Your place in the Universe on 1986
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Get your map!The Highlights of 1986: A Year That Shaped the Future
1986 (MCMLXXXVI in Roman Numerals) was the year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1986th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations.
Is 1986 a year special to you? Discover what 1986 was famous for, Key World Leaders of 1986, 1986 Time’s Person of the Year, the #1 song, movie and book in 1986, how old is someone born in 1986 and what Chinese zodiac sign is associated to 1986.
On this page we will address all your questions and curiosities about 1986 to help you enjoy your trip down memory lane.
Table of contents
- What was 1986 known for ?
- Key World Leaders of 1986
- Who was the U.S. President in 1986?
- Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1986?
- Who was the Pope in 1986?
- 1986: Who was Time's Person of the Year?
- What was the number 1 song in the USA in 1986?
- What was the number 1 song in the UK in 1986?
- What was the most popular movie in 1986?
- What was the best selling book in 1986?
- How old is someone born in 1986?
- What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 1986?
What was 1986 known for ?
- 1986 was a memorable year for many reasons, particularly for space exploration, and sadly for mixed reasons. While humankind did make some advances in space, notably with NASA’s Voyager 2 passing by the icy planet Uranus, and with the launch of the Soviet Union’s space station, Mir, there was a major disaster that occurred this year.
- 1986 will unfortunately be remembered in no small part due to the Challenger disaster. On January 28th, NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, less than two minutes after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with no crewmembers surviving the crash.
- In another disaster for the other major power in the Cold War, on April 26th, the Chernobyl disaster occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near Pripyat in what was at the time part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. The explosion and fires caused unfathomable damage and killed thousands of people.
- 1986 was not all bad news, however. This was the year that Pixar Animation Studios opened in California, a company that would bring joy to millions with their films and animated creations. In television news, this was the year that The Oprah Winfrey Show premiered in syndication.
- This was also a significant year for gamers, as Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda in Japan. This game would become an international sensation and, as part of Nintendo’s foundation, it would become a great gaming franchise, spanning decades. 1986 was also the year that Nintendo released Dragon Quest in Japan. This game would be released as Dragon Warrior in North America a few years later, after the localization process had been completed. This game is significant because it laid the foundation for the Role Playing Game (RPG) genre for gaming consoles.
- 1986 was also a big year for theatre and film. This was the year that The Phantom of the Operaopened in London. It holds the distinction of being the longest-running show in Broadway history. In film, Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Platoon, Aliens, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were all notable films this year.
- The world population in 1986 was 4,960,567,912 people according to data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. This figure includes both urban and rural populations. The urban population at that time accounted for 42.0% of the total population, which is roughly 2.1 billion individuals.The annual population change in 1986 was an increase of +89.6 million people, representing a percentage increase of +1.84% over the previous year.The average population density in 1986 was 21 persons per square mile (or 33 persons per square kilometer).
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Key World Leaders of 1986
Who was the U.S. President in 1986?
In 1986, Ronald Reagan (Republican) was the President of the United States. His term spanned from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989. During his presidency, he revitalized the economy through supply-side economics and helped end the Cold War through diplomacy with the Soviet Union.
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1986?
In 1986 the UK Prime Minister was Margaret Thatcher (Conservative). During her premiership, she pursued free-market reforms, privatization, and was known for her firm leadership during the Falklands War.
Who was the Pope in 1986?
The leader of the Catholic Church in 1986 was Pope St John Paul II who had held the papacy since 1978. During his long pontificate, he played a key role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, expanded interfaith dialogue, and was a strong advocate for human rights.
1986: Who was Time's Person of the Year?
Corazon Aquino
In 1986, Corazon Aquino was named by TIME magazine as Person of the Year. Aquino was a prominent figure in 1986's People Power Revolution, being elected President of the Philippines.
What was the number 1 song in the USA in 1986?
The number 1 song in the USA in 1986, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was Dancing On The Ceiling by Lionel Richie
What was the number 1 song in the UK in 1986?
The number 1 song in the UK in 1986, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was I Want To Wake Up With You by Boris Gardiner
What was the most popular movie in 1986?
The most popular movie and box office hit was Momo by Johannes Schaaf
What was the best selling book in 1986?
How old is someone born in 1986?
Someone born in 1986 is 39 years old this year.
Try out our age, time and generation calculators:
What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 1986?
According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 1986 was the Year of the Tiger.
Discover Zodiac Sign Characteristics and Personality Traits of people born under the Tiger sign.