Born in 1986
Turns 40 in 2026 · 40th birthday gifts
40th birthday gifts for someone born in 1986
1986 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $30.00Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $30.00
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $30.00
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $30.00
Front Page: United States edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1986 · United States
A little history to go with their gift.
Top Gun opened in US theatres, the Commonwealth Games came to Edinburgh, and a Woods Hole team filmed the Titanic wreck. These records connect blockbuster cinema, a major UK-hosted sporting event and deep-sea exploration in 1986.
What happened in 1986?
Argentina lift the World Cup in Mexico
Argentina won the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, defeating West Germany 3–2 in the final after Diego Maradona had inspired the team through the tournament.
FIFA · Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation; Karel Stokkermans and Sergio Henrique Jarreta
Voyager 2 makes its first Uranus flyby
On January 24, Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to fly past Uranus, returning close-range observations of its moons, rings and magnetic field.
The Mets take the World Series in seven games
The New York Mets beat the Boston Red Sox 8–5 in Game Seven on October 27, 1986, to win the World Series.
Society for American Baseball Research; Matthew Silverman · Sports Reference
Liberty Weekend celebrates the statue centennial
The Statue of Liberty centennial was marked by a major Liberty Weekend celebration around July 4, 1986.
Firsts and new ideas
The first federal King holiday is observed
The United States observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday for the first time.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University · National Park Service
Apple introduces the Macintosh Plus
Apple introduced the Macintosh Plus, adding more memory and a SCSI port to its Macintosh line.
Number ones and music in 1986
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Lionel Richie opened 1986 atop the Hot 100
Lionel Richie’s ‘Say You, Say Me’ occupied No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 issue dated January 4, 1986.
Sade wins Best New Artist
Sade won Best New Artist at the 28th Annual Grammy Awards telecast in 1986.
Prices and everyday money in 1986
United States figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh whole milk | $1.11 | ½ gallon U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics series, hosted by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; USDA Economic Research Service |
| Domestic first-class letter | 22¢ | first oz United States Postal Service; The Washington Post; Keith B. Richburg |
| Regular unleaded gasoline | $0.93 | 1 US gal U.S. Energy Information Administration; Cato Institute Policy Analysis No. 145; Robert L. Bradley Jr. |
| U.S. movie admission | $3.71 | one ticket National Association of Theatre Owners; Encyclopedia.com; St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1986 turns 40 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
See milestone birthdays this year