Population: 4.86 Billion
(Estimate) Population now over 4.5 billion
Business: New Coke released to public dismay
Entertainment: "Les Miserables" debuts in London
"Sunday in the Park With George" by Sondheim and Lapine
"We Are the World" recorded by Live Aid including dozens of artists for drought relief
Science: Halley's Comet to 1986
Terrorism: Kidnap of TWA passengers - released 17 days later
Deaths: Miniskirt designer Rudi Gernich, Marc Chagall, silent film actress Louise Brooks, Frank Oppenheimer,
Africa
Ethiopia: Height and start of decline of famine in Sahel
Ivory Coast: Proposal of name standardisation of Cote d'Ivoire
Libya: US bombings
South Africa: start of relaxation of Apartheid - Marriages between races legal
Americas
Canada: Quake
Colombia: Nevada del Ruiz erupts killing 23,000 - 4th deadliest
Mexico: Earthquake of 8.0 in Mexico City kills 9500
Asia
Philippines: Typhoon Dot
Thailand: Tuberculosis
Europe
France: Cote D'Azur fire accompanied by hot, dry winds
Greece: Egyptian forces storm plane on Malta as terrorists take Egyptian Boeing 737 and 59 die
Italy: PLO terrorists Italian cruise ship and Italian government topples in following political crises
Soviet Union: Start of Chernobyl problems (see 86)
Gorbachev becomes head of Communist Party as Chernenko dies - introduces reforms of Glasnost and Perestroika
Switzerland: Hosts US-Soviet summit
Middle East
Iran: Continuation of Iran-Iraq War
Israel: Agreement to withdraw from Lebanon
Lebanon: Israel agrees to withdraw
Shi'ite Muslims capture TWA airliner - hostages later freed in Beruit
Pacific
General: South Pacific Forum passes Treaty of Raratonga which sets up nuclear-free zone in Pacific
French agents blow up Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior