BestOfDate

December 17, 1985

December 17, 1985, was a Tuesday. It was 38 years, 11 months, and 4 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Sagittarius.

Song charts

Top songs

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

  • United States: "Say You Say Me" by Lionel Richie
  • United Kingdom: "Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston

The Billboard Hot 100 on December 17, 1985

These songs were dominating the music charts:

  • Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
  • Separate Lives - Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
  • Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
  • Party All The Time - Eddie Murphy
  • Never - Heart
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.
King Solomon's Mines

Top movie

The movie "King Solomon's Mines" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date occurred 14,219 days ago. Approximately 474 months have passed. It was the 351st day of 1985, in week 51. The decade was the eighties. The end of 1985 was just 14 days away. People who were born on December 17, 1985, are now 38 years old and belong to the Millennial generation. We have gone through approximately 158 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to December 17, 1985

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is December 17, 1985, and it's a Tuesday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Sagittarius. The Christmas season of 1985 is in full swing. People are putting up their decorations and festive songs are playing on the radio.

In America, the song "Say You Say Me" by Lionel Richie is at the top of the singles charts, while "Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston is the number-one song in the UK. Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States, and the movie King Solomon's Mines 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 Facts of Life", "Dynasty", "Kate & Allie", and "Sherlock Holmes". 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 Phil Lynott, Christa McAuliffe, Len Bias, and Cliff Burton would all still be alive. People are playing video games such as "Duck Hunt", "Boulder Dash", "The Way of the Exploding Fist", and "Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Danger Mouse", "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", "Heathcliff", and "Thomas the Tank Engine".

Children are playing with toys such as Big Jim (action figure), Dungeons & Dragons, Pogo ball / Lolo ball, and Sylvanian Families.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 17, 1985, will have the star sign Sagittarius.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1985 was the year of the Ox (Yin Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 7.
  • Native American Zodiac: December 17, 1985 falls under the Owl.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of December will have the birthstones Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise.
  • Birth flower (December): The Narcissus and the Holly.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

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

  • Christmas 1985.

    Christmas 1985

    The Christmas period of 1985 was in full swing by this stage. The decorations were up, festive music was playing on the radio, people were feeling stressed, retail stores were filled with shoppers, and everyone was making plans for the big day.
  • The Nintendo Entertainment System.

    The Nintendo Entertainment System

    During the second half of the 1980s, the Nintendo Entertainment System became one of the most popular video game consoles in the world. Releases for the NES included Duck Hunt, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros.
  • 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.
  • 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 December 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 December 17, 1985.

  • November 18, 1985: The daily comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" is published for the first time.
  • November 20, 1985: The first version of Microsoft Windows is released.
  • November 21, 1985: US Navy intelligence officer Jonathan Pollard is arrested for spying for Israel.
  • November 23, 1985: 60 people are killed after Egyptian commandos raid a hijacked flight at Luqa Airport in Malta.
  • November 27, 1985:
    • Rocky IV (1985) is released in cinemas.
    • 12-year-old Martha Jean Lambert goes missing in St. Augustine, Florida.
  • December 12, 1985:
    • 256 people die after Arrow Air Flight 1285 stalls and crashes in Newfoundland, Canada.
    • The Rolling Stones co-founder Ian Stewart dies from a heart attack at the age of 47.
  • December 15, 1985: Sylvester Stallone and actress Brigitte Nielsen are married.
  • December 16, 1985: American Mafia boss Paul Castellano is shot to death outside of Sparks Steak House in Manhattan.
  • This date: December 17, 1985
  • December 27, 1985:
    • American primatologist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda.
    • 19 people are killed in the Rome and Vienna airport attacks.
  • January 4, 1986: Thin Lizzy singer Phil Lynott dies.
  • January 11, 1986: The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, is opened.

Mid-1980s fashion

Photographs of mid-1980s fashion and hairstyles.

Mid-1980s fashion

Television shows

TV series on December 17, 1985

People in December 1985 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from December 1985.

MacGyver
MacGyver
The Equalizer
The Equalizer
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
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

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 December 1985

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

Jem and the Holograms
Jem and the Holograms
Growing Pains
Growing Pains
The Care Bears
The Care Bears

Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Adventures of the Gummi Bears
The Wuzzles
The Wuzzles
She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power
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
Toys

Toys in 1985

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

The Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System
Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin
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)
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in December 1985.

Gauntlet 1985
Gauntlet
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar 1985
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Super Mario Bros. 1985
Super Mario Bros.
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

Were you born on December 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 December 17, 1991, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

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

Pope Francis

Pope Francis

Pope
Born on December 17, 1936
He turned 49 on this day in 1985.

Bill Pullman

Bill Pullman

Actor
Born on December 17, 1953
He turned 32 on this day in 1985.

Chuck Liddell

Chuck Liddell

MMA fighter
Born on December 17, 1969
He turned 16 on this day in 1985.

Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao

Boxer
Born on December 17, 1978
He turned 7 on this day in 1985.

Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning

Whistleblower
Born on December 17, 1987
She was born exactly 2 years after this date.

USA

US President

Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States on December 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 December 17, 1985 was most likely conceived around March 26, 1985.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 17, 1985 is close to September 9, 1986.

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Stats for December 17, 1985

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about December 17, 1985:

  • 14,219 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,031 weeks have passed.
  • 1,228,521,600 seconds have passed since December 17, 1985.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,433,275,200 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 633,917,145,600 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 204,753,600 times.
  • You have taken approximately 105,652,858 steps. That's roughly 46,957 miles.
  • 14,742,259 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1985?

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