Born in 1985
Turns 41 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1985
1985 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from £21.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from £21.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from £21.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from £21.50
Front Page: United Kingdom 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 1985 · United Kingdom
A little history to go with their gift.
Live Aid linked concerts in London and Philadelphia by satellite, while Back to the Future sent its young hero across decades. Scientists also reported a major loss of ozone over Antarctica. Music, film and atmospheric research all left a clear mark on 1985.
What happened in 1985?
Live Aid joins two concert stages by satellite
Live Aid’s benefit concerts took place in London and Philadelphia on July 13, 1985.
Back to the Future reaches theaters
Back to the Future opened widely in the United States on July 3, 1985.
Scientists report Antarctic ozone loss
A British Antarctic Survey team published its report on major springtime ozone loss over Antarctica on May 16, 1985.
J. C. Farman, B. G. Gardiner and J. D. Shanklin; Nature · NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Ozone Watch
Scientists revealed the Antarctic ozone hole
A landmark paper revealed unexpectedly large springtime ozone losses over Antarctica, exposing a planetary-scale environmental threat.
Firsts and new ideas
Reagan and Gorbachev meet for the first time
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held their first summit meeting in Geneva from November 19 to 21, 1985.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum · U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
Windows 1.0 reaches computer users
Microsoft released Windows 1.0 in the United States on November 20, 1985, introducing a graphical operating environment for personal computers.
Number ones and music in 1985
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
We Are the World turns pop stars into a relief chorus
USA for Africa released the charity single on March 7, 1985, bringing prominent American singers together for famine relief.
Tina Turner and Lionel Richie lead Grammy winners
The 27th Grammy Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium on February 26, 1985.
Recording Academy / GRAMMYs · Los Angeles Times; Robert Hilburn
Prices and everyday money in 1985
United Kingdom figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Average weekly earnings per person in the United Kingdom (Bank of England series) | £131.80 per week | GBP per week Bank of England (series republished by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED) |
| sugar (annual average) | 48p | perkg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| flour (annual average) | 43p | per1.5kg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| bread (annual average) | 40p | 800g source-table loaf Office for National Statistics |
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Someone born in 1985 turns 41 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.
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