What happened in January 1986?
The top front-page story of each day in January 1986, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jan 1🎉 Eiffel Tower Lights – The Eiffel Tower welcomed 1986 with a dazzling display of blue-green laser lights, marking the New Year in Paris.
- Jan 2🌍 Aruba Self-Rule Begins – Aruba's first home-rule government took office today after splitting from the Netherlands Antilles federation at midnight.
- Jan 3💔 Artificial Heart Patient Recovers – Mary Lund, the first woman to receive an artificial heart, emerged from her coma, responding to her husband's voice after 15 days post-surgery.
- Jan 4🦅 Last Wild Condors Captured – Biologists captured ailing California condors, starting a roundup of the last six wild condors in North America, crucial for species survival.
- Jan 5🎨 Impressionist Art Exhibit – The National Gallery will open an exhibition titled 'The New Painting: Impressionism 1874-1886' featuring 150 masterpieces on January 17.
- Jan 6🚀 Space Shuttle Launch – The space shuttle Columbia is set for a five-day scientific mission after two previous launch delays.
- Jan 7🔬 Astronomers Discover Oxygen – Astronomers found a rare sample of nearly pure oxygen from a massive star, potentially revealing insights into supernova explosions.
- Jan 8🌍 Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan – A devastating earthquake occurred in Afghanistan, leading to significant loss of life and widespread destruction.
- Jan 9🔬 FDA Approves Heart Implants – The FDA announced that experiments for permanent artificial heart implants can continue with case-by-case government approval.
- Jan 10🚀 Space Shuttle Launch – Engineers fixed a stuck valve on the space shuttle Columbia, preparing for its first flight in over two years.
- Jan 11🚀 Space Shuttle Delayed – The launch of the space shuttle Columbia was delayed for a record seventh time due to adverse weather conditions.
- Jan 12🌌 Halley's Comet Finale – Comet watchers across the northern hemisphere gathered for what may be their last view of Halley's Comet as it nears the end of its appearance.
- Jan 13🚀 Astronauts Launch Satellite – The space shuttle Columbia successfully launched after multiple delays, beginning a five-day scientific mission.
- Jan 14🔬 New Ice Form Invented – Canadian scientists have created two new types of ice, one for safer ships and another mimicking extraterrestrial water.
- Jan 15🔬 Ice Age Evidence Found – A sinkhole near Miami reveals important archaeological evidence of Ice Age humans and their tools, dating back 10,000 years.
- Jan 16🕊️ Gorbachev Proposes Arms Reduction – Mikhail Gorbachev proposed a timetable to eliminate all nuclear arms by the century's end and extended the Soviet moratorium on nuclear tests.
- Jan 17🌌 Six Moons Detected – Voyager 2 spacecraft has discovered six additional moons orbiting Uranus, doubling the known number of its satellites to twelve.
- Jan 18🛩️ Air Force Safety Record – The Air Force announced its best peacetime safety record in 1985, despite a deadly year for international commercial aviation.
- Jan 19🚀 Space Shuttle Lands – The space shuttle Columbia safely landed in California at 5:59 A.M. PST after being diverted due to weather conditions.
- Jan 20🌋 Undersea Volcano Erupts – Smoke rising to 13,200 feet was reported off Iwo Jima, indicating an undersea volcanic eruption, according to the Japanese Navy.
- Jan 21🚄 Channel Tunnel Plans – Britain and France announced plans to build a rail tunnel under the English Channel, linking the two countries in a long-awaited project.
- Jan 22📸 Kodak Introduces Cameras – Kodak launched two new 35mm automatic cameras, marking its return to the U.S. market after 16 years, alongside new color film and photographic paper.
- Jan 23🔬 Uranus System Revealed – Voyager 2 transmits new images of Uranus, showing windblown clouds and two additional moons, enhancing our understanding of the planet.
- Jan 24🚗 Car Sales Surge – Sales of new American-made automobiles jumped 18.1% in mid-January compared to the same period in 1985.
- Jan 25🚀 Voyager 2 Uranus Flyby – Voyager 2 spacecraft successfully flew by Uranus, providing the first close-up images of the planet and its moons.
- Jan 26🚀 New Space Center Leader – Jesse W. Moore has been appointed director of the Johnson Space Center, overseeing NASA's shuttle operations.
- Jan 27🔬 Uranus Moon Discovery – Scientists report Voyager 2 images reveal Uranus's moon as a 'bizarre hybrid', showcasing exotic features and surprising characteristics.
- Jan 28🦖 Model Pterodactyl Flies – A half-size model of a pterodactyl has successfully flown under its own power for the first time, announced the Smithsonian Institution.
- Jan 29🚀 Challenger Explosion – The space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.
- Jan 30🚀 Challenger Disaster – The space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch, killing all seven crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.
- Jan 31🚀 Challenger Disaster Inquiry – Searchers report finding large parts of the space shuttle Challenger after its tragic explosion, killing all seven crew members.
Happy Birthday! 1986 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1986 in real headlines. See the 1986 book →
Born in January? Pick the day
Every birthday in January has its own On This Day in Headlines book: