The world in
What happened in 1986?
25 events across 10 world regions, each with its sources.
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 ↗
Anfal CampaignFrom February to September 1988, the Iraqi Ba'athist regime launched the Anfal campaign, systematically targeting rural Kurds in northern Iraq. Ordered by Saddam Hussein and led by Ali Hassan al-Majid, its goals were to eliminate Kurdish rebel groups and Arabize strategic areas of Kirkuk Governorate. An estimated 50,000 to 180,000 civilians were killed, and the campaign is widely considered genocide, most notoriously marked by the chemical attack on Halabja in March 1988.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: James Gordon from Los Angeles, California, USA / CC BY 2.0 ↗
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.
Establishment of Sultan Qaboos UniversityIn 1986, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman's first national university, was established in Muscat. Its founding aimed to advance higher education and research in the country, named after the reigning Sultan Qaboos bin Said, marking a milestone in Oman's modern education system.
Imam Hossein University foundedImam Hossein University was founded in 1986 in Tehran, Iran, by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Seyed Mehdi Mousavi Zare. It offered faculties in engineering, science, social sciences, law, and military science.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Facecite12656 ( talk ) / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Europe
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Chernobyl disasterOn 26 April 1986, reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine exploded during a test, causing a meltdown. It released massive radioactive contamination across the Soviet Union and Europe, becoming the worst nuclear accident in history, rated maximum level 7. Over 500,000 personnel were involved in the response, an exclusion zone was created, and tens of thousands were evacuated. The economic cost is estimated at about US$700 billion, making it the most expensive disaster in history.
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.
National Museum of Roman Art inauguratedOn 19 September 1986, the National Museum of Roman Art was inaugurated at its current location in Mérida, Spain, designed by architect Rafael Moneo. The museum is dedicated to exhibiting archaeological finds from the Roman city of Emerita Augusta, part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Completion of the Lloyd's BuildingThe Lloyd's Building in the City of London was completed in 1986, designed by architect Richard Rogers. As a radical example of high-tech architecture, it places services such as lifts and ducts on the exterior to maximise interior space, sparking widespread controversy and becoming a London landmark.
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.
Completion of the Lotus Temple in New DelhiIn December 1986, the Lotus Temple, a Bahá'í House of Worship in New Delhi, India, was completed and opened. Renowned for its lotus-like design, the structure comprises marble-clad 'petals' and has a large central hall. As the mother temple of South Asia, it is open to all faiths. It quickly became one of India's most visited buildings, drawing tens of millions worldwide and winning architectural awards.
Faisal Mosque Foundation LayingThe foundation stone of the Faisal Mosque was laid in Islamabad, Pakistan. Financed by Saudi King Faisal and named after him, the mosque was designed by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, inspired by a Bedouin tent. It became Pakistan's largest mosque.
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.
North Africa
Toyota WarThe Toyota War, the final phase of the Chadian–Libyan conflict in 1987, derived its name from the extensive use of Toyota pickups by Chadian forces. The war resulted in a heavy defeat for Libya, which lost about 7,500 men and $1.5 billion in military equipment, while Chad suffered around 1,000 deaths.
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.
North America
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Expo 86The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication was held from May 2 to October 13, 1986, on the north shore of False Creek in Vancouver, Canada. Themed "Transportation and Communication: World in Motion – World in Touch", it celebrated Vancouver's centennial and was Canada's second world's fair after Expo 67 in Montreal.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose from Montreal, Canada / CC BY 2.0 ↗
- 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 ↗
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 the Galápagos Marine ReserveThe Galápagos Marine Reserve was established around the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, covering about 133,000 km². It is the largest marine reserve in a developing country and the second largest in the world, protecting one of the most unusual ecosystems and rich biodiversity 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 ↗
Central Asian steppe
The Jeltoqsan protests eruptIn December 1986, Soviet leader Gorbachev replaced the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Kunaev, with ethnic Russian Kolbin, sparking protests by students and citizens in Alma-Ata. The demonstrations were met with armed force, resulting in bloodshed. The event is seen as a catalyst for Kazakh nationalism.
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 ↗
Oceania
Inscription of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves as a World Heritage SiteIn 1986, the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (later called the Gondwana Rainforests) in Australia were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site comprises several protected areas along the New South Wales–Queensland border, and is internationally significant for its shield volcanic crater geology and rare rainforest species.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Malcolm Jacobson / CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
Around 1986
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'