1986

Events in 1986 75

• 1887 – 1986 Georgia O'Keeffe Modernism · USA Georgia O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 – March 6, 1986) was an American Modernist painter known for her large-scale close-ups of flowers and New Mexico landscapes. She lived to 98 and is considered the mother of American modernism.
• 1890 – 1986 Vyacheslav Molotov (1890-1986) Died 8 November 1986, aged 96 Soviet statesman who served as foreign minister under Stalin and lent his name to the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany. He was later expelled from the Communist Party leadership by Khrushchev during de-Stalinization. He was readmitted to the party shortly before his death.
• 1894 – 1986 Harold Macmillan (1894-1986) Died 29 December 1986, aged 92 British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister from 1957 to 1963, overseeing decolonisation in Africa and a period of postwar prosperity at home. He coined the phrase "wind of change" in a landmark speech to the South African parliament. He was made Earl of Stockton shortly before his death.
• 1896 – 1986 Wallis Simpson (1896-1986) Died 24 April 1986, aged 89 American-born socialite whose relationship with King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom precipitated his abdication in 1936. She married Edward, who became the Duke of Windsor, and the couple lived largely in exile from the British royal family. She died at her home outside Paris.
• 1898 – 1986 Henry Moore (1898-1986) Died 31 August 1986, aged 88 British sculptor renowned for large abstract bronze forms often inspired by the human figure and landscape. His public works are displayed in cities around the world, and he was among the most celebrated sculptors of the twentieth century. He died at his home in Hertfordshire, England.
• 1899 – 1986 James Cagney (1899-1986) Died 30 March 1986, aged 86 American actor famed for tough-guy roles in gangster films such as The Public Enemy and White Heat, and for his Oscar-winning performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was one of the most versatile stars of Hollywood's golden age. He died at his farm in New York state.
• 1899 – 1986 Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) Died 14 June 1986, aged 86 Argentine writer whose short stories and essays on labyrinths, infinity and mirrors made him one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century. Though never awarded the Nobel Prize, he shaped generations of Latin American and world literature. He died in Geneva, Switzerland.
• 1900 – 1986 Urho Kekkonen Longest Serving President President for 26 years; he balanced Finnish autonomy with the realities of the Cold War.
• 1901 – 1986 Rudy Vallée (1901-1986) American singer, bandleader and actor, one of the first pop idols of the radio age.
• 1902 – 1986 Alva Myrdal (1902-1986) Died 1 February 1986, aged 84 Swedish sociologist and diplomat who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982 for her work on nuclear disarmament negotiations. She served as a government minister and ambassador, and was a leading voice in international arms-control diplomacy. She died in Stockholm.
• 1902 – 1986 Brian Aherne (1902-1986) English actor of stage and film, Oscar-nominated as Emperor Maximilian in Juarez.
• 1902 – 1986 Elsa Lanchester (1902-1986) English actress, the Bride of Frankenstein and wife of Charles Laughton.
• 1904 – 1986 Cary Grant (1904-1986) Died 29 November 1986, aged 82 English-born Hollywood actor known for his suave leading roles in films such as North by Northwest and Bringing Up Baby. He became one of the defining film stars of the twentieth century across a career spanning four decades. He suffered a stroke while on a speaking tour and died in Iowa.
• 1904 – 1986 Anna Neagle (1904-1986) English actress, Britain's top film star of the 1940s, famous for her royal and wartime heroines.
• 1905 – 1986 Otto Preminger (1905-1986) Died 23 April 1986, aged 80 Austrian-born film director and producer known for challenging Hollywood censorship with films such as The Moon Is Blue and Anatomy of a Murder. His work helped weaken the Motion Picture Production Code's grip on American cinema. He died in New York City.
• 1907 – 1986 Ray Milland (1907-1986) Welsh actor who won the Oscar for The Lost Weekend and starred in Dial M for Murder.
• 1908 – 1986 Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) Died 14 April 1986, aged 78 French philosopher and writer whose 1949 work The Second Sex became a foundational text of modern feminism. She was a lifelong companion of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and a prominent public intellectual in postwar France. She died in Paris and was buried beside Sartre in Montparnasse Cemetery.
• 1909 – 1986 Benny Goodman (1909-1986) Died 13 June 1986, aged 77 American clarinetist and bandleader known as the King of Swing, who helped popularize big-band jazz in the 1930s. His 1938 Carnegie Hall concert is regarded as a landmark in bringing jazz to a mainstream concert audience. He continued performing internationally into his final years.
• 1910 – 1986 Jean Genet (1910-1986) Died 15 April 1986, aged 75 French novelist, playwright and political activist whose works, including The Thief's Journal, drew on his own experience of poverty, crime and imprisonment. He became a major figure of postwar French literature and an outspoken supporter of marginalized and revolutionary causes. He died in Paris.
• 1911 – 1986 L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) Died 24 January 1986, aged 74 American author who founded the Church of Scientology in 1954 after publishing the book Dianetics. He spent his final years in seclusion in California, continuing to direct the organization from hiding. His movement remains controversial and influential decades after his death.
• 1911 – 1986 Broderick Crawford (1911-1986) American actor, Oscar winner for All the King's Men and star of Highway Patrol.
• 1914 – 1986 Lilli Palmer (1914-1986) German actress who fled the Nazis, worked in Britain and Hollywood, and later wrote bestselling memoirs.
• 1916 – 1986 Sterling Hayden (1916-1986) American actor, sailor and author, known for The Asphalt Jungle, Dr. Strangelove and The Godfather.
• 1917 – 1986 Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) Died 2 December 1986, aged 69 Cuban-born actor and bandleader who co-starred in and produced the pioneering sitcom I Love Lucy with his wife Lucille Ball. Through their company Desilu, he helped pioneer the multi-camera format and rerun syndication model still used in television today. He died in California of lung cancer.
• 1918 – 1986 Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) Died 14 June 1986, aged 67 American lyricist and librettist best known for his partnership with composer Frederick Loewe on musicals including My Fair Lady, Gigi and Camelot. His work won multiple Tony and Academy Awards. He died in New York City.
• 1921 – 1986 Donna Reed (1921-1986) American actress, Mary Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and star of The Donna Reed Show.
• 1921 – 1986 Gordon MacRae (1921-1986) American baritone and actor, Curly in Oklahoma! and Billy Bigelow in Carousel.
• 1927 – 1986 Olof Palme (1927-1986) Died 28 February 1986, aged 59 Swedish prime minister and Social Democratic leader, shot dead while walking home from a cinema in Stockholm without bodyguards. His assassination shocked Sweden, where street crime against senior politicians was almost unheard of. The killing was never conclusively solved despite decades of investigation.
• 1933 – 1986 Samora Machel (1933-1986) Died 19 October 1986, aged 53 First president of Mozambique after independence from Portugal, and a leading figure in southern Africa's liberation movements. He died when his presidential plane crashed near the South African border, in circumstances that remain disputed. His death was widely seen amid the region's Cold War-era conflicts as suspicious.
• 1948 – 1986 Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986) Died 28 January 1986, aged 37 American teacher selected for NASA's Teacher in Space Project, killed when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after launch. Her presence on the mission had drawn intense public and school interest ahead of the flight. Her death became one of the defining images of the US space program's risks.
• 1976 – 1986 The Clash English punk band Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon — the punk band that took in reggae, rockabilly and dub.
• 1977 – 1986 The Police English rock band Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland — a trio that blended punk, reggae and pop into five albums and one of the biggest songs of the 1980s.
• 1985 – 1986 Ewing wins Rookie of the Year Patrick Ewing is named NBA Rookie of the Year in his debut season.
• 1986 Brothers in Arms — first million-selling CD Milestone in music technology — 1986 Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms became the first album in history to sell one million copies on CD format, marking a pivotal moment in the transition from vinyl to digital music. The album's pristine production was perfectly suited to showcase the new CD format.
• 1986 Chernobyl disaster Chernobyl disaster An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused the worst nuclear accident in history.
• 1986 – present Jay-Z The Mogul One of the most successful rappers turned business magnates in history.
• 1986 Accession to the EEC Joining Europe Portugal officially joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union).
• 1986 First Martin Luther King Jr. Day New US federal holiday honors the civil rights leader The United States observed its first federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., three years after Congress passed the enabling legislation. The holiday falls on the third Monday of January near King's birthday. Some states initially resisted observing it, and a few did not adopt it fully for over a decade.
• 1986 Voyager 2 flies by Uranus First close-up spacecraft encounter with the planet NASA's Voyager 2 probe made its closest approach to Uranus, returning the first detailed images of the planet, its rings and moons. The flyby discovered ten previously unknown moons and revealed Uranus's unusually tilted magnetic field. It remains the only spacecraft to have visited the planet.
• 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Shuttle breaks apart 73 seconds after launch The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe. A failed O-ring seal on a solid rocket booster was found responsible. The disaster halted the US shuttle program for nearly three years.
• 1986 National Resistance Army takes power in Uganda Yoweri Museveni becomes president after guerrilla war Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army captured the capital Kampala, ending years of civil conflict following the fall of Milton Obote. Museveni was sworn in as president, promising a return to stability after a decade of upheaval. He would go on to lead Uganda for decades afterward.
• 1986 Halley's Comet reaches perihelion Comet's closest solar approach draws global spacecraft fleet Halley's Comet made its calculated closest approach to the sun, its first appearance since 1910. An international fleet of probes, including the European Giotto spacecraft, flew close enough to photograph the comet's nucleus for the first time. The apparition was less spectacular from Earth than in 1910 due to unfavourable positioning.
• 1986 Single European Act signed Treaty commits the EEC to a single market by 1992 European Economic Community member states signed the Single European Act, the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome. It set a 1992 deadline for completing a single market with free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. The treaty also expanded qualified majority voting in the Council.
• 1986 Mir space station launched Soviet Union begins modular orbital station The Soviet Union launched the core module of the Mir space station into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Mir would be continuously expanded and crewed for the next fifteen years, hosting long-duration missions and later international crews. It remained the largest space station until the ISS surpassed it.
• 1986 The Legend of Zelda released Nintendo launches the action-adventure franchise in Japan Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan, introducing an open, exploratory style of action-adventure game. The title and its save-game feature influenced console game design for decades afterward. It later launched internationally on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
• 1986 People Power Revolution Mass protests end the Marcos dictatorship Sustained non-violent demonstrations in Manila forced President Ferdinand Marcos to flee the Philippines after two decades in power. Corazon Aquino, widow of assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino, was installed as president. The uprising became a model for later peaceful pro-democracy movements.
• 1986 14th Elfstedentocht Winner: Evert van Benthem — 6h 55m Remarkably, another harsh winter allowed the Elfstedentocht to be held again just one year later on 26 February 1986. Over 17,000 participants started. Evert van Benthem retained his title in 6 hours and 55 minutes. Crown Prince Willem-Alexander completed the race under the alias W.A. van Buren.
• 1986 Australia Act 1986 Australia severs remaining legal ties to the UK Parliament The Australia Act ended the ability of the British Parliament to legislate for Australia and abolished remaining appeals from Australian courts to the Privy Council. Parallel acts were passed by the UK and Australian parliaments to take effect simultaneously. It completed the country's legal independence begun by the Statute of Westminster.
• 1986 Metallica release Master of Puppets Thrash masterpiece Often called the greatest metal album, the first in the Library of Congress registry.
• 1986 Spanish NATO membership referendum Voters endorse staying in the alliance Spain held a national referendum on remaining in NATO, which the government of Felipe Gonzalez had come to support despite earlier opposition. Voters approved continued membership with conditions, including a ban on nuclear weapons on Spanish soil. The result confirmed Spain's post-Franco integration into Western institutions.
• 1986 Microsoft holds its initial public offering Software company lists on Nasdaq Microsoft Corporation went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange, raising about $61 million and giving the company a market value of roughly $780 million. The offering made founder Bill Gates a paper millionaire many times over. Microsoft's subsequent growth made it one of the most valuable companies in the world.
• 1986 Dirty Work Eighteenth album — March 24, 1986 Dirty Work was released on March 24, 1986 during a period of severe tension between Jagger and Richards. Mick Jagger refused to tour in support of the album, nearly breaking the band apart permanently.
• 1986 United States bombing of Libya Air strikes on Tripoli and Benghazi US warplanes struck targets in Tripoli and Benghazi in retaliation for a Libyan-linked bombing of a Berlin nightclub that killed American servicemen. The raid killed dozens including, reportedly, an adopted daughter of leader Muammar Gaddafi. Several European allies refused overflight rights, straining NATO relations.
• 1986 1986 World Snooker Championship Joe Johnson Surprise One of the biggest upsets in Snooker history. Winner: Joe Johnson; Runner-up: Steve Davis. Score: 18–12.
• 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear disaster, Ukraine The April 1986 explosion at Chernobyl released radiation across Europe, forcing 350,000 people to evacuate permanently.
• 1986 Top Gun premieres Tom Cruise as Maverick Tony Scott's Top Gun, filmed with real US Navy F-14s, becomes the highest-grossing film of 1986 and a recruiting boost for naval aviation.
• 1986 Top Gun released Naval aviator blockbuster becomes the year's top-grossing film Paramount released Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise as a Navy fighter pilot, which became the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide. Its soundtrack, including "Danger Zone" and "Take My Breath Away," topped charts internationally. The film boosted US Navy recruitment and became a defining pop-culture touchstone of the decade.
• 1986 Peter Gabriel releases So Sledgehammer With Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up and In Your Eyes.
• 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The Hand of God Diego Maradona’s masterclass led Argentina to their second title. Winner: Argentina.
• 1986 Statue of Liberty Centennial Statue reopens after restoration for its 100th anniversary The Statue of Liberty reopened to the public after a two-year restoration, marking its hundredth anniversary with a four-day celebration in New York Harbor. President Reagan presided over the ceremony, which included tall ships and fireworks. The event drew millions of visitors and international television coverage.
• 1986 Desmond Tutu installed as Archbishop of Cape Town First Black leader of South Africa's Anglican church Desmond Tutu was installed as Archbishop of Cape Town, becoming the first Black leader of the Anglican Church in South Africa. Tutu, already a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, used the position to continue campaigning against apartheid. He became one of the most recognised voices of the anti-apartheid movement worldwide.
• 1986 The Oprah Winfrey Show goes national Talk show begins US-wide syndication The Oprah Winfrey Show expanded from a local Chicago broadcast to national syndication across the United States. It quickly became the highest-rated daytime talk show in the country. The program's success made Oprah Winfrey one of the most influential media figures in America.
• 1986 Metallica's Cliff Burton dies in a bus crash Sweden The bassist is killed when the tour bus overturns.
• 1986 Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act US Congress imposes sanctions on South Africa The United States Congress overrode President Reagan's veto to enact sweeping economic sanctions against South Africa's apartheid government. The act banned new investment and imposed trade restrictions, pressuring Pretoria over its treatment of the Black majority. It marked a rare foreign-policy defeat for Reagan in Congress.
• 1986 Fox Broadcasting Company launches News Corporation debuts a fourth US television network Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation launched the Fox Broadcasting Company, the first successful attempt to establish a fourth major US television network since the 1950s. Fox began with limited weekly programming before expanding to a full schedule. It went on to challenge the established networks with shows aimed at younger audiences.
• 1986 Reykjavik Summit Reagan and Gorbachev discuss nuclear arms reduction US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland to negotiate deep cuts to nuclear arsenals. The talks collapsed over disagreement on the Strategic Defense Initiative but laid groundwork for the 1987 INF Treaty. Observers later credited the summit with reshaping the endgame of the Cold War.
• 1986 Dele Giwa killed by letter bomb Nigerian journalist assassinated in Lagos Prominent Nigerian journalist and magazine editor Dele Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his home in Lagos. His death, days after questioning by state security agents, was widely seen as an attack on press freedom under military rule. No one was ever convicted for the killing.
• 1986 Tax Reform Act of 1986 Major overhaul of the US federal tax code The US Congress passed a sweeping reform of the federal income tax system, simplifying tax brackets and closing numerous loopholes. It was the most significant overhaul of the US tax code since World War II. President Reagan signed it into law after bipartisan negotiation.
• 1986 Big Bang financial deregulation London Stock Exchange abolishes fixed commissions The London Stock Exchange abruptly deregulated, scrapping fixed commissions and allowing foreign ownership of member firms. The change, nicknamed the Big Bang, accelerated the shift to electronic trading and cemented London's role as a global financial centre. It reshaped the City of London's banking industry within a few years.
• 1986 Hank Marvin moves to Australia Perth, "Nivram Studios" Hank Marvin relocated to Perth, Australia in November 1986, where he built a private recording studio he named "Nivram Studios" — his own surname spelled backwards.
• 1986 Iran-Contra affair revealed Secret US arms-for-hostages scheme exposed A Lebanese magazine revealed that the Reagan administration had secretly sold arms to Iran and diverted proceeds to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, in violation of a congressional embargo. The disclosure triggered congressional hearings and a criminal investigation that implicated senior White House officials. It became the biggest political scandal of the Reagan presidency.
• 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act US law grants amnesty and penalizes employers of undocumented workers The United States enacted a major immigration law that granted legal status to roughly three million undocumented immigrants who had resided in the country since 1982. It also introduced sanctions against employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers. The act remains a reference point in later US immigration debates.
• 1986 Mike Tyson becomes youngest heavyweight champion 20-year-old defeats Trevor Berbick for the WBC title Mike Tyson knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round in Las Vegas to become the youngest world heavyweight boxing champion in history at age 20. The victory launched Tyson to global fame. He went on to unify the heavyweight titles the following year.
• 1986 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home The most accessible and commercially successful of the original-cast films. Kirk and crew travel back to 1986 San Francisco to retrieve humpback whales and save the future Earth. Fish-out-of-water comedy combined with environmental message. Directed by Leonard Nimoy. Budget: $21 million. Gross: $133 million.
• 1986 Platoon released Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film opens in theaters Oliver Stone's Platoon, drawn from his own combat experience, opened in US theaters and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was among the first major Hollywood films to portray the Vietnam War from an infantry soldier's perspective without overt heroism. The film's success prompted a wave of similarly unflinching war films.