1985 in the United States

1985 in the United States
Events from the year 1985 in the United States.
Incumbents
Federal government
President: Ronald Reagan (R-California)
Vice President: George H. W. Bush (R-Texas)
Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Tip O'Neill (D-Massachusetts)
Senate Majority Leader: Howard Baker (R-Tennessee) (until January 3), Bob Dole (R-Kansas) (starting January 3)
Congress: 98th (until January 3), 99th (starting January 3)
Events
January
January 20
President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush are privately sworn in for a second term in office (publicly sworn in, January 21).
Super Bowl XIX: The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Miami Dolphins 38–16 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California.
January 28 – In Hollywood, California, the charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by USA for Africa. Like the enormously successful "Do They Know It's Christmas?" that was recorded by Band Aid in the UK two months prior, the single raises money to combat the ongoing famine in Ethiopia. The American act consists of high-profile performers, including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper and Diana Ross.
February
February 5 – Australia cancels its involvement in United States-led MX missile tests.
February 6 – President Reagan delivers his fourth State of the Union Address to the Congress. The congress sings Happy Birthday to him afterwards.
February 9 – U.S. drug agent Enrique Camarena is kidnapped and murdered in Mexico (his body is discovered on March 5).
February 13 – Bobby Knight throws a chair across a basketball court.
February 14
CNN reporter Jeremy Levin is freed from captivity in Lebanon.
21-year-old female singer Whitney Houston releases her debut album – Whitney Houston.
February 20
Clarence Nash, voice actor, famous for make the Donald Duck voice.
March
March 1 – The GNU Manifesto by Richard Stallman is published for the first time.
March 4 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS, used since then to screen all blood donations in the United States.
March 6 – Boxer Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first-round knockout.
March 8 – A car bomb planted in Beirut by CIA mercenaries attempts to kill Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. He survives, but the bomb kills more than 80 people and injures 200.
March 16 – Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut (he is eventually released on December 4, 1991).
March 25 – The 57th Academy Awards, hosted by Jack Lemmon, are held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, with Miloš Forman's Amadeus winning Best Picture and Best Director (Forman's second win), along with six other awards out of 11 nominations. The film is tied in nominations with David Lean's A Passage to India.
March 31 – WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.
April
The National Archives and Records Administration is established as an independent federal agency.
Cincinnati, OH-based Procter & Gamble ditches the moon & stars symbol from its packaging.
April 1 – Eighth-seeded Villanova defeats national powerhouse Georgetown, 66–64, to win the first 64-team field NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky.
April 7 – National Geographic Explorer debuts on Nickelodeon.
April 11 – The USS Coral Sea collides with the Ecuadorian tanker ship Napo off the coast of Cuba.
April 12 – 1985 El Descanso bombing: A terrorist bombing attributed to the Islamic Jihad Organization in the El Descanso restaurant near Madrid, Spain, mostly attended by U.S. personnel of the Torrejon Air Force Base, causes 18 dead (all Spaniards) and 82 injured.
April 15 – Birth of American YouTuber Robert F. Sanders, aka: Road Guy Rob.
April 19 – A four-day siege of white supremacist group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord begins in Arkansas.
April 23 – Coca-Cola changes its recipe and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.
May
May 5 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan joins West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl for a controversial funeral service at a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, which includes the graves of 59 elite S.S. troops from World War II.
May 11 – The FBI brings charges against the suspected heads of the five Mafia families in New York City.
May 13 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode orders police to storm the radical black American resistance group MOVE's headquarters to end a stand-off. The police drop an explosive device into the headquarters, killing eleven members of MOVE and destroying the homes of 61 city residents in the resulting fire.
May 15 – An explosive device sent by the Unabomber injures John Hauser at UC Berkeley.
May 19 – John Anthony Walker Jr., is arrested by the FBI for passing classified Naval communications onto the Soviets.
May 31 – Forty-one tornadoes hit in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario, killing 76 people.
June
June 9 – Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics.
June 13 – In Auburn, Washington, police defuse a Unabomber bomb sent to Boeing.
June 14 – TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers from Athens to Rome, is hijacked by a Hezbollah fringe group. One passenger, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Robert Stethem, is killed.
June 17 – John Hendricks launches the Discovery Channel in the United States.
June 20 – NeXT is founded by Steve Jobs after he resigns from Apple Computer.
June 24 – STS-51-G: Space Shuttle Discovery completes its mission, best remembered for having Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist.
June 26 – A Walt Disney World Monorail System train catches fire in Epcot around 9:00 p.m, due to friction caused by a flat tire.
June 27 – U.S. Route 66 is officially decommissioned.
July
July 1
Nick at Nite, a nighttime program service with an emphasis on classic television reruns, is launched in the United States, being broadcast on the same channel as Nickelodeon.
A&E, which previously shared Nickelodeon's channel, begins broadcasting as its own 24-hour cable channel in January of that year on a separate satellite transponder.
July 3 – Back to the Future opens in American theaters and ends up being the highest-grossing film of 1985 in the United States, and the first film in the successful franchise.
July 13
Live Aid pop concerts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and London raise over £50,000,000 for famine relief in Ethiopia. The English rock band Queen performs at Wembley Stadium in London for over 20 minutes. Queen's performance at the event was recreated in the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody.
Vice President George H. W. Bush serves as acting president for eight hours, while President Ronald Reagan undergoes colon cancer surgery under anesthesia.
July 19 – Vice President George H. W. Bush announces that New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe will become the first school teacher to ride aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.
July 20 – The main shipwreck site of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha (which sank in 1622) is found forty miles off the coast of Key West, Florida by treasure hunters who begin to excavate $400,000,000 in coins and silver.
July 24
Commodore launches the Amiga personal computer at the Lincoln Center in New York City.
Walt Disney Feature Animation's 25th feature film, The Black Cauldron, is released. Considered one of the studio's darkest releases, it receives mixed reviews and results in a large revenue loss for Disney, putting the future of its animation department in jeopardy.
August
August 2 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashes near Dallas, Texas, killing 137 people.
August 4 – Major League Baseball player Rod Carew of the California Angels becomes the sixteenth player to achieve 3,000 hits in a career.
August 20 – Iran–Contra affair: The first arms, 96 BGM-71 TOWs, are sent to Iran in exchange for hostages in Lebanon and profits for the Nicaraguan Contras without public knowledge.
August 25 – Samantha Smith, "Goodwill Ambassador" between the Soviet Union and the United States for writing a letter to Yuri Andropov about nuclear war, and eventually visiting the Soviet Union at Andropov's request, dies in the Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 plane crash. She was 13 years old.
August 26 – Ryan White, who was expelled from Western High School in Indiana, is allowed to attend his first day of classes via telephone.
August 28 – The first smoking ban for restaurants in the United States is passed in Aspen, Colorado.
August 31 – Richard Ramirez, the serial killer known as the Night Stalker, is captured in Los Angeles.
September
September 2 – Hurricane Elena makes landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast after reaching Category 3 status.
September 4 – Catcher Gary Carter of the New York Mets ties a record with five home runs in two games.
September 6 – Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a Douglas DC-9, crashes just after takeoff from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killing 31 people.
September 11 – Pete Rose becomes the all-time hit leader in Major League Baseball, with his 4,192nd hit at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.
September 13 – Steve Jobs resigns from Apple Computer in order to found NeXT.
September 26 – Kalina, the first captive orca born at SeaWorld as well as the first to survive past infancy, is born at SeaWorld Orlando.
October
October 4 – The Free Software Foundation is founded in Massachusetts.
October 7
The cruise ship Achille Lauro is hijacked in the Mediterranean Sea by four heavily armed Palestinian terrorists. One passenger, American Leon Klinghoffer, is killed.
The Mameyes landslide in Puerto Rico kills close to 300 people in the worst ever landslide in North American history.
October 15 – In separate events, mail bombs kill two people in Salt Lake City, Utah; a third bomb explodes the next day, injuring career counterfeiter Mark Hofmann. The ensuing police investigation leads to the arrest of Hofmann for the two murders.
October 18 – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in U.S. stores.
October 27 – The Kansas City Royals defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3, to win their first World Series Title.
November
November 13 – Xavier Suárez is sworn in as Miami's first Cuban-born mayor.
November 18 – The comic strip Calvin and Hobbes appears for the first time, in 35 newspapers.
November 19 – Cold War: In Geneva, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time.
November 20 – Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.
November 26 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan sells the rights to his autobiography to Random House for a record US$3,000,000.
December
December 1 – The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are released for sale to the public.
December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing 256, 248 of whom were U.S. servicemen returning to Fort Campbell, Kentucky from overseeing a peacekeeping force in Sinai.
December 16 – In New York City, Mafia bosses Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are shot dead in front of Spark's Steak House, making hit organizer John Gotti the leader of the powerful Gambino crime family.
December 24 – Right wing extremist David Lewis Rice murders civil rights attorney Charles Goldmark as well as Goldmark's wife and two children in Seattle. Rice suspected the family of being both Jewish and Communist, and claimed his dedication to the Christian Identity movement drove him to the crime.
December 27 – American naturalist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda.
December 31 – The last issue of The Columbus Citizen-Journal is circulated.
Undated
"The Year of the Spy", name given by media to 1985 because of a large number of foreign spies arrested in the United States.
Selected Manifestations book is published.
The Tommy Hilfiger brand is established.
The Asian tiger mosquito, an invasive species, is first found in Houston, Texas.
Why Me & Sherry's House, a non-profit organization, is established in Worcester, Massachusetts.
ATI Technologies is founded (originally as Array Technology) in North America by Lee Ka Lau, Francis Lau, Benny Lau and Kwok Yuen Ho.
Ongoing
Cold War (1947–1991)
Iran–Contra affair (1985–1987)
Births
January
January 1
Chris Cayole, basketball player
Juliana Harkavy, actress
January 2
Adrienne Lyle, Olympic dressage rider
Heather O'Reilly, soccer player
Greg Toler, football player
January 3
Asa Akira, pornographic actress and director
Condrew Allen, football player
Nicole Beharie, actress and singer
John David Booty, football player
January 4 – Al Jefferson, basketball player
January 5 – Luvvie Ajayi, Nigerian-born author, speaker, and digital strategist
January 6 – Ian M. Anderson, founder of Afternoon Records
January 8
Arctic Hospital, DJ and record producer
Adam Cristman, soccer player
Rachael Lampa, Christian singer
Dan O'Connor, guitarist and frontman for Four Year Strong
January 9
Brett Camerota, Olympic Nordic combined skier
Eric Camerota, Olympic Nordic combined skier
January 10 – Alex Meraz, actor, dancer, and martial artist
January 11
Saba Ahmed, Pakistani-born political activist, lawyer, engineer, and founder of the Republican Muslim Coalition
Lucy Knisley, comic artist and musician
Aja Naomi King, actress
January 12
Cynthia Addai-Robinson, actress
Issa Rae, actress
January 14
Billy Chiles, soccer player
Michelle Wu, politician, mayor of Boston, Massachusetts (2021–present)
January 15 – Brandon Mebane, football player
January 16
Ash Christian, actor, film director, and producer (died 2020)
Joe Flacco, football player
Renée Felice Smith, actress
Anna M. Valencia, politician
January 18 – Matt Hobby, actor and comedian
January 19
Jake Allen, football player
Damien Chazelle, film director and screenwriter
January 20
Antoine Agudio, basketball player
Lauren Cahoon, Olympic Taekwondo practitioner
Brantley Gilbert, country singer/songwriter
January 21
Nick Gehlfuss, actor
Salvatore Giunta, U.S. Army Veteran in the Afghan War and Medal of Honor Recipient
January 22
Cory Ann Avants, tennis player
Scott Cousins, baseball player
Shana Cox, American-born British Olympic sprinter
January 23 – Shola Adisa-Farrar, singer and actress
January 25
Brent Celek, football player
Hartley Sawyer, actor, producer and writer
Michael Trevino, actor
January 26
Emily Afton, singer and actress
Sean Cameron, American-born Guyanese footballer
Chico Camus, mixed martial artist
Edwin Hodge, actor
January 27 – Danial Ahmed, Pakistani-born cricketer
January 28 – J. Cole, Hip-Hop musician and record producer
January 29 – Mikey Hachey, bass player
January 30
Susannah Cahalan, journalist and author
Janae Cox, gymnast
Kevin Kiley, politician
Trae Williams, football player
January 31
Russell Fry, politician
Kalomira, Greek-born singer and model
February
February 1
Sohrab Ahmari, columnist, editor, and author of nonfiction books
Alex Clark, Youtuber/animator
Colin Curtis, baseball player
February 2
Morris Almond, basketball player
Evan Alex Cole, actor
Jake Luhrs, singer and frontman for August Burns Red
Fontel Mines, football player
February 4 – Bug Hall, actor
February 5
Laurence Maroney, football player
Lindsey Cardinale, singer
February 6
Chester Adams, football player
Patrick Carter, football player
Kris Humphries, basketball player
Crystal Reed, actress
February 7
Derrick Lewis, mixed martial artist
Tina Majorino, actress
Deborah Ann Woll, actress
February 8
Jeremy Davis, bassist for Paramore (2004-2016)
Bob Morris, singer-songwriter and guitarist for The Hush Sound
Brian Randle, basketball player and coach
February 9
David Gallagher, actor
Rachel Melvin, actress
February 11
Nicholas Altobelli, singer/songwriter
William Beckett, singer/songwriter and frontman for The Academy Is...
Ben Croft, racquetball player
February 12 – Cuban-born mixed martial artist
February 13
Jon Applebaum, politician
Dan Coleman, basketball player
February 14
Tyler Clippard, baseball player
Jake Lacy, actor
February 15 – Natalie Morales, actress
February 16
Logan Clark, mixed martial artist
Stacy Lewis, golfer
February 17 – Zelda Harris, actress
February 19
Haylie Duff, actress and singer-songwriter
Arielle Kebbel, actress
February 20 – TJ Kirk, YouTube personality
February 21 – Ashley Costello, singer and vocalist for New Years Day,
February 22
Fred the Godson, rapper and DJ (died 2020)
Sean Garballey, politician
Ryan Hall, mixed martial artist
Zach Roerig, actor
February 23 – Sam Chelanga, Kenyan-born marathon runner
February 24
Gwen Araujo, murder victim (d. 2002)
Priscilla Chan, philanthropist and co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms
February 25 – Joakim Noah, basketball player
February 26 – Shiloh Fernandez, actor
February 27
Debra Arlyn, singer/songwriter and pianist
Mohsin Charania, poker player
Wendell Chavous, stock car racing driver
Nicole Linkletter, model
March
March 1
Michael Conner Humphreys, actor
Cole Sanchez, actor and artist
March 2
Reggie Bush, football player
Robert Iler, actor
March 3
Steven Cozza, racing cyclist
Toby Turner, Internet personality, actor, comedian and musician
March 5
Martin Casaus, wrestler
Jason Cascio, soccer player
Buzzy Cohen, recording music industry executive
March 6
Melinda Cooper, boxer
Chad Jackson, football player
Alaska Thunderfuck, drag queen and television personality
March 7 – Guy Benson, columnist
March 9
Zach Andrews, basketball player
Dominick Cruz, mixed martial artist
Rachel Nabors, cartoonist
March 10
Cooper Andrews, actor
Luchasaurus, wrestler and television personality
March 13
Emile Hirsch, actor
Matt Jackson, pro wrestler
Max Jenkins, actor and writer
March 15
Eva Amurri, actress
Nick Chambers, comedian
Kellan Lutz, fashion model and actor
March 17
Ellie Cachette, investor, philanthropist, and author of Software Agreements for Dummies
Lauren Crandall, field hockey player
March 18 – Kyle Alcorn, Olympic long distance runner
March 19 – Esther Agbaje, politician
March 20
Chase Coleman, actor, director, and musician
Britton Colquitt, football player
March 21
Ryan Callahan, hockey player
Adrian Peterson, football player
Sonequa Martin-Green, actress and producer
March 22
Mike Jenkins, football player
Justin Masterson, baseball player
James Wolk, actor
March 24 – Jeremy James Kissner, actor
March 25
Natalia Anciso, contemporary artist and educator
Carmen Rasmusen, singer
March 26
Sarah Chang, actress, producer, stunt coordinator, and martial artist
Matt Grevers, Olympic swimmer
Jonathan Groff, actor and singer
Francesca Marie Smith, actress and writer
March 27
Aman Ali, comedian, storyteller, journalist, and writer
Blake McIver Ewing, singer/songwriter, actor, model and pianist
March 28
Ian Axel, singer/songwriter
Mark Melancon, baseball player
March 30 – Russell Carter, basketball player
March 31
Jason Chery, football player
Lee Cummard, basketball player
Peter Porte, actor
Jessica Szohr, actress
April
April 1
Ryan A. Conklin, television personality and U.S. Army Sergeant
Daniel Murphy, baseball player
Josh Zuckerman, actor
April 2
Matthew Antoine, Olympic skeleton racer
Drew Atchison, football player
April 3 – Gerald Coleman, ice hockey player
April 4 – Todrick Hall, singer-songwriter, actor, director, choreographer and YouTuber
April 5 – Lastings Milledge, baseball player
April 6 – Sinqua Walls, basketball player and actor
April 7 – Joe Cook, basketball coach
April 8 – Matt Antonelli, baseball player
April 9 – David Robertson, baseball player
April 10
Barkhad Abdi, Somalian-born actor
Kyle Clement, football player
April 12
Thomas Albert, politician
Brennan Boesch, baseball player
April 13
Carmen Carrera, model
Jon Connor, rapper and record producer
April 15
Andre Caldwell, football player
Chris Cates, baseball player
John Danks, baseball player
Aaron Laffey, baseball player
April 16
Matt Alonzo, director, video editor, and filmmaker
Nate Diaz, mixed martial artist
Sam Hyde, internet comedian
April 17
Jonathan Cheever, Olympic snowboarder
Victoria Cisneros, boxer
Rooney Mara, actress
April 19 – Zack Conroy, actor
April 20
Brian Myers, wrestler
Billy Magnussen, actor
April 22
Sam Altman, entrepreneur, investor, programmer, blogger, CEO of OpenAI, and former president of Y Combinator
Danny Cepero, soccer player
April 23
Blythe Auffarth, actress
Warren Carter, basketball player
Snootie Wild, rapper (died 2022)
April 26
Matt Clackson, Canadian-born hockey player
Tiffany Jackson, basketball player and coach (died 2022)
Bre Scullark, fashion model and actress
April 27 – Jamie Gray Hyder, actress and model
April 28 – Brandon Baker, actor
April 29
Julia Clukey, Olympic luger
Jay Lethal, wrestler
May
May 2
Kyle Busch, racing driver
Sarah Hughes, Olympic figure skater
May 3
Becky Chambers, writer
Meagan Tandy, actress and model
May 4
Bo McCalebb, American-born Macedonian basketball player
Anthony Federov, Ukrainian-born singer
May 5
Clark Duke, actor, comedian, and director
P. J. Tucker, basketball player
May 6
Cori Alexander, soccer player and photographer
Ian McGinty, comic book writer and artist (d. 2023)
Chris Paul, basketball player
May 7 – Andrew Carroll, hockey player (d. 2018)
May 8
Tommaso Ciampa, wrestler
Nick Cunningham, Olympic bobsledder
Usama Young, football player
May 9
Audrina Patridge, television personality and actress
Chris Zylka, actor and model
May 10 – Odette Annable, actress
May 11 – Matt Giraud, singer, pianist and keyboardist
May 12
Tally Hall, soccer player
Michael Jagmin, singer and frontman for A Skylit Drive
May 13 – Victor Agosto, anti-war activist and former US Army private
May 14
Lina Esco, actress, producer and activist
Dustin Lynch, Country singer/songwriter
Matt Cardona, wrestler
May 15
Seth Adams, football player
Jim Adduci, baseball player
Ian Campbell, football player
Jazmin Chaudhry, Bangladeshi-born actress
May 16
Ánh Minh, Vietnamese-born singer
Sal Caccavale, soccer player
Andrew Keenan-Bolger, actor, writer and director
May 17
Derek Hough, dancer, choreographer, musician and six-time Winner of Dancing with the Stars
Matt Ryan, football player
May 18
Francesca Battistelli, Christian singer/songwriter
Andrew Carpenter, baseball player
May 19 – Chinonye Chukwu, Nigerian-born director
May 20
Caitlin Cahow, ice hockey player
Jon Pardi, country singer/songwriter
May 21
Aung La Nsang, Burmese-born mixed martial artist
Cameron Van Hoy, actor, producer and writer
May 22
T. J. Carter, basketball player
Chris Salvatore, actor, singer/songwriter, model and gay rights activist
Aakash Gandhi, composer, pianist, songwriter, and entrepreneur
May 23 – Lindsey Anderson, Olympic middle-distance runner
May 24 – John Vigilante, hockey player and coach (d. 2018)
May 25
Lauren Frost, actress and singer
Roman Reigns, wrestler
May 28
Kaylin Andres, writer, artist, and fashion designer (d. 2016)
Colbie Caillat, musician
Billy Flynn, actor and producer
Emily Wilson, actress
May 29
Blake Foster, actor and martial artist
Heather Heyer, protestor who died in Charlottesville during the Unite the Right rally (d. 2017)
May 30
Niki Cross, soccer player
Sam Gifaldi, child actor
Turk McBride, football player
May 31
Justine Cotsonas, actress
Navene Koperweis, metal drummer
June
June 1
Ari Herstand, singer/songwriter
Nick Young, basketball player
June 2 – Maggie Thrash, graphic novelist
June 4 – Evan Lysacek, Olympic figure skater
June 5
Jeremy Abbott, Olympic figure skater
Antonio Anderson, basketball player
Kelsey Campbell, Olympic wrestler
June 6
Abbie Cobb, actress and author
Chris Henry, football player
Becky Sauerbrunn, soccer player
June 9 – Sebastian Telfair, basketball player
June 10
Kristina Apgar, actress
Craig Considine, scholar of Islam
Celina Jade, actress
June 11
Daron Cruickshank, mixed martial artist
Chris Trousdale, actor and recording artist (died 2020)
June 12
Jesse Anthony, cyclist
Dave Franco, actor
Blake Ross, software developer
Kendra Wilkinson, model, actress and author
Chris Young, singer/songwriter and guitarist
June 13
Sean Carlson, music promoter
Christina Chang, American-born Jamaican footballer
June 17
Michael Adams, football player
Tramell Tillman, actor
June 18
Jon Abbate, football player
Jimmie Allen, country music singer/songwriter
Sorel Carradine, actress
Chris Coghlan, baseball player
Alex Hirsch, animator and actor
June 20
Thaddeus Coleman, football player
Matt Flynn, football player
Mark Saul, actor
June 21
Kris Allen, musician, 8th American Idol winner
Sara Anundsen, tennis player
DJ Candlestick, DJ, radio personality, and record producer
Lana Del Rey, pop musician
June 22 – Scott MacIntyre, singer
June 23
Roberto Castro, golfer
Candice Patton, actress
Marcel Reece, football player
June 24
Justin Hires, ator and comedian
Jandy Nelson, Writer
June 25
Annaleigh Ashford, actress and singer
Daniel Bard, baseball player
June 27
Paul Downs Colaizzo, playwright, screenwriter, and film director
Martin Sensmeier, actor
June 28
Cory Blair, rugby player
Alexx Calise, singer/songwriter and musician
June 29 – Steven Hauschka, football player
June 30
Trevor Ariza, basketball player
Tim Crowder, football player
Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer
Cody Rhodes, wrestler and actor
July
July 1 – Spose, Hip-Hop artist
July 2 – Ashley Tisdale, actress, singer and producer
July 4 – Sean Cunningham, musician, singer/songwriter, and recording artist
July 5 – Megan Rapinoe, soccer player
July 6
John Chest, opera singer
Matt Overton, football player
D. Woods, pop musician
July 7 – Craig Capano, soccer player
July 8
David Clowney, football player
Sterling Hyltin, ballerina
July 9 – Cris Cyborg, Brazilian-born mixed martial artist
July 10 – B. J. Crombeen, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
July 11
Robert Adamson, actor
Faysal Ahmed, Yemeni-born actor
Tiffany Andrade, beauty pageant winner, Miss New Jersey 2008
Geoff Cameron, soccer player
Mike Cox, football player
July 12
Ryan Amoroso, basketball player
Casper Brinkley, football player
Jasper Brinkley, football player
Rob Menendez, politician
July 14 – Darrelle Revis, football player
July 15 – David Carpenter, baseball player
July 16 – Rosa Salazar, actress
July 17 – Caitlin Van Zandt, actress
July 18
Chace Crawford, actor
Theo Croker, jazz trumpeter, composer, producer, and vocalist
Hopsin, rapper and record producer
July 19
LaMarcus Aldridge, basketball player
Sheng Thao, politician, mayor of Oakland, California (2023–present)
July 20 – John Francis Daley, actor
July 22
Lindsey Carmichael, Paralympic archer
Takudzwa Ngwenya, Zimbabwean-born rugby player
July 23 – Scott Chandler, football player
July 24 – Chad Cook, football player
July 25
James Lafferty, actor
Alex Presley, baseball player
Shantel VanSanten, actress and model
July 26 – Matt Riddlehoover, filmmaker
July 27
Husain Abdullah, football player
Lou Taylor Pucci, actor
Young Dolph, rapper (died 2021)
July 28 – Monica Abbott, softball player
July 29
Charlotte Cho, esthetician, author, and entrepreneur
Anna Grace Christiansen, racing cyclist
July 30
Dylan Axelrod, baseball player
Mary Wiseman, actress
July 31 – Shannon Curfman, blues-rock singer and guitarist
August
August 3
Tom Cox, politician
Ryan Leone, novelist, film producer, artist, and prison reform activist (d. 2022)
August 4 – Crystal Bowersox, singer/songwriter
August 5
Zach Appelman, actor
Gary Chambers, activist and political candidate
August 6 – Michael Antonini, baseball player
August 7 – Michael Campbell, guitarist and bassist
August 8
Rafael Casal, writer, actor, producer, and showrunner
Anisha Nicole, singer
August 9
Anna Kendrick, actress and singer
Hayley Peirsol, swimmer
Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur, author, political activist, political candidate, and co-founder of Strive Asset Management
JaMarcus Russell, football player
Chandler Williams, football player (d. 2013)
August 10
Reggie Campbell, football player and Navy aviator in the United States Navy Reserve
Jared Nathan, child actor (died 2006)
August 11 – Asher Roth, rapper
August 12 – Zack Cozart, baseball player
August 13
Jonathan Brookins, mixed martial artist
Lacey Brown, singer
August 15
Emily Kinney, actress and singer/songwriter
Nipsey Hussle, rapper (d. 2019)
August 16
Agnes Bruckner, actress
Arden Cho, actress, singer, and model
Cristin Milioti, actress and singer
August 17 – Kennard Cox, football player
August 18
Desiree Casado, actress
Brooke Harman, actress
August 19
J. Evan Bonifant, actor
David A. Gregory, actor and writer
Lindsey Jacobellis, Olympic snowboarder
August 20
Brant Daugherty, actor
Josh Flagg, businessman and television personality
Miguel Gomez, Colombian-born actor
Michael Shuman, bassist for Queens of the Stone Age
August 21 – Jake Pitts, singer/songwriter and lead guitarist for Black Veil Brides
August 22
Jimmy Needham, Christian singer/songwriter
The Usos, twin brother wrestling duo
August 25 – Wynter Gordon, pop/dance singer/songwriter
August 26 – Brian Kelley, country singer and one half of Florida Georgia Line
August 27 –
Jennifer Armour, actress and voice actress
Kayla Ewell, actress
Alexandra Nechita, painter
Sean Foreman, singer/songwriter, member of electro hop group 3OH!3
August 28
Mike Alston, football player
Pat Cassidy, film producer and music manager
Jackson Crawford, scholar
Ashlyne Huff, singer/songwriter and dancer
August 29
Alexander Artemev, Russian-born Olympic gymnast
T. J. Conley, football player
Jeffrey Licon, actor
Marc Rzepczynski, baseball player
September
September 1
Jasmine Ann Allen, American-born Japanese voice actress, singer, and TV personality
Camile Velasco, Filipina-born actress
September 2 – Allison Miller, actress
September 3
Dominick Cruz, mixed martial artist
Brian Stelter, journalist
September 4
Jessa Anderson, Christian singer/songwriter
Morgan Garrett, actress
Kaillie Humphries, Olympic Bobsledder
September 5 – Tyler Colvin, baseball player
September 6
Lynn Alvarez, mixed martial artist
Robert Ayers, football player
Gregg Cash, guitarist and music director
Hugh Cha, South Korean-born actor, singer, and dancer
Lauren Lapkus, actress and comedian
Mitch Moreland, baseball player
September 7
Joe Craddock, football player and coach
Alyssa Diaz, actress
September 8
Vanessa Baden, actress, writer, director and producer
Foo Conner, activist, entrepreneur, and journalist
September 9
Martin Johnson, singer/songwriter, record producer, guitarist and frontman for Boys Like Girls
J. R. Smith, basketball player
September 10
Matt Angle, baseball player and coach
Monica Lopera, Colombian-born actress
September 11
Bobby Cassevah, baseball player
Chikezie, singer and American Idol contestant
September 13 – Vella Lovell, actress
September 14
Paolo Gregoletto, bassist for Trivium
Dilshad Vadsaria, actress
September 15 – Chris Clemons, football player
September 16
Houston Barrow, wrestler
Phil Sgrosso, guitarist for As I Lay Dying and Wovenwar (2013-2016)
Madeline Zima, actress
September 17
Lindsay Adler, portrait and fashion photographer
Zacardi Cortez, gospel musician
Jon Walker, musician
September 18
Megan Joy, singer
Chris Riggi, actor
September 19
Zoë Chao, actress and screenwriter
Chase Rice, country singer-songwriter
September 21
Ayad Al Adhamy, Bahraini-born multi-instrumentalist and record producer
Justin Chapman, author, journalist, and politician
Daron Clark, football player
September 22
Damiano Carrara, Italian-book chef, restauranter, and cookbook author
Rima Fakih, Lebanese-born model, philanthropist, wrestler and beauty pageant titleholder, Miss USA 2010
Shad White, politician
September 23
Brian Brohm, football player
Joba Chamberlain, baseball player
Hasan Minhaj, comedian, political commentator and actor
September 24
Dan Charles, mixed martial artist
Paige Miles, singer
September 27
Jamar Butler, basketball player
Grace Helbig, Youtube personality, podcast host and comedian
September 28 – Martin Courtney, singer and frontman for Real Estate
September 29
Andrew Forsman, drummer for The Fall of Troy
Calvin Johnson, football player
September 30
Chris Chamberlain, football player
Katrina Law, actress
T-Pain, singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor
October
October 1
Mitch Atkins, baseball player
Porcelain Black, industrial pop singer/songwriter
Chris Clark, football player
Ryan M. Pitts, U.S. Army soldier in Afghan War, Medal of Honor Recipient
Sicily Sewell, actress
October 2
Robbie Agnone, football player
Tara Allain, beauty pageant winner, Miss Maine 2007
October 3
Jason Anick, jazz musician
Courtney Lee, basketball player
October 4
Brad Bell, television producer, screenwriter, actor, musician and comic book author
Clef nite, Nigerian-born guitarist
October 5 – Brooke Valentine, singer
October 6
Tahanie Aboushi, civil rights lawyer and political candidate
Sylvia Fowles, basketball player
October 7 – Evan Longoria, baseball player
October 8
Greg Carr, football player
Max Crumm, actor and singer
Bruno Mars, singer-songwriter, producer and actor
October 9
Charles Alexander, football player
Nathan Crumpton, Olympic skeleton racer
October 10
Tasneem Alsultan, photographer, artist, and speaker
Jaremi Carey, actor, streamer, singer, cosplay artist, and drag performer
Aaron Himelstein, actor
October 11 – Michelle Trachtenberg, actress, producer and singer
October 12
Michelle Carter, Olympic shot-putter
Simeon Castille, football player
October 14
Daniel Clark, American-born Canadian actor, producer, and reporter
Robert Costa, political reporter and chief election and campaign correspondent for CBS News
Justin Forsett, football player
October 15
Arron Afflalo, basketball player
Cory Asbury, Christian musician and pastor
Kevin Craft, football player
October 16
Dylan Golden Aycock, guitarist
Ben Barter, New Zealand-born drummer
October 18
Yoenis Céspedes, Cuban-born baseball player
Andrew Garcia, singer
October 19 – Ian Calderon, politician
October 20
AnonymousCulture, rapper
Jennifer Freeman, actress
October 21 – Quinton Culberson, football player
October 22
Zac Hanson, drummer for Hanson
Deontay Wilder, boxer
October 23
Masiela Lusha, Albanian-born actress, poet and humanitarian
Adrian Perkins, politician, mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana
October 24 – Donald Cowart, steeplechase runner
October 25
Colt Anderson, football player
Ciara, singer
John Robinson, actor
Christopher Sean, actor
October 27
Briana Lane, actress and musician
Alexander Soros, philanthropist, son of George Soros
October 28
Troian Bellisario, actress
Anthony Fantano, music critic
Matt Greiner, drummer for August Burns Red
October 29 – Adam Cappa, Christian rock singer/songwriter
October 31
Kerron Clement, Trinidadian-born hurdler and sprinter
Paul Cram, actor
Dan Cramer, mixed martial artist
Kether Donohue, actress and singer
November
November 2
Danny Amendola, football player
Anthony Collins, football player
Dan Connor, football player
Josh Grelle, actor
November 3 – Tyler Hansbrough, basketball player
November 4
Tom Crabtree, football player
Victoria Leigh Soto, teacher, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim (k. 2012)
November 5
Erica Carney, racing cyclist
Elizabeth Rice, actress
November 6 – Shayne Lamas, reality television personality and actress
November 7
Adrian Arrington, football player
Mitch Harris, baseball player
November 8
Mark Asper, football player
Liam Coen, football coach
Jack Osbourne, English-born television personality
November 10 – Pete Andrelczyk, baseball player
November 11
Onision, controversial youtuber
Pat Carroll, soccer player
Jessica Sierra, singer
November 12 – Arianny Celeste, model and actress
November 13
Michael Bennett, football player
Asdrúbal Cabrera, Venezuelan-born baseball player
Giovonnie Samuels, actress
Kit Williamson, actor and filmmaker
November 14
Mara Abbott, Olympic cyclist
Sage Canaday, long-distance runner
Spencer Charnas, singer and frontman for Ice Nine Kills
Odin Lloyd, murder victim (d. 2013)
November 15
Lily Aldridge, model
Richard Clebert, football player
Charron Fisher, basketball player
Nick Fradiani, singer
Jeffree Star, YouTuber, entrepreneur, makeup artist and singer-songwriter
November 18
Allyson Felix, Olympic sprinter
Christian Siriano, fashion designer
November 19 – Eve Carson, murder victim (d. 2008)
November 20 – Dan Byrd, actor
November 21 – Mark Cochran, politician
November 22
Daniel Cameron, politician
Antonietta Collins, Mexican-born sportscaster
November 23
Troy Ave, rapper
Mike Tolbert, football player
November 25
Dan Carpenter, football player
Haley Webb, actress and filmmaker
November 26 – Matt Carpenter, baseball player
November 29 – Jamar Adams, football player
November 30
Casely, singer
Gia Crovatin, actress
Kaley Cuoco, actress
Chrissy Teigen, model
December
December 1
John Coughlin, skater (d. 2019)
Philip DeFranco, YouTube personality and vlogger
Ilfenesh Hadera, actress
Janelle Monáe, R&B/Soul Musician
Svetlana Shusterman, Ukrainian-born television personality
December 2 – Samuel Charles, football player
December 3 – Amanda Seyfried, actress and singer-songwriter
December 4 – Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, TV personality
December 5
Ryan Additon, MLB umpire
Adam Anderson, monster truck driver
Frankie Muniz, actor, musician, writer, producer and racing driver
Will Swan, guitarist for Dance Gavin Dance
December 7
S. A. Chakraborty, writer
Jon Moxley, wrestler
December 8
Xavier Carter, sprinter
Josh Donaldson, baseball player
Dwight Howard, basketball player
December 10
Brandon Anderson, football player
Edmund Entin, actor
Matt Forte, football player
T. J. Hensick, hockey player
Meghan Linsey, singer/songwriter
Raven-Symoné, actress, singer and dancer
December 11 – Samantha Steele, sportscaster
December 12
Pat Calathes, American-born Greek basketball player
Chris Jennings, football player
Erika Van Pelt, singer
David Veikune, football player
December 16 – Amanda Setton, actress
December 17 – Jeremy McKinnon, singer/songwriter, record producer and frontman for A Day to Remember
December 18
Aris Ambríz, boxer
Tara Conner, model, television personality, beauty pageant titleholder, and Miss USA 2006
December 19
Katherine Chappell, film visual effects editor (d. 2015)
Shane Bitney Crone, filmmaker, writer and advocate for LGBT rights
Christina Loukas, Olympic diver
December 20 – Paul Wandtke, metalcore drummer
December 21
Ricky Legere, mixed martial artist
James Stewart Jr., motorcycle racer
December 23 – Arcángel, reggaeton singer
December 24 – Edward Aschoff, sports reporter (d. 2019)
December 25 – Miro, Bulgarian-born wrestler
December 26
Beth Behrs, actress
Michael Cammarata, entrepreneur, investor, and wellness industry executive
Chris Carpenter, baseball player
Mikal Cronin, musician and songwriter
December 27
Halley Gross, screenwriter
Paul Stastny, Canadian-born hockey player
December 28
Dan Amboyer, actor
Taryn Terrell, wrestler
December 29 – Alexa Ray Joel, singer/songwriter and pianist
December 30
Samuel Adams, composer
Ryan Ammerman, volleyball player
Hunter Cantwell, football player
Anna Wood, actress
December 31
Antwan Applewhite, football player
Brennen Carvalho, football player
Jonathan Horton, Olympic gymnast
Full Date Unknown
Khalik Allah, filmmaker and photographer
Catrina Allen, disc thrower
Jojo Anavim, contemporary visual artist
Timo Andres, composer and pianist
J. J. Anselmi, writer and musician
Jennifer Arcuri, technology entrepreneur
Alex Askew, politician
Adam Brown, politician
John Burris, politician
Dorielle Caimi, artist
Chris Campanioni, writer
Alana I. Capria, writer
Ana Caraiani, Romanian-born mathematician
Charlene Carruthers, LGBT activist and author
Greg Chevalier, soccer player
Stephen Christy, producer, entertainment executive, and editor
Alex Clark, comedian, animator, YouTuber, and juggler
Travis Clark, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for We the Kings
Telfar Clemens, fashion designer and founder of TELFAR
Zinzi Clemmons, writer
Stephanie Cmar, chef
Kevin Michael Connolly, photographer
Moogega Cooper, astronomer
Kimberly Corban, rape survivor and rape victim advocate
Jolene Creighton, journalist and media executive
Kristan Hawkins, activist
Deaths
January 7 – Ruth Godfrey, actress (born 1922)
January 13 – Carol Wayne, actress (born 1942)
January 19 – Eric Voegelin, German-American philosopher (born 1901)
January 20 – Gillis William Long, politician (b. 1923)
February 16 – Mathew Beard, supercentenarian, last surviving person born in 1870 (b. 1870)
February 21 – John G. Trump, electrical engineer, inventor, and physicist (b. 1907)
February 22 – Alexander Scourby, actor (born 1913)
March 13 – Annette Hanshaw, singer (b. 1901)
April 1 – Douglass Wallop, author and playwright (b. 1920)
April 8 – John Frederick Coots, songwriter (b. 1897)
April 22 – Paul H. Emmett, American chemical engineer (b. 1900)
April 23 – Kent Smith, American actor (b. 1907)
April 24 – Mildred W. Pelzer, American artist (b. 1889)
September 2 – Jay Youngblood, wrestler (b. 1955)
September 11 – Andrew C. Thornton II, narcotics officer, lawyer, and the head member of a drug smuggling ring in Kentucky (b. 1944)
October 2 – Rock Hudson, actor (b. 1925)
October 10
Yul Brynner, Russian-born American actor (b. 1920)
Orson Welles, actor and director (born 1915)
October 25 – Blair Lee III, politician, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (b. 1916)
November 1
Rick McGraw, wrestler (b. 1955)
Phil Silvers, entertainer (b. 1911)
November 4 – Cus D'Amato, legendary boxing trainer who was a mentor to Hall of Fame boxers Mike Tyson, Floyd Patterson and José Torres.
November 16
Stuart Chase, economist (b. 1888)
John Sparkman, United States Senator from Alabama from 1946 till 1979. (b. 1899)
November 25 – Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (b. 1926)
See also
1985 in American television
List of American films of 1985
Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)
References
External links
1980s in the United States
United States
United States
Years of the 20th century in the United States