1985, 40 years ago, wasn’t just the year of shoulder pads and synth pop—it was a launching point for tech, entertainment, and cultural icons we still feel today.
Let’s take a walk through 10 incredible things that made their debut that year.
1. Microsoft Windows 1.0 Debuts
📅 Released: November 1985
🖥️ Why It Matters: It was the first version of Microsoft’s GUI-based operating system.
2. The Nintendo entertainment system Launches in North America
📦 Released: October 1985 (limited U.S. launch)
🎮 Why It Matters: It revived the video game industry and introduced Mario to the world.
3. Calvin and Hobbes Hits Newspapers
📰 First Published: Calvin and Hobbes was first introduced November 18, 1985
🐯 Why It Matters: Bill Watterson’s beloved strip became a cultural touchstone.
4. Back to the Future Takes Audiences for a Ride
🎬 Released: July 3, 1985
🚗 Why It Matters: Cemented itself as one of the most iconic sci-fi films of all time.
5. The Domain Name System (DNS) Is Introduced
🌐 Launched: January 1985
💻 Why It Matters: Replaced numeric IPs with easy-to-remember domain names—making the modern web possible.
6. Blockbuster Opens Its First Store
🏪 Founded: October 19, 1985, in Dallas, Texas
📼 Why It Matters: Revolutionized movie rentals and became a ’90s icon.
7. Coca-Cola Launches “New Coke”
🥤 Released: April 1985
⚠️ Why It Matters: It became a legendary marketing flop—but also sparked the return of “Coca-Cola Classic.”
8. Titanic Wreck is Discovered
🌊 Found: September 1, 1985
🔱 Why It Matters: Solved one of history’s biggest mysteries and brought new insights into the tragedy.
9. Live Aid Rocks the World
🎤 Date: July 13, 1985
🌍 Why It Matters: One of the largest global concerts in history, raising over $125 million for famine relief.
10. The First .com Domain is Registered
💻 Registered: March 15, 1985 — symbolics.com
🌐 Why It Matters: The dawn of commercial internet—and the beginning of the “dot com” era.
1985 was a year that planted seeds for decades of innovation, entertainment, and cultural shifts. Whether you were there to experience it or not, its legacy is still all around us—from the screen you’re reading this on to the games you play and the movies you love.
RECEIVE 10 WITH TOM in your email each time I publish. Sign up here.
10withtom.com 