At A Glance
18 August 1985 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 18 August 1985 was a Sunday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Into the Groove” by Madonna.
- Top Film of 1985
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1985 was Back to the Future.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1985 fell in the Year of the Ox.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 18 August 1985 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 18 August
- 1965 Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins: United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.
- 1966 Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Tan ensues after a patrol from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment clashes with a Viet Cong force in Phước Tuy Province.
- 1971 Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.
- 1976 The Soviet Union's robotic probe Luna 24 successfully lands on the Moon.
- 2005 A massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java; affecting almost 100 million people, it is one of the largest and most widespread power outages in history.
Famous people born on 18 August
- Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
- Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
- Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
- Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (born 1975)
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 →
