What happened in June 1985?
The top front-page story of each day in June 1985, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jun 1🌋 Mount St. Helens Erupts – Mount St. Helens continued a slow lava flow, adding new material to a dome in its crater, showcasing ongoing volcanic activity.
- Jun 2🌍 Memorial for Indira Gandhi – The official residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was opened to the public this week as a national memorial.
- Jun 3🎶 Concert Celebrates Women – Florilegium performed works by women composers, emphasizing the quality of music over its origins.
- Jun 4🏛️ Italy Ratifies Concordat – Italy and the Vatican ratified a historic pact ending Roman Catholicism as the state religion in Italy.
- Jun 5🕊️ Papal Plot Trial – Testimony in the trial of eight men accused of plotting to assassinate Pope John Paul II focused on Turkish defendant Omer Bagci's travels.
- Jun 6❤️ Artificial Heart Patient – Murray P. Haydon, an artificial heart patient who suffered a minor stroke, is set to resume his exercise routine soon, according to hospital officials.
- Jun 7🌌 Black Hole Evidence – Scientists report strong evidence of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, marking a significant astronomical discovery.
- Jun 8🌍 Pope to Visit Australia – Pope John Paul II accepted an invitation to visit Australia in November 1986, announced Deputy Prime Minister Lionel Bowen.
- Jun 9⚛️ Bulgaria Turns Nuclear – Energy-poor Bulgaria increasingly relies on nuclear power plants due to a lack of coal, oil, and hydropower resources.
- Jun 10🏆 Wilander Wins French Open – Mats Wilander defeats Ivan Lendl in four sets to claim the French Open title, showcasing a versatile playing style.
- Jun 11🌋 Magma Chamber Discovered – 3D mapping confirms a magma chamber near Yosemite, assessing volcanic eruption risks and energy potential.
- Jun 12🌌 Soviet Weather Balloon – A Soviet spacecraft dropped a weather balloon into Venus's atmosphere, sending back data on its clouds and winds.
- Jun 13🏗️ Israel Halts Canal Project – Israel abandons a $1.5 billion hydroelectric canal project due to lack of funds, facing protests from Arab nations.
- Jun 14🎨 Getty Donates $25 Million – John Paul Getty 2d is donating $25 million to Britain's National Gallery, enhancing its state art collection.
- Jun 15🛩️ T.W.A. Jet Hijacking – A Trans World Airlines jet was hijacked with 153 passengers aboard, leading to a chaotic flight path and one passenger being killed.
- Jun 16🚀 Soviet Spacecraft Lands – A Soviet space module landed on the dark side of Venus, beginning drilling to analyze soil composition at extreme temperatures.
- Jun 17🚀 Shuttle Mission Launch – The space shuttle Discovery is set for its mission, marking the first flight with crew members from three countries.
- Jun 18🔬 Probe on Venus Begins – International scientists gather data from a robotic spacecraft entering Venus's atmosphere, marking a significant space exploration milestone.
- Jun 19🚀 Saudi Prince in Space – Prince Sultan Salman al-Saud becomes the first Arab and royal to fly in space aboard the shuttle Discovery, marking a historic moment.
- Jun 20🚀 Laser Test Fails – Pentagon scientists attempted to bounce a laser beam off the space shuttle Discovery but failed due to incorrect instructions.
- Jun 21🔭 Shuttle Launches Detector – The crew of the space shuttle Discovery deployed an X-ray observatory designed to search for a massive black hole at the Milky Way's center.
- Jun 22🖼️ Rembrandt Damaged – A Rembrandt masterpiece, ''Danae,'' at Leningrad's Hermitage museum was vandalized. The extent of damage remains unclear.
- Jun 23🌍 Havana's Facelift – Havana is undergoing renovations with workmen scraping Colonial-style buildings and resurfacing streets to enhance the city's appearance.
- Jun 24✈️ Air-India Crash Inquiry – India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered a judicial inquiry into the Air-India jetliner crash as families mourned the victims.
- Jun 25🚀 Shuttle Lands Safely – The space shuttle Discovery completed a successful mission with a safe landing at dawn, marking a significant achievement in the shuttle program.
- Jun 26🎨 Argentine Dancer Wins – Julio Bocca, a young Argentine dancer, wins a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, impressing with his performance.
- Jun 27🌌 Halley's Comet Film – Hayden Planetarium premieres 'Halley's Comet: Once in a Lifetime,' exploring the comet's history and upcoming visibility.
- Jun 28🌪️ Storm Batters China Region – A major storm in Fujian, China, has killed or injured 11 people, marooned 100,000, and severely damaged farmland.
- Jun 29🛣️ Route 66 Officially Closed – Route 66, the iconic highway, is officially declared history, succumbing to the Interstate Highway System.
- Jun 30🌍 24 Killed in China – A sewage pipe exploded on a crowded street in Chongqing, China, resulting in at least 24 fatalities and 92 injuries.
Happy Birthday! 1985 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1985 in real headlines. See the 1985 book →