1985 CE

The 1985 Mexico City earthquake devastates Mexico City, killing an estimated 45,000 people; the Armero tragedy kills over 23,000 people after the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia; the Live Aid concerts raise millions for famine relief in Ethiopia; the Palace of Justice siege leaves over 100 people dead in Bogotá, Colombia; the Iran–Contra affair reveals secret U.S. arms sales to Iran and the Contras; Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashes, killing 520 people; the 1985 MOVE bombing kills 11 people in Philadelphia; the inaugural WrestleMania I launches the 1980s professional wrestling boom; and the Nintendo Entertainment System is released in North America, revitalizing the video game industry.

In the 1980s, the 20th century.

1985 at a glance

World population: about 4.87 billion Our World in Data
United States: Ronald Reagan (President) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
United Kingdom: Elizabeth II (Queen); Margaret Thatcher (Prime minister) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
Soviet Union: Konstantin Chernenko, then Mikhail Gorbachev (General Secretary); Konstantin Chernenko, then Andrei Gromyko (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet); Nikolai Tikhonov, then Nikolai Ryzhkov (Chairman of the Council of Ministers) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
People's Republic of China: Deng Xiaoping (Paramount Leader); Hu Yaobang (General Secretary); Li Xiannian (President) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
France: François Mitterrand (President); Laurent Fabius (Prime minister) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
East Germany: Erich Honecker (Chairmen of the State Council); Willi Stoph (Chairman) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
West Germany: Richard von Weizsäcker (President of West Germany); Helmut Kohl (Chancellor of West Germany) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
$1 in 1985: $3.13 in September 2026 dollars BLS CPI-U
Gallon of gas (U.S. average): $1.20 ($4.48 in September 2026) BLS
Most weeks at No. 1 in 1985: “Like a Virgin” by Madonna; “We Are the World” by USA for Africa, 4 weeks each Wikipedia rev. 1303397535

Who led every country in 1985 →Born in 1985? What it cost, who led, what was No. 1 →

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 14 – Hun Sen is confirmed as prime minister, having been acting PM since the death of his predecessor Chan Sy.Cambodia source
January 15 – Tancredo Neves is elected president of Brazil by the Congress, ending the 21-year military rule.source
January 27 – The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is formed, in Tehran.source
11 February – PLO chairman Yasser Arafat and King Hussein of Jordan sign the Palestinian-Jordanian Joint Action Agreement.Palestine source
24 February – 1985 North Korean local electionsNorth Korea source
27 February – Colombia officially recognizes the Shawari Arab Democratic Republic.Colombia source
March 1 – After a 12-year-long dictatorship, Julio María Sanguinetti is sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Uruguay.source
March 6 – Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou instigated a constitutional crisis to divert voter's attention from the deterioration of the Greek economy, by suddenly not supporting Konstantinos Karamanlis for a second term as President of Greece and violating constitutional voting protocol to get his presidential candidate to power. At the same time, he proposed a constitutional reforms to remove constitutional checks and balances constraining his position.source
March 10 - Karamanlis resigns from the Presidency after the surprising political gamble of Andreas Papandreou for not supporting Karamanlis for a second term, leading to a constitutional crisis.Greece source
March 11 – Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party and de facto leader of the Soviet Union.source
March 15 – Vice-president José Sarney, upon becoming vice president, assumes the duties of president of Brazil, as the new president Tancredo Neves had become severely ill the day before. Sarney would later become Brazil's first civilian president in 21 years, upon Neves' death on April 21.source
31 March – Salvadoran legislative election, 1985El Salvador source
April 28 – The Australian Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP) splits.source
May 15 – Argentine President Raúl Alfonsín terminates Argentine administration of the Falkland Islands but does not relinquish Argentina's claim to the islands.source
June 14 – The Schengen Agreement is signed between certain member states of the European Economic Community, creating the Schengen Area, a bloc of (at the time) 5 states with no internal border controls.source
June 26 – The iconic U.S. Route 66 is officially decommissioned.source
September 22 – The Plaza Accord is signed by five nations.source
November 19 – Cold War: In Geneva, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time.source
December 8 – The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is established.source
8 December – Democratic Rally won 19 of the 56 seats in the parliament following parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was 94.6%.Cyprus source
December – President Saddam Hussain visits Moscow to meet Mikhail Gorbachev in an attempt to improve relations between Iraq and the Soviet union.Iraq source

Conflict & Security

January 28 – The charity single record "We Are the World" is recorded by USA for Africa.source
28 January – Iraq launched the first major offensive against Iran since the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980.Iraq source
February 14 – Lebanon hostage crisis: CNN reporter Jeremy Levin is freed from captivity in Lebanon.source
February 16 – Israel begins withdrawing troops from Lebanon.source
February 28 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army carries out a mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary police station at Newry in Northern Ireland. With nine officers dead, it is the highest loss of life for the RUC on a single day.source
March 8 – A Beirut car bomb, planted in an attempt to assassinate Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, kills more than 80 people and injures 200 more.source
21 March – A referendum on military rule is held in order to confirm the military rule of Hussain Mohammed Ershad. The referendum asks voters "Do you support the policies of President Ershad, and do you want him to continue to run this administration until a civilian government is formed through elections?" The result is that 94.5% vote in favour, with a turnout of 72.2%. The opposition organises a general strike on the day of the referendum, and alleges that the results are fraudulent.Bangladesh source
March 29 - two Lockheed CC-130H Hercules of the RCAF collided mid-air above the Canadian Forces base in Edmonton killing 10 servicemen.source
April 12 – El Descanso bombing: A terrorist bombing attributed to the Islamic Jihad Organization in the El Descanso restaurant near Madrid, Spain, mostly attended by U.S. personnel from the Torrejón Air Base, causes 18 deaths (all Spaniards) and 82 injuries.source
Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union begins to transfer the burden of fighting the mujahideen to the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, a cause of the Revolutions of 1989.source
The Soviet Union begins to transfer the burden of fighting the mujahideen to the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.Soviet Union source
May 5 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan joins West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl for a controversial funeral service at a cemetery in Bitburg, West Germany, which includes the graves of 59 elite S.S. troops from World War II.source
May 9 – The 3rd total Victory Day Parade (the first being in 1945 and the next in 1965) is held on Red Square in Moscow in the Soviet Union. It features T-34-85 tanks, veterans of World War II from Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, and is the first parade to be held during the reign of Mikhail Gorbachev.source
May 13 – Philadelphia police drop bombs on a row home occupied MOVE during a gun battle between police and MOVE, killing six adults and five childrensource
19 June – 1985 Zona Rosa attacksEl Salvador source
June 22 – British and Irish police foil a "mainland bombing campaign" sponsored by the Provisional Irish Republican Army which targets luxury vacation resorts.source
24 June – Guerillas ambush and kill 6 police officer in western Valle del Cauca, 9 others are injured along with 3 civilians.Colombia source
July 20 – Apartheid: State President of South Africa, P. W. Botha, declares a state of emergency in 36 magisterial districts of South Africa amid growing civil unrest in black townships.source
August 14 – The Accomarca massacre takes place in Ayacucho, Peru.source
August 20 – Iran–Contra affair: The first arms, 96 BGM-71 TOWs, are sent to Iran in exchange for hostages in Lebanon and profits for the Nicaraguan Contras without public knowledge.United States source
October 1 – Operation Wooden Leg: The Israeli air force bombs Palestine Liberation Organization headquarters near Tunis.source
1 October – Israel carries out Operation Wooden Leg bombing the PLO headquarters in Hammam Chott, Tunisia. Killing 50 Palestinians and 18 Tunisians and wounding over 100 people.Palestine source
November 6 – Palace of Justice siege: Members of the 19th of April Movement (M-19) Marxist guerrilla group take over the Palace of Justice of Colombia in Bogotá and hold the Supreme Court hostage. Hours later, after a military raid, the incident leaves almost half of the 25 Supreme Court Justices dead.source
November 17 - Assassination of Michalis Kaltezas during annual November 17 Polytechnic demonstrations.Greece source
19 November – The Memali Incident took place in the remote village of Memali near Baling, Kedah. About 14 civilians and four policemen were killed, including Islamic sect leader, Ibrahim Mahmud (Ibrahim Libya).Malaysia source

Exploration & Expansion

February 4 – The border between Gibraltar and Spain reopens for the first time since Francisco Franco closed it in 1969.source
March 17 – Expo '85, an international exhibition, opens in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, running until September 16.source
March 17 — September 16 – Expo '85 was held at the Tsukuba, Ibaraki prefecture.Japan source
March 21 – Canadian paraplegic athlete and activist Rick Hansen sets out on his 26-month, 40,000 km Man in Motion tour, which raises US$26 million for spinal cord research and quality-of-life initiatives.source
30 April – Gal Gadot, Israeli actress and model.Israel source
May 9 - The first direct commercial flights between Iceland and the United States began, operated by Icelandair.Iceland source
12 June – The first Pak'nSave opens in Kaitaia.New Zealand source
8 July – Jørgen V. Pedersen wins Stage 10 of the 1985 Tour de France-Denmark source
25 August–22 September – The Indian cricket team tours in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka source
29 August – The José María Córdova International Airport opens in Rionegro, Antioquia, near Medellín.Colombia source
September 1 – The wreck of the RMS Titanic is located by a joint American-French expedition led by Robert Ballard (WHOI) and Jean-Louis Michel (IFREMER) using side-scan sonar from RV Knorr.source
31 December – The inauguration of Taipei World Trade Center in Xinyi District, Taipei.Taiwan source

Religion & Belief

3 February – Roger Vangheluwe consecrated as bishop of Bruges by Cardinal Godfried DanneelsBelgium source
February 16 – The ideology of Hezbollah is declared in a program issued in Beirut.source
March 25 – The Organization Commune Africaine et Malgache is officially dissolved.source
5 April – A fire erupts at Notre-Dame Cathedral, in Luxembourg City, destroying the belfry and damaging the roof of the nave.Luxembourg source
24 April – Yitzhak Kahan (born 1913), Austro-Hungarian (Galicia)-born Israeli jurist, sixth President of the Supreme Court of Israel.Israel source
8 July – The new Tabung Haji building at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur was officially opened by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.Malaysia source
12 October – Canon Arthur Malcolm becomes the first Aboriginal Bishop in Australia.Australia source
20 November – Archbishop Paul Reeves appointed Governor General.New Zealand source
9 December – The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Vicente del Caguán is established in San Vicente del Caguán, Caquetá.Colombia source
December 20 – Pope John Paul II announces the institution of World Youth Day for Catholic youths.source
Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor – María Lavalle UrbinaMexico source

Economy & Finance

1 January – Value added tax (KDV) introduced.Turkey source
January - Funan Centre opens to the public. It evolved to Funan The IT Mall, and finally Funan DigitaLife Mall, closing its doors on 30 June 2016.Singapore source
2 February – Sopormetal, a company supplying brazing materials, silver and copper brazing solders, is founded.Portugal source
9 February – the total amount of loans made by the Taipei 10th Credit Corporation(臺北十信) accounted for 102% of the total deposits. In order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of depositors, the Ministry of Finance ordered the cooperative to suspend business for three days, and temporarily took over the cooperation from the Taiwan Provincial Cooperative, strictly inspecting and rectifying the situation.Taiwan source
March 11 – Mohamed Al-Fayed buys the London-based department store company Harrods.source
April 9 – Carlos Manzo, politician (died 2025).Mexico source
June 12 – The Central Bank issues the New Design Series, starting with a new 5-peso banknote with the face of Emilio Aguinaldo.Philippines source
4 September – The Israeli new shekel (NIS) is introduced. It does not replace the old shekel as Israel's official currency until 1 January 1986.Israel source
September 20 – The capital gains tax is introduced to Australia.source
1985 — Iceland experienced high inflation, averaging approximately 31.8%, amid ongoing economic adjustments and wage negotiations.Iceland source

Technology & Infrastructure

January 1 – The Internet's Domain Name System is created.source
23 January – Teleantioquia launches as a television programadora.Colombia source
21 February - 1985 Kuwaiti general electionKuwait source
April 1 – Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation, and Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation, are privatized and change their names to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, and Japan Tobacco, respectively.source
2 April – The NTUC Pasir Ris Resort starts construction. When completed, the resort will have a wide array of recreational activities, supporting up to 1,400 people at any time. The resort is officially opened in 1988.Singapore source
3 July - Thousands of Loyalists demonstrate against a proposed Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) decision to re-route a church parade away from the 'Tunnel' (the Catholic Obins Street) area of Portadown.Northern Ireland source
10 July – The first Malaysian national car Proton Saga was officially launched by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad with the first cars coming off from the production line in July 9.Malaysia source
September 13 – Super Mario Bros by Nintendo, the start of the Mario series, officially comes out.source
September 22 – Artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrap the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, for two weeks (22 Sep. – 5 Oct. 1985). The Pont Neuf Wrapped attracts three million visitors.source
October 18 – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in North America, helping revitalize the home video game industry after the video game crash of 1983.source
October 19 - The first Blockbuster store opened in Dallas, Texas.source
19 October – The start of the construction to expand Yunlin Prison in Huwei Township, Yunlin County.Taiwan source
October 25 – The airline Emirates is established in Dubai and makes its first flight, to Karachi, Pakistan.source
November 6 – The Argentine tourist village of Villa Epecuén is permanently flooded through the collapse of a dam and dyke.source
November 8 – SM City North EDSA is opened as the first SM Supermall in the Philippines.Philippines source
November 20 – Microsoft Corporation releases the first U.S. release of Windows 1.0, as version 1.01. International support comes with the release of Windows 1.02 in Europe in May 1986.source
The fullerene Buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ) is first intentionally prepared by Harold Kroto, James R. Heath, Sean O'Brien, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley at Rice University in the US.source
The LIII Legislature Congress of Mexico begins its inauguration.Mexico source

Science & Discovery

January 7 – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launches Sakigake, Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the United States or the Soviet Union.source
February 5 – Australia cancels its involvement in U.S.-led MX missile tests.source
February 8: The first Brazilian artificial satellite, Brasilsat A1, is launched from the Kourou launch base in French Guiana.Brazil source
1 March – SES is established as Europe's first commercial satellite operator.Luxembourg source
21 March - Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985Germany source
March – The GNU Manifesto, written by Richard Stallman, is first published.source
April 19 – The Soviet Union performs a nuclear weapon test in eastern Kazakhstan.source
May 16 – Scientists of the British Antarctic Survey announce the discovery of the ozone hole.source
4 June – Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble FormedNorth Korea source
June 24 – STS-51-G: Space Shuttle Discovery completes its mission, best remembered for having Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist.source
July 19 – New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe is selected as the first person to go into space under the Teacher in Space Project, and designated to ride aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.source
July 27 – The 63 Building officially opens as the tallest skyscraper outside of North America in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea.South Korea source
August 7 – Takao Doi, Mamoru Mohri and Chiaki Mukai are chosen to be Japan's first astronauts.Japan source
October 3 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its maiden flight.source
6 October – Noah Moses (born 1912), publisher and editor of Yedioth Ahronoth.Israel source
November 12 – A total solar eclipse occurs over Antarctica at 14:11:22 UTC.source
December 1 – The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are released for sale to the public in the US.source
Texas Instruments, a multinational corporation, starts its India operations in Bangalore and helps create infrastructure to export software via satellite communications from India for the first time.India source

Health & Medicine

January 1 - Law on tobacco control comes into forceIceland source
31 January – Menachem Bader (born 1895), Austro-Hungarian (Galicia)-born Haganah member and Israeli politician.Israel source
February 19 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first patient with an artificial heart to leave the hospital.source
14 March: President-elect Tancredo Neves is admitted to the Emergency Room of the Hospital de Base in the Federal District.Brazil source
April 23 – 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 three months.source
16 May – The first case of HIV is diagnosed at the Communicable Diseases Centre (present day National Centre for Infectious Diseases). The patient is subsequently warded at the CDC.Singapore source
1 June – Paul Philipp is appointed head coach of the Luxembourg national football team.Luxembourg source
7 July – The Israeli government orders the Austrian Pilgrim Hospice to the Holy Family in the Old City of Jerusalem permanently closed, saying that the hospital's facilities were unable to provide adequate medical care. The closure proves controversial, leading to a general strike by Palestinians in East Jerusalem.Palestine source
July 20 – P.W. Botha declares a state of emergency in 36 magisterial districts.South Africa source
Africa has a population growth of 3.2 percent per year.source
Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani was awarded posthumously for his contribution to social welfare.Bangladesh source

Crime & Justice

1 February – The Small Claims Tribunal is established as part of the Subordinate Courts (present day State Courts of Singapore), which mainly deals with small claims.Singapore source
February 9 – U.S. drug agent Kiki Camarena is kidnapped and murdered in Mexico by drug traffickers; his body is later discovered on March 5.source
March 16 – Lebanon hostage crisis: US journalist Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut; he remains a prisoner until December 4, 1991.source
May 11 – The FBI brings charges against the suspected heads of the five Mafia families in New York City.source
May 26 – Young driver Danny Sullivan beats veteran Mario Andretti to win the 1985 Indianapolis 500.source
June 6 – The remains of Josef Mengele, the physician notorious for Nazi human experimentation on inmates of Auschwitz concentration camp, buried in 1979 under the name of Wolfgang Gerhard, are exhumed in Embu das Artes, Brazil.source
July 1 – The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons enters into force.source
28 August: Israeli authorities begin the first major series of arrests of Palestinians under the Iron Fist policy. Over the next few days, dozens of Palestinians would be placed in administrative detention under suspicion of subversive activity, and roadblocks would be erected across the West Bank.Palestine source
September – the Salvadoran government arrests four men, including Américo Mauro Araujo, a high-ranking Salvadoran Communist Party official, for their involvement in the Zona Rosa attacks.El Salvador source
October 7 – The cruise ship Achille Lauro is hijacked in the Mediterranean Sea by four heavily armed Palestinian terrorists. One passenger, American Leon Klinghoffer, is killed.source
22 October – Second leg of the 1985 Copa Libertadores finals.Colombia source
7 November – Heavy rainfall in IstanbulTurkey source
21 November – Jonathan Pollard, a US naval intelligence analyst who spied for Israeli intelligence, is arrested by the FBI at the gates of the Israeli Embassy in Washington while trying to seek asylum there.Israel source
December 27 – American naturalist Dian Fossey is found brutally murdered in Rwanda.source
DNA is first used in a criminal case.source
Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Ahmad ShahMalaysia source
Derry City F.C. joins the League of Ireland, having been out of senior football since 1972.Northern Ireland source

Disasters & Accidents

February 13 – An arson attack on the Regent of Manila, a resort hotel in Pasay, occurs, burning it for four days and killing at least 27 people including more than ten foreigners. Between October 1984 and this month, 65, mostly foreign tourists, die in eight hotel fires in Baguio and Metro Manila; the incident being the sixth.Philippines source
February 19 – Iberia Airlines Flight 610 crashes, killing all 148 on board.source
May 2 – An explosion rocks the building housing the gold mining companies of Anglo American and Anglovaal in Johannesburg and causes R170,000 in structural damage. Both companies are engaged in mass dismissals of mine workers.South Africa source
May 11 – Bradford City stadium fire: A fire engulfs a wooden stand at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England, during an Association football match, killing 56 people.source
29 May – Heysel Stadium disasterBelgium source
June 14 – TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers from Athens to Rome, is hijacked by a Hezbollah fringe group. One passenger, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Robert Stethem, is killed. Greek police arrest a 65-year-old Lebanese suspect on September 21, 2019.source
June 23 – Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747, is blown up by a terrorist bomb 31,000 feet (9,500 m) above the Atlantic Ocean, south of Ireland, on a Montreal–London–Delhi flight, killing all 329 aboard.source
July 10 – The Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior is bombed and sunk in Auckland Harbour by French DGSE agents.source
July 10 – Aeroflot Flight 5143 crashes near Uchquduq, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union, killing all 200 people on board.source
July 19 – The Val di Stava dam collapses in Italy, killing 268 people, destroying 63 buildings, and demolishing eight bridges.source
19 July – Val di Stava dam collapse kills 268 peopleItaly source
24 July – A Colombian Air Force cargo plane that was acting as a commercial passenger plane during a pilot's strike crashes near Leticia during a rainstorm, killing the estimated 80 people who were on board.Colombia source
August 2 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashes near Dallas, Texas, United States, killing 137 people.source
August 12 – Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashes in Japan, killing 520 people, including Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto; it is the worst single-aircraft disaster in aviation history. There were only 4 survivors.source
August 12 – Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashes into Mount Takamagahara. All fifteen crew members and five hundred-five passengers died.Japan source
August 25 – Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 crashes in the United States, killing all 8 on board, including thirteen-year-old American celebrity schoolgirl Samantha Smith.source
September 6 – Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes just after takeoff from Milwaukee, killing all 31 on board.source
11 September – Moimenta-Alcafache train crashPortugal source
October 16 – The Finnish dry cargo ship MS Hanna-Marjut, on its way from Mariehamn to Naantali, sinks in hard sea on the open water of Kihti between the Kökar and Sottunga islands of Åland, leading to the drowning of four people.source
November 23 - EgyptAir Flight 648 was hijacked by the Palestinian terrorist organization Abu Nidal from Ellinikon International Airport in Athens. The subsequent raid on the aircraft by Egyptian troops killed 56 of the 86 passengers, two of the three hijackers, and two of the six crew, making the hijacking of Flight 648 one of the deadliest such incidents in history.Greece source
November 25 – 1985 Aeroflot Antonov An-12 shoot-down: A Soviet Aeroflot Antonov An-12 cargo airplane, en route from Cuito Cuanavale to Luanda, is shot down by South African Special Forces and crashes approximately 43 km east of Menongue, the provincial center of the Cuando Cubango Province, Angola, killing 8 crew members and 13 passengers on board.source
December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285R, a Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland, killing 256 people – 248 of whom were U.S. servicemen returning to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, after overseeing a peacekeeping force in the Sinai Peninsula.source
December 27 – Rome and Vienna airport attacks: Abu Nidal terrorists open fire in the airports of Rome and Vienna, leaving 18 dead and 120 injured.source

Climate & Environment

January 1 – Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a new agreement on fishing rights.source
January 26 - The volcano Hekla erupts, causing significant ash fall and disrupting air traffic.Iceland source
March 3 – The 8.0 Mw Algarrobo earthquake hits Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile, leaving 177 dead, 2,575 injured, 142,489 houses destroyed, and approximately a million people homeless.source
13 March – 1985 Algarrobo earthquakeChile source
May 31 – Forty-four tornadoes hit Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario, including a rare and powerful F5. In total, the event kills 90 people.source
June 20 – 1985 Nepal bombings: A series of bomb blasts occurs in Kathmandu and other cities of Nepal.source
July 13 – Live Aid benefit concerts in London and Philadelphia raise over £50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.source
September 19 – An 8.0 Mw earthquake strikes Mexico City, killing between 5,000 and 45,000 people and injuring 30,000 more.source
September 19 – Fourteen newborn babies survived the earthquake.Mexico source
October 18 – Typhoon Saling made landfall in the Philippines. The typhoon leaves 101 dead and $68 million in damage (1985 dollars).Philippines source
November 13 – Armero tragedy: The Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts, killing an estimated 23,000 people, including 21,000 killed by lahars, in the town of Armero, Colombia.source
13 November – Armero tragedy: The Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts in the Tolima Department, causing mudflows, landslides, and debris flows to rip through the towns surrounding it. The town of Armero in particular is heavily affected. At least 23,000 people die, including 20,000 of the 29,000 residents of Armero. Property damage is assessed to be around one billion dollars, a fifth of Colombia's 1985 GDP. The disaster sparks outrage against the government for perceived mismanagement in the relief efforts and neglect leading up to the disaster.Colombia source
December 19 – A farmer is injured when his vehicle hits an anti-tank mine in the Weipe area.South Africa source
30 December – Rural discontent at soaring interest rates and falling commodity prices is symbolised by a Canowindra farmer when he dumps 23 tonnes of wheat outside Parliament House in Canberra. His subsequent prosecution prompts a mass rally of up to 8,000 famers in Canberra on 14 February 1986.Australia source
The 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia continues; USA for Africa (We Are the World) and Live Aid raise funds for famine relief.source
Sultan of Kelantan: Sultan Ismail PetraMalaysia source

Culture & Society

February 25 – Tears for Fears release their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair, which includes the hit singles "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."source
March 13 — Konstantin Chernenko was honored with a state funeral and was buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis, he was the last person to be interred there.Soviet Union source
March 18 – Australia's longest-running soap opera, Neighbours, debuts on Seven Network.source
March 25 – The 57th Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles, with Amadeus winning Best Picture.source
March 31 – The inaugural WrestleMania is held in Madison Square Garden, New York, and is "main-evented" by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper in a tag-team match.source
April 15 – South Africa ends its ban on interracial marriages.source
May 4 – The 30th Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden and is won by the Bobbysocks! song La det swinge for Norway.source
June 15 – Studio Ghibli, an animation studio, is founded in Tokyo.source
27 August – The inauguration of Keelung City Cultural Center in Keelung.Taiwan source
November 9 – In an all-Soviet match, 22-year-old Garry Kasparov defeats Anatoly Karpov to become the youngest-ever undisputed winner of the World Chess Championship.source
December 1 – The Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (Spanish: Organización e Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación la Ciencia y la Cultura; OEI) is created.source
17 December – An-Najah National University is ordered closed for several days by the Israeli authorities, who say that it was necessary to prevent a symposium on armed struggle from being held and to confiscate PLO propaganda material being held on campus.Palestine source
The Union for Aromanian Language and Culture, an Aromanian cultural organization, is founded in Freiburg im Breisgau by the Aromanian professor Vasile Barba.source
Zafrullah Chowdhury, the founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.Bangladesh source
The Cameroon National Union changes its name to the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement.Cameroon source
Sporting Praia won the Cape Verdean Football ChampionshipCape Verde source
Estonian Song Festival in Tallinn.Estonia source
10–14 December – The 1985 European Curling Championships take place in Grindelwald.Switzerland source

Births

31 January – Kalomira, Greek-American singer, in West Hempstead, New York, United StatesGreece source
31 May – Suhair al-Qaisi, Iraqi news anchor and media personality.Iraq source
12 June – Visay Phaphouvanin, professional footballerLaos source
16 July – Rebecca Muambo, wrestlerCameroon source

Deaths

4 February – Israeli soldier Aharon Avidar is assassinated in Ramallah by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the first Israeli soldier to be killed while on duty in the West Bank in over a year. In the aftermath, the Israeli government pledges to take a harsher line on Palestinian violence.Palestine source
March 28 – Marc Chagall, 97, Russian-French artist.source
April 11 – Enver Hoxha, 76, Albanian dictator, first secretary (since 1941) and prime minister (1944–1954), arrhythmia.source
14 May – Anuradhapura massacre: 146 civilians are killed in Anuradhapura during a massacre carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. This was the largest massacre of Sinhalese civilians by the LTTE to date.Sri Lanka source
May 26 – Harold Hecht, 77, American film producer (Marty), cancer.source
May 29 – Heysel Stadium disaster: Thirty-nine spectators are killed in rioting on the terraces during the European Cup final between Liverpool F.C. and Juventus (0–1) at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.source
May 30 – Ross Jones, 67, New Zealand rugby player.source
June 21 – Tage Erlander, 84, Swedish politician, prime minister (1946–1969), pneumonia.source
June 23 – 1985 Narita International Airport bombing; two people were killed.Japan source
August 22 – British Airtours Flight 28M: The 737's left engine catches fire while on its takeoff roll at Manchester Airport in the UK and 55 people are killed while trying to evacuate the aircraft.source
September 23 – Italian crime reporter Giancarlo Siani is killed by the Camorra.source
October 10 – Orson Welles, 70, American actor, director (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil), and broadcaster ("The War of the Worlds"), heart attack.source
October 12 – Norman James, 77, English footballer.source
November 23 – EgyptAir Flight 648 is hijacked by the Abu Nidal group and flown to Malta, where Egyptian commandos storm the plane; 60 are killed by gunfire and explosions.source
November 29 – Gérard Hoarau, exiled political leader from the Seychelles, is assassinated in London.source
6–7 November – Palace of Justice siege: 98 people, 11 law enforcement personnel, 33 guerillas, and 43 civilians, are killed when M-19 Movement members take over the Palace of Justice and take 300 hostages, planning to hold a trial against president Betancur in retaliation for the killing of Iván Marino Ospina.The dead included 11 of the Supreme Court magistrates.Colombia source
December 2 – Philip Larkin, 63, English poet (The Whitsun Weddings, The Less Deceived, High Windows), esophageal cancer.source
December 11 – Hugh Scrutton is killed outside his Sacramento, California, computer rental store by a Unabomber explosive, becoming the first fatality of the bombing campaign.source
December 26 - American naturalist Dian Fossey is murdered in her Rwandan cabin. It is still unknown who committed the murder.Rwanda source