ilona Bodden, writer, dies
  • Apr 18 Gertrude Caton-Thompson, English archaeologist (Zimbabwe, So Arabia), dies at 97
  • Apr 21 Foster Hewitt, Canadian radio broadcaster (Hockey Night in Canada), dies at 82
  • Apr 21 Rudi Gernreich, US designer (miniskirt), dies at 62
  • Apr 21 Tancredo Neves, president-elect of Brazil, dies at 75
  • Apr 22 Paul H. Emmett, American chemical engineer, dies at 84
  • Apr 23 Sam Ervin, American politician (U.S. Senator from North Carolina) and Watergate committee chairman, dies at 88

Historical Figures

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