At A Glance

19 January 1985 at a glance

Day of the week
19 January 1985 was a Saturday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Like a Virgin” by Madonna.
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 19 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 19 January 1985 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 19 January 1985 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 19 January

  • 1977 President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri D'Aquino (a.k.a. "Tokyo Rose").
  • 1978 The last Volkswagen Beetle made in Germany leaves VW's plant in Emden. Beetle production in Latin America continues until 2003.
  • 1990 Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir due to an insurgency.
  • 1991 Gulf War: Iraq fires a second Scud missile into Israel, causing 15 injuries.
  • 1993 Czech Republic and Slovakia join the United Nations.

Famous people born on January 19

  • Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter and actress (1946–2026)
  • Shelley Fabares, American actress and singer (1944–2026)
  • Mac Miller, American rapper (1992–2018)
  • Edgar Allan Poe, American short story writer, poet, and critic (1809–1849)

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.

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

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 →