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1985 As the spread of aids increases Governments round the world start screening Blood donations for AIDS. On the technology front the first .com is registered and the first version of Windows is released Ver 1.0 . Terrorists continue to perform acts of terrorism including the hijack of TWA Flight 847 and the Italian Cruise Liner "Achille Lauro ". Famine in Ethiopia is shown more on TV News in July and Live Aid concerts around the world raise many millions to help the starving in Africa and the pop industry in US joins together to sing "We Are The World".



Cost of Living 1985

How Much things cost in 1985
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 3.55%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1546
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 10.75%
Average Cost of new house $89,330.00
Average Income per year $22,100.00
Average Monthly Rent $375.00
Average Price for new car$9,005.00
1 gallon of gas $1.09
Movie Ticket $2.75
US Postage Stamp 22 cents
Bacon per pound $1.65
Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Stirling
Average House Price 40,169
Gallon of Petrol 1.88
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 9.50%
Interest Rates Year End Bank of England 11.38%


What Events Happened in 1985

  • Volcanic Eruption in Columbia kills 25,000
  • TWA Flight 847 is hijacked by Hezbollah. on June 14th
  • EgyptAir Flight 648 is hijacked and ends in the loss of 56 passengers during the commando raid to rescue them
  • The Italian Cruise Liner "Achille Lauro " is hijacked by Palestinian Terrorists
  • Terrorist gunman shoot passengers at Rome and Vienna airports .
  • The British Coal Miners Strike ends and coal mines continue to be closed
  • The first Mobile Phone Call Is Made in the UK by Ernie Wise
  • Mikhail Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader
  • President Reagan and Soviet Leader Gorbachev meet for the first time in Switzerland
  • The Greenpeace vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, is bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents.
  • Live Aid pop concerts in Philadelphia and London raise over 50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.
  • 8.1 Richter scale earthquake strikes Mexico City. More than 9,000 people are killed,
  • Rioting breaks out at housing estates in Brixton, London and Liverpool
  • Terry Anderson kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon
  • Boris Becker becomes youngest winner at 17 to win the mens Wimbledon championships
  • A joint American-French expedition locates the wreck of the RMS Titanic.
  • President Reagan announces Strategic Defense Weapons ( SDI ) will not impact arms talks
  • The Unabomber kills his first victim
  • New York Stock Exchange Closes For The day For Hurricane Gloria
  • Insurance companies begin screening for Aids for life insurance causing outcry by civil liberties groups.
  • Clive Sinclair launches the Sinclair C5 electric tricycle with a maximum speed of 15mph
  • Boeing 747 Flight 123 crashes into Mount Osutaka, Japan
  • Mafia Boss Paul Castellano is shot on orders of John J. Gotti
  • Crowd Violence Erupts during the European Cup Final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels causing a wall to collapse killing 39 football fans.
  • Following Heysel Stadium Disaster English Soccer Clubs banned From European Competition
  • A massive car bomb in Beirut, Lebanon leaves 175 injured and 45 people dead


    • South Africa Invades Angola


    • Riots and protests continue in Townships In South Africa against apartheid policies




Technology

  • The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS,


  • The first .Com domain name, symbolics.com, is registered by the Symbolics corporation. However, .edu domains, for educational institutions, still predominate over the commercial .com ones


  • Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.


  • Switzerland is the first country to bring into law catalytic converters must be fitted to private cars


  • Compact Discs are introduced to American Consumers


  • The space shuttle Atlantis is launched


  • UK Starts screening Blood donations for AIDS


  • British Scientists discover a whole in the earths Ozone Layer




Popular Culture 1985

  • Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder, record the song "We Are The World" as USA for Africa. to raise money for famine relief
  • Michael Jackson Buys ATV Music and every Beatles Song for $47 million dollars
  • Coca-Cola Company introduces New Coke ( 6 months later they returned to the original formula )


  • Popular Films

    • Back to the Future
    • Rambo: First Blood Part II
    • Rocky IV
    • The Color Purple
    • Out of Africa
    • Cocoon
    • Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
    • A View to a Kill
    • Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

    What do you remember ? was this the year you graduated ?, what music was being played the year you were born?

    Popular Musicians

    • Duran Duran
    • Simple Minds
    • Madonna with " Crazy for You "
    • Bruce Springsteen
    • Dire Straits with " Money for Nothing "
    • The Cure
    • David Bowie
    • Phil Collins
    • " We Are The World " By USA For Africa featuring many artists for Aid For Africa
    • Simple Minds



    Major World Political Leaders 1985

    Australia Prime Minister Bob Hawke

    Brazil President João Figueiredo Till 15 March
    Brazil President José Sarney From 15 March

    Canada Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

    China Chairman of the People's Republic of China Li Xiannian

    France President François Mitterrand

    Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl

    India Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi

    Italy Prime Minister Bettino Craxi

    Japan Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone

    Mexico President Miguel de la Madrid

    Russia / Soviet Union
    General Secretary of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev

    South Africa State President Pieter Willem Botha

    United States President Ronald Reagan

    United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher



    The Information above is taken from our new page that gives world leaders from 1920 to current.
    WorldLeaders