1986

HISTORY & POLITICS

The first Hispanic-American astronaut, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, goes into space.

The first PC virus, Brain, starts to spread.

The first federal Martin Luther King Day, honoring Martin Luther King Jr., is observed on Jan 20.

Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing the crew of 7 astronauts including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station.

Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone's secret vault on The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, discovering only a bottle of moonshine.

Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.

The Statue of Liberty is reopened to the public after an extensive refurbishing, just in time for its centennial dedication.

In London, Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey.

In Edmond, Oklahoma, United States Postal Service employee Patrick Sherrill guns down 14 of his co-workers before committing suicide.

Desmond Tutu becomes the first black Anglican Church bishop in South Africa.

MUSIC

That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick & Friends
Say You, Say Me (Title Song from "White Nights") - Lionel Richie
I Miss You - Klymaxx
On My Own - Patti LaBelle / Michael McDonald
Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
Take Me Home Tonight/Be My Baby - Eddie Money
Stuck With You - Huey Lewis & the News
Sara - Starship
Venus - Bananarama
When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going - Billy Ocean
Burning Heart - Survivor
Kyrie - Mr. Mister
Heartbeat - Don Johnson
The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades) - Timbuk 3

TELEVISION

Matlock: Starring: Andy Griffith
Criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock seeks to prove the innocence of his client as he takes on his/her case, of which most involve murders.
 
Designing Women: Starring: Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts, Jean Smart, & Meshach Taylor
Outspoken feminist Julia Sugarbaker runs a design firm out of her Atlanta home, along with her shallow ex-beauty queen sister, Suzanne, divorced mother Mary Jo, and naive country girl Charlene. Black ex-con Anthony helps deliver furniture for the business and voices his unique opinion on whatever the women are discussing.

MOVIES

The Karate Kid Part II: Starring: Ralph Macchio & Pat Morita
Daniel accompanies his mentor to Okinawa who is off to see his dying father and confront his old rival, while Daniel inadvertently makes an enemy of his own.
 
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, & Nichelle Nichols
To save Earth from an alien probe, Kirk and his crew go back in time to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it, humpback whales.

Aliens: Starring: Sigourney Weaver
The only survivor of the Nostromo, Ripley is discovered in deep sleep half a century later by a salvage ship. When she is taken back to Earth, she learns that a human colony was founded on the same planet where the aliens were first found. After contact with the colony is lost, she finds herself sent back to the planet along with a team of warriors bent on destroying the alien menace forever, and saving any survivors -- if any remain.
 
The Color of Money: Starring: Paul Newman & Tom Cruise
A former pool player returns to the game and takes on a young protégé.
 
Stand by Me: Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman & Jerry O'Connell
After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find a body of a missing boy.
 
Cobra: Starring: Sylvester Stallone & Brigitte Nielsen
City cop is on the trail of a serial killer.
   
Running Scared: Starring: Billy Crystal & Gregory Hines  They've got 30 days to clean up Chicago before they retire to Paradise... Losing their police car, their suspect and having their cover blown is a real bad start.
 
Jumpin' Jack Flash: Starring: Whoopie Goldberg Terry works for a bank, and uses computers to communicate with clients all over the world. One day she gets a strange message from an unknown source. The message is coded. After decoding the message, Terry becomes embroiled in an espionage ring. People are killed, and Terry is chased. Throughout she remains in contact with this unknown person, who needs Terry to help save his life.
 
Flight of the Navigator: Starring: Joey Cramer, Sarah Jessica Parker & Paul Reubens as the voice of Max
In 1978, a boy is moved 8 years into the future (1986) and has an adventure with the alien ship.


SPORTS

The Chicago Bears win Super Bowl XX.

Greg LeMond (United States) wins the Tour de France.

The New York Mets win the Major League Baseball World Series, beating the Boston Red Sox in 7 games.

Ferdinand wins the Kentucky Derby with a time of 2:02.80.

Argentina beats West Germany 3-2 to win the FIFA World Cup.

PEOPLE WHO DIED


Donna Reed (b. 1921) - Actress - as Donna Stone on The Donna Reed Show & Mary Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life
Gordon MacRae (b. 1921) - Actor / Singer - The Desert Song, Oklahoma!, Carousel
Crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger:
Greg Jarvis (b. 1944)
Sharon Christa McAuliffe (b. 1948)
Ronald McNair (b. 1950)
Ellison Onizuka (b. 1946)
Judith Resnik (b. 1949)
Francis R. Scobee (b. 1939)
Michael J. Smith (b. 1945
Robert Alda (b. 1914) - Film & Broadway actor - Guys and Dolls (theater), The Girl Who Knew Too Much; also the father of Alan Alda
Hank Greenberg (b. 1911) - Professional baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers & the Pittsburgh Pirates
Kate Smith (b. 1907) - Singer - best known for her rendition of "God Bless America."

PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN

Lauren "L.C." Conrad - Reality TV star on MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County & The Hills
Justin Berfield - Actor - as Reese Wilkerson on Malcolm in the Middle
Emily VanCamp - Actress - as Amy Abbott on Everwood & Rebecca Harper on Brothers & Sisters
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen - Actresses/Entrepreneurs - as Michelle Tanner on Full House
Lindsay Lohan - Actress/Singer - The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Mean Girls, Georgia Rule
Robert Pattinson - Actor - as Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga, Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Tyler Hawkins in Remember Me