At A Glance

4 August 1985 at a glance

Day of the week
4 August 1985 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Shout” by Tears for Fears.
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 4 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 4 August 1985 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 4 August 1985 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 4 August

  • 1977 U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy.
  • 1983 Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, president of the military government of Upper Volta, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by Captain Thomas Sankara.
  • 1984 The Republic of Upper Volta changes its name to Burkina Faso.
  • 1984 The Ariane 3 rocket is launched for the first time, carrying the Eutelsat I F-2 and Télécom 1A satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit.
  • 1987 The Federal Communications Commission rescinds the Fairness Doctrine which had required radio and television stations to give equal time to opposing views.

Famous people born on August 4

  • Barack Obama, American lawyer and politician, 44th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1961)
  • Billy Bob Thornton, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1955)
  • Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Duchess of Sussex, American member of British royal family, media personality and actress (born 1981)
  • Cole Sprouse, American actor (born 1992)

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 →