1985 in the United States

Events from the year 1985 in the United States.

Incumbents

Federal government

* President: Ronald Reagan ( R-California)
* Vice President: George H. W. Bush ( R-Texas)
* Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
* Speaker of the House of Representatives: Tip O'Neill ( D-Massachusetts)
* Senate Majority Leader: Howard Baker ( R-Tennessee) (until January 3), Bob Dole ( R-Kansas) (starting January 3)
* Congress: 98th (until January 3), 99th (starting January 3)

Events

January

* January 20
**President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush are privately sworn in for a second term in office (publicly sworn in, January 21).
**Super Bowl XIX: The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Miami Dolphins 38–16 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California.
* January 28 – In Hollywood, California, the charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by USA for Africa. Like the enormously successful "Do They Know It's Christmas?" that was recorded by Band Aid in the UK two months prior, the single raises money to combat the ongoing famine in Ethiopia. The American act consists of high-profile performers, including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper and Diana Ross.

February

* February 5 – Australia cancels its involvement in United States-led MX missile tests.
* February 6 – President Reagan delivers his fourth State of the Union Address to the Congress. The congress sings ''Happy Birthday'' to him afterwards.
* February 9 – U.S. drug agent Enrique Camarena is kidnapped and murdered in Mexico (his body is discovered on March 5).
* February 13 – Bobby Knight throws a chair across a basketball court.
* February 14
** CNN reporter Jeremy Levin is freed from captivity in Lebanon.
** 21-year-old female singer Whitney Houston releases her debut album – ''Whitney Houston''.
*February 20
** Clarence Nash, voice actor, famous for make the Donald Duck voice.

March

* March 1 – The GNU Manifesto by Richard Stallman is published for the first time.
* March 4 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS, used since then to screen all blood donations in the United States.
* March 6 – Boxer Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first-round knockout.
* March 8 – A car bomb planted in Beirut by CIA mercenaries attempts to kill Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. He survives, but the bomb kills more than 80 people and injures 200.
* March 16 – Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut (he is eventually released on December 4, 1991).
* March 25 – The 57th Academy Awards, hosted by Jack Lemmon, are held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, with Miloš Forman's ''Amadeus'' winning Best Picture and Best Director (Forman's second win), along with six other awards out of 11 nominations. The film is tied in nominations with David Lean's ''A Passage to India''.
* March 31 – WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.

April

* The National Archives and Records Administration is established as an independent federal agency.
* Cincinnati, OH-based Procter & Gamble ditches the moon & stars symbol from its packaging.
* April 1 – Eighth-seeded Villanova defeats national powerhouse Georgetown, 66–64, to win the first 64-team field NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky.
* April 7 – National Geographic Explorer debuts on Nickelodeon.
* April 11 – The USS ''Coral Sea'' collides with the Ecuadorian tanker ship ''Napo'' off the coast of Cuba.
* April 12 – 1985 El Descanso bombing: A terrorist bombing attributed to the Islamic Jihad Organization in the ''El Descanso'' restaurant near Madrid, Spain, mostly attended by U.S. personnel of the Torrejon Air Force Base, causes 18 dead (all Spaniards) and 82 injured.
* April 15 – Birth of American YouTuber Robert F. Sanders, aka: Road Guy Rob.
* April 19 – A four-day siege of white supremacist group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord begins in Arkansas.
* April 23 – Coca-Cola changes its recipe and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.

May

* May 5 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan joins West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl for a controversial funeral service at a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, which includes the graves of 59 elite S.S. troops from World War II.
* May 11 – The FBI brings charges against the suspected heads of the five Mafia families in New York City.
* May 13 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode orders police to storm the radical black American resistance group MOVE's headquarters to end a stand-off. The police drop an explosive device into the headquarters, killing eleven members of MOVE and destroying the homes of 61 city residents in the resulting fire.
* May 15 – An explosive device sent by the Unabomber injures John Hauser at UC Berkeley.
* May 19 – John Anthony Walker Jr., is arrested by the FBI for passing classified Naval communications onto the Soviets.
* May 31 – Forty-one tornadoes hit in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario, killing 76 people.

June

* June 9 – Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics.
* June 13 – In Auburn, Washington, police defuse a Unabomber bomb sent to Boeing.
* June 14 – TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers from Athens to Rome, is hijacked by a Hezbollah fringe group. One passenger, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Robert Stethem, is killed.
* June 17 – John Hendricks launches the Discovery Channel in the United States.
* June 20 – NeXT is founded by Steve Jobs after he resigns from Apple Computer.
* June 24 – ''STS-51-G'': Space Shuttle ''Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery'' completes its mission, best remembered for having Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist.
* June 26 – A Walt Disney World Monorail System train catches fire in Epcot around 9:00 p.m, due to friction caused by a flat tire.
* June 27 – U.S. Route 66 is officially decommissioned.

July

* July 1
** Nick at Nite, a nighttime program service with an emphasis on classic television reruns, is launched in the United States, being broadcast on the same channel as Nickelodeon.
** A&E Network, A&E, which previously shared Nickelodeon's channel, begins broadcasting as its own 24-hour cable channel in January of that year on a separate satellite transponder.
* July 3 – ''Back to the Future'' opens in American theaters and ends up being the 1985 in film, highest-grossing film of 1985 in the United States, and the first film in the successful Back to the Future trilogy, franchise.
* July 13
**''Live Aid'' pop concerts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and London raise over £50,000,000 for famine relief in Ethiopia. The English people, English rock band Queen (band), Queen performs at Wembley Stadium in London for over 20 minutes. Queen's performance at the event was recreated in the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody (film), ''Bohemian Rhapsody''.
**Vice President George H. W. Bush serves as Acting president of the United States, acting president for eight hours, while President Ronald Reagan undergoes Colorectal cancer, colon cancer surgery under anesthesia.
* July 19 – Vice President George H. W. Bush announces that New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe will become the first school teacher to ride aboard the Space Shuttle ''Space Shuttle Challenger, Challenger''.
* July 20 – The main shipwreck site of the Spain, Spanish galleon ''Nuestra Señora de Atocha'' (which sank in 1622) is found forty miles off the coast of Key West, Florida by treasure hunters who begin to excavate $400,000,000 in coins and silver.
* July 24
**Commodore International, Commodore launches the Amiga personal computer at the Lincoln Center in New York City.
**Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation's 25th feature film, ''The Black Cauldron (film), The Black Cauldron'', is released. Considered one of the studio's darkest releases, it receives mixed reviews and results in a large revenue loss for Disney, putting the future of its animation department in jeopardy.

August

* August 2 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashes near Dallas, Texas, killing 137 people.
* August 4 – Major League Baseball player Rod Carew of the California Angels becomes the sixteenth player to achieve 3,000 hits in a career.
* August 20 – Iran–Contra affair: The first arms, 96 BGM-71 TOWs, are sent to Iran in exchange for hostages in Lebanon and profits for the Nicaraguan Contras without public knowledge.
* August 25 – Samantha Smith, "Goodwill Ambassador" between the Soviet Union and the United States for writing a letter to Yuri Andropov about nuclear war, and eventually visiting the Soviet Union at Andropov's request, dies in the Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 plane crash. She was 13 years old.
* August 26 – Ryan White, who was expelled from Western High School (Russiaville, Indiana), Western High School in Indiana, is allowed to attend his first day of classes via telephone.
* August 28 – The first smoking ban for restaurants in the United States is passed in Aspen, Colorado.
* August 31 – Richard Ramirez, the serial killer known as the Night Stalker, is captured in Los Angeles.

September

* September 2 – Hurricane Elena makes landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States, U.S. Gulf Coast after reaching Saffir–Simpson scale, Category 3 status.
* September 4 – Catcher Gary Carter of the New York Mets ties a record with five home runs in two games.
* September 6 – Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a Douglas DC-9, crashes just after takeoff from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killing 31 people.
* September 11 – Pete Rose becomes the all-time hit leader in Major League Baseball, with his 4,192nd hit at Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati), Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.
* September 13 – Steve Jobs resigns from Apple Computer in order to found NeXT.
* September 26 – List of captive orcas#Kalina, Kalina, the first captive orca born at SeaWorld as well as the first to survive past infancy, is born at SeaWorld Orlando.

October

* October 4 – The Free Software Foundation is founded in Massachusetts.
* October 7
** The cruise ship ''MS Achille Lauro, Achille Lauro'' is hijacked in the Mediterranean Sea by four heavily armed Palestinian terrorists. One passenger, American Leon Klinghoffer, is killed.
** The Mameyes landslide in Puerto Rico kills close to 300 people in the worst ever landslide in North American history.
* October 15 – In separate events, mail bombs kill two people in Salt Lake City, Utah; a third bomb explodes the next day, injuring career forgery, counterfeiter Mark Hofmann. The ensuing police investigation leads to the arrest of Hofmann for the two murders.
* October 18 – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in U.S. stores.
* October 27 – The Kansas City Royals defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3, to win their first World Series Title.

November

* November 13 – Xavier Suárez is sworn in as Miami's first Cuban-born mayor.
* November 18 – The comic strip ''Calvin and Hobbes'' appears for the first time, in 35 newspapers.
* November 19 – Cold War: In Geneva, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time.
* November 20 – Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.
* November 26 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan sells the rights to his autobiography to Random House for a record US$3,000,000.

December

* December 1 – The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are released for sale to the public.
* December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander International Airport, Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland, killing 256, 248 of whom were U.S. servicemen returning to Fort Campbell, Kentucky from overseeing a peacekeeping force in Sinai Peninsula, Sinai.
* December 16 – In New York City, American Mafia, Mafia bosses Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are shot dead in front of Spark's Steak House, making hit organizer John Gotti the leader of the powerful Gambino crime family.
* December 24 – Right wing extremist David Lewis Rice murders civil rights Lawyer, attorney Charles Goldmark as well as Goldmark's wife and two children in Seattle. Rice suspected the family of being both Jewish and Communist, and claimed his dedication to the Christian Identity movement drove him to the crime.
* December 27 – American naturalist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda.
* December 31 – The last issue of ''The Columbus Citizen-Journal'' is circulated.

Undated

* 1985: The Year of the Spy, "The Year of the Spy", name given by media to 1985 because of a large number of foreign spies arrested in the United States.
* ''Selected Manifestations'' book is published.
* The Tommy Hilfiger brand is established.
* The Asian tiger mosquito, an invasive species, is first found in Houston, Texas.
* Why Me & Sherry's House, a non-profit organization, is established in Worcester, Massachusetts.
* ATI Technologies is founded (originally as Array Technology) in North America by Lee Ka Lau, Francis Lau, Benny Lau and Kwok Yuen Ho.

Ongoing

* Cold War (1947–1991)
* Iran–Contra affair (1985–1987)

Births

January

* January 1
** Chris Cayole, basketball player
** Juliana Harkavy, actress
* January 2
** Adrienne Lyle, Olympic dressage rider
** Heather O'Reilly, soccer player
** Greg Toler, football player
* January 3
** Asa Akira, pornographic actress and director
** Condrew Allen, football player
** Nicole Beharie, actress and singer
** John David Booty, football player
* January 4 – Al Jefferson, basketball player
* January 5 – Luvvie Ajayi, Nigerian-born author, speaker, and digital strategist
* January 6 – Ian M. Anderson, founder of Afternoon Records
* January 8
** Arctic Hospital, DJ and record producer
** Adam Cristman, soccer player
** Rachael Lampa, Christian singer
** Dan O'Connor (singer), Dan O'Connor, guitarist and frontman for Four Year Strong
* January 9
** Brett Camerota, Olympic Nordic combined skier
** Eric Camerota, Olympic Nordic combined skier
* January 10 – Alex Meraz, actor, dancer, and martial artist
* January 11
** Saba Ahmed, Pakistani-born political activist, lawyer, engineer, and founder of the Republican Muslim Coalition
** Lucy Knisley, comic artist and musician
** Aja Naomi King, actress
* January 12
** Cynthia Addai-Robinson, actress
** Issa Rae, actress
* January 14
** Billy Chiles, soccer player
** Michelle Wu, politician
* January 15 – Brandon Mebane, football player
* January 16
** Ash Christian, actor, film director, and producer (died 2020 in the United States, 2020)
** Joe Flacco, football player
** Renée Felice Smith, actress
* January 18 – Matt Hobby, actor and comedian
* January 19
** Jake Allen (American football), Jake Allen, football player
** Damien Chazelle, film director and screenwriter
* January 20
** Antoine Agudio, basketball player
** Lauren Cahoon, Olympic Taekwondo practitioner
** Brantley Gilbert, country singer/songwriter
* January 21
** Nick Gehlfuss, actor
** Salvatore Giunta, U.S. Army Veteran in the Afghan War and List of post-Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients, Medal of Honor Recipient
* January 22
** Cory Ann Avants, tennis player
** Scott Cousins, baseball player
** Shana Cox, American-born British Olympic sprinter
* January 23 – Shola Adisa-Farrar, singer and actress
* January 25
** Brent Celek, football player
** Hartley Sawyer, actor, producer and writer
** Michael Trevino, actor
* January 26
** Emily Afton, singer and actress
** Sean Cameron (footballer), Sean Cameron, American-born Guyanese footballer
** Chico Camus, mixed martial artist
** Edwin Hodge, actor
* January 27 – Danial Ahmed, Pakistani-born cricketer
* January 28 – J. Cole, Hip-Hop musician and record producer
* January 29 – Mikey Hachey, bass player
* January 30
** Susannah Cahalan, journalist and author
** Janae Cox, gymnast
** Kevin Kiley (politician), Kevin Kiley, politician
** Trae Williams, football player
* January 31
** Russell Fry (politician), Russell Fry, politician
** Kalomira, Greek-born singer and model

February

* February 1
** Sohrab Ahmari, columnist, editor, and author of nonfiction books
** Alex Clark, Youtuber/animator
** Colin Curtis, baseball player
* February 2
** Morris Almond, basketball player
** Evan Alex Cole, actor
** Jake Luhrs, singer and frontman for August Burns Red
** Fontel Mines, football player
* February 4 – Bug Hall, actor
* February 5
** Laurence Maroney, football player
** Lindsey Cardinale, singer
* February 6
** Chester Adams, football player
** Patrick Carter (American football), Patrick Carter, football player
** Kris Humphries, basketball player
** Crystal Reed, actress
* February 7
** Derrick Lewis, mixed martial artist
** Tina Majorino, actress
** Deborah Ann Woll, actress
* February 8
** Jeremy Davis, bassist for Paramore (2004-2016)
** Bob Morris (musician), Bob Morris, singer-songwriter and guitarist for The Hush Sound
** Brian Randle, basketball player and coach
* February 9
** David Gallagher, actor
** Rachel Melvin, actress
* February 11
** Nicholas Altobelli, singer/songwriter
** William Beckett (singer), William Beckett, singer/songwriter and frontman for The Academy Is...
** Ben Croft, racquetball player
* February 12 – Cuban-born mixed martial artist
* February 13
** Jon Applebaum, politician
** Dan Coleman (basketball), Dan Coleman, basketball player
* February 14
** Tyler Clippard, baseball player
** Jake Lacy, actor
* February 15 – Natalie Morales (actress), Natalie Morales, actress
* February 16
** Logan Clark, mixed martial artist
** Stacy Lewis, golfer
* February 17 – Zelda Harris, actress
* February 19
** Haylie Duff, actress and singer-songwriter
** Arielle Kebbel, actress
* February 20 – TJ Kirk, YouTube personality
* February 21 – Ashley Costello, singer and vocalist for New Years Day (band), New Years Day,
* February 22
** Fred the Godson, rapper and DJ (died 2020 in the United States, 2020)
** Sean Garballey, politician
** Ryan Hall (fighter), Ryan Hall, mixed martial artist
** Zach Roerig, actor
* February 23 – Sam Chelanga, Kenyan-born marathon runner
* February 24
** Murder of Gwen Araujo, Gwen Araujo, murder victim (d. 2002)
** Priscilla Chan, philanthropist and co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms
* February 25 – Joakim Noah, basketball player
* February 26 – Shiloh Fernandez, actor
* February 27
** Debra Arlyn, singer/songwriter and pianist
** Mohsin Charania, poker player
** Wendell Chavous, stock car racing driver
** Nicole Linkletter, model

March

* March 1
** Michael Conner Humphreys, actor
** Cole Sanchez, actor and artist
* March 2
** Reggie Bush, football player
** Robert Iler, actor
* March 3
** Steven Cozza, racing cyclist
** Toby Turner, Internet personality, actor, comedian and musician
* March 5
** Martin Casaus, wrestler
** Jason Cascio, soccer player
** Buzzy Cohen, recording music industry executive
* March 6
** Melinda Cooper, boxer
** Chad Jackson, football player
* March 7 – Guy Benson, columnist
* March 9
** Zach Andrews, basketball player
** Dominick Cruz, mixed martial artist
** Rachel Nabors, cartoonist
* March 10 – Cooper Andrews, actor
* March 13
** Emile Hirsch, actor
** Max Jenkins, actor and writer
* March 15
** Eva Amurri, actress
** Nick Chambers, comedian
** Kellan Lutz, fashion model and actor
* March 17
** Ellie Cachette, investor, philanthropist, and author of Software Agreements for Dummies
** Lauren Crandall, field hockey player
* March 18 – Kyle Alcorn, Olympic long distance runner
* March 19 – Esther Agbaje, politician
* March 20
** Chase Coleman, actor, director, and musician
** Britton Colquitt, football player
* March 21
** Ryan Callahan, hockey player
** Adrian Peterson, football player
** Sonequa Martin-Green, actress and producer
* March 22
** Mike Jenkins (American football), Mike Jenkins, football player
** Justin Masterson, baseball player
** James Wolk, actor
* March 24 – Jeremy James Kissner, actor
* March 25
** Natalia Anciso, contemporary artist and educator
** Carmen Rasmusen, singer
* March 26
** Sarah Chang (actress), Sarah Chang, actress, producer, stunt coordinator, and martial artist
** Matt Grevers, Olympic swimmer
** Jonathan Groff, actor and singer
** Francesca Marie Smith, actress and writer
* March 27
** Aman Ali (comedian), Aman Ali, comedian, storyteller, journalist, and writer
** Blake McIver Ewing, singer/songwriter, actor, model and pianist
* March 28
** Ian Axel, singer/songwriter
** Mark Melancon, baseball player
* March 30 – Russell Carter (basketball), Russell Carter, basketball player
* March 31
** Jason Chery, football player
** Lee Cummard, basketball player
** Peter Porte, actor
** Jessica Szohr, actress

April

* April 1
** Ryan A. Conklin, television personality and U.S. Army Sergeant
** Daniel Murphy (baseball), Daniel Murphy, baseball player
** Josh Zuckerman, actor
* April 2
** Matthew Antoine, Olympic skeleton racer
** Drew Atchison, football player
* April 3 – Gerald Coleman, ice hockey player
* April 4 – Todrick Hall, singer-songwriter, actor, director, choreographer and YouTuber
* April 5 – Lastings Milledge, baseball player
* April 6 – Sinqua Walls, basketball player and actor
* April 7 – Joe Cook (basketball), Joe Cook, basketball coach
* April 8 – Matt Antonelli, baseball player
* April 9 – David Robertson (baseball), David Robertson, baseball player
* April 10
** Barkhad Abdi, Somalian-born actor
** Kyle Clement, football player
* April 12
** Thomas Albert (politician), Thomas Albert, politician
** Brennan Boesch, baseball player
* April 13
** Carmen Carrera, model
** Jon Connor, rapper and record producer
* April 15
** Andre Caldwell, football player
** Chris Cates, baseball player
** John Danks, baseball player
** Aaron Laffey, baseball player
* April 16
** Matt Alonzo, director, video editor, and filmmaker
** Nate Diaz, mixed martial artist
** Sam Hyde, internet comedian
* April 17
** Jonathan Cheever, Olympic snowboarder
** Victoria Cisneros, boxer
** Rooney Mara, actress
* April 19 – Zack Conroy, actor
* April 20
** Brian Myers, wrestler
** Billy Magnussen, actor
* April 22
** Sam Altman, entrepreneur, investor, programmer, blogger, CEO of OpenAI, and former president of Y Combinator
** Danny Cepero, soccer player
* April 23
** Blythe Auffarth, actress
** Warren Carter (basketball), Warren Carter, basketball player
* April 26
** Matt Clackson, Canadian-born hockey player
** Tiffany Jackson (basketball), Tiffany Jackson, basketball player and coach (died 2022 in the United States, 2022)
** Bre Scullark, fashion model and actress
* April 27 – Jamie Gray Hyder, actress and model
* April 28 – Brandon Baker, actor
* April 29
** Julia Clukey, Olympic luger
** Jay Lethal, wrestler

May

* May 2
** Kyle Busch, racing driver
** Sarah Hughes, Olympic figure skater
* May 3
** Becky Chambers, writer
** Meagan Tandy, actress and model
* May 4
**Bo McCalebb, American-born Macedonian basketball player
**Anthony Federov, Ukrainian-born singer
* May 5
** Clark Duke, actor, comedian, and director
** P. J. Tucker, basketball player
* May 6
** Cori Alexander, soccer player and photographer
** Chris Paul, basketball player
* May 7 – Andrew Carroll (ice hockey), Andrew Carroll, hockey player (d. 2018 in the United States, 2018)
* May 8
** Tommaso Ciampa, wrestler
** Nick Cunningham, Olympic bobsledder
** Usama Young, football player
* May 9
** Audrina Patridge, television personality and actress
** Chris Zylka, actor and model
* May 10 – Odette Annable, actress
* May 11 – Matt Giraud, singer, pianist and keyboardist
* May 12
** Tally Hall (soccer), Tally Hall, soccer player
** Michael Jagmin, singer and frontman for A Skylit Drive
* May 13 – Victor Agosto, anti-war activist and former United States Army, US Army private
* May 14
** Lina Esco, actress, producer and activist
** Dustin Lynch, Country singer/songwriter
** Zack Ryder, wrestler
* May 15
** Seth Adams, football player
** Jim Adduci (2010s outfielder/first baseman), Jim Adduci, baseball player
** Ian Campbell (American football), Ian Campbell, football player
** Jazmin Chaudhry, Bangladeshi-born actress
* May 16
** Ánh Minh, Vietnamese-born singer
** Sal Caccavale, soccer player
** Andrew Keenan-Bolger, actor, writer and director
* May 17
** Derek Hough, dancer, choreographer, musician and six-time Winner of ''Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series), Dancing with the Stars''
** Matt Ryan (American football), Matt Ryan, football player
* May 18
** Francesca Battistelli, Christian singer/songwriter
** Andrew Carpenter (baseball), Andrew Carpenter, baseball player
* May 19 – Chinonye Chukwu, Nigerian-born director
* May 20
** Caitlin Cahow, ice hockey player
** Jon Pardi, country singer/songwriter
* May 21
** Aung La Nsang, Burmese-born mixed martial artist
** Cameron Van Hoy, actor, producer and writer
* May 22
** T. J. Carter (basketball), T. J. Carter, basketball player
** Chris Salvatore, actor, singer/songwriter, model and gay rights activist
** Aakash Gandhi, composer, pianist, songwriter, and entrepreneur
* May 23 – Lindsey Anderson, Olympic middle-distance runner
* May 24 – John Vigilante, hockey player and coach (d. 2018 in the United States, 2018)
* May 25
** Lauren Frost, actress and singer
** Roman Reigns, wrestler
* May 28
** Kaylin Andres, writer, artist, and fashion designer (d. 2016)
** Colbie Caillat, musician
** Billy Flynn (actor), Billy Flynn, actor and producer
** Emily Wilson (actress), Emily Wilson, actress
* May 29
** Blake Foster, actor and martial artist
** Charlottesville car attack#Victims, Heather Heyer, protestor who died in Charlottesville, Virginia, Charlottesville during the Unite the Right rally (d. 2017 in the United States, 2017)
* May 30
** Niki Cross, soccer player
** Sam Gifaldi, child actor
** Turk McBride, football player
* May 31
** Justine Cotsonas, actress
** Navene Koperweis, progressive metal drummer

June

* June 1 – Ari Herstand, singer-songwriter
* June 2 – Maggie Thrash, graphic novelist
* June 4 – Evan Lysacek, Olympic figure skater
* June 5
** Jeremy Abbott, Olympic figure skater
** Antonio Anderson, basketball player
** Kelsey Campbell, Olympic wrestler
* June 6
** Abbie Cobb, actress and author
** Chris Henry (running back), Chris Henry, football player
** Becky Sauerbrunn, soccer player
* June 9 – Sebastian Telfair, basketball player
* June 10
** Celina Jade, actress
** Kristina Apgar, actress
* June 11
** Daron Cruickshank, mixed martial artist
** Chris Trousdale, actor and recording artist (died 2020 in the United States, 2020)
* June 12
** Jesse Anthony, cyclist
** Dave Franco, actor
** Blake Ross, software developer
** Kendra Wilkinson, model, actress and author
** Chris Young (musician), Chris Young, singer/songwriter and guitarist
* June 13
** Sean Carlson, music promoter
** Christina Chang (footballer), Christina Chang, American-born Jamaican footballer
* June 17
** Michael Adams (American football), Michael Adams, football player
** Tramell Tillman, actor
* June 18
** Jon Abbate, football player
** Jimmie Allen, country music singer/songwriter
** Sorel Carradine, actress
** Chris Coghlan, baseball player
** Alex Hirsch, animator and actor
* June 20
** Thaddeus Coleman, football player
** Matt Flynn, football player
** Mark Saul (actor), Mark Saul, actor
* June 21
** Kris Allen, musician, 8th American Idol winner
** Sara Anundsen, tennis player
** DJ Candlestick, DJ, radio personality, and record producer
** Lana Del Rey, pop musician
* June 22 – Scott MacIntyre, singer
* June 23
** Roberto Castro, golfer
** Candice Patton, actress
** Marcel Reece, football player
* June 24
** Justin Hires, ator and comedian
** Jandy Nelson, Writer
* June 25
** Annaleigh Ashford, actress and singer
** Daniel Bard, baseball player
* June 27
** Paul Downs Colaizzo, playwright, screenwriter, and film director
** Martin Sensmeier, actor
* June 28
** Cory Blair, rugby player
** Alexx Calise, singer/songwriter and musician
* June 29 – Steven Hauschka, football player
* June 30
** Trevor Ariza, basketball player
** Tim Crowder, football player
** Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer
** Cody Rhodes, wrestler and actor

July

* July 1 – Spose, Hip-Hop artist
* July 2 – Ashley Tisdale, actress, singer and producer
* July 4 – Sean Cunningham (musician), Sean Cunningham, musician, singer/songwriter, and recording artist
* July 5 – Megan Rapinoe, soccer player
* July 6
** John Chest, opera singer
** Matt Overton, football player
** D. Woods, pop musician
* July 7 – Craig Capano, soccer player
* July 8
** David Clowney, football player
** Sterling Hyltin, ballerina
* July 9 – Cris Cyborg, Brazilian-born mixed martial artist
* July 10 – B. J. Crombeen, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
* July 11
** Robert Adamson (actor), Robert Adamson, actor
** Faysal Ahmed, Yemeni-born actor
** Tiffany Andrade, beauty pageant winner, Miss New Jersey 2008
** Geoff Cameron, soccer player
** Mike Cox (fullback), Mike Cox, football player
* July 12
** Ryan Amoroso, basketball player
** Casper Brinkley, football player
** Jasper Brinkley, football player
** Rob Menendez, politician
* July 14 – Darrelle Revis, football player
* July 15 – David Carpenter (baseball, born 1985), David Carpenter, baseball player
* July 16 – Rosa Salazar, actress
* July 17 – Caitlin Van Zandt, actress
* July 18
** Chace Crawford, actor
** Theo Croker, jazz trumpeter, composer, producer, and vocalist
** Hopsin, rapper and record producer
* July 19 – LaMarcus Aldridge, basketball player
* July 20 – John Francis Daley, actor
* July 22
** Lindsey Carmichael, Paralympic archer
** Takudzwa Ngwenya, Zimbabwean-born rugby player
* July 23 – Scott Chandler (American football), Scott Chandler, football player
* July 24 – Chad Cook, football player
* July 25
** James Lafferty, actor
** Alex Presley, baseball player
** Shantel VanSanten, actress and model
* July 26 – Matt Riddlehoover, filmmaker
* July 27
** Husain Abdullah, football player
** Lou Taylor Pucci, actor
** Young Dolph, rapper (died 2021 in the United States, 2021)
* July 28 – Monica Abbott, softball player
* July 29
** Charlotte Cho, esthetician, author, and entrepreneur
** Anna Grace Christiansen, racing cyclist
* July 30
** Dylan Axelrod, baseball player
** Mary Wiseman (actress), Mary Wiseman, actress
* July 31 – Shannon Curfman, blues-rock singer and guitarist

August

* August 3
** Tom Cox (Kansas politician), Tom Cox, politician
** Ryan Leone, novelist, film producer, artist, and prison reform activist (d. 2022 in the United States, 2022)
* August 4 – Crystal Bowersox, singer/songwriter
* August 5 – Zach Appelman, actor
* August 6 – Michael Antonini, baseball player
* August 7 – Michael Campbell (American musician, born 1985), Michael Campbell, guitarist and bassist
* August 8
** Rafael Casal, writer, actor, producer, and showrunner
** Anisha Nicole, singer
* August 9
** Anna Kendrick, actress and singer
** Hayley Peirsol, swimmer
** Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur, author, political activist, political candidate, and co-founder of Strive Asset Management
** JaMarcus Russell, football player
** Chandler Williams, football player (d. 2013 in the United States, 2013)
* August 10
** Reggie Campbell, football player and Navy aviator in the United States Navy Reserve
** Jared Nathan, child actor (died 2006 in the United States, 2006)
* August 11 – Asher Roth, rapper
* August 12 – Zack Cozart, baseball player
* August 13
** Jonathan Brookins, mixed martial artist
** Lacey Brown, singer
* August 15
** Emily Kinney, actress and singer/songwriter
** Nipsey Hussle, rapper (d. 2019)
* August 16
** Agnes Bruckner, actress
** Arden Cho, actress, singer, and model
** Cristin Milioti, actress and singer
* August 17 – Kennard Cox, football player
* August 18
** Desiree Casado, actress
** Brooke Harman, actress
* August 19
** J. Evan Bonifant, actor
** David A. Gregory, actor and writer
** Lindsey Jacobellis, Olympic snowboarder
* August 20
** Brant Daugherty, actor
** Michael Shuman, bassist for Queens of the Stone Age
* August 21 – Jake Pitts, singer/songwriter and lead guitarist for Black Veil Brides
* August 22
** Jimmy Needham, Christian singer/songwriter
** The Usos, twin brother wrestling duo
* August 25 – Wynter Gordon, pop/dance singer/songwriter
* August 26 – Brian Kelley (musician), Brian Kelley, country singer and one half of Florida Georgia Line
* August 27 –
** Jennifer Armour, actress and voice actress
** Kayla Ewell, actress
** Alexandra Nechita, painter
** Sean Foreman, singer/songwriter, member of electro hop group 3OH!3
* August 28
** Mike Alston, football player
** Pat Cassidy, film producer and music manager
** Jackson Crawford, scholar
** Ashlyne Huff, singer/songwriter and dancer
* August 29
** Alexander Artemev, Russian-born Olympic gymnast
** T. J. Conley, football player
** Jeffrey Licon, actor
** Marc Rzepczynski, baseball player

September

* September 1
** Jasmine Ann Allen, American-born Japanese voice actress, singer, and TV personality
** Camile Velasco, Filipina-born actress
* September 2 – Allison Miller, actress
* September 3 – Dominick Cruz, mixed martial artist
* September 4
** Jessa Anderson, Christian singer/songwriter
** Morgan Garrett, actress
** Kaillie Humphries, Olympic Bobsledder
* September 5 – Tyler Colvin, baseball player
* September 6
** Lynn Alvarez, mixed martial artist
** Robert Ayers, football player
** Gregg Cash, guitarist and music director
** Hugh Cha, South Korean-born actor, singer, and dancer
** Lauren Lapkus, actress and comedian
** Mitch Moreland, baseball player
* September 7
** Joe Craddock, football player and coach
** Alyssa Diaz, actress
* September 8 – Vanessa Baden, actress, writer, director and producer
* September 9
** Martin Johnson (musician), Martin Johnson, singer/songwriter, record producer, guitarist and frontman for Boys Like Girls
** J. R. Smith, basketball player
* September 10
** Matt Angle, baseball player and coach
** Monica Lopera, Colombian-born actress
* September 11
** Bobby Cassevah, baseball player
** Chikezie, singer and American Idol contestant
* September 13 – Vella Lovell, actress
* September 14
** Paolo Gregoletto, bassist for Trivium (band), Trivium
** Dilshad Vadsaria, actress
* September 15 – Chris Clemons (safety), Chris Clemons, football player
* September 16
** Bravado Brothers, Houston Barrow, wrestler
** Phil Sgrosso, guitarist for As I Lay Dying (band), As I Lay Dying and Wovenwar (2013-2016)
** Madeline Zima, actress
* September 17
** Lindsay Adler, portrait and fashion photographer
** Zacardi Cortez, gospel musician
** Jon Walker, musician
* September 18
** Megan Joy, singer
** Chris Riggi, actor
* September 19
** Zoë Chao, actress and screenwriter
** Chase Rice, country singer-songwriter
* September 21
** Ayad Al Adhamy, Bahraini-born multi-instrumentalist and record producer
** Justin Chapman, author, journalist, and politician
** CinnamonToastKen, internet personality and YouTuber
** Daron Clark, football player
* September 22
** Damiano Carrara, Italian-book chef, restauranter, and cookbook author
** Shad White, politician
* September 23
** Brian Brohm, football player
** Joba Chamberlain, baseball player
** Hasan Minhaj, comedian, political commentator and actor
* September 24
** Dan Charles, mixed martial artist
** Paige Miles, singer
* September 27
** Jamar Butler, basketball player
** Grace Helbig, Youtube personality, podcast host and comedian
* September 28 – Martin Courtney, singer and frontman for Real Estate (band), Real Estate
* September 29
** Andrew Forsman, drummer for The Fall of Troy (band), The Fall of Troy
** Calvin Johnson, football player
* September 30
** Chris Chamberlain, football player
** T-Pain, singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor

October

* October 1
** Mitch Atkins, baseball player
** Porcelain Black, industrial pop singer/songwriter
** Chris Clark (American football), Chris Clark, football player
** Ryan M. Pitts, U.S. Army soldier in Afghan War, List of post-Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients, Medal of Honor Recipient
** Sicily Sewell, actress
* October 2
** Robbie Agnone, football player
** Tara Allain, beauty pageant winner, Miss Maine 2007
* October 3
** Jason Anick, jazz musician
** Courtney Lee, basketball player
* October 4
** Brad Bell (producer), Brad Bell, television producer, screenwriter, actor, musician and comic book author
** Clef nite, Nigerian-born guitarist
* October 5 – Brooke Valentine, singer
* October 6
** Tahanie Aboushi, civil rights lawyer and political candidate
** Sylvia Fowles, basketball player
* October 7 – Evan Longoria, baseball player
* October 8
** Greg Carr (gridiron football), Greg Carr, football player
** Max Crumm, actor and singer
** Bruno Mars, singer-songwriter, producer and actor
* October 9
** Charles Alexander (defensive tackle), Charles Alexander, football player
** Nathan Crumpton, Olympic skeleton racer
* October 10
** Tasneem Alsultan, photographer, artist, and speaker
** Jaremi Carey, actor, streamer, singer, cosplay artist, and drag performer
** Aaron Himelstein, actor
* October 11 – Michelle Trachtenberg, actress, producer and singer
* October 12
** Michelle Carter (athlete), Michelle Carter, Olympic shot-putter
** Simeon Castille, football player
* October 14
** Daniel Clark (actor), Daniel Clark, American-born Canadian actor, producer, and reporter
** Robert Costa (journalist), Robert Costa, political reporter and chief election and campaign correspondent for CBS News
** Justin Forsett, football player
* October 15
** Arron Afflalo, basketball player
** Cory Asbury, Christian musician and pastor
** Kevin Craft, football player
* October 16 – Dylan Golden Aycock, guitarist
* October 18
** Yoenis Céspedes, Cuban-born baseball player
** Andrew Garcia, singer
* October 19 – Ian Calderon, politician
* October 20
** AnonymousCulture, rapper
** Jennifer Freeman, actress
* October 21 – Quinton Culberson, football player
* October 22
** Zac Hanson, drummer for Hanson (band), Hanson
** Deontay Wilder, boxer
* October 23
** Masiela Lusha, Albanian-born actress, poet and humanitarian
** Adrian Perkins, politician, mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana
* October 24 – Donald Cowart, steeplechase runner
* October 25
** Colt Anderson, football player
** Ciara, singer
** John Robinson (American actor), John Robinson, actor
** Christopher Sean, actor
* October 27 – Briana Lane, actress and musician
* October 28
** Troian Bellisario, actress
** Anthony Fantano, music critic
** Matt Greiner, drummer for August Burns Red
* October 29 – Adam Cappa, Christian rock singer/songwriter
* October 31
** Kerron Clement, Trinidadian-born hurdler and sprinter
** Paul Cram, actor
** Dan Cramer, mixed martial artist
** Kether Donohue, actress and singer

November

* November 2
** Danny Amendola, football player
** Anthony Collins (American football), Anthony Collins, football player
** Dan Connor (American football), Dan Connor, football player
** Josh Grelle, actor
* November 3 – Tyler Hansbrough, basketball player
* November 4
** Tom Crabtree, football player
** Victoria Leigh Soto, teacher, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim (k. 2012 in the United States, 2012)
* November 5
** Erica Carney, racing cyclist
** Elizabeth Rice, actress
* November 6 – Shayne Lamas, reality television personality and actress
* November 7 – Adrian Arrington, football player
* November 8
** Mark Asper, football player
** Liam Coen, football coach
** Jack Osbourne, English-born television personality
* November 10
** Pete Andrelczyk, baseball player
** Giovonnie Samuels, actress
* November 11
** Onision, controversial youtuber
** Pat Carroll (soccer), Pat Carroll, soccer player
** Jessica Sierra, singer
* November 12 – Arianny Celeste, model and actress
* November 13
** Michael Bennett (defensive lineman, born 1985), Michael Bennett, football player
** Asdrúbal Cabrera, Venezuelan-born baseball player
** Kit Williamson, actor and filmmaker
* November 14
** Mara Abbott, Olympic cyclist
** Sage Canaday, long-distance runner
** Spencer Charnas, singer and frontman for Ice Nine Kills
* November 15
** Lily Aldridge, model
** Richard Clebert, football player
** Charron Fisher, basketball player
** Nick Fradiani, singer
** Jeffree Star, YouTuber, entrepreneur, makeup artist and singer-songwriter
* November 18
** Allyson Felix, Olympic sprinter
** Christian Siriano, fashion designer
* November 19 – Murder of Eve Carson, Eve Carson, murder victim {d. 2008)
* November 20 – Dan Byrd, actor
* November 21 – Mark Cochran, politician
* November 22
** Daniel Cameron (American politician), Daniel Cameron, politician
** Antonietta Collins, Mexican-born sportscaster
* November 23
** Troy Ave, rapper
** Mike Tolbert, football player
* November 25
** Dan Carpenter, football player
** Haley Webb, actress and filmmaker
* November 26 – Matt Carpenter (baseball), Matt Carpenter, baseball player
* November 29 – Jamar Adams, football player
* November 30
** Casely, singer
** Gia Crovatin, actress
** Kaley Cuoco, actress
** Chrissy Teigen, model

December

* December 1
** John Coughlin (figure skater), John Coughlin, skater (d. 2019)
** Philip DeFranco, YouTube personality and vlogger
** Ilfenesh Hadera, actress
** Janelle Monáe, R&B/Soul Musician
** Svetlana Shusterman, Ukrainian-born television personality
* December 2 – Samuel Charles, football player
* December 3 – Amanda Seyfried, actress and singer-songwriter
* December 4 – Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, TV personality
* December 5
** Ryan Additon, MLB umpire
** Adam Anderson (monster truck driver), Adam Anderson, monster truck driver
** Frankie Muniz, actor, musician, writer, producer and racing driver
* December 7
** S. A. Chakraborty, writer
** Jon Moxley, wrestler
* December 8
** Xavier Carter, sprinter
** Josh Donaldson, baseball player
** Dwight Howard, basketball player
* December 10
** Brandon Anderson, football player
** Edmund Entin, actor
** Matt Forte, football player
** T. J. Hensick, hockey player
** Meghan Linsey, singer/songwriter
** Raven-Symoné, actress, singer and dancer
* December 11 – Samantha Steele, sportscaster
* December 12
** Pat Calathes, American-born Greek basketball player
** Chris Jennings (gridiron football), Chris Jennings, football player
** Erika Van Pelt, singer
** David Veikune, football player
* December 16 – Amanda Setton, actress
* December 17 – Jeremy McKinnon, singer/songwriter, record producer and frontman for A Day to Remember
* December 18
** Aris Ambríz, boxer
** Tara Conner, model, television personality, beauty pageant titleholder, and Miss USA 2006
* December 19
** Katherine Chappell, film visual effects editor (d. 2015)
** Shane Bitney Crone, filmmaker, writer and advocate for LGBT rights
** Christina Loukas, Olympic diver
* December 20 – Paul Wandtke, metalcore drummer
* December 21 – James Stewart Jr., motorcycle racer
* December 23 – Arcángel, reggaeton singer
* December 24 – Edward Aschoff, sports reporter (d. 2019)
* December 26
** Beth Behrs, actress
** Michael Cammarata, entrepreneur, investor, and wellness industry executive
** Chris Carpenter (baseball, born 1985), Chris Carpenter, baseball player
** Mikal Cronin, musician and songwriter
* December 27
** Halley Gross, screenwriter
** Paul Stastny, Canadian-born hockey player
* December 28
** Dan Amboyer, actor
** Taryn Terrell, wrestler
* December 29 – Alexa Ray Joel, singer/songwriter and pianist
* December 30
** Samuel Adams (composer), Samuel Adams, composer
** Ryan Ammerman, volleyball player
** Hunter Cantwell, football player
** Anna Wood (actress), Anna Wood, actress
* December 31
** Antwan Applewhite, football player
** Brennen Carvalho, football player
** Jonathan Horton, Olympic gymnast

Full Date Unknown

* Alaska Thunderfuck, drag queen and TV personality
* Khalik Allah, filmmaker and photographer
* Catrina Allen, disc thrower
* Jojo Anavim, contemporary visual artist
* Timo Andres, composer and pianist
* J. J. Anselmi, writer and musician
* Jennifer Arcuri, technology entrepreneur
* Alex Askew, politician
* Adam Brown (Illinois politician), Adam Brown, politician
* John Burris (politician), John Burris, politician
* Dorielle Caimi, artist
* Chris Campanioni, writer
* Alana I. Capria, writer
* Ana Caraiani, Romanian-born mathematician
* Charlene Carruthers, LGBT activist and author
* Gary Chambers, activist and political candidate
* Greg Chevalier, soccer player
* Stephen Christy, producer, entertainment executive, and editor
* Alex Clark, comedian, animator, YouTuber, and juggler
* Telfar Clemens, fashion designer and founder of TELFAR
* Zinzi Clemmons, writer
* Stephanie Cmar, chef
* Foo Conner, activist, entrepreneur, and journalist
* Kevin Michael Connolly, photographer
* Craig Considine (academic), Craig Considine, scholar of Islam
* Moogega Cooper, astronomer
* Kimberly Corban, rape survivor and rape victim advocate
* Jolene Creighton, journalist and media executive

Deaths

* January 7 – Ruth Godfrey (actress), Ruth Godfrey, actress (born 1922 in the United States, 1922)
* January 13 – Carol Wayne, actress (born 1942 in the United States, 1942)
* January 19 – Eric Voegelin, German-American philosopher (born 1901 in the United States, 1901)
* January 20 – Gillis William Long, politician (b. 1923)
* February 16 – Mathew Beard, supercentenarian, last surviving person born in 1870 (b. 1870)
* February 21 – John G. Trump, electrical engineer, inventor, and physicist (b. 1907 in the United States, 1907)
* February 22 – Alexander Scourby, actor (born 1913 in the United States, 1913)
* March 13 – Annette Hanshaw, singer (b. 1901)
* April 1 – Douglass Wallop, author and playwright (b. 1920)
* April 8 – John Frederick Coots, songwriter (b. 1897 in the United States, 1897)
* April 22 – Paul H. Emmett, American chemical engineer (b. 1900 in the United States, 1900)
* April 23 – Kent Smith, American actor (b. 1907 in the United States, 1907)
* April 24 – Mildred W. Pelzer, American artist (b. 1889 in the United States, 1889)
* September 2 – Jay Youngblood, wrestler (b. 1955)
* September 11 – Andrew C. Thornton II, narcotics officer, lawyer, and the head member of a drug smuggling ring in Kentucky (b. 1944 in the United States, 1944)
* October 2 – Rock Hudson, actor (b. 1925)
* October 10
** Yul Brynner, Russian-born American actor (b. 1920)
** Orson Welles, actor and director (born 1915 in the United States, 1915)
* October 25 – Blair Lee III, politician, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (b. 1916 in the United States, 1916)
* November 1
** Rick McGraw, wrestler (b. 1955 in the United States, 1955)
** Phil Silvers, entertainer (b. 1911 in the United States, 1911)
* November 4 – Cus D'Amato, legendary boxing trainer who was a mentor to hall of famer boxers Mike Tyson, Floyd Patterson and José Torres.
* November 16
** Stuart Chase, economist (b. 1888 in the United States, 1888)
** John Sparkman, United States Senator from Alabama from 1946 till 1979. (b. 1899 in the United States, 1899)
* November 25 – Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (b. 1926)

See also

* 1985 in American television
* List of American films of 1985
* Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)

References

External links

*

{{Year in North America, 1985

1985 in the United States,
1980s in the United States
1985 by country, United States
1985 in North America, United States
Years of the 20th century in the United States