At A Glance

17 April 1985 at a glance

Day of the week
17 April 1985 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “We Are the World” by USA for Africa.
Top Film of 1985
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1985 was Back to the Future.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 April 1985 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 April 1985 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 17 April

  • 1971 The Provisional Government of Bangladesh is formed.
  • 1982 Constitution Act, 1982 Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
  • 1986 An alleged state of war lasting 335 years between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly is declared over.
  • 1992 The Katina P is deliberately run aground off Maputo, Mozambique, and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.
  • 1998 Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-90, the final Spacelab mission.

Famous people born on 17 April

  • Jennifer Garner, American actress (born 1972)
  • Rooney Mara, American actress (born 1985)
  • Sean Bean, English actor (born 1959)
  • J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier, founded J.P. Morgan & Co. (1837–1913)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1985 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1985 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 19 February – EastEnders, the BBC One soap opera set in the fictional London Borough of Walford, debuts.
  • 13 May – The Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms is released; it becomes the first compact disc to sell over 1,000,000 copies.
  • 1 June – Battle of the Beanfield, Britain's largest mass arrest and the effective end of Stonehenge Free Festivals.

Life in 1985

Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

67p

Loaf of Bread

46p

Average House

£31,103

Weekly Wage

£177.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

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

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 →