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August 31, 1985 Labor Day weekend

August 31, 1985, was a Saturday. It was 39 years, 2 months, and 24 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Virgo.

On This Day

Events

Notable events that occurred on August 31, 1985:

  • Serial killer Richard Ramirez (aka the Night Stalker) is captured in Los Angeles, California.
Song charts

Popular songs

On August 31, 1985, the following songs were at the top of the music charts in the USA and the UK:

  • United States: "The Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis & the News
  • United Kingdom: "I Got You Babe" by UB40 & Chrissie Hynde

The music charts on August 31, 1985

The following songs were dominating the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • The Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News
  • St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) - John Parr
  • Freeway Of Love - Aretha Franklin
  • We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Tina Turner
  • Summer Of '69 - Bryan Adams
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.
European Vacation

Top movie

The top movie on this day was "European Vacation".

Facts

This date occurred 14,330 days ago. Approximately 478 months have passed. It was the 243rd day of 1985, in week 35. The decade was the eighties. People who were born on August 31, 1985, are now 39 years old and belong to the Millennial generation. 159 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to August 31, 1985

Let's go back to the eighties.

The date is August 31, 1985, and it's a Saturday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Virgo. The work week is over and Saturday has finally come, so people are spending time with their kids, going to bars, shopping, playing video games, and watching sports.

The summer of 1985 is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner. In the United States, it is Labor Day weekend. People are attending barbecues and other gatherings. To many Americans, Labor Day represents the end of summer 1985. In America, the song "The Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis & the News is at the top of the singles charts, while "I Got You Babe" by UB40 & Chrissie Hynde is the number-one song in the UK.

Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States, and the movie European Vacation 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", "Kate & Allie", "Who's the Boss?", and "Miami Vice".

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 "Space Invaders", "Lunar Lander", "Donkey Kong", and "Back to the Future". Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "The Smurfs", "Fraggle Rock", "Snorks", and "The Cosby Show". Children are playing with toys such as the Easy-Bake Oven, the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine, My Little Pony (figures), and Mr Frosty.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on August 31, 1985, will have the star sign Virgo.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1985 was the year of the Ox (Yin Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 8.
  • Native American Zodiac: August 31, 1985 falls under the Bear.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of August will have the birthstone Peridot.
  • Birth flower (August): The Gladiolus and the Poppy.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on August 31, 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.
  • 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 August 31, 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 August 31, 1985.

  • 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.
  • August 22, 1985: 55 people die from smoke inhalation after a fire breaks out on British Airtours Flight 28M at Manchester Airport, England.
  • August 25, 1985: 13-year-old peace activist and child actress Samantha Smith dies in a plane crash.
  • August 30, 1985: A mugshot of the "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez is released by the media.
  • This date: August 31, 1985
  • September 1, 1985: The wreck of the Titanic is located for the first time since it sank in 1912.
  • September 8, 1985: Jerry Rice makes his NFL debut for the San Francisco 49ers.
  • September 9, 1985: A race riot begins in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, England.
  • September 10, 1985: US President Ronald Reagan announces that he is adopting economic sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa.
  • September 13, 1985:
    • 1985 MTV Video Music Awards: "The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley wins Video of the Year.
    • The first "Super Mario" video game is released in Japan.
  • September 15, 1985: Golf: Europe wins the 1985 Ryder Cup at The Belfry in Wishaw, England.
  • September 19, 1985: 10,000 people are killed when an 8.2 earthquake hits Mexico City.
  • September 24, 1985: The first episode of the sitcom "Growing Pains" airs on ABC.
  • September 29, 1985: The first episode of the TV series "MacGyver" is aired.

Mid-1980s fashion

Photographs of mid-1980s fashion and hairstyles.

Mid-1980s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in August 1985

In August 1985, TV audiences were watching the following series:

TV shows from August 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 August 1985

If you were a kid on August 31, 1985, then you were probably watching the following cartoons and TV shows:

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

If you were a child on this date, then you may have had some of the following toys:

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 August 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 August 31, 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 August 31, 1991, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on August 31.

Richard Gere

Richard Gere

Actor
Born on August 31, 1949
He turned 36 on this day in 1985.

Chris Tucker

Chris Tucker

Actor
Born on August 31, 1971
He turned 14 on this day in 1985.

Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy

Wrestler
Born on August 31, 1977
He turned 8 on this day in 1985.

Chloe Ferry

Chloe Ferry

TV personality
Born on August 31, 1995
She was born exactly 10 years after this date.

USA

US President

Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States on August 31, 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 August 31, 1985 was most likely conceived around December 8, 1984.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on August 31, 1985 is close to May 24, 1986.

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Stats for August 31, 1985

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about August 31, 1985:

  • 14,330 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,047 weeks have passed.
  • 1,238,115,600 seconds have passed since August 31, 1985.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,444,468,200 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 638,867,649,600 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 206,352,600 times.
  • You have taken approximately 106,477,942 steps. That's roughly 47,324 miles.
  • 14,857,387 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1985?

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