What Happened in December 1986

Historical Events

  • Dec 1 Musée d'Orsay opens in Paris

Only Love Remains

Dec 1 Paul McCartney releases single "Only Love Remains"

  • Dec 2 Dow-Jones index hits record 1,955.57

Sri Lanka Dismissed for 55

Dec 3 Chasing the West Indies 248/5, Sri Lanka is sensationally dismissed for just 55 in cricket's Champions Trophy in Sharjah; Windies pace bowler Courtney Walsh takes 5 for 1 in 4.3 overs

Broadway Bound

Dec 4 Neil Simon's stage play "Broadway Bound", starring Linda Lavin, Jonathan Silverman, and Jason Alexander, opens at the Broadhurst Theatre, NYC; runs for 756 performances

  • Dec 4 US launches its Fleet Satellite Communications System (Fltsatcom-7)
  • Dec 6 52nd Heisman Trophy Award: Vinny Testaverde, Miami Fla (QB)
  • Dec 6 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
  • Dec 7 NBC premiere of miniseries "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" (Part 1)
  • Dec 8 NBC premiere of miniseries "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" (Part 2)
  • Dec 8 US House of Representative Democrats select majority leader Jim Wright as 48th speaker
  • Dec 10 Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins scores 57 points vs Chicago Bulls
  • Dec 10 France performs nuclear test

Holocaust Spokesman Awarded Nobel

Dec 10 Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel accepts 1986 Nobel Peace Prize for being a leading spokesman on the Holocaust

Lendl's Back-to-Back ATP

Dec 10 Ivan Lendl repeats previous year's result with a 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 win over Boris Becker to claim back-to-back season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis titles at Madison Square Garden, NYC

  • Dec 11 South Africa censors press

Boon's Fourth Century

Dec 12 Australian cricketer David Boon's fourth Test century, 103 v England at Adelaide

  • Dec 12 James "Bone Crusher" Smith TKO's WBA champ Tim Witherspoon in Madison Square Garden
  • Dec 12 Russian Tupolev-134 crashes in East Berlin, 70 killed
  • Dec 12 South African journalist and activist Zwelakhe Sisulu arrested at John Vorster Square
  • Dec 14 Experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan & Jeana Yeager, takes off from Edwards AFB, California on 1st non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world; lands 9 days later
  • Dec 15 150 killed during race riot in Karachi
  • Dec 15 Carnegie Hall reopens after a $50 million facelift

Casey Suffers Seizure

Dec 15 CIA director William J. Casey suffers a cerebral seizure

Kazakhstan Revolt

Dec 16 Revolt in Kazakhstan against Communist party, known as Zheltoksan, which becomes the first sign of ethnic strife during Gorbachev's tenure

Hitman Kuklinski Arrested

Dec 17 American mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski is arrested at a roadblock

  • Dec 17 Davina Thompson makes medical history by having the 1st heart, lung and liver transplant at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England

Gretzky's 41st Hat Trick

Dec 17 Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky scores 4 goals, including a natural hat trick in the 1st period and also records an assist as the Oilers win 5-3 over the visiting Quebec Nordiques; his 41st NHL career hat trick

  • Dec 17 US Congress forms "Irangate" committee

"Platoon"

Dec 19 "Platoon" directed by Oliver Stone, starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe is released (Academy Awards Best Picture & Best Director)

Jack Morris - Tigers Dispute

Dec 19 Jack Morris agrees to salary arbitration with former team Tigers & accuses owners of collusion against free agency

  • Dec 19 Michael Sergio, who parachuted into Shea Stadium during game 6 of the World Series, sentenced to 100 hrs of community service & fined $500
  • Dec 19 OPEC reaches an accord that would cut production by 7 percent for the first six months of 1987 and would raise prices immediately toward a target world oil price of $18 per barrel

USSR Frees Sakharov

Dec 19 USSR frees dissident Andrei Sakharov from internal exile

  • Dec 20 White teenagers beat blacks in New York City's Howard Beach
  • Dec 22 India score 7-676 v Sri Lanka at Kanpur in Cricket
  • Dec 23 Experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan & Jeana Yeager, complete 1st nonstop, round-the-world flight without refueling lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert, 9 days after taking off from the same location
  • Dec 24 French hostage Aurel Cornea, held in Lebanon for 9 months, released
  • Dec 24 Iran offensive against Iraqi islands of Shatt al-Arab
  • Dec 26 Captured Iraqi Airways Boeing-737 in Saudi Arabia, about 60 killed
  • Dec 26 Hartford center Doug Jarvis sets NHL record of 916 consecutive games as the Whalers tie 1-1 after OT against his old club Montreal Canadiens

Messier Suspended

Dec 26 Mark Messier is suspended for 10 games for instigating a fight with Jamie Macoun and breaking his cheekbone

  • Dec 26 TV soap "Search for Tomorrow" ends 35 year run
  • Dec 27 2nd Soap Opera Digest Awards - Days of Our Lives wins
  • Dec 27 Musical "Les Misérables" opens in the US at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
  • Dec 28 75th Davis Cup: Australia beats Sweden in Melbourne (3-2), helped by Pat Davis ranked 412th in the world
  • Dec 30 Ballon d'Or: Dynamo Kyiv's Ukrainian forward Igor Belanov is named best football player in Europe ahead of Barcelona striker Gary Lineker and Real Madrid forward Emilio Butragueño
  • Dec 31 Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 97
  • Dec 31 Russian TU-144 flies for 1st time faster than sound
  • Dec 31 WIS-AM in Columbia SC changes call letters to WVOC (now WOMG)
1986 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Dec 1 Andrew Tate, American-British media personality and kickboxer, born in Washington D.C.
  • Dec 1 DeSean Jackson, American NFL wide receiver (Pro Bowl 2009-10, 13; Philadelphia Eagles), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Dec 2 Claudiu Keșerü, Romanian soccer forward (37 caps; FC Nantes, Steaua București), born in Oradea, Romania
  • Dec 2 Tal Wilkenfeld, Australian musician (Jeff Beck, Prince), born in Sydney, Australia
  • Dec 3 Chandra Shekhar Aazad, Indian lawyer and activist (Bhim Army), born in Ghadkauli, Uttar Pradesh
  • Dec 6 Matt Niskanen, American NHL player (Philadelphia Flyers), born in Virginia, Minnesota
  • Dec 7 Billy Horschel, American golfer (FedEx Cup 2014, 5 PGA Tour titles), born in Grant, Florida
  • Dec 8 Amir Khan, English boxer, born in Bolton, United Kingdom
  • Dec 8 Jo Firestone, American actress (Joe Pera Talks With You), television writer (The Tonight Show, 2016-18), and podcaster, born in St. Louis, Missouri
  • Dec 8 Kate Voegele, American folk-pop-rock singer songwriter, guitarist, and mandolin player, born in Bay Village, Ohio
  • Dec 10 Natti Nastasha [Natalia Gutiérrez Batista], Dominican singer (Sin Pijama), born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
  • Dec 10 Ryoichi Tsukada, Japanese acrobat, born in Kanagawa, Japan
  • Dec 11 Condola Rashad, American actress (Ruined, Billions), born in New York City
  • Dec 12 Përparim Hetemaj, Finnish footballer, born in Srbica, SFR Yugoslavia
  • Dec 12 Thomas Wansey, English actor (Ace Lightning), born in Oxford
  • Dec 15 Keylor Navas, Costa Rican soccer goalkeeper (100 caps 2021; Lavante UD, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain), born in Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica
  • Dec 15 Snejana Onopka, Ukrainian supermodel, born in Sievierodonetsk, Soviet Union
  • Dec 19 Lauren Boebert, American politician and gun rights advocate (Rep-R-Colorado 2021-), born in Altamonte Springs, Florida
  • Dec 19 Ryan Babel, Dutch soccer winger (69 caps; Ajax, Liverpool, Hoffenheim, Kasımpaşa, Beşiktaş, Galatasaray), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Dec 22 Jeffery Wood, American actor (Austin Warren-In The House), born in San Diego, California
  • Dec 24 Edward Southall, English contemporary classical composer, born in Nottingham, England
  • Dec 24 Riyo Mori, Japanese actress and model (Miss Universe 2007), born in Shizuoka, Japan

Kit Harington (37 years old)

Dec 26 English actor (Game of Thrones), born in London, England

  • Dec 27 Metrik [Tom Mundell], British electronic dance music producer and re-mixer ("Freefall"; "Gravity"; “Chasing Sunrise”), born in London, England

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (37 years old)

Dec 27 Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 100m 2008, 12; 9 x World C'ship gold), born in Kingston, Jamaica

  • Dec 28 Tom Huddlestone, English footballer, born in Nottingham, United Kingdom
  • Dec 29 Kim Ok-bin, South Korean actress, born in Suncheon, South Korea

Ellie Goulding (37 years old)

Dec 30 English singer and songwriter ("Lights", "Anything Could Happen"), born in Hereford, England

  • Dec 30 Jeff Ward, American actor (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 2017-20), born in Washington, D.C.
Born in 1986

Famous Weddings

Harry Morgan

Dec 17 American actor Harry Morgan (71) weds Barbara Bushman

Joko Widodo

Dec 24 President of Indonesia Joko Widodo (25) weds Iriana (23) in Solo, Central Java


Famous Deaths

  • Dec 1 Bobby Layne, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL champion 1952-53, 57; 6 x Pro Bowl; Detroit Lions), dies of cardiac arrest at 59
  • Dec 1 Horace Heidt, American orchestra leader (Swift Show Wagon), dies at 85
  • Dec 1 [Irving] Lee Dorsey, American pop and R&B singer (Working in the Coal Mine), dies at 61

Desi Arnaz (1917-1986)

Dec 2 Cuban-American singer ("Babalú"), bandleader, actor (I Love Lucy - "Ricky Riccardo"), and television producer (The Untouchables),r, dies of lung cancer at 69

  • Dec 2 John Curtis Gowan, American psychologist (b. 1912)
  • Dec 3 Bob Howard [Joyner], American swing jazz singer and pianist (Sing it Again), dies at 80
  • Dec 4 Reuben Nakian, American sculptor, dies at 89
  • Dec 5 Carmol Taylor, country songwriter, dies at 53 of cancer
  • Dec 5 Sir Edward Youde, Governor of Hong Kong (b. 1924)
  • Dec 6 Malik Oussekine, Algerian/French student, killed by police at 22
  • Dec 10 Kate Wolf [Allen], American folk singer-songwriter ("Love Still Remains"; "Across the Great Divide"), dies of leukemia at 44
  • Dec 10 Susan Cabot, American actress (Sorority Girl, Carnival Rock), is killed by her son following a psychotic episode at 59
  • Dec 11 Paul Keenan, American actor (Summer Fantasy), dies of AIDS at 30
  • Dec 13 Heather Angel, British-American actress (Night in Montmartre; The Informer; The Last of the Mohicans; Lifeboat), dies of cancer at 77
  • Dec 15 Serge Lifar, Russian-French dancer, choreographer (Paris Opera Ballet), dies at 81
  • Dec 16 Marcel Quinet, Belgian pianist and composer (Vague et Sillon), dies at 71
  • Dec 17 Ron Kass, record co pres (MGM), dies at 52 of cancer
  • Dec 18 Mamo Clark, American actress (One Million BC; Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island), and author, dies at 72
  • Dec 19 V. C. Andrews, American author (Flowers in the Attic), dies of breast cancer at 63
  • Dec 20 Joe DeSa, American baseball player (b. 1959)
  • Dec 21 Willy Coppens, Belgian WW I fighter ace, dies at 94
  • Dec 22 Celius Dougherty, American pianist and composer, dies at 84
  • Dec 24 Gardner Fox, American sci-fi author (Atom; Hawkman; Zatanna), dies at 75
  • Dec 26 Elsa Lanchester, actress (Bride of Frankenstein), dies at 84
  • Dec 26 Leslie Dwyer, English actor (Hi-de-Hi!), dies at 80
  • Dec 27 Lars-Erik Larsson, Swedish composer (God in Disguise (Förklädd gud, Op. 24); Linden), and pedagogue (Stockholm Conservatory; Uppsala University), dies of complications from diabetes at 78
  • Dec 27 Louis van Lint, Belgian painter (post-war abstraction), dies at 77
  • Dec 28 John D. MacDonald, American novelist (Deep Blue Goodbye), dies at 70

Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986)

Dec 29 Soviet filmmaker and director (Andrei Rublev: Mirror; Stalker), dies at 54

Harold Macmillan (1894-1986)

Dec 29 British Conservative politician and Prime Minister (1957-63), dies at 92

  • Dec 29 John Antill, Australian composer (Corroboree; New Guinea Patrol), dies at 82
  • Dec 30 Era Bell Thompson, American journalist (b. 1905)
  • Dec 30 Jiri Jaroch, Czech composer, dies at 66
  • Dec 31 Lester Trimble, American composer, music critic and educator, dies at 63
  • Dec 31 Lloyd Haynes, American actor (Room 222- "Pete Dixon"), and screenwriter, dies of lung cancer at 52 [1]