At A Glance

17 October 1985 at a glance

Day of the week
17 October 1985 was a Thursday.
Kent Music Report No. 1
The Kent Music Report No. 1 was “Dancing in the Street” by Mick Jagger and David Bowie.
Top Film of 1985
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1985 was Back to the Future.
Best-Selling Vehicle of 1985
Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1985 was the Ford Falcon.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 October 1985 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 October 1985 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 17 October

  • 1975 'Salem's Lot, an American vampire novel by Stephen King, is published.
  • 1979 Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • 1979 The Department of Education Organization Act creates the U.S. Department of Education.
  • 1980 As part of the Holy See–United Kingdom relations a British monarch makes the first state visit to the Vatican.
  • 1989 The East German Politburo votes to remove Erich Honecker from his role as General Secretary.

Famous people born on 17 October

  • Eminem, American rapper, producer, and actor (born 1972)
  • Norm Macdonald, Canadian actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter (1959–2021)
  • Rita Hayworth, American actress, singer and dancer (1918–1987)
  • Matthew Macfadyen, English actor (born 1974)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1985 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1985 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – Australia commences a two-year term as a member of the United Nations Security Council.
  • 1 February – AM stereo broadcasting starts in Australia.
  • 2 March – The ALP government of John Cain reelected in Victoria for a second consecutive term with 47 seats and over 50% of the primary vote. A tied result in Nunawading, decided in Labor's favour, is later declared void by Justice Starke.
More events of 1985 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Australia in 1985

Prime Minister

Bob Hawke

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.50

Loaf of Bread

$0.85

Average House

$65,000

Weekly Wage

$380.00

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Chris Hemsworth11 August 1983ActorView their day →Delta Goodrem9 November 1984Singer & songwriterView their day →Ruby Rose20 March 1986Actor & modelView their day →Sam Reid19 February 1987ActorView their day →Rebel Wilson2 March 1980Actress & writerView their day →Teresa Palmer26 February 1986Actress & modelView their day →Alexander Volkanovski29 September 1988Mixed martial artist & kickboxerView their day →Abbie Cornish7 August 1982ActressView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →