Year by year · 20th century
1985
1985 in world history: 11 events, 1 birth, 15 deaths, 1 state founded and 1 that came to an end. 198 recorded states existed that year.
Events
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader
The 54-year-old Gorbachev was chosen General Secretary the day after Konstantin Chernenko's death. His policies of glasnost and perestroika unleashed forces that ended the Soviet Union in 1991.
Coca-Cola launches New Coke
Coca-Cola replaced its 99-year-old formula with a sweeter recipe. Public protest was so strong that the original returned as Coca-Cola Classic 79 days later.
Boris Becker, 17, becomes Wimbledon's youngest men's champion
Unseeded West German Boris Becker beat Kevin Curren in four sets to win Wimbledon at 17. He remains the youngest men's singles champion in the tournament's history.
Event
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 at Schengen in Luxembourg by Belgium, France, West Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to abolish checks at their common borders gradually.
Treaty · Peace
South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty
The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, or Treaty of Rarotonga, was signed at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands on 6 August 1985 by members of the South Pacific Forum, including Australia and New Zealand.
Event
Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior was a bombing by agents of the French foreign intelligence service, the DGSE, in Auckland harbour on 10 July 1985.
Event
New Economic Policy (Bolivia)
The New Economic Policy was the stabilisation programme introduced in Bolivia by President Víctor Paz Estenssoro through Supreme Decree 21060 of August 1985.
In the profiles
New ZealandFrench agents sink the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour
Grand Duchy of LuxembourgThe Schengen Agreement is signed at the village of Schengen
Soviet UnionMikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary
ChavínChavín de Huántar is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Born in 1985 1
Died in 1985 15
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg1896–1985
Tatiana Proskouriakoff1909–1985
Enver Hoxha1908–1985
Ferhat Abbas1899–1985
Fernand Braudel1902–1985
Forbes Burnham1923–1985
Lon Nol1913–1985
Tancredo Neves1910–1985
Emílio Garrastazu Médici1905–1985
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam1900–1985- Fernando Pereira1950–1985
- Yusuf Lule1912–1985
- Tom Adams1931–1985
- Hugo Spadafora1940–1985
- P. V. Glob1911–1985
States founded 1
States that came to an end 1
All years → The 20th century →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1985. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1985
- MLA
- “1985.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1985. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “1985.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1985.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1985’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1985 (Accessed: ).