What Happened in November 1985

Historical Events

Sports History

Nov 3 Bill Elliott wins Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta Raceway to become first driver to win 11 super-speedway races in 1 season; also first driver to win $2m in prize money in a single season

F1 World Champion

Nov 3 French McLaren driver Alain Prost wins his first Formula 1 World Drivers Championship, finishing 4th in the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide; wins title by 20 points from Italian Michele Alboreto

Nov 3 President Alfonsín's Radical Burgerunie wins in Argentine legislative elections
Nov 4 "Edge of Darkness" first airs on BBC Two, featuring Bob Peck and Joanne Whalley

Stone Pillow

Nov 5 CBS premieres "Stone Pillow", a dramatic made-for-TV movie starring Lucille Ball as a homeless woman

Nov 5 Paul Schierhorn's rock musical "The News" opens at Helen Hayes Theater, NYC; runs for 4 performances
Nov 6 22nd NASA Space Shuttle Mission (61-A): Challenger 9 lands at Edwards AFB
Nov 6 Exploratory well in Ranger, Texas, blows out, spilling 150,000 bbl (24,000 m3) of crude oil
Nov 6 M-19 guerrillas occupy Palace of Justice Bogota Colombia
Nov 6 Space shuttle Challenger lands at Edwards Air Force Base, California
Nov 7 Colombian troops end 27-hr siege of Bogota's Palace of Justice
Nov 8 Atlantis moves to Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) for mating of STS 61-B mission
Nov 9 Paul Schierhorn's rock musical "The News" closes at Helen Hayes Theater, NYC, after 4 performances

Hadlee Takes 9-52

Nov 9 Richard Hadlee takes 9-52 New Zealand v Australia at the Gabba

Kasparov Youngest Chess Champion

Nov 9 Russia's Garry Kasparov (22) becomes the youngest ever World Chess Champion, with a 13-11 win over fellow countryman Anatoly Karpov

Garry Kasparov vs. Anatoly Karpov in Moscow on November 9, 1985

Nov 9 Surprise attack on Belgium supermarket in Aalst, 8 killed
Nov 10 NHL Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Pelle Lindbergh smashes his Porsche into a retaining wall in Somerdale, New Jersey after a team party, suffering mortal injuries with two passengers critically hurt; his blood-alcohol level was over twice the legal limit, his family had him removed from life support when they arrived from Sweden
Nov 11 1st AIDS themed TV movie - "An Early Frost" screens in US on NBC
Nov 11 Challenger flies back to Kennedy Space Center via Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Nov 11 Yonkers is found guilty of segregating schools & housing
Nov 12 Richard Hadlee takes 15-123 for cricket match New Zealand v Australia at Brisbane
Nov 12 Secretary in Ann Arbor Mich wounded by package bomb
Nov 12 STS 61-B vehicle moves to launch pad

Gooden Cy Young Award

Nov 13 Dwight Gooden, youngest 20 game winner, wins Cy Young award

Nov 13 Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts in Colombia, killing 25,000 in the town of Armero
Nov 14 Brewers release 39-year-old pitcher Rollie Fingers
Nov 14 Holmfriour Karlsdottir of Iceland, 22, crowned 35th Miss World
Nov 14 Volcano Nevado del Ruiz Colombia erupts, 1000s killed
Nov 15 A research assistant is injured when a package from the Unabomber addressed to a University of Michigan professor explodes

Reagan Gorbachev Summit

Nov 16 President Reagan arrives in Geneva for a summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev

Waltrip Wins NASCAR

Nov 17 35th NASCAR Sprint Cup: Darrell Waltrip wins

Diamond's 9th Symphony

Nov 17 David Diamond's 9th Symphony, dedicated to Dmitri Mitropoulos, premieres with the American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Conductor and Composer Leonard Bernstein

Nov 17 Howard Stern begins broadcasting on 92.3 WXRK FM New York, N.Y.
Nov 17 NBC's premiere of controversial TV thriller "Hostage Flight"
Nov 17 NY Jets best offensive production beating Tampa Bay 62-28
Nov 18 Dwight Gooden (NL) & Bret Saberhagen (AL) win Cy Young
Nov 18 Enterprise (OV-101) flies from Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport
Nov 18 Howard Stern radio show returns to NYC (WXRK 92.3 FM-afternoons)

Spies Like Us

Nov 18 Paul McCartney releases film theme single "Spies Like Us"

"I'm Not Rappaport"

Nov 19 Herb Gardner's stage comedy "I'm Not Rappaport", starring Judd Hirsch and Cleavon Little, opens at the Booth Theatre, NYC; runs 891 performances, with 3 Tony Award wins

Nov 19 In the largest civil verdict in US history, Pennzoil wins $10.53 billion judgement against Texaco
Nov 19 US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time
Nov 20 Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released

Mattingly AL MVP

Nov 20 New York Yankees Don Mattingly easily wins AL MVP

Baseball Player and Manager Don Mattingly

Nov 22 Columbia moves to Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) for mating of STS 61-C
Nov 22 Largest swearing-in ceremony, 38,648 immigrants become US citizens
Nov 22 PNP/MAN win Antilian parliamentary election
Nov 23 58 die as Egyptian commandos storm hijacked Egyptair jet in Malta
Nov 23 Retired CIA analyst Larry Wu-tai Chin, arrested of spying for China
Nov 24 CFL Grey Cup, Olympic Stadium, Montreal: BC Lions defeat Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 37-24; final CFL game played with 25-yard long endzone
Nov 24 Egyptian commandos storm captured Boeing in Malta, 60 killed

Mussolini: The Untold Story

Nov 24 NBC miniseries "Mussolini: The Untold Story" starring George C. Scott premieres in the US

Nov 25 Chicago White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillén is named AL Rookie of Year
Nov 26 23rd NASA Space Shuttle Mission (61-B): Atlantis 2 launches
Nov 26 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll

Nixon's Memoir

Nov 26 Random House buys former US President Richard Nixon's memoirs for $3,000,000

Nov 27 Cards Vince Coleman wins NL Rookie of Year
Nov 27 Republic of Ireland gains consultative role in Northern Ireland
Nov 28 6th Belgium government of Martens forms
Nov 30 50th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 25-23 in Birmingham

Events in 1985

Famous Birthdays

Nov 4 Marcell Jansen, German soccer left-back (45 caps; Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV), born in Mönchengladbach, Germany
Nov 5 Kate DeAraugo, Australian singer (3rd winner of Australian Idol 2005), born in Melbourne, Australia
Nov 5 Tanaka Koki, Japanese idol and singer (member of KAT-TUN), born in Chiba, Japan
Nov 8 Jack Osbourne, English television star, born in St John's Wood, London
Nov 10 Giovonnie Samuels, American television actress (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody), born in San Diego, California
Nov 10 Ricki-Lee Coulter, Australian singer (Hell No!), born in Auckland, New Zealand
Nov 11 Jessica Sierra, American Idol season 4 finalist
Nov 11 Luton Shelton, Jamaican soccer striker (75 caps; Vålerenga, Karabükspor, Sheffield United), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 2021)
Nov 11 Robin Uthappa, Indian cricket player 'The Walking Assassin', born in Kodagu, India
Nov 13 Asdrúbal Cabrera, Venezuelan baseball player
Nov 14 Thomas Vermaelen, Belgian footballer
Nov 15 Jeffree Star [Jeffrey Steininger Jr.], American internet personality, entrepreneur (Jeffree Star Cosmetics), and singer-songwriter ("Lollipop Luxury"), born in Los Angeles County, California
Nov 15 Lily Aldridge, American model (Victoria's Secret), born in Santa Monica, California
Nov 16 Sanna Marin, Finnish politician, youngest-ever Prime Minister of Finland (2019-23), born in Helsinki, Finland
Nov 18 Allyson Felix, American athlete (7 x Olympic gold 200m/400m/relays 2008, 12, 16, 20), born in Los Angeles, California
Nov 18 Christian Siriano, American fashion designer and Project Runway winner (season 4), born in Annapolis, Maryland

Nov 19 Chris Eagles, English footballer, born in Hemel Hempstead, England
Nov 20 Dan Byrd, American actor, born in Marietta, Georgia
Nov 20 Juan Cruz Álvarez, Argentine racing driver, born in Arrecifes, Argentina

Carly Rae Jepsen (38 years old)

Nov 21 Canadian singer ("Call Me Maybe"), born in Mission, British Columbia

Nov 21 Jesús Navas, Spanish soccer utility (45 caps 2021; Sevilla, Manchester City), born in Los Palacios, Spain
Nov 22 Asamoah Gyan, Ghanaian footballer
Nov 23 Ahn Hyun-Soo, South Korean short track skater, born in Seoul, South Korea
Nov 24 Julia Alexandratou, Greek fashion model, singer, television presenter, and porn actress, born in Glyfada, Greece
Nov 24 Tony Hunt, National Football League player
Nov 26 Lil' Fizz [Dreux Pierre Frédéric], American rapper and singer (B2K), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
Nov 27 Alison Pill, Canadian actress
Nov 27 Klara Elias [Klara Ósk Elíasdóttir], Icelandic pop singer (Nylon), born in Sweden
Nov 28 Caitlin McClatchey, Scottish swimmer
Nov 29 Shannon Brown, American basketball player, born in Maywood, Illinois
Nov 29 Taguchi Junnosuke, Japanese idol (KAT-TUN), born in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Chrissy Teigen (38 years old)

Nov 30 American model (Sports Illustrated) and TV personality, born in Delta, Utah

Kaley Cuoco (38 years old)

Nov 30 American actress (The Big Bang Theory), born in Camarillo, California

Born in 1985

Famous Weddings

Ken Follett

Nov 8 Welsh novelist Ken Follett (36) weds English politician Barbara Hubbard (42); his second, her third

Famous Divorces

Janet Jackson

Nov 18 American actress-singer Janet Jackson (19) and American R&B singer James DeBarge (22) have marriage annulled after less than a year

Famous Deaths

Nov 1 Arnold Pihlak, Estonian soccer forward (44 caps; FK Austria Wien), dies at 83

Phil Silvers (1912-1985)

Nov 1 American comedian and actor (Sgt Bilko-Phil Silvers Show), dies in his sleep at 73

Nov 2 Fred Enke, American College basketball coach (University of Arizona 1925–1961, record 522–344), dies at 88
Nov 5 Arnold Chikobava, Georgian linguist (b. 1898)
Nov 6 Joel Crothers, American actor (EThe dge of Night), dies of a heart attack at 44
Nov 6 Sanjeev Kumar [Harihar Jariwala], Indian Bollywood actor (Angoor, Dastak, Koshish), dies of a heart attack at 47
Nov 8 Masten Gregory, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1961, 65 [Jochen Rindt]), dies at 53
Nov 8 Nicolas Frantz, Luxembourgish road cyclist (Tour de France 1927-28), dies at 86
Nov 9 Helen Rose, costume designer, dies at 81
Nov 9 Mary MacLaren, actress (Black Swan), dies at 85 of respiratory probs
Nov 11 Pelle Lindbergh, Swedish NHL goaltender, 1981-86, Vezina Award winner (Philadelphia Flyers), dies after drunk driving collision between his Porsche and wall at 26
Nov 13 G. Robert Vincent, American sound recording pioneer (Edison Laboratories; Armed Forces Radio Service; Nuremberg Trials; National Voice Library), dies at 87
Nov 15 Spencer W. Kimball, American 12th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1973-1985), dies at 90
Nov 16 John Sparkman, American politician (Sen-D-Alabama 1946-79, Rep-D-Alabama 1937-46), dies at 85
Nov 16 Stuart Chase, American writer and economist (The Tragedy of Waste), dies at 97
Nov 17 Jimmy Ritz [Samuel Joachim], American vaudevillian, actor and comedian (Ritz Brothers - The Gorilla;, Hi'ya, Chum; Straight, Place and Show), dies of heart failure at 81
Nov 19 Lall Singh, Indian cricketer (Test for India 1932), dies at 75
Nov 19 Stepin Fetchit [Lincoln Perry], American actor (Miracle in Harlem) 1st African American film star, dies of pneumonia 83
Nov 21 Ramnath Kenny, Indian cricketer (5 Tests for India 1958-60), dies at 55
Nov 24 "Big" Joe Turner, American blues and R&B singer ("Shake, Rattle and Roll"), dies of heart failure at 74
Nov 24 Cees Buddingh', Dutch poet/writer/interpreter/translator, dies at 67
Nov 24 Maurice Podoloff, American attorney, professional sports administrator (AHL President, 1936-52; NBA President, 1946-63), and namesake of NBA regular season MVP Award, dies at 95
Nov 25 Elsa Morante, Italian writer, dies at 73
Nov 25 Franz Hildebrandt, German Theologian(b. 1909)
Nov 25 Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (b. 1926)
Nov 26 Ransom Sherman, American comedian (Father of Bride), dies at 87
Nov 26 Sylvain Poons, Dutch stage actor and singer (Blue Jackets), dies at 89
Nov 27 Harry Harvey Sr, American actor (It's a Man's World), dies at 84
Nov 28 Fernand Braudel, French historian (Civilization & Capitalism), dies at 83
Nov 28 Johnny "Blood" McNally, American Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback and coach (NFL champion 1929-31, 36; Green Bay Packers), dies from a stroke at 82
Nov 29 Bill Scott, American voice actor, producer and writer (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle), dies of a heart attack at 65
Nov 29 Rik Jacobs, Flemish stage manager, dies at 71
Nov 30 Phil Tucker, American film director (Robot Monster), dies at 58

On This Day