What Happened in January 1985

Historical Events

  • Jan 1 14th Fiesta Bowl: #14 UCLA beats #13 Miami, 39-37
  • Jan 1 51st Orange Bowl: #4 Washington beats #2 Oklahoma, 28-17
  • Jan 1 51st Sugar Bowl: #5 Nebraska beats #11 LSU, 28-10
  • Jan 1 71st Rose Bowl: #18 Southern California beats #6 Ohio State, 20-17
  • Jan 1 International Youth Year begins
  • Jan 1 The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone
  • Jan 1 The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
  • Jan 1 US's 1st mandatory seat belt law goes into effect (NY)
  • Jan 1 VH-1 made its broadcasting debut

Coptic Pope Reappointed

Jan 2 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reappoints Coptic pope Shenuda III

  • Jan 2 Leg-spin bowler Bob "Dutchy" Holland takes 4/90 for match figures of 10/144 as Australia beats the West Indies by innings in 5th Test in Sydney; Windies take series, 3-1
  • Jan 2 Nevada Las Vegas basketball gives coach Jerry Tarkanian his 600th career victory with a 142-140 win over Utah State in triple overtime; total of 282 points breaks NCAA men's record of 275 set in 1976
  • Jan 3 Future Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin scores 110 on debut in drawn 3rd Test against England in Kolkata
  • Jan 3 Israel government confirms resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews

Price's Final Aida Appearance

Jan 3 Leontyne Price makes her final operatic appearance in a televised performance of "Aida" at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

McConnell US Senator

Jan 3 Mitch McConnell becomes Senator of Kentucky

Trottier's Penalty Fail

Jan 5 Bryan Trottier failed on 9th Islander penalty shot

  • Jan 5 Discovery moves to launch pad for STS 51-C mission
  • Jan 5 Operation Moses, covert airlifting of about 8000 Ethiopian Jews from war-torn Sudan to Israel via Belgium ends
  • Jan 6 AFC Championship, Miami Orange Bowl: Miami Dolphins beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 45-28
  • Jan 6 NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers beat Chicago Bears, 23-0
  • Jan 7 Japanese space probe Sakigake launched to Halley's comet
  • Jan 7 KHQ-AM in Spokane, Washington, changes call letters to KLSN (now KAQQ)

"The King & I"

Jan 7 Revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "The King & I", still starring Yul Brynner opens at Broadway Theater, NYC; runs for 191 performances

  • Jan 8 Japan launches Sakigake space probe to Halley's Comet
  • Jan 9 Flames set NHL record 264th regular season game without being shut-out

Ortega Takes Power

Jan 10 Daniel Ortega inaugurated as President of Nicaragua for the first time

Wilkens first to 1,000 Games

Jan 10 Lenny Wilkens becomes first to coach in 1,000 NBA games when his Seattle SuperSonics defeat the Golden State Warriors, 89-86

  • Jan 11 CDC MMWR publishes guidelines for screening U.S. blood supply for AIDS antibodies with ELISA test that would be available later that year
  • Jan 13 23rd Tennis Fed Cup: Czech beats USA in Nagoya Japan (2-1)
  • Jan 13 99-year-old Otto Bucher from Switzerland becomes the oldest man to record a hole-in-one at Spanish GC La Manga's 130-yard 12th hole
  • Jan 13 Blackhawk Doug Wilson failed on 12th penalty shot against Islanders
  • Jan 13 Cerebral Palsy telethon raises $17.1 million
  • Jan 13 Express train derails in Ethiopia, killing at least 428

McEnroe Retains ATP Title

Jan 13 John McEnroe repeats previous year's result with a 7–5, 6–0, 6–4 win over Ivan Lendl to claim back-to-back season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis titles at Madison Square Garden, NYC

Gretzky Makes 400

Jan 13 Playing in his 436th career game, Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky scores his 400th career NHL goal and adds 2 assists in a 5-4 Oilers' win over the Sabres in Buffalo

  • Jan 14 16 indicted by US for granting sanctuary to Central American refugees
  • Jan 14 British pound sinks to record low $US1.11

Navratilova Wins 100

Jan 14 Martina Navratilova is 3rd to win 100 tennis tournaments (Connors & Evert)

  • Jan 15 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to John Ashbery & Fred Chapell
  • Jan 15 CBS' premiere of TV made teen drug abuse drama, "Not My Kid", based on the previous year's book by Beth Polson
  • Jan 15 Mike Gatting (207) and Graeme Fowler (201) become first pair of England batsmen to complete double centuries in the same innings during 9-wicket 4th cricket Test win against India at Madras
  • Jan 15 Tancredo Neves becomes 1st elected President of Brazil in 21 years, but dies before taking office
  • Jan 16 "Playboy" announces end of stapling centerfolds
  • Jan 17 Azharuddin scores second Test century in second Test (v England)
  • Jan 18 US renounces jurisdiction of World Court despite previous promise

"Born in the USA"

Jan 19 "Born in the USA", single by Bruce Springsteen, peaks at #9

  • Jan 19 4 die in a car & train crash in Buda Ill
  • Jan 20 Cold front strikes US, at least 40 die (-27°F (-33°C) in Chicago)

Super Bowl XIX

Jan 20 Super Bowl XIX, Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA: San Francisco 49ers beat Miami Dolphins, 38-16; MVP: Joe Montana, SF, QB

  • Jan 21 -19°F (-28°C), Caesar's Head, South Carolina (state record)
  • Jan 21 -34°F (-37°C), Mt Mitchell, North Carolina (state record)
  • Jan 21 Bomb attack on Borobudur temple in Java
  • Jan 21 Dennis Potvin ties Bobby Orr's career record of 270 NHL goals

Norman Sings at Inauguration

Jan 21 Jessye Norman sings "Simple Gifts" at the second inauguration of US President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D. C.

  • Jan 22 -30°F (-34°C), Mountain Lake Bio Station, Virginia (state record)
  • Jan 22 Cold wave damages 90% of Florida's citrus crop
  • Jan 22 Kelly Hu, 16, of Hawaii, crowned 3rd Miss Teen USA
  • Jan 23 Britains House of Lords debate 1st televised
  • Jan 24 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 is launched
  • Jan 25 "Black & Blue" premieres in Paris

Wasim Akram Debut

Jan 25 Test debut of Wasim Akram, vs New Zealand at Auckland (2-105)

  • Jan 26 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky scores 50th goal in 49th game of season
  • Jan 27 "Doug Henning & His World of Magic" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NY after 60 performances
  • Jan 27 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 returns to Earth
  • Jan 27 Mark Mckoy cycles world record 50m hurdles indoor (5.25)
  • Jan 27 NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 22-14; MVP: Mark Gastineau, NY Jets, DE

"We Are the World"

Jan 28 Charity single "We Are the World" recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars)

  • Jan 28 Houston's Bill Fitch becomes the 6th coach in NBA history to post 600 wins as the Rockets beat the New Jersey Nets, 97-93

Kurri's 100th Point

Jan 29 Jari Kurri of Edmonton Oilers scores 100th pt of season in game 39

Oxford Refuses Thatcher

Jan 29 Oxford University refuses to award Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher an honorary degree

"Harrigan 'n Hart"

Jan 31 Max Showalter and Peter Walker's musical "Harrigan 'n Hart", starring Harry Groening and Mark Hamill, opens at Longacre Theater, NYC; runs for 4 performances


1985 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Jan 1 Jeff Carter, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 2012, 14; NHL All-Star 2009, 17; Philadelphia Flyers, LA Kings), born in London, Ontario
  • Jan 1 Steven Davis, Northern Irish soccer midfielder (117 caps [2019]; Rangers, Southampton), born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland
  • Jan 1 Tiago Splitter, Brazilian basketball forward and coach (NBA C'ship 2014, San Antonio Spurs; All-EuroLeague Team selection 2008-10), born in Blumenau, Brazil
  • Jan 2 Heather O'Reilly, American soccer midfielder (231 caps; FIFA Women's World Cup 2015; Olympic gold 2004, 08, 12), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • Jan 2 Ivan Dodig, Croatian tennis player (6 x Grand Slam doubles titles; Davis Cup 2018), born in Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Jan 4 Al Jefferson, American basketball player, born in Monticello, Mississippi
  • Jan 4 Fernando Rees, Brazilian race car driver, born in São Paulo, Brazil
  • Jan 5 Michael Cuccione, Canadian actor, born in Burnaby, Canada (d. 2001)
  • Jan 5 Yoon So-yi, South Korean actress, born in Seoul, South Korea

Lewis Hamilton (39 years old)

Jan 7 English auto racer (World Formula 1 Drivers Champion 2008, 14-15, 17-20), born in Stevenage, England

  • Jan 8 Rachael Lampa, American Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter ("Blessed"), born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Jan 8 Sam Levison, American actor and filmmaker (created TV show Euphoria)
  • Jan 11 Kazuki Nakajima, Japanese racing driver, born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan
  • Jan 11 Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter, born in Surrey, England
  • Jan 11 Rie fu [Rie Funakoshi], Japanese singer, born in Tokyo, Japan
  • Jan 12 Artem Milevskiy, Ukrainian footballer, born in Minsk, Belarus
  • Jan 12 Issa Rae, American actress, writer and producer (Insecure), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Jan 12 Yohana Cobo, Spanish actress, born in Madrid, Spain
  • Jan 14 Joel Rosario, Dominican jockey (Kentucky Derby, Dubai World Cup 2013; Belmont Stakes 2014, 19), born in San Francisco, Dominican Republic
  • Jan 15 Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer, born in Solrød Strand, Denmark
  • Jan 16 Joe Flacco, American NFL player (Baltimore Ravens), born in Audubon, New Jersey
  • Jan 16 Jonathan Richter, Danish professional football midfielder, born in Denmark
  • Jan 16 Sidharth Malhotra, Indian actor (Shershaah), born in Delhi, India
  • Jan 17 Kangin [Kim Young-woon], South Korean singer, dancer, actor and DJ (Super Junior), born in Seoul, South Korea
  • Jan 17 Riyu Kosaka, Japanese singer (BeForU), born in Yokohama, Japan
  • Jan 17 Simone Simons, Dutch singer (Epica), born in Hoensbroek, Netherlands
  • Jan 18 Dale Begg-Smith, Australian-Canadian freestyle skier, born in Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Jan 18 Minnisha Lamba, Indian actress and model, born in New Delhi, India
  • Jan 18 Riccardo Montolivo, Italian soccer player, born in Milan, Italy
  • Jan 19 Benny Feilhaber, American soccer player, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Jan 19 Damien Chazelle, French-American film director (La La Land), born in Providence, Rhode Island
  • Jan 19 Esteban Guerrieri, Argentine racing driver, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Jan 19 Rika Ishikawa, Japanese singer (Morning Musume), born in Yokosuka, Japan
  • Jan 21 Adrian Lewis, English darts player (PDC World Champion 2011-12), born in Stoke-on-Trent, England
  • Jan 21 Alex Pérez, Spanish footballer, born in Madrid, Spain
  • Jan 21 Matt Unicomb, Australian basketball player, born in Hornsby, Australia
  • Jan 21 Sasha Pivovarova, Russian model, born in Moscow, Russia
  • Jan 22 Justin Hurwitz, American Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-winning film composer (La La Land; Babylon), born in Los Angeles County, California
  • Jan 22 Mohamed Sissoko, Malian footballer, born in Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
  • Jan 22 Orianthi [Panagaris], Greek-Australian rock session and touring guitarist (Alice Cooper, Carrie Underwood, Dave Stewart), and singer-songwriter (Believe), born in Adelaide, Australia
  • Jan 23 Dong Fangzhuo, Chinese football player, born in Dalian, China
  • Jan 23 Doutzen Kroes, Dutch supermodel, born in Eastermar, Netherlands
  • Jan 25 Patrick Willis, American Pro Football HOF linebacker (NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 2007; 5 × First-team All-Pro; 7 × Pro Bowl; NFL tackles leader 2007, 09; SF 49ers), born in Bruceton, Tennessee
  • Jan 25 Tina Karol [Tetyana Hryhorivna Liberman], Ukrainian pop singer, born in Orotukan, Russia
  • Jan 28 Arnold Mvuemba, French footballer
  • Jan 28 Athina Onassis, daughter of Christina
  • Jan 29 Isabel Lucas, Australian actress, born in Melbourne, Australia
  • Jan 29 Marc Gasol, Spanish basketball center (NBA C'ship 2019 Toronto Raptors; NBA All-Star 2012, 15, 17; All-NBA First Team 2015; NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2013), born in Barcelona, Spain
  • Jan 29 Rag'n'Bone Man [Rory Charles Graham], English singer-songwriter (Human), born in Uckfield, England
  • Jan 30 Trae Williams, American football player, born in South Brisbane, Australia
  • Jan 31 Adam Federici, Australian football player, born in Nowra, Australia
  • Jan 31 Mario Williams, American football defensive end, born in Richlands, North Carolina
Born in 1985

Famous Weddings

  • Jan 2 Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood (37) weds British model Jo Karslake(29) in Gerrards Cross, England; divorce in 2009

Darryl Strawberry

Jan 5 Baseball player Darryl Strawberry (22) weds Lisa Andrews

Reggie White

Jan 5 NFL football player Reggie White (23) weds Sara Copeland

  • Jan 22 Zak Starkey (Ringo's son) marries Sarah Menikides

Dan Marino

Jan 30 NFL Quarterback Dan Marino (23) weds Claire Veazey at St. Regis Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania


Famous Deaths

  • Jan 2 Moses Josiah Madiba, South African author and first African chancellor of the University of the North, dies at 76
  • Jan 3 Lucien Cailliet, French-American composer, conductor and teacher (Philadelphia Orchestra, 1919-1937), dies at 93
  • Jan 4 Brian Gwynne Horrocks, English Army Lt-General, author (A Full Life; Corps Commander), and film consultant (A Bridge Too Far), dies at 89
  • Jan 4 Lovro von Matačić, Croatian conductor and composer (Bruckner Medal), dies at 86
  • Jan 5 John Paxton, American screenwriter and producer (On The Beach, Kotch, Farewell My Lovely), dies at 73
  • Jan 5 Robert L. Surtees, American Oscar-winning cinematographer (Ben-Hur) (b. 1906
  • Jan 6 Robert W. Welch Jr., American businessman who founded the conservative John Birch Society, dies at 85
  • Jan 7 Johnny Guarnieri, American stride and jazz stride pianist, and harpsichordist (The Gramercy Five; The Morey Amsterdam Show), dies of a heart attack at 67
  • Jan 7 Mary Hardy, Australian radio and television presenter (b. 1931)
  • Jan 9 Don Brennan, cricket wicket-keeper (England in 2 Tests 1951), dies
  • Jan 9 Robert Mayer, German-born businessman and philanthropist, dies at 105
  • Jan 10 Anton Karas, Austrian zither player and composer (b. 1906)
  • Jan 11 Sir William McKell, Premier of New South Wales, Governor-General of Australia (b. 1891)
  • Jan 13 Adam Walsh, American College Football Hall of Fame center and coach (Notre Dame; Bowdoin), dies at 83
  • Jan 13 Carol Wayne, Johnny Carson's teatime movie hostess, dies at 42
  • Jan 14 Jetta Goudal, French actress (White Gold), dies at 86
  • Jan 16 Robert Fitzgerald, American poet and translator, dies at 74
  • Jan 17 Jimmy DeBerry, American blues guitarist, banjo player, and singer, dies at 73
  • Jan 18 Mahmoud Taha, Sudanese Muslim leader, hanged at 76
  • Jan 18 Wilfrid Brambell, Irish actor (Hard Day's Night, Steptoe and Son), dies from cancer at 72
  • Jan 20 Jo Juda, Dutch musician (1st concertmaster of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra), dies at 75
  • Jan 21 Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler and promoter, dies at 55
  • Jan 21 James Beard, American culinary expert and author (Delights & Prejudices), dies at 81
  • Jan 22 Arthur Bryant, English historian (biography of Samuel Pepys), dies at 85
  • Jan 26 James Cameron, British foreign correspondent and journalist, dies at 73
  • Jan 30 Ken Mayers, American actor (Little Big Man, Dick Tracey, Space Patrol), dies at 66
  • Jan 31 Barbara Cowsill, American singer and rock band mother (The Cowsills - "Hair"; "We Can Fly"), dies of emphysema at 56