BestOfDate

December 21, 1986

December 21, 1986, was a Sunday. It was 37 years, 4 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 21, 1986:

  • United States: "Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles
  • United Kingdom: "Caravan Of Love" by Housemartins

The Billboard Hot 100 on December 21, 1986

These songs were dominating the music charts:

  • Walk Like An Egyptian - The Bangles
  • The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range
  • Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
  • Notorious - Duran Duran
  • Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
Play the top singles from 1986
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1986. Take a trip back to the days of Lionel Richie, Genesis, Bon Jovi, Berlin and Madonna.
Star Trek IV

Top movie

The top movie on this day was "Star Trek IV".

Facts

This date occurred 13,641 days ago. Approximately 455 months have passed. It was the 355th day of 1986, in week 51. The decade was the eighties. The start of 1987 was just 10 days away. People who were born on December 21, 1986, are now 37 years old and belong to the Millennial generation. 152 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to December 21, 1986

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is December 21, 1986, and it's a Sunday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Sagittarius. People are currently enjoying their weekend. However, because it's a Sunday, some are dreading the week ahead.

Christmas Day of 1986 is fast approaching and the excitement is building. Department stores are packed with Christmas shoppers, and people are meeting up with friends that they haven't seen in a while. In America, the song "Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles is at the top of the singles charts, while "Caravan Of Love" by Housemartins is the number-one song in the UK. Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States, and the movie Star Trek IV 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 "Last of the Summer Wine", "Knots Landing", "Miami Vice", and "MacGyver". In fashion, women are wearing sweater dresses, short skirts, small shoulder pads, animal print, long full wool coats, and bulky sweaters. Meanwhile, men are wearing tracksuits, sweatshirts, Nike Air Jordan shoes, and denim.

Because it's 1986, the radio stations are being dominated by the likes of Falco, Madonna, the Pet Shop Boys, Berlin, Whitney Houston, Dionne and Huey Lewis and the News. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Liberace, Andy Warhol, Fred Astaire, and Scott La Rock would all still be alive. People are playing video games such as "Asteroids", "Missile Command", "Donkey Kong", and "Mario Bros.".

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", "Fraggle Rock", "Voltron", and "Pingu". Children are playing with toys such as Dungeons & Dragons, Screwball Scramble, the Big Wheel (tricycle), and Fischer Price cassette player.

News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on December 21, 1986.

  • Christmas 1986 is days away.

    Christmas 1986 is days away

    Christmas 1986 was just days away. The decorations were up, festive music was playing on the radio, people were buying last-minute presents for their loved ones, and stores were packed with shoppers. Schools, colleges, and non-retail businesses were also beginning to close for the holiday season.
  • The Iran-Contra affair.

    The Iran-Contra affair

    News of the Iran-Contra affair began to break at the start of November 1986.
  • People are buying waterbeds.

    People are buying waterbeds

    Waterbeds became a huge fad during the late 1980s. Although they were invented in the 1970s, they didn't reach their heyday until the 1980s. In 1986 and 1987, nearly a quarter of all beds sold were filled with water.
  • 1986 in music.

    1986 in music

    Popular music artists in 1986 included Dionne Warwick, Lionel Richie, Klymaxx, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, Survivor, Mr. Mister, Robert Palmer and Atlantic Starr.
  • VCRs have become a common household item.

    VCRs have become a common household item

    VCRs became a common household item in the mid-1980s. By that stage, prices had started to drop. This device gave people the ability to play VCR tapes and record TV programs and movies.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1986?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1986?

    The best NBA players in 1986 were Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Dominique Wilkins, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Isiah Thomas.
  • 1986 in movies.

    1986 in movies

    Movies released in 1986 included Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Stand by Me, The Karate Kid Part II, Platoon, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, The Fly, Back to School, Aliens, The Golden Child, An American Tail, Ruthless People and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
  • Best soccer players in the world.

    Best soccer players in the world

    In 1986, the best soccer players were Igor Belanov, Diego Maradona, Gary Lineker, Emilio Butragueño, Manuel Amoros, Preben Elkjær Larsen, Ian Rush, Oleksandr Zavarov, Helmuth Duckadam, Marco van Basten and Alessandro Altobelli.
  • Platoon.

    Platoon

    The war film "Platoon" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1986.
  • Corazon Aquino.

    Corazon Aquino

    Corazon Aquino was named Time Person of the Year in 1986 for her role in the People Power Revolution in the Philippines.
  • Dionne Warwick - "That's What Friends Are For"

    Dionne Warwick - "That's What Friends Are For"

    "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick would go on to win a Grammy for 1986's Song of the Year.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 21, 1986.

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 21, 1986.

  • November 21, 1986: The animated movie An American Tail (1986) is released.
  • November 22, 1986: Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history after he defeats Trevor Berbick with a second-round knockout.
  • November 26, 1986:
    • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) is released.
    • Ukrainian-American John Demjanjuk goes on trial in Israel on charges of committing war crimes and being a Nazi camp guard.
    • US President Ronald Reagan announces the formation of a new commission to investigate the Iran-Contra affair.
  • November 29, 1986: Hollywood actor Cary Grant passes away at the age of 82.
  • December 14, 1986:
    • A concrete sarcophagus is placed over the fourth reactor in Chernobyl.
    • Football: Dennis Bergkamp makes his debut.
  • December 17, 1986: US Marine Eugene Hasenfus is pardoned and released by the Nicaraguan government.
  • December 19, 1986:
    • The movie Platoon (1986) is released.
    • Little Shop of Horrors (1986), starring Rick Moranis, is released in movie theaters.
  • This date: December 21, 1986
  • December 31, 1986: 98 people lose their lives after three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • January 1, 1987:
    • Vehicle registration plates in Ireland switch to the new YY–CC–SSSSSS format.
    • The halfpenny coin is abolished in Ireland.
  • January 4, 1987: 16 people are killed in the 1987 Maryland train collision.
  • January 8, 1987: The Dow Jones closes above 2,000 for the first time in history.
  • January 18, 1987: Soccer: Scottish defender Steve Clarke signs for Chelsea.
Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 21, 1986, will have the star sign Sagittarius.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1986 was the year of the Tiger (Yang Fire).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 3.
  • Native American Zodiac: December 21, 1986 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.

Mid-1980s fashion

Photographs of mid-1980s fashion and hairstyles.

Mid-1980s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in December 1986

People in December 1986 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from December 1986.

Matlock
Matlock
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

Cars in 1986

1986 saw the introduction of cars such as the Acura Legend, the Ford Taurus, the Nissan Pintara, the Mercury Sable, the Dodge Shadow, the Cadillac Allanté, and the Ford Festiva.

Cars in 1986.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in December 1986

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

Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace
ALF
ALF
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest

Pound Puppies
Pound Puppies
Popples
Popples
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
SilverHawks
SilverHawks
The Flintstone Kids
The Flintstone Kids
Pingu
Pingu
Jem and the Holograms
Jem and the Holograms
Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Toys

Toys in 1986

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

Popples
Popples
Fluppy Dogs
Fluppy Dogs
Laser Tag
Laser Tag
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
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in December 1986.

Paperboy 1986
Paperboy
The Legend of Zelda 1986
The Legend of Zelda
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar 1985
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
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
Asteroids 1979
Asteroids
Space Invaders 1978
Space Invaders

Were you born on December 21, 1986?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1986.

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 21, 1992, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on December 21.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Actress
Born on December 21, 1937
She turned 49 on this day in 1986.

Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa

Musician Deceased
Born on December 21, 1940
He turned 46 on this day in 1986.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson

Actor
Born on December 21, 1948
He turned 38 on this day in 1986.

Jane Kaczmarek

Jane Kaczmarek

Actress
Born on December 21, 1955
She turned 31 on this day in 1986.

Ray Romano

Ray Romano

Actor
Born on December 21, 1957
He turned 29 on this day in 1986.

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

Actor
Born on December 21, 1966
He turned 20 on this day in 1986.

Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron

French president
Born on December 21, 1977
He turned 9 on this day in 1986.

The King of Random

The King of Random

Youtube personality Deceased
Born on December 21, 1980
He turned 6 on this day in 1986.

Steven Yeun

Steven Yeun

Actor
Born on December 21, 1983
He turned 3 on this day in 1986.

Kaitlyn Dever

Kaitlyn Dever

Actress
Born on December 21, 1996
She was born exactly 10 years after this date.

Ben Chilwell

Ben Chilwell

Soccer player
Born on December 21, 1996
He was born exactly 10 years after this date.

USA

US President

Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States on December 21, 1986.

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 21, 1986 was most likely conceived around March 30, 1986.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 21, 1986 is close to September 13, 1987.

Write a comment about this date

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 December 21, 1986, by entering your DOB below.
This information is not saved on our server.

Stats for December 21, 1986

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about December 21, 1986:

  • 13,641 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,948 weeks have passed.
  • 1,178,578,800 seconds have passed since December 21, 1986.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,375,008,600 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 608,146,660,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 196,429,800 times.
  • You have taken approximately 101,357,777 steps. That's roughly 45,048 miles.
  • 14,142,946 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1986?

Search

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

Random

Random dates

Check out some of these random dates.