1985
HISTORY & POLITICS

In Hollywood, California, the charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by USA for Africa.

William J. Schroeder becomes the first artificial heart patient to leave the hospital.

Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. (The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than 3 months.)

In Hiroshima, tens of thousands mark the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city.

An 8.1 Richter scale earthquake strikes Mexico City. More than 9,000 people are killed, 30,000 injured, and 95,000 left homeless.

The Nintendo Entertainment System is released on US shores. It was first released in Japan in 1983.

A joint American-French expedition locates the wreck of the RMS Titanic.

Nevado del Ruiz volcano (in Columbia) erupts, killing an estimated 23,000 people.

Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.

MUSIC

Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
Life in a Northern Town - Dream Academy
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
Lay Your Hands on Me - The Thompson Twins
Take on Me - A-Ha
Careless Whisper - Wham!
Like A Virgin - Madonna
I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
Loverboy - Billy Ocean
Shout - Tears for Fears
Heat Is On - Glenn Frey
Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer
Oh Sheila - Ready for the World
We Built This City - Starship
Power of Love - Huey Lewis & the News
Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon
St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) - John Parr
Never Ending Story - Limahl
Axl F (Theme to Beverly Hills Cop) - Harold Faltermeyer

TELEVISION

MacGyver:  Starring: Richard Dean Anderson
Macgyver is a secret agent with a difference. He is quiet, mild mannered, deeply principled and refuses to carry a gun on his missions. Fortunately, the last detail is unimportant when compared to his astounding mind. Drawing on a vast practical knowledge of science, Macgyver is able to make use of any mundane materials around him to create unorthodox solutions to any problem he faces. The enemies of world peace and justice continually learn that underestimating this man is a fatal mistake for their plans.
 
Moonlighting: Starring: Bruce Willis & Cybil Shephard
An ex model and a wiseguy detective, who co-run a private detective agency, take on quirky cases.
 
The Golden Girls: Starring: Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, & Estelle Getty
Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.
   
Kate & Allie: Starring: Susan Saint James, Jane Curtin
When Allie Lowell divorces her husband and gets custody of their two children, she moves to New York City and moves in with her best friend, Kate McArdle, also divorced and raising a daughter.
   
Twilight Zone: An updated version of the famous 1960's TV series created by Rod Serling. Each week presents a stand-alone episode about some unusual situation that turns out to be even more unusual than initially suspected. Whether the tone of the story is horror, suspense or humor, there is always a surprise twist at the end.
   
MOVIES

Back to the Future: Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, & Crispin Glover
Marty McFly helps out his friend Doc Brown, and ends up being taken back in time by Doc's time-machine. Marty, a boy of the 80's, has to come to grips with being in the 50's and get his parents to fall in love to set straight the damage his presence has done to the events of the past.
   
Rambo: First Blood Part II: Starring: Sylvester Stallone & Richard Crenna
Former Green Beret John Rambo is serving time in a federal prison. When the US military hears of American soldiers missing in action from the Vietnam war possibly still being alive and held captive, Colonel Trautman is authorized to send Rambo in to rescue them. For Rambo, this is what he would do best. If only the pencil-pushers would stop getting in his way.
   
Rocky IV: Starring: Sylvester Stallone & Dolph Lundgren
When Rocky's old friend Apollo Creed is killed during a fight with a super fit Russian boxer, Ivan Drago, Rocky blames himself for the death when he could have thrown in the towel before the crucial moment. Fuelled by the Russian's arrogance, Rocky arranges a fight with the new champion, only this time in Russia.

A View to a Kill: Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, & Grace Jones
An investigation of a horse-racing scam leads 007 to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley.

Commando: Starring: Arnold Schawrzenegger, Alyssa Milano, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, & Vernon Wells
A retired elite commando has only a few hours to find and rescue his daughter from an exiled dictator.
   
Prizzi's Honor: Starring: Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, & Robert Loggia
A professional hit man and hit woman fall in love, only to discover that they have each been hired to kill the other.
   
The Last Dragon: A young man searches for the "master" to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the glow. Along the way he must fight an evil martial arts expert and an rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter.
   
Weird Science: Starring: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, & Kelly LeBrock
Two nerdish boys attempt to create the perfect woman, but she turns out to be more than that.

SPORTS

San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins, 38–16 in the Super Bowl XIX.

WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.

Spend A Buck wins the Kentucky Derby with a time of 2:00.20.

Bernard Hinault (France) wins the Tour de France.

Ivan Lendl defeats John McEnroe to win Men's Singles & Hana Mandlíková defeats Martina Navrátilová to win Women's Singles at the US Open.

PEOPLE WHO DIED

Marc Chagall (b. 1887) - Cubism & Fauvism Painter - famous work: I and the Village
Margaret Hamilton (b. 1902) - Actress - as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz
Andy Stanfield (b. 1927) - American sprinter who won 2 gold medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics & a silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Rock Hudson (b. 1925) - Actor - Magnificent Obsession, A Farewell to Arms, Pillow Talk, Strange Bedfellows, Giant, McMillan & Wife (TV), & a recurring role on Dynasty
Ricky Nelson (b. 1940) - Singer/Actor - starred in The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Rio Bravo, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, & Love and Kisses. Some of his hit songs were "Hello Mary Lou," "It's Late," "Be-Bop Baby," "Travelin' Man," "Poor Little Fool," "Young World," "Lonesome Town," & "Teenage Idol."
Johnny Olson (b. 1910) - TV announcer - To Tell The Truth, What's My Line?, The Match Game, The Jackie Gleason Show & The Price is Right … "Come on down!"

PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN

Keira Knightley - Actress - as Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice, Juliette "Jules" Paxton in Bend It Like Beckham
Sarah Hughes - American Figure Skater - Won Gold in Ladies' Singles at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ashley Tisdale - Actress/Singer - as Sharpay Evans in Disney's High School Musical & Maddie Fitzpatrick on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
Jack Osbourne - TV personality & son of Ozzy Osbourne
Michael Phelps - American swimmer - Won 6 Gold & 2 Bronze metals in the 2004 Summer Olympics