Spiffy Entertainment

Big News Headlines in 1986

The U.S. officially observes Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday for the first time. 

The space shuttle Challenger explodes moments after lift-off killing 6 astronauts and Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire teacher. 

A major nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union. 

Japanese video game maker Nintendo introduces its games to America. 

U.S. warplanes bomb Libyan headquarters in retaliation for terrorist attacks.

  • Sports Champions
  • MLB - New York Mets

    NFL - Chicago Bears

    NBA - Boston Celtics

    NHL - Montreal Canadiens

  • Grammy Award Winners
  • Record of the Year - "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood

    Album of the Year - "Graceland" by Paul Simon

    Song of the Year - "That's What Friends are For" by Various Artists

  • Academy Award Winners
  • Best Picture - Platoon

    Best Director - Oliver Stone for “Platoon”

    Best Actress - Marlee Matlin in “Children of a Lesser God”

    Best Actor - Paul Newman in “The Color of Money”

  • Top Grossing Movies
  • #1 Top Gun

    #2 Crocodile Dundee

    #3 Platoon

    #4 The Karate Kid, Part 2

    #5 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

    #1 Hits of 1986 (US Pop Charts)

    TITLE

    Take My Breath Away

    You Give Love a Bad Name

    Amanda

    True Colors

    Stuck With You

    A View to a Kill

    Higher Love

    Rock Me Amadeus

    Sledgehammer

    Live to Tell

    Papa Don't Preach

    When I Think of You

    That's What Friends are For

    Sara

    These Dreams

    On My Own

    Venus

    Walk Like an Egyptian

    The Next Time I Fall

    Kyrie

    Kiss

    There'll Be Sad Songs

    West End Girls

    Addicted to Love

    Holding Back the Years

    The Way it Is

    How Will I Know

    Greatest Love of All

    Human

    ARTIST

    Berlin

    Bon Jovi

    Boston

    Cyndi Lauper

    Huey Lewis & The News

    Duran Duran

    Steve Winwood

    Falco

    Peter Gabriel

    Madonna

    Madonna

    Janet Jackson

    Various Artists

    Starship

    Heart

    Michael McDonald w/P.LaBelle

    Bananarama

    Bangles

    Amy Grant w/Peter Cetera

    Mr. Mister

    Prince

    Billy Ocean

    Pet Shop Boys

    Robert Palmer

    Simply Red

    Bruce Hornsby & The Range

    Whitney Houston

    Whitney Houston

    Human League


    Take a Look Back at this Decade… Year by Year