BestOfDate

July 17, 1985

July 17, 1985, was a Wednesday. It was 39 years, 5 months, and 7 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Cancer.

Song charts

Top songs

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on July 17, 1985:

  • United States: "A View To Kill" by Duran Duran
  • United Kingdom: "Frankie" by Sister Sledge

The Billboard Hot 100 on July 17, 1985

These songs were dominating the music charts:

  • A View To A Kill - Duran Duran
  • Sussudio - Phil Collins
  • Raspberry Beret - Prince And The Revolution
  • The Search Is Over - Survivor
  • Would I Lie To You? - Eurythmics
Play the top singles from 1985
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1985. Take a trip back to the days of Bryan Adams, a-ha, Phil Collins and Huey Lewis and the News.
Pale Rider

Top movie

The movie "Pale Rider" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date occurred 14,405 days ago. Approximately 480 months have passed. It was the 198th day of 1985, in week 29. The decade was the eighties. People who were born on July 17, 1985, are now 39 years old and belong to the Millennial generation. We have gone through approximately 160 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to July 17, 1985

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is July 17, 1985, and it's a Wednesday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Cancer. It is "Hump Day", so many are beginning to think about the weekend ahead.

The summer of 1985 is in full swing. The weather is warm, and the evenings are brighter than usual. Most schools and colleges are now finished until August or September. In America, the song "A View To Kill" by Duran Duran is at the top of the singles charts, while "Frankie" by Sister Sledge is the number-one song in the UK. Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States, and the movie Pale Rider is at the top of the box office.

Margaret Thatcher is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. On television, people are watching popular shows such as "The Love Boat", "The Facts of Life", "'Allo 'Allo!", and "The Transformers". In fashion, women are wearing long sweaters, fishnet stockings, fingerless gloves, jumpsuits, over-sized scarves, miniskirts, stirrup pants, and spandex cycling shorts. Meanwhile, men are wearing Hawaiian shirts, flannel, shell suits, and wool sport coats.

Because it's 1985, the radio stations are being dominated by the likes of Tears For Fears, USA For Africa, A-ha, Foreigner, Madonna, Wham! and Phil Collins. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Rock Hudson, Ian Stewart, Paul Castellano, and Phil Lynott would all still be alive. People are playing video games such as "Asteroids", "Galaxian", "Pac-Man", and "The Way of the Exploding Fist".

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Schoolhouse Rock!", "The Smurfs", "Inspector Gadget", and "Dungeons & Dragons". Children are playing with toys such as Operation, Cabbage Patch Kids, the Big Wheel (tricycle), and My Little Pony (figures).

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on July 17, 1985, will have the star sign Cancer.
  • Zodiac Element: Water.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1985 was the year of the Ox (Yin Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 2.
  • Native American Zodiac: July 17, 1985 falls under the Woodpecker.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of July will have the birthstone Ruby.
  • Birth flower (July): The Larkspur and the Water Lily.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on July 17, 1985.

  • 1985 in music.

    1985 in music

    Popular music artists in 1985 included Wham!, Madonna, Foreigner, Chaka Khan, Hall & Oates, Tears for Fears, Dire Straits and Paul Young.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1985?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1985?

    The best NBA players in 1985 were Larry Bird, Bernard King, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas.
  • 1985 in movies.

    1985 in movies

    Movies released in 1985 included Back to the Future, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rocky IV, The Color Purple, Out of Africa, Cocoon, The Jewel of the Nile, Witness, The Goonies, Spies Like Us, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Commando, Teen Wolf and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge.
  • Who were the best football players?

    Who were the best football players?

    In 1985, the best soccer players were Michel Platini, Diego Maradona, Preben Elkjær-Larsen, Bernd Schuster, Michael Laudrup, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Zbigniew Boniek, Oleg Protassov, Hans-Peter Briegel, Bryan Robson and Rinat Dassaev.
  • Out of Africa.

    Out of Africa

    "Out of Africa" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1985.
  • Deng Xiaoping.

    Deng Xiaoping

    Deng Xiaoping was named Time Person of the Year in 1985 due to his economic reforms in China.
  • USA for Africa - "We Are the World"

    USA for Africa - "We Are the World"

    "We Are the World" by USA for Africa won a Grammy for 1985's Song of the Year.
  • The Night Stalker is terrorizing Los Angeles.

    The Night Stalker is terrorizing Los Angeles

    Between June 1984 and August 1985, a serial killer nicknamed "The Night Stalker" was carrying out a home invasion and murder crime spree in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Richard Ramirez was later arrested and convicted of the crimes.
  • Mid 1980s fashion.

    Mid 1980s fashion

    Strappy sandals, Keds, kitten-heeled sandals, and pumps were popular footwear in the mid-80s. Fashion became more colorful during this period. Popular clothing included long wool coats, long and bulky sweaters, jumpsuits, large scarves, beanies, leather gloves, long flared skirts, slim miniskirts, slightly tapered pants, and stirrup pants.
  • The Commodore 64.

    The Commodore 64

    The Commodore 64 was dominating the home computer market.
  • VCRs are becoming popular.

    VCRs are becoming popular

    VCRs started to become a popular household item during the first half of the 1980s. However, they were still very costly. This device gave people the ability to play VCR tapes and record TV programs and movies.
  • Iran-Iraq War.

    Iran-Iraq War

    Between September 1980 and August 1988, an armed conflict was being fought between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iraqi Republic.
  • Computers are replacing typewriters.

    Computers are replacing typewriters

    Desktop computers were beginning to replace typewriters in offices.
  • TV remotes.

    TV remotes

    Although TV remotes existed, many homes didn't have one. Infrared technology was still relatively new.
  • Wallpaper.

    Wallpaper

    Wallpaper was extremely common in people's homes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It wasn't until the mid-late 1980s that "modernism" started to creep in.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on July 17, 1985.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around July 17, 1985.

  • June 21, 1985: Return to Oz (1985) is released in cinemas.
  • June 23, 1985: 329 people are killed when Air India Flight 182 is blown up by Canadian Sikh terrorists.
  • June 30, 1985: 39 American hostages are freed from a hijacked flight in Beirut, Lebanon.
  • July 3, 1985: The film Back to the Future (1985) is released.
  • July 5, 1985: Soccer: Everton sign Gary Lineker.
  • July 6, 1985: 19-year-old Diane Suzuki goes missing in Aiea, Hawaii.
  • July 10, 1985:
    • Soccer: Andy Gray joins Aston Villa.
    • French foreign intelligence services sink Greenpeace's ship "the Rainbow Warrior" at the Port of Auckland in New Zealand.
    • 200 people die after Aeroflot Flight 7425 stalls and crashes near Uchkuduk in Uzbekistan.
  • July 13, 1985: George H. W. Bush becomes Acting President for the day while US President Ronald Reagan undergoes surgery to remove abnormal growths from his colon.
  • This date: July 17, 1985
  • July 19, 1985:
    • Day of the Dead (1985) is released in cinemas.
    • 268 people lose their lives after the failure of two dams above the village of Stava, near Tesero in Italy.
    • American teacher Christa McAuliffe is chosen to fly onboard the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger.
  • July 25, 1985: It is confirmed that American actor Rock Hudson has been diagnosed with AIDS.
  • August 2, 1985:
    • The film Weird Science (1985) is released.
    • 137 people are killed when Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashes near Dallas, Texas.
  • August 5, 1985: Kate Bush releases the single "Running Up That Hill".
  • August 9, 1985: Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) is released in movie theaters.
  • August 12, 1985: Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashes, killing 520 people.
  • August 16, 1985:
    • The Return of the Living Dead (1985) is released in cinemas.
    • Madonna marries actor Sean Penn.

Mid-1980s fashion

Photographs of mid-1980s fashion and hairstyles.

Mid-1980s fashion

Television shows

TV series on July 17, 1985

People in July 1985 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from July 1985.

Moonlighting
Moonlighting
Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Transformers
The Transformers
Punky Brewster
Punky Brewster
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie
Night Court
Night Court
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Cars in 1985

1985 saw the introduction of cars such as the Chevrolet Astro, the Honda Integra, the Nissan Pathfinder, the Dodge Lancer, the Ford Scorpio, and the Subaru XT.

Cars in 1985.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in July 1985

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

ThunderCats
ThunderCats
Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats
Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine

The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Transformers
The Transformers
Snorks
Snorks
Muppet Babies
Muppet Babies
Voltron
Voltron
Heathcliff
Heathcliff
Mister T
Mister T
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
Toys

Toys in 1985

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Sylvanian Families
Sylvanian Families
Mr Frosty
Mr Frosty
Garbage Pail Kids (trading cards)
Garbage Pail Kids (trading cards)
Pogo ball / Lolo ball
Pogo ball / Lolo ball
Transformers
Transformers
Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies
Turnin' Turbo Dashboard
Turnin' Turbo Dashboard
My Little Pony (figures)
My Little Pony (figures)
The Commodore 64
The Commodore 64
Masters of the Universe (figures)
Masters of the Universe (figures)
The Lego train set
The Lego train set
Fisher-Price Little People (Farm)
Fisher-Price Little People (Farm)
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in July 1985.

Back to the Future 1985
Back to the Future
The Way of the Exploding Fist 1985
The Way of the Exploding Fist
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 1985
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Boulder Dash 1985
Boulder Dash
Tetris 1984
Tetris
Duck Hunt 1984
Duck Hunt
Mario Bros. 1983
Mario Bros.
Donkey Kong 1981
Donkey Kong
Missile Command 1980
Missile Command
Pac-Man 1980
Pac-Man
Galaxian 1980
Galaxian
Asteroids 1979
Asteroids

Were you born on July 17, 1985?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1985.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out July 17, 1991, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on July 17.

David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff

Actor
Born on July 17, 1952
He turned 33 on this day in 1985.

Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel

German Chancellor
Born on July 17, 1954
She turned 31 on this day in 1985.

John Ventimiglia

John Ventimiglia

Actor
Born on July 17, 1963
He turned 22 on this day in 1985.

Natasha Hamilton

Natasha Hamilton

Atomic Kitten
Born on July 17, 1982
She turned 3 on this day in 1985.

USA

US President

Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States on July 17, 1985.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Garret FitzGerald was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on July 17, 1985 was most likely conceived around October 24, 1984.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on July 17, 1985 is close to April 9, 1986.

Submit a comment

Have something to say about this date? Was it your birthday? Or perhaps you have a memory of it?

All comments are moderated. Our system may automatically edit comments to correct misspellings and grammar. We may also remove or redact personal information.

How old was I?

Find out what your age was on July 17, 1985, by entering your date of birth below.
This information is not sent to our server.

Stats for July 17, 1985

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about July 17, 1985:

  • 14,405 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,057 weeks have passed.
  • 1,244,595,600 seconds have passed since July 17, 1985.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,452,028,200 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 642,211,329,600 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 207,432,600 times.
  • You have taken approximately 107,035,222 steps. That's roughly 47,571 miles.
  • 14,935,147 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1985?

Search

It looks like you have reached the end. Try searching for another date.

Random

Random dates

Check out some of these random dates.