What happened in 1986
307 entries recorded for 1986, listed by date. That was 40 years ago.
1986 at a glance
- Years ago
- 40 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1980s
- Generation born
- Millennials (Generation Y)
- Entries here
- 307
- Breakdown
- 116 historical events · 188 births · 3 deaths
January
- January 11
Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges
The Gateway Bridge (pictured) in Brisbane, Australia, opened as the largest prestressed-concrete, single-box bridge in the world.
- January 12
Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program: Congressman and future NASA Administrator Bill Nelson lifts off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61-C as a payload specialist.
- January 13
Aden
A month-long violent struggle begins in Aden, South Yemen between supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad and Abdul Fattah Ismail, resulting in thousands of casualties.
- January 18
Aerovías
An Aerovías Sud Aviation Caravelle crashes on approach to Mundo Maya International Airport in Flores, Petén, Guatemala, killing all 94 people on board.
- January 20
Leabua Jonathan
Leabua Jonathan, Prime Minister of Lesotho, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by General Justin Lekhanya.
- January 20
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.
- January 21
Shanty town
Conservative protestors attack a mock shanty town that had been erected on the Green at Dartmouth College as part of anti-apartheid protests.
- January 23
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first members: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
- January 23
Gelete Burka
Gelete Burka, Ethiopian runner
- January 23
Steven Taylor (footballer)
Steven Taylor, English footballer
- January 23
Marc Laird
Marc Laird, Scottish footballer
- January 23
José Enrique (footballer, born 1986)
José Enrique, Spanish footballer
- January 23
Sandro Viletta
Sandro Viletta, Swiss skier
- January 24
Voyager 2
The Voyager 2 space probe makes its closest approach to Uranus.
- January 24
Cristiano Araújo
Cristiano Araújo, Brazilian singer-songwriter (died 2015)
- January 25
National Resistance Movement
The National Resistance Movement topples the government of Tito Okello in Uganda.
- January 25
Chris O'Grady
Chris O'Grady, English footballer
- January 26
Tito Okello
The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
- January 27
Johan Petro
Johan Petro, French basketball player
- January 28
Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission: Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board.
- January 28
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its tenth mission (video featured), killing all seven crew members.
- January 29
Jair Jurrjens
Jair Jurrjens, Curaçaoan baseball player
- January 29
Thomas Greiss
Thomas Greiss, German ice hockey player
- January 29
Chris Bourque
Chris Bourque, American ice hockey player
February
- February 3
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs purchased Pixar from Lucasfilm and launched it as an independent computer-animation studio.
- February 3
Kanako Yanagihara
Kanako Yanagihara, Japanese actress
- February 3
Mathieu Giroux
Mathieu Giroux, Canadian speed skater
- February 4
Mahmudullah
Mahmudullah Riyad, Bangladeshi cricketer
- February 4
Maximilian Götz
Maximilian Götz, German racing driver
- February 5
Kevin Gates
Kevin Gates, American rapper, singer, and entrepreneur
- February 5
Vedran Ćorluka
Vedran Ćorluka, Croatian footballer
- February 7
Jean-Claude Duvalier
President of Haiti Jean-Claude Duvalier fled the country after a popular uprising, ending 28 years of one-family rule in the nation.
- February 7
Haiti
Twenty-eight years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
- February 8
Via Rail
Twenty-three people are killed when a VIA Rail passenger train collides with a Canadian National freight train near the town of Hinton, Alberta, making it one of the worst rail accidents in Canada.
- February 9
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet last appeared in the inner Solar System.
- February 13
Luke Moore
Luke Moore, English footballer
- February 15
Amber Riley
Amber Riley, American actress and singer
- February 15
Johnny Cueto
Johnny Cueto, Dominican baseball player
- February 15
Valeri Bojinov
Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian footballer
- February 16
China Airlines Flight 2265
China Airlines Flight 2265 crashes into the Pacific Ocean near Penghu Airport in Taiwan, killing all 13 aboard.
- February 16
Soviet Union
The Soviet liner MS Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.
- February 19
Akkaraipattu massacre
Akkaraipattu massacre: the Sri Lankan Army massacres 80 Tamil farm workers in eastern Sri Lanka.
- February 20
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.
- February 22
People Power Revolution
Start of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines.
- February 22
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo, American basketball player
- February 23
Emerson (footballer, born February 1986)
Emerson Conceição, Brazilian footballer
- February 25
Ferdinand Marcos
Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were ousted from power by the non-violent People Power Revolution, with Corazon Aquino succeeding as president.
- February 25
People Power Revolution
People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines' first female president.
- February 26
Mārtiņš Karsums
Mārtiņš Karsums, Latvian ice hockey player
- February 26
Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney, American skier
- February 28
Olof Palme
Olof Palme, 26th Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.
March
- March 2
Bugulma Airport
Aeroflot Flight F-77 crashes near Bugulma Airport, killing all 38 people aboard.
- March 3
Australia Act 1986
The Australia Act 1986 commences, causing Australia to become fully independent from the United Kingdom.
- March 3
Metallica
The American heavy metal band Metallica (pictured) released their third studio album, Master of Puppets, considered one of the greatest in the genre's history.
- March 4
Soviet Union
The Soviet Vega 1 begins returning images of Halley's Comet and the first images of its nucleus.
- March 7
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Challenger Disaster: Divers from the USS Preserver locate the crew cabin of Challenger on the ocean floor.
- March 7
Ryan Ciminelli
Ryan Ciminelli, American bowler
- March 9
Bryan Bickell
Bryan Bickell, Canadian ice hockey player
- March 11
Dario Cologna
Dario Cologna, Swiss skier
- March 13
Innocent passage
Claiming the right of innocent passage, the American warships Yorktown and Caron entered Soviet territorial waters in the Black Sea.
- March 15
Collapse of Hotel New World
Collapse of Hotel New World: Thirty-three people die when the Hotel New World in Singapore collapses.
- March 19
Tyler Bozak
Tyler Bozak, Canadian ice hockey player
- March 19
Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw, American football player
- March 21
Debi Thomas
Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win the World Figure Skating Championships.
- March 24
Loscoe
The Loscoe gas explosion leads to new UK laws on landfill gas migration and gas protection on landfill sites.
- March 25
Marco Belinelli
Marco Belinelli, Italian basketball player
- March 27
Car bomb
A car bomb explodes outside Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, Australia, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people.
- March 29
Lucas Elliot Eberl
Lucas Elliot Eberl, American actor and director
- March 29
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, English footballer
- March 31
Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940
Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940 crashed into the Sierra Madre Oriental near Maravatío, killing 167 people.
April
- April 1
Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal)
Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal) cadres attack a number of police stations in Kathmandu, seeking to incite a popular rebellion.
- April 2
Alabama
Alabama governor George Wallace, a former segregationist, best known for the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", announces that he will not seek a fifth four-year term and will retire from public life upon the end of his term in January 1987.
- April 5
West Berlin discotheque bombing
The Libyan secret service bombed a discotheque in West Berlin, resulting in three deaths and 229 others injured.
- April 11
1986 FBI Miami shootout
FBI Miami Shootout: A gun battle in broad daylight in Dade County, Florida, between two bank/armored car robbers and pursuing FBI agents. During the firefight, FBI agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan are killed, while five other agents are wounded. As a result, the popula
- April 13
Lorenzo Cain
Lorenzo Cain, American baseball player
- April 14
Hail
The heaviest hailstones ever recorded, each weighing 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92.
- April 14
Matt Derbyshire
Matt Derbyshire, English footballer
- April 15
1986 United States bombing of Libya
The United States launches Operation El Dorado Canyon, its bombing raids against Libyan targets in response to a discotheque bombing in West Germany that killed two U.S. servicemen.
- April 15
Sylvain Marveaux
Sylvain Marveaux, French footballer
- April 15
Tom Heaton
Tom Heaton, English footballer
- April 16
Peter Regin
Peter Regin, Danish ice hockey player
- April 16
Epke Zonderland
Epke Zonderland, Dutch gymnast
- April 16
Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki, Japanese footballer
- April 17
Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War
An alleged state of war lasting 335 years between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly is declared over.
- April 17
Isles of Scilly
The Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly declared peace, having hypothetically been at war for 335 years without a single shot being fired and no casualties incurred.
- April 17
Romain Grosjean
Romain Grosjean, French race car driver
- April 18
Tina Bru
Tina Bru, Norwegian politician
- April 19
Candace Parker
Candace Parker, American basketball player
- April 22
Amber Heard
Amber Heard, American actress
- April 22
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch, American football player
- April 25
Mswati III
Mswati III (pictured) was crowned King of Swaziland, succeeding his father Sobhuza II.
- April 26
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster occurs in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
- April 26
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (pictured) near Chernobyl, Ukrainian SSR, suffered a steam explosion, resulting in a fire, a nuclear meltdown, and the evacuation and resettlement of over 336,000 people around Europe.
- April 26
Lior Refaelov
Lior Refaelov, Israeli footballer
- April 27
Pripyat
The city of Pripyat and surrounding areas are evacuated due to the Chernobyl disaster.
- April 27
Jenna Coleman
Jenna Coleman, English actress
- April 28
Chernobyl disaster
High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden, leading Soviet authorities to publicly announce the accident.
- April 29
Aircraft carrier
The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea.
- April 29
Sikhs
An assembly of Sikhs, known as a Sarbat Khalsa, officially declare independence for a state of Khalistan.
- April 29
Los Angeles Public Library
A fire at the Central library of the Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.
May
- May 2
Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster: The City of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the disaster.
- May 2
Henri Toivonen
Henri Toivonen was killed in an accident while leading the Tour de Corse rally, resulting in FISA banning the popular Group B rally cars for the following season.
- May 3
Air Lanka Flight 512
Twenty-one people are killed and forty-one are injured after a bomb explodes on Air Lanka Flight 512 at Colombo airport in Sri Lanka.
- May 4
George Hill (basketball)
George Hill, American basketball player
- May 4
Devan Dubnyk
Devan Dubnyk, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 7
Patrick Morrow
Canadian Patrick Morrow becomes the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits.
- May 8
Galen Rupp
Galen Rupp, American runner
- May 12
Emily VanCamp
Emily VanCamp, Canadian actress
- May 14
Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews III, American football player
- May 17
Timo Simonlatser
Timo Simonlatser, Estonian skier
- May 17
Marius Činikas
Marius Činikas, Lithuanian footballer
- May 17
Jodie Taylor
Jodie Taylor, English footballer
- May 18
Kevin Anderson (tennis)
Kevin Anderson, South African tennis player
- May 19
Firearm Owners Protection Act
The Firearm Owners Protection Act is signed into law by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
- May 19
Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers, American basketball player
- May 20
Dexter Blackstock
Dexter Blackstock, English footballer
- May 20
Stéphane Mbia
Stéphane Mbia, Cameroonian footballer
- May 24
Stationary front
A stationary front began over the central Caribbean Sea, leading to severe floods that over two weeks killed dozens of people in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica.
- May 25
Hands Across America
The Hands Across America event takes place.
- May 25
Edewin Fanini
Edewin Fanini, Brazilian footballer
- May 26
European Economic Community
The European Community adopts the European flag.
- May 26
Michel Tornéus
Michel Tornéus, Swedish long jumper
- May 28
Berrick Barnes
Berrick Barnes, Australian rugby player
- May 30
Nikolay Bodurov
Nikolay Bodurov, Bulgarian international footballer
- May 31
Ariane 2
The Ariane 2 rocket is launched on its maiden flight, carrying Intelsat VA F-14, but the mission ends in failure.
- May 31
Waka Flocka Flame
Waka Flocka Flame, American rapper
- May 31
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink, Dutch cyclist
June
- June 1
Ben Smith (rugby union)
Ben Smith, New Zealand rugby player
- June 1
Moses Ndiema Masai
Moses Ndiema Masai, Kenyan runner
- June 1
Chinedu Obasi
Chinedu Obasi, Nigerian footballer
- June 3
Al Horford
Al Horford, Dominican basketball player
- June 3
Micah Kogo
Micah Kogo, Kenyan runner
- June 4
Jonathan Pollard
Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.
- June 6
Gin Wigmore
Gin Wigmore, New Zealand singer and songwriter
- June 8
Keith Gill
Keith Gill, American financial analyst and investor
- June 9
Doug Legursky
Doug Legursky, American football player
- June 10
Marco Andreolli
Marco Andreolli, Italian footballer
- June 10
Al Alburquerque
Al Alburquerque, Dominican baseball player
- June 11
Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf, American actor
- June 11
Sebastian Bayer
Sebastian Bayer, German long jumper
- June 12
Salim Mehajer
Salim Mehajer, Australian politician
- June 14
Mindbender (Galaxyland)
The Mindbender derails, killing three riders and severely injuring one at the Fantasyland (known today as Galaxyland) indoor amusement park at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta.
- June 15
Trevor Plouffe
Trevor Plouffe, American baseball player
- June 15
James Maloney (rugby league)
James Maloney, Australian rugby league player
- June 19
Marvin Williams
Marvin Williams, American basketball player
- June 19
Aoiyama Kōsuke
Aoiyama Kōsuke, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
- June 19
Lázaro Borges
Lázaro Borges, Cuban pole vaulter
- June 22
The hand of God
The famous Hand of God goal, scored by Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England, ignites controversy. This was later followed by the Goal of the Century. Argentina wins 2–1 and later goes on to win the World Cup.
- June 23
Christy Altomare
Christy Altomare, American actress and singer-songwriter
- June 24
Phil Hughes (baseball)
Phil Hughes, American baseball player
- June 24
Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad, English cricketer
- June 24
Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles, American singer-songwriter and actress
- June 25
Aya Matsuura
Aya Matsuura, Japanese singer and actress
- June 29
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team wins the FIFA World Cup held in Mexico after defeating the West Germany national football team by a score of 3–2 in the final at the Estadio Azteca.
- June 30
Supreme Court of the United States
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Bowers v. Hardwick that states can outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults.
- June 30
Fredy Guarín
Fredy Guarín, Colombian footballer
- June 30
Nicola Pozzi
Nicola Pozzi, Italian footballer
- June 30
Allegra Versace
Allegra Versace, Italian-American businesswoman
- June 30
Alicia Fox
Alicia Fox, American wrestler, model, and actress
July
- July 2
Rodrigo Rojas de Negri
Rodrigo Rojas and Carmen Gloria Quintana are burnt alive during a street demonstration against the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile in the Quemados case.
- July 2
Aeroflot Flight 2306
Aeroflot Flight 2306 crashes while attempting an emergency landing at Syktyvkar Airport in Syktyvkar, in present-day Komi Republic, Russia, killing 54 people.
- July 2
Brett Cecil
Brett Cecil, American baseball player
- July 2
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan, American actress and singer
- July 4
Marte Elden
Marte Elden, Norwegian skier
- July 4
Rafael Arévalo
Rafael Arévalo, Salvadoran tennis player
- July 4
Willem Janssen (footballer, born 1986)
Willem Janssen, Dutch footballer
- July 4
Nguyễn Ngọc Duy
Nguyen Ngoc Duy, Vietnamese footballer
- July 4
Terrance Knighton
Terrance Knighton, American football player
- July 4
Ömer Aşık
Ömer Aşık, Turkish basketball player
- July 6
David Karp
David Karp, American businessman, founder of Tumblr
- July 7
Udo Schwarz
Udo Schwarz, German rugby player
- July 7
Ana Kasparian
Ana Kasparian, American journalist and producer
- July 8
Renata Costa
Renata Costa, Brazilian footballer
- July 9
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand.
- July 9
Sébastien Bassong
Sébastien Bassong, Cameroonian footballer
- July 9
Kiely Williams
Kiely Williams, American singer-songwriter and dancer
- July 9
Simon Dumont
Simon Dumont, American skier
- July 14
Dan Smith (singer)
Dan Smith, British singer, songwriter and record producer
- July 14
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy, French-American industrial designer (born 1893)
- July 16
Misako Uno
Misako Uno, Japanese actress, singer, and fashion designer
- July 17
DeAngelo Smith
DeAngelo Smith, American football player
- July 26
Monica Raymund
Monica Raymund, American actress
- July 28
Lauri Korpikoski
Lauri Korpikoski, Finnish ice hockey player
- July 28
Alexandra Chando
Alexandra Chando, American actress
- July 28
Nolan Gerard Funk
Nolan Gerard Funk, Canadian actor
- July 28
Essence Carson
Essence Carson, American basketball player
- July 31
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin, Russian ice hockey player
August
- August 2
Castle in the Sky
The animated film Castle in the Sky, the first from Studio Ghibli, was released.
- August 4
Cicinho (footballer, born 1986)
Cicinho, Brazilian footballer
- August 4
Iosia Soliola
Iosia Soliola, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player
- August 4
David Williams (rugby league, born 1986)
David Williams, Australian rugby league player
- August 4
Leon Camier
Leon Camier, English motorcycle racer
- August 4
Nick Augusto
Nick Augusto, American drummer
- August 6
New South Wales
A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- August 6
Raphael Pyrasch
Raphael Pyrasch, German rugby player
- August 14
Braian Rodríguez
Braian Rodríguez, Uruguayan footballer
- August 16
Typhoon Wayne (1986)
Typhoon Wayne formed over the South China Sea, going on to become one of the longest-lived tropical cyclones in the north-western Pacific, lasting 21 days.
- August 16
Sudan Airways
A Sudan Airways Fokker F27 Friendship is shot down near Malakal in present day South Sudan, killing 60.
- August 16
Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish, Japanese baseball player
- August 21
Limnic eruption
A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.
- August 21
Volcano
Carbon dioxide gas erupts from volcanic Lake Nyos in Cameroon, killing up to 1,800 people within a 20-kilometre (12 mi) range.
- August 29
Hajime Isayama
Hajime Isayama, Japanese illustrator
- August 29
Lea Michele
Lea Michele, American actress and singer
- August 30
Lelia Masaga
Lelia Masaga, New Zealand rugby player
- August 30
Theo Hutchcraft
Theo Hutchcraft, English singer-songwriter
- August 30
Ryan Ross
Ryan Ross, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- August 31
Aeroméxico Flight 498
Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing 67 in the air and 15 on the ground.
September
- September 4
Ayumi Kaihori
Ayumi Kaihori, Japanese footballer
- September 5
Pan Am Flight 73
Pan Am Flight 73 from Mumbai, India with 358 people on board is hijacked at Karachi International Airport.
- September 6
Istanbul
In Istanbul, two terrorists from Abu Nidal's organization kill 22 and wound six congregants inside the Neve Shalom Synagogue during Shabbat services.
- September 7
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu became the first black leader of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
- September 7
Chile
Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet survives an assassination attempt by the FPMR; five of Pinochet's bodyguards are killed.
- September 8
Nicholas Daniloff
Nicholas Daniloff, a correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, is indicted on charges of espionage by the Soviet Union.
- September 11
LaToya Sanders
LaToya Sanders, American basketball player
- September 11
Chiliboy Ralepelle
Chiliboy Ralepelle, South African rugby player
- September 12
Alfie Allen
Alfie Allen, English actor
- September 13
1986 Kalamata earthquake
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes Kalamata, Greece with a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing at least 20 and causing heavy damage in the city.
- September 15
Heidi Montag
Heidi Montag, American reality television personality and singer
- September 15
Jenna Marbles
Jenna Marbles, American YouTuber and comedian
- September 19
Leon Best
Leon Best, English footballer
- September 23
Chris Volstad
Chris Volstad, American baseball player
- September 23
Martin Cranie
Martin Cranie, English footballer
- September 26
Sean Doolittle
Sean Doolittle, American baseball player
- September 28
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party becomes the first opposition party in Taiwan.
- September 29
Inika McPherson
Inika McPherson, American track and field athlete
- September 30
Jarron Gilbert
Jarron Gilbert, American footballer
October
- October 2
Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle, American actress
- October 3
Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron
TASCC, a superconducting cyclotron at the Chalk River Laboratories in Canada, is officially opened.
- October 5
Eugene Hasenfus
Eugene Hasenfus's plane was shot down by Nicaraguan forces while carrying weapons to the Contra rebels on behalf of the U.S. government; he was subsequently captured, leading to an international controversy.
- October 8
1986 Cipel-Marco fur factory explosion
An explosion occurred at the Cipel-Marco fur factory in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, killing 14 and injuring 10.
- October 9
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and currently the longest-running Broadway show in history, opened in London's West End.
- October 9
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company (FBC) launches as the fourth US television network.
- October 10
1986 San Salvador earthquake
A 5.7 Mw San Salvador earthquake shakes El Salvador, killing 1,500.
- October 11
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Iceland to continue discussions about scaling back IRBM arsenals in Europe.
- October 14
Tom Craddock
Tom Craddock, English footballer
- October 14
Skyler Shaye
Skyler Shaye, American actress
- October 14
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews, American basketball player
- October 19
1986 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash
The president of Mozambique and a prominent leader of FRELIMO, along with 33 others, die when their aircraft crashes into the Lebombo Mountains.
- October 20
Aeroflot Flight 6502
Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashed on approach to Kurumoch Airport in Samara, Russia (then Kuybyshev in the Soviet Union), killing 70 people on board.
- October 21
Lebanon hostage crisis
In Lebanon, pro-Iran kidnappers claim to have abducted American writer Edward Tracy (he is released in August 1991).
- October 24
Hindawi affair
Nezar Hindawi is sentenced to 45 years in prison, the longest sentence handed down by a British court, for the attempted bombing of an El Al flight at Heathrow Airport.
- October 26
Jakub Rzeźniczak
Jakub Rzeźniczak, Polish footballer
- October 26
Schoolboy Q
Schoolboy Q, German-American rapper
- October 26
Ibor Bakar
Ibor Bakar, French footballer
- October 26
Marco Ruben
Marco Ruben, Argentinian footballer
- October 27
Big Bang (financial markets)
The British government suddenly deregulates financial markets, leading to a total restructuring of the way in which they operate in the country, in an event now referred to as the Big Bang.
- October 29
Margaret Thatcher
British prime minister Margaret Thatcher officially opened the M25, one of Britain's busiest motorways.
November
- November 2
Lebanon hostage crisis
Lebanon hostage crisis: U.S. hostage David Jacobsen is released in Beirut after 17 months in captivity.
- November 2
Andy Rautins
Andy Rautins, American-Canadian basketball player
- November 3
Compact of Free Association
The Compact of Free Association becomes law, granting the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands independence from the United States.
- November 3
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.
- November 5
USS Rentz
USS Rentz, USS Reeves and USS Oldendorf visit Qingdao, China; the first US naval visit to China since 1949.
- November 5
Nodiko Tatishvili
Nodiko Tatishvili, Georgian singer
- November 5
Ian Mahinmi
Ian Mahinmi, American basketball player
- November 5
BoA
BoA, South Korean singer-songwriter, producer and actress
- November 5
Kasper Schmeichel
Kasper Schmeichel, Danish footballer
- November 6
1986 British International Helicopters Chinook crash
Sumburgh disaster: A British International Helicopters Boeing 234LR Chinook crashes 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of Sumburgh Airport killing 45 people. It is the deadliest civilian helicopter crash on record.
- November 9
Carl Gunnarsson
Carl Gunnarsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- November 13
Kevin Bridges
Kevin Bridges, Scottish comedian and actor
- November 13
Wade Miley
Wade Miley, American baseball player
- November 17
Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
The flight crew of Japan Airlines Flight 1628 are involved in a UFO sighting incident while flying over Alaska.
- November 22
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson defeated Trevor Berbick to win the World Boxing Council title, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
- November 24
Asim Chaudhry
Asim Chaudhry, British comedian and actor
- November 24
Pedro León
Pedro León, Spanish footballer
- November 24
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham, American football player
- November 25
King Fahd Causeway
The King Fahd Causeway is officially opened in the Persian Gulf.
- November 25
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese announces that profits from covert weapons sales to Iran were illegally diverted to the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
- November 25
Katie Cassidy
Katie Cassidy, American actress
- November 26
John Demjanjuk
The trial of John Demjanjuk, accused of committing war crimes as a guard at the Nazi Treblinka extermination camp, starts in Jerusalem.
- November 26
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces the members of what will become known as the Tower Commission.
- November 27
Xavi Torres
Xavi Torres, Spanish footballer
- November 27
Suresh Raina
Suresh Kumar Raina, Indian cricketer
- November 27
Oritsé Williams
Oritsé Williams, English singer-songwriter, producer, and dancer
- November 27
Steven Silva
Steven Silva, American-Filipino footballer
- November 28
Mouhamadou Dabo
Mouhamadou Dabo, French footballer
- November 29
Suriname National Army
The Surinamese military attacks the village of Moiwana during the Suriname Guerrilla War, killing at least 39 civilians, mostly women and children.
- November 30
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Farmar, American basketball player
December
- December 4
Port of Savannah
The MV Amazon Venture oil tanker starts leaking while at the port of Savannah, resulting in an oil spill of approximately 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L).
- December 11
Roy Hibbert
Roy Hibbert, American basketball player
- December 12
Përparim Hetemaj
Përparim Hetemaj, Finnish footballer
- December 12
T. J. Ward
T. J. Ward, American football player
- December 12
Daddy Birori
Daddy Birori, Rwandan footballer
- December 12
Nina Kolarič
Nina Kolarič, Slovenian long jumper
- December 13
Heather Angel (actress)
Heather Angel, British-American actress (born 1909)
- December 13
Ella Baker
Ella Baker, American activist (born 1903)
- December 14
Qasba Aligarh massacre
Qasba Aligarh massacre: Over 400 Muhajirs killed in revenge killings in Qasba colony after a raid on Pashtun heroin processing and distribution center in Sohrab Goth by the security forces.
- December 15
Kim Junsu
Kim Junsu, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
- December 15
Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas, Costa Rican footballer
- December 15
Snejana Onopka
Snejana Onopka, Ukrainian model
- December 16
Jeltoqsan
The Jeltoqsan riots erupt in Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR, in response to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's dismissal of ethnic Kazakh Dinmukhamed Kunaev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, and his replacement with Gennady Kolbin, an ethnic Russian from the Russian
- December 16
Alcides Escobar
Alcides Escobar, Venezuelan baseball player
- December 19
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, releases Andrei Sakharov and his wife from exile in Gorky.
- December 20
Chay Genoway
Chay Genoway, Canadian ice hockey player
- December 23
Rutan Voyager
Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling.
- December 23
Thomas Bourgin
Thomas Bourgin, French motorcycle racer (died 2013)
- December 23
Balázs Dzsudzsák
Balázs Dzsudzsák, Hungarian footballer
- December 23
Beau Champion
Beau Champion, Australian rugby league player
- December 25
Iraqi Airways Flight 163
Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737-270C, is hijacked and crashes in Arar, Saudi Arabia, killing 63 people.
- December 26
Joe Alexander
Joe Alexander, American-Israeli basketball player
- December 26
Kit Harington
Kit Harington, English actor
- December 28
Tom Huddlestone
Tom Huddlestone, English footballer
- December 30
Caity Lotz
Caity Lotz, American actress
- December 30
Domenico Criscito
Domenico Criscito, Italian footballer
- December 30
Jeff Ward (actor)
Jeff Ward, American actor
- December 30
Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding, English singer-songwriter and producer
- December 30
Gianni Zuiverloon
Gianni Zuiverloon, Dutch footballer
- December 31
Dupont Plaza Hotel arson
Three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, killing more than 90 people and injuring 140 others, making it the second-deadliest hotel fire in American history.
Questions about 1986
What happened in 1986?
This site records 307 entries for 1986, including Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges on January 11. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1986?
40 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1986 turns 40 this year.
Which century is 1986 in?
1986 falls in the 20th century, in the 1980s.
Which generation was born in 1986?
Millennials (Generation Y) (1981–1996). Came of age around the year 2000 and the rise of the internet.
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