31 Photos of What the World Looked Like in 1985

Carly Tennes Published 10/21/2024 in wow

Immortalized in Bowling for Soup's 2004 teeny-bopper hit, the year
"1985" was truly worthy of being a muse. "We Are the World." New Coke. Queen's legendary Live Aid performance and Mike Tyson's pro boxing debut. A lot went down during this fateful year, and fortunately, several photographers were there to capture it all on film.

From legendary artist Grace Jones enjoying a night out on the town to classic mall attire, here are 32 photos of what the world looked like in 1985.

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1.
Star-studded super group U.S.A for Africa during the recording of “We Are the World.”
2.
“Ronald Reagan during his second Inauguration, January 21st 1985.”
3.
A photo taken at an Irish pharmacy, date unknown. The Irish government voted to allow the sale of contraceptives that February.
4.
“[Villanova University’s men’s basketball coach] Rollie Massimino after winning the 1985 National Championship.”
5.
Several homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were set ablaze after local police bombed the headquarters of Black liberation group, MOVE in May 1985.
6.
In 1985, Coca-Cola debuted “New Coke.” It was dubbed one of the “biggest product flops in history,” per the History Channel.
7.
Queen rocks out during the Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium. A benefit concert to raise funds for Ethiopia, which had experienced a famine between 1983 and 1985, 72,000 fans packed into the English arena, with an estimated 1.9 billion others watching broadcasts worldwide.
8.
“… In 1985 the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira. French president François Mitterrand had personally authorized the bombing.”
9.
The aftermath of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
10.
A photo of one of the Titanic’s boilers, taken in September, 1985, when the wreck was first discovered on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor.
11.
“Bob Dylan & Tom Petty at Farm Aid, 1985.”
12.
Basketball legend Lynette Woodard in 1985, the same year she became the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
13.
A still from A-ha’s 1985 music video for “Take On Me.”
14.
“[At the Geneva Summit] In 1985, in the midst of the cold war, US President Ronald Reagan and USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev made a pact to put both their countries differences aside and have their militaries join as one if an alien invasion ever happened.”
15.
“TIL of the volcano Nevado del Ruiz that erupted in 1985 causing a volcanic mudslide that buried the town of Armero, Colombia and killed approximately 23,000 people.”
16.
George Clooney in a 1985 episode of ‘Facts of Life,” one of his earliest roles.
17.
“My mom smoking a cigar, 1985.”
18.
“Princess Diana look-alike contest in Washington D.C., 1985.”
19.
“My wife and I in 8th grade 1985. Were still together.”
20.
“The 1985 cast of SNL.”
21.
“My parents and their first microwave. 1985.”
22.
“Ready to go to the mall 1985.”
23.
“Arnold Schwarznegger in 1985.”
24.
“Grace Jones and her bodyguard Dolph Lundgren, 1985.”
25.
“Magic Johnson 1985.”
26.
“Metallica 1985.”
27.
“The only photo of a Concorde flying at Mach 2 taken by Adrian Meredith from an RAF Tornado attack fighter over the Irish Sea in April 1985.”
28.
“Mike Tyson before his professional boxing debut in 1985 in Albany, NY. Behind him: coach Cus D’Amato who saw the troubled young heavyweight as his greatest prospect. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.”
29.
“A young Xi Jinping (right), now President of the People's Republic of China, on his first visit to the US, where he stayed with the Dvochak family in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1985.”
30.
“Yugo cars being shipped out of Kragujevac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia to the US, 1985. About 140,000 Yugos were sold in the US 1985-1992.”
31.
“Obama circa 1985 hanging with friends.”

1.
Star-studded super group U.S.A for Africa during the recording of “We Are the World.”
2.
“Ronald Reagan during his second Inauguration, January 21st 1985.”
3.
A photo taken at an Irish pharmacy, date unknown. The Irish government voted to allow the sale of contraceptives that February.
4.
“[Villanova University’s men’s basketball coach] Rollie Massimino after winning the 1985 National Championship.”
5.
Several homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were set ablaze after local police bombed the headquarters of Black liberation group, MOVE in May 1985.
6.
In 1985, Coca-Cola debuted “New Coke.” It was dubbed one of the “biggest product flops in history,” per the History Channel.
7.
Queen rocks out during the Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium. A benefit concert to raise funds for Ethiopia, which had experienced a famine between 1983 and 1985, 72,000 fans packed into the English arena, with an estimated 1.9 billion others watching broadcasts worldwide.
8.
“… In 1985 the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira. French president François Mitterrand had personally authorized the bombing.”
9.
The aftermath of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
10.
A photo of one of the Titanic’s boilers, taken in September, 1985, when the wreck was first discovered on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor.
11.
“Bob Dylan & Tom Petty at Farm Aid, 1985.”
12.
Basketball legend Lynette Woodard in 1985, the same year she became the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
13.
A still from A-ha’s 1985 music video for “Take On Me.”
14.
“[At the Geneva Summit] In 1985, in the midst of the cold war, US President Ronald Reagan and USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev made a pact to put both their countries differences aside and have their militaries join as one if an alien invasion ever happened.”
15.
“TIL of the volcano Nevado del Ruiz that erupted in 1985 causing a volcanic mudslide that buried the town of Armero, Colombia and killed approximately 23,000 people.”
16.
George Clooney in a 1985 episode of ‘Facts of Life,” one of his earliest roles.
17.
“My mom smoking a cigar, 1985.”
18.
“Princess Diana look-alike contest in Washington D.C., 1985.”
19.
“My wife and I in 8th grade 1985. Were still together.”
20.
“The 1985 cast of SNL.”
21.
“My parents and their first microwave. 1985.”
22.
“Ready to go to the mall 1985.”
23.
“Arnold Schwarznegger in 1985.”
24.
“Grace Jones and her bodyguard Dolph Lundgren, 1985.”
25.
“Magic Johnson 1985.”
26.
“Metallica 1985.”
27.
“The only photo of a Concorde flying at Mach 2 taken by Adrian Meredith from an RAF Tornado attack fighter over the Irish Sea in April 1985.”
28.
“Mike Tyson before his professional boxing debut in 1985 in Albany, NY. Behind him: coach Cus D’Amato who saw the troubled young heavyweight as his greatest prospect. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.”
29.
“A young Xi Jinping (right), now President of the People's Republic of China, on his first visit to the US, where he stayed with the Dvochak family in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1985.”
30.
“Yugo cars being shipped out of Kragujevac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia to the US, 1985. About 140,000 Yugos were sold in the US 1985-1992.”
31.
“Obama circa 1985 hanging with friends.”

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31 Photos of What the World Looked Like in 1985

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NEXT GALLERY 19 Community Notes Roasting People With Cold Hard Facts

1. Star-studded super group U.S.A for Africa during the recording of “We Are the World.”

2. “Ronald Reagan during his second Inauguration, January 21st 1985.”

3. A photo taken at an Irish pharmacy, date unknown. The Irish government voted to allow the sale of contraceptives that February.

4. “[Villanova University’s men’s basketball coach] Rollie Massimino after winning the 1985 National Championship.”

5. Several homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were set ablaze after local police bombed the headquarters of Black liberation group, MOVE in May 1985.

6. In 1985, Coca-Cola debuted “New Coke.” It was dubbed one of the “biggest product flops in history,” per the History Channel.

7. Queen rocks out during the Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium. A benefit concert to raise funds for Ethiopia, which had experienced a famine between 1983 and 1985, 72,000 fans packed into the English arena, with an estimated 1.9 billion others watching broadcasts worldwide.

8. “… In 1985 the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira. French president François Mitterrand had personally authorized the bombing.”

9. The aftermath of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.

10. A photo of one of the Titanic’s boilers, taken in September, 1985, when the wreck was first discovered on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor.

11. “Bob Dylan & Tom Petty at Farm Aid, 1985.”

12. Basketball legend Lynette Woodard in 1985, the same year she became the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters.

13. A still from A-ha’s 1985 music video for “Take On Me.”

14. “[At the Geneva Summit] In 1985, in the midst of the cold war, US President Ronald Reagan and USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev made a pact to put both their countries differences aside and have their militaries join as one if an alien invasion ever happened.”

15. “TIL of the volcano Nevado del Ruiz that erupted in 1985 causing a volcanic mudslide that buried the town of Armero, Colombia and killed approximately 23,000 people.”

16. George Clooney in a 1985 episode of ‘Facts of Life,” one of his earliest roles.

17. “My mom smoking a cigar, 1985.”

18. “Princess Diana look-alike contest in Washington D.C., 1985.”

19. “My wife and I in 8th grade 1985. Were still together.”

20. “The 1985 cast of SNL.”

21. “My parents and their first microwave. 1985.”

22. “Ready to go to the mall 1985.”

23. “Arnold Schwarznegger in 1985.”

24. “Grace Jones and her bodyguard Dolph Lundgren, 1985.”

25. “Magic Johnson 1985.”

26. “Metallica 1985.”

27. “The only photo of a Concorde flying at Mach 2 taken by Adrian Meredith from an RAF Tornado attack fighter over the Irish Sea in April 1985.”

28. “Mike Tyson before his professional boxing debut in 1985 in Albany, NY. Behind him: coach Cus D’Amato who saw the troubled young heavyweight as his greatest prospect. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.”

29. “A young Xi Jinping (right), now President of the People's Republic of China, on his first visit to the US, where he stayed with the Dvochak family in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1985.”

30. “Yugo cars being shipped out of Kragujevac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia to the US, 1985. About 140,000 Yugos were sold in the US 1985-1992.”

31. “Obama circa 1985 hanging with friends.”

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1.
Star-studded super group U.S.A for Africa during the recording of “We Are the World.”

2.
“Ronald Reagan during his second Inauguration, January 21st 1985.”

3.
A photo taken at an Irish pharmacy, date unknown. The Irish government voted to allow the sale of contraceptives that February.

4.
“[Villanova University’s men’s basketball coach] Rollie Massimino after winning the 1985 National Championship.”

5.
Several homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were set ablaze after local police bombed the headquarters of Black liberation group, MOVE in May 1985.

6.
In 1985, Coca-Cola debuted “New Coke.” It was dubbed one of the “biggest product flops in history,” per the History Channel.

7.
Queen rocks out during the Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium. A benefit concert to raise funds for Ethiopia, which had experienced a famine between 1983 and 1985, 72,000 fans packed into the English arena, with an estimated 1.9 billion others watching broadcasts worldwide.

8.
“… In 1985 the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira. French president François Mitterrand had personally authorized the bombing.”

9.
The aftermath of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.

10.
A photo of one of the Titanic’s boilers, taken in September, 1985, when the wreck was first discovered on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor.

11.
“Bob Dylan & Tom Petty at Farm Aid, 1985.”

12.
Basketball legend Lynette Woodard in 1985, the same year she became the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters.

13.
A still from A-ha’s 1985 music video for “Take On Me.”

14.
“[At the Geneva Summit] In 1985, in the midst of the cold war, US President Ronald Reagan and USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev made a pact to put both their countries differences aside and have their militaries join as one if an alien invasion ever happened.”

15.
“TIL of the volcano Nevado del Ruiz that erupted in 1985 causing a volcanic mudslide that buried the town of Armero, Colombia and killed approximately 23,000 people.”

16.
George Clooney in a 1985 episode of ‘Facts of Life,” one of his earliest roles.

17.
“My mom smoking a cigar, 1985.”

18.
“Princess Diana look-alike contest in Washington D.C., 1985.”

19.
“My wife and I in 8th grade 1985. Were still together.”

20.
“The 1985 cast of SNL.”

21.
“My parents and their first microwave. 1985.”

22.
“Ready to go to the mall 1985.”

23.
“Arnold Schwarznegger in 1985.”

24.
“Grace Jones and her bodyguard Dolph Lundgren, 1985.”

25.
“Magic Johnson 1985.”

26.
“Metallica 1985.”

27.
“The only photo of a Concorde flying at Mach 2 taken by Adrian Meredith from an RAF Tornado attack fighter over the Irish Sea in April 1985.”

28.
“Mike Tyson before his professional boxing debut in 1985 in Albany, NY. Behind him: coach Cus D’Amato who saw the troubled young heavyweight as his greatest prospect. He defeated Hector Mercedes via first-round TKO.”

29.
“A young Xi Jinping (right), now President of the People's Republic of China, on his first visit to the US, where he stayed with the Dvochak family in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1985.”

30.
“Yugo cars being shipped out of Kragujevac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia to the US, 1985. About 140,000 Yugos were sold in the US 1985-1992.”

31.
“Obama circa 1985 hanging with friends.”