The world in
What happened in 1985?
23 events across 9 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Cold WarAfter World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
%20signatures.jpg?width=176)
Signing of the Schengen AgreementOn 14 June 1985, the Schengen Agreement was signed near Schengen, Luxembourg. It laid the framework for gradually abolishing internal border checks among signatories and launched the Schengen integration process, becoming the first step toward the Schengen Area (visa and related measures were systematised in the later Implementation Convention).
Opening of the Antonivka Road BridgeOn December 24, 1985, the Antonivka Road Bridge spanning the Dnieper River was officially opened. The road bridge is located in Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, connecting Antonivka with Oleshky, with a total length of 1,366 meters.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Uaquantum at Russian Wikipedia / Public domain ↗
-Museo%20Arqueol%C3%B3gico%20Nacional.jpg?width=176)
Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain inscribed as World Heritage SiteIn 1985, the Cave of Altamira in Spain was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together with 17 additional caves added in 2008, they represent the apogee of Upper Paleolithic cave art in Europe, dating from 35,000 to 11,000 BC.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: José-Manuel Benito / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Aggtelek National ParkHungary established Aggtelek National Park in 1985. Located in northern Hungary, the park covers about 199 square kilometres and is noted for its karst landscape and numerous caves. The cave system was later inscribed as a World Heritage site.
South Asia
Soviet Invasion of AfghanistanIn December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan mujahideen, who received aid from multiple countries. The war lasted nearly a decade, ending with the Soviet withdrawal in February 1989. American and British support for the mujahideen escalated the Cold War, ending a brief period of relaxed Soviet–US relations.
Outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese WarIn December 1978, Vietnam launched a large-scale invasion of Cambodia, toppling the Khmer Rouge regime, which marked the outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Border clashes had occurred in preceding years. The war was part of the Third Indochina War and intertwined with the Sino-Soviet split in the Cold War.
Chandoli National Park Designated as Wildlife SanctuaryThe area that would become Chandoli National Park in Maharashtra, India, was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985, forming the future southern part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
West Asia
Iran–Iraq War beginsIn September 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, igniting the Iran–Iraq War. The eight-year conflict stemmed from long-standing border disputes and Iraqi fears that Iran’s Islamic Revolution might spread to its Shiite population. The war caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, becoming the deadliest conventional war between regular armies of developing countries.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Uploader was gIre_3piCH2005 at fa.wikipedia / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of the 1982 Lebanon WarOn 6 June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon, marking the start of the 1982 Lebanon War. The war lasted until a partial Israeli withdrawal in 1985. According to the Associated Press, around 20,000 Lebanese and Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed, along with 670 Israeli soldiers.
South Lebanon conflict eruptsThe South Lebanon conflict erupted in 1985, with Israel and its allied South Lebanon Army fighting Hezbollah-led forces in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon. Seen as an extension of the Lebanese Civil War, the conflict persisted until Israel's withdrawal in 2000.
North America
- Presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981‑1989)
Ronald Reagan served as the 40th president of the United States from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989. A Republican, he won the 1980 election against incumbent Jimmy Carter and was re-elected in 1984 against Walter Mondale. Constitutionally limited to two terms, Reagan was succeeded by his vice president George H. W. Bush.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
1985 Mexico City EarthquakeOn 19 September 1985, a powerful earthquake struck Greater Mexico City, causing extensive destruction, building collapses, and thousands of deaths. Although the shocks originated off the coast along the Middle America Trench, hundreds of kilometers away, Mexico City suffered severe damage because seismic waves were amplified by the ancient lake bed beneath the city.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: United States Geological Survey / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Miguasha National ParkMiguasha National Park was established in the late 20th century in Quebec, Canada, to protect its rich fossil heritage, later recognized as a World Heritage Site for bearing witness to a crucial time in the evolution of life on Earth.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Beginning of the South African Border WarIn 1966, the South African Border War broke out across Namibia, Zambia, and Angola. It was fought between the South African Defence Force and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, the armed wing of SWAPO. The conflict, closely tied to the Angolan Civil War, became one of Africa's largest wars since World War II.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: No machine-readable author provided. Ceresnet assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗
- Chadian–Libyan War
Between 1978 and 1987, Libya conducted a series of military campaigns in Chad, fighting alongside Libyan allies against the French-backed Chadian government. Libya repeatedly intervened in the Chadian civil war, and France also intervened militarily to support the Chadian government. The conflict ended with the victory of pro-French forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Agacher Strip War erupts
In late December 1985, a brief armed conflict broke out between Burkina Faso and Mali over a disputed border strip over 100 km long. The area had been a source of contention since the 1960s, with armed clashes in 1974. Despite agreeing to mediation and petitioning the International Court of Justice, progress stalled. Fighting erupted on 25 (or 14) December 1985 and a ceasefire was reached within days. The conflict was driven in part by internal economic, social, and political pressures in both countries.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
Nicaraguan RevolutionThe Nicaraguan Revolution was a revolutionary movement in Nicaragua from 1961 to 1990, led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, aiming to overthrow the Somoza family dictatorship and, after its success in 1979, to carry out social and economic reforms.
Establishment of Desembarco del Granma National ParkDesembarco del Granma National Park was established in Granma Province, northeastern Cuba, renowned for its karst topography and coastal cliffs. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1999. The park's name means 'Landing of the Granma,' referring to the 1956 arrival of Fidel Castro and others aboard the Granma yacht, which sparked the Cuban Revolution.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: VIChapayev at Wikitravel / CC BY-SA 1.0 ↗
Oceania
Al Noor Mosque completedIn 1985, the Al Noor Mosque, a Sunni mosque in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton, New Zealand, was completed. It was built by the Muslim Association of Canterbury, an organisation founded in 1977 that also manages the mosque.
East Asia
- Launch of Reform and Opening-up
After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in December 1978, China began implementing a policy centered on economic reform, known as 'reform and opening-up'. Proposed under Deng Xiaoping's leadership, it aimed to introduce market mechanisms and expand foreign economic exchanges.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North Africa
Outbreak of the Western Sahara WarIn 1975, after Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania took over administration under the Madrid Accords, leading to armed conflict with the Polisario Front. Morocco organized the Green March, with tens of thousands of citizens and around 20,000 troops entering Western Sahara, meeting resistance from the Polisario Front. Fighting was minor at first but evolved into a prolonged guerrilla war. The Polisario Front fought both Morocco and Mauritania, seeking independence. Mauritania withdrew in 1979, but the war persisted until a 1991 ceasefire.
Around 1985
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Guatemalan Maya genocide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'