At A Glance

17 April 1985 at a glance

Day of the week
17 April 1985 was a Wednesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 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.
Bestselling Novel of 1985
“The Mammoth Hunters” by Jean M. Auel was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1985.
Top-Rated TV Show
“The Cosby Show” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1985–86 season.
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 April 17

  • 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 States

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

  • January 28 – In Hollywood, California, the charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by USA for Africa.
  • February 15 – John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club is released in theaters
  • June 17 – John Hendricks launches the Discovery Channel in the United States.
More events of 1985 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1985

President

Ronald Reagan

Gas (per gallon)

$1.12

Loaf of Bread

$0.65

Average House

$84,300

Weekly Wage

$334

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.

Hayden Panettiere21 August 1989Actress & singerView their day →Alan Ritchson28 November 1982ActorView their day →Anne Hathaway12 November 1982ActressView their day →Dakota Johnson4 October 1989Actress & modelView their day →Macklemore19 June 1983RapperView their day →Andrew Garfield20 August 1983ActorView their day →Julia Stiles28 March 1981ActressView their day →Taylor Swift13 December 1989Singer-songwriterView 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 →