1986 Fun Facts: Sitcoms, Movies, Fictional Characters!

The year 1986 certainly had an amusing lineup of events and fun facts about technology, science, sports, and entertainment.

A plethora of sad songs and fashion icons made it into the headlines and were all the rage in 1986 with many people, including young students. Tom Cruise, Paul Newman, Michael Hutchence, Huey Lewis & The News, and Mickey Rourke were the biggest Hollywood hunks of 1986.

What was happening in America in 1986? Well, Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States, and George H. W. Bush was the Vice President.

The yearly inflation rate was 1.91% in the USA and the average income per year was $22,400. The Ford Mustang was priced at $7,452 and the average cost of buying a new house was $89,430.

The first PC virus ever, Brain, started affecting floppy disks in 1986. What was really special about 1986 was that it had a series of wonderful events occur. Unfortunately, one of the worst events in history, the explosion of the Soviet Nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, also occurred on Apr 26, 1986.

Popular music artists included Billy Ocean, Bon Jovi, Genesis, Madonna, Robert Palmer, and more.

The Evolving Culture Of Television Sitcoms

The evolution of television shows and pop culture history started a new trend of sitcoms in the year 1986 with the development of famous sitcoms across a range of genres.

While in 1966 and 1976, cable television wasn't a major player in television, by 1986 it was firmly entrenched. Although network repeats still dominated on cable, channels such as HBO, Showtime, and TBS were already experimenting with producing original content.

This paved the way for a growing number of out-of-the-box ideas in every genre. Despite this, network television and the traditional sitcom still predominantly dominated, but it was the start of a new era of television sitcoms.

Hit sitcoms like 'Family Ties' were released. 'The Cosby Show' on NBC, was the most popular television show, 'Top Gun' was the most successful movie, and 'That's What Friends Are For' was the most popular song.

'The Late Show' was the first television program shown on the then-new Fox Network, and it was an American late-night chat show. It debuted on Oct 9, 1986, as 'The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers' and was hosted by comedy actress Joan Rivers.

It's also Arsenio Hall's first late-night talk show. Rupert Murdoch established the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986. According to Britannica.com the network launched with 79 affiliate stations that reached 80% of homes in the United States.

The Golden Girls is an American sitcom by Susan Harris, and it also first aired on NBC in 1986.

New Developments In Baseball

1986 saw many new developments in the field of baseball.

The New York Mets won the World Series in 1986, defeating the Boston Red Sox 8-5 in Game 7. Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry hit home runs to lead the Mets back from a 3-0 hole, and Knight was awarded Series MVP.

The New York Mets won their second World Series victory, their first since 1969, during the 1986 Major League Baseball season.

Willie McCovey was the lone player chosen to the Baseball Writers' Association of America's Hall of Fame that year, on January 8, becoming the 16th player to be inducted in his first year of eligibility.

Billy Williams was four votes short of the 319 votes required to win the election. Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth punished 11 players who testified in the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials about their connection with cocaine.

The Cleveland Indians and their winning pitcher Ken Schrom defeated the Baltimore Orioles and their losing pitcher Mike Flanagan 6–4 on Apr 2, 1986, in front of the highest opening day attendance in history at Memorial Stadium during a regular season with 52,922 spectators.

The New York Mets were beaten by The Atlanta Braves (7-2) on May 1 to stop their record-tying 11-game winning run. Some dubbed this the highlight' of the Braves 1986 season.

Three different players hit home runs for the Braves, including 1978 N.L.

Rookie of the Year Bob Horner. On July 6, Atlanta Braves' first baseman Bob Horner becomes only the 11th player in Big League history to blast out four home runs in just a single game.

Horner also became the second player to do so in a losing effort, as his Braves fell 11–8 to the Montréal Expos at Fulton County Stadium.

On Jan 26, 1986, the New England Patriots were defeated by the Chicago Bears (46-10) and won the Super Bowl. This was the first victory of the Chicago Bears since 1963.

The Culture Of Fictional And Animated Characters

The culture of fictional and animated characters was truly embraced in 1986. Read on to know more about the culture that incorporated fictional and animated characters.

In January, the first-ever episode of 'Maple Town' was cast. In February, Pixar was established, and the first-ever episode of 'Dragon Ball' was aired.

The animated movie, 'The Transformers: The Movie', was also released in 1986, with Eric Idle as the voice actor and more.

As a sequel to 'Star Trek II', 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' is a science fiction film directed by Leonard Nimoy. This was also released in 1986.

My Pet Monster is a fictional character that started as a plush doll produced by American Greetings and quickly gained popularity among children all over the U.S. and internationally.

Famous Movies Released In 1986

Many famous movies that are definitely worth a mention were released in 1986 across a range of different genres. Many of which have become part of pop culture history and are still popular today.

' Karate Kid Part II', an American martial arts drama, was released in 1986. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Kamen.

It is the second movie in the Karate Kid franchise series and the sequel to the original and well-known 'Karate Kid' filmed in 1984, starring Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio.

'Karate Kid Part II' follows Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who joins his karate teacher, the famed Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), to go see his dying father in Okinawa. During this visit, they encounter an old friend-turned-foe who harbors a mighty grudge against Mr. Miyagi.

The film received mixed reviews with quite a few critics praising Morita's performance, as well as the new location and characters.

Several people, however, were critical of the film, including elements from the storyline and some of the action scenes. That being said, the film was a commercial success, totaling $130 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1986.

'Ruthless People' is an American black comedy movie released in 1986. The movie was written by Dale Launer and stars Danny DeVito and Bette Midler.

The storyline centers around a businessman who can't stand his wife. When two kidnappers who used to work for the businessman abduct his wife in order to extort money from him the movie takes an unexpected and interesting twist.

The kidnappers quickly realize that he doesn't want his wife back at all and that he was actually planning on killing her himself.

Meanwhile, the businessman's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him, which doesn't go as planned. This movie was a hit with viewers who found it enthralling.

'Platoon' by Oliver Stone (1986) was a movie based on the famous battle in the Vietnam War.

It's the first installment of a trilogy of Vietnam War films, directed by the famous Stone, followed by the movie 'Born on the Fourth of July' (1989) and 'Heaven & Earth' (1993).

This film, based on Stone's experiences from the Vietnamese war, follows a U.S. Army volunteer (Charlie Sheen) serving in Vietnam while his Platoon Sergeant, Berenger, and his Squad Leader, Dafoe, argue over the sheer morality in the platoon and the conduct of the war.

An American dark fantasy and comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie, 'Golden Child', was released in 1986. The film stars Eddie Murphy as Chandler Jarrell, who is informed that he is 'The Chosen One' and is destined to save the gold child, a kidnapped Tibetan boy who is said to be the savior of all humankind.

The movie, Murphy's first movie not to be rated R, was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures and received a total gross of $79,817,937 at the United States box office.

Another one of the most popular movies released in 1986 is 'Little Shop of Horrors'. This movie is a 1986 American horror black comedy musical film directed by Frank Oz.

In this horror-comedy film, a nerdy florist luckily stumbles upon his chance for romance and success with the assistance of a giant human-eating plant who persistently demands to be fed.

Other 1986 Facts Worth Knowing

We have some exciting 1986 facts compiled especially for you. It was a year full of surprises, pop culture news, awe, wonder, and more.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986 was a fatal accident in the space program of the United States. Only 73 seconds into its flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart, killing seven crew members that were aboard.

On the Billboard Hot 100, 'West End Girls' by the Pet Shop Boys debuted at #71. The song reached number one on May 10, 1986.

On National Coffee Day, if you'd like to enlighten someone with a fact, tell them about the famous 1986 book, 'Coffee And Conflict In Colombia, 1886-1910'.

In 1986, tens of thousands of workers marched through Moscow in a May Day celebration.

The Polar Bear satellite was launched in 1986 to assess the near-Earth plasma's properties.

In 1986 20 million+ runners ran in 76 countries to raise money for starving people in Africa and to fight hunger.

In 1986, the world record for the greatest robbery of a government was announced by the Philippines' government, reporting a national loss of around $5-10 billion.

Pet Shop Boys' album, 'Please', was released in 1986.

'The World War II GI' is a book published in 1986, authored by Martin Windrow and Kevin Lyles.

Hands Across America was a fundraising event where over six million people formed a human chain in 1986. This human chain lasted 15 minutes. After that, radio stations in America played the song, 'Hands Across America'.

U2 embarked on their World Tour, where their North American leg kicked off in Vancouver.

During the World Cup in Mexico, Aerosmith and Run DMC mixed rock and hip hop on 'Walk This Way.

The National Pork Board, composed of 15 importers and pork producers, came into effect in 1986.

In 1986, the then U.S. President Ronald Reagan declared January 20, 1986, as Martin Luther King Jr Day. He also designated the week starting September 15, 1986, the 'National School-Age Children Care Awareness Week'.

In 1986, New York City outlawed discrimination against gay and lesbian people in matters like employment and housing paving the way for the introduction of future rights for the LGBTQ community.

In April 1986, Broderick Crawford, the American actor who played a role in the film 'All The King's Men', and on the T.V. series 'Highway Patrol', passed away.

In June 1986, West Germany lost to Argentina in the final of the FIFA World Cup.

Popular holiday gifts in 1986 were the Atari 7800, action figurines of the Real Ghostbusters, camcorders, and Panini football stickers.

The winner of the U.S. Open Golf Ray Floyd.

Dar Allen Robinson, the first movie stuntman ever and performer passed away on Nov 21, 1986. His stunts were always well-thought-out and planned.

Throughout his 13 year career, he never once even broke a bone. However, on the set for the movie 'Million Dollar Mystery', Robinson made a grave error in judgment resulting in him riding his stunt motorcycle straight off a cliff and subsequently passing away.

The unfortunate Space Shuttle Challenger disaster also occurred on a Tuesday in 1986, where the Space Shuttle Challenger fell apart. The Challenger, initially built and assembled in 1983, exploded because of the explosion of an external tank.

Aerodynamic pressure then tore the shuttle apart. Christa McAuliffe, the first American civilian to go into space, also died in this accident.

She was only 37 years old when this unfortunate incident occurred. The Challenger was at an altitude of 46,000 ft (14 km) when it exploded.

The Challenger's mission and purpose were to launch the second-ever TDRS-B (tracking and data relay satellite). The entire disaster was caused by the failure of the two O-ring seals in a joint in the Space Shuttle's right SRB (solid rocket booster).

The parachute from the Challenger could be seen supporting either a nose cap or a frustum. Christa McAuliffe used to live in New Hampshire.

Christa McAuliffe's husband, Steve McAuliffe, who is currently aged 72, continues to keep her memories alive by serving as the Founding Director of Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Their children are now in their 40s, all grown up, and moved on with their own lives.

The Gravikord, a musical instrument, was invented in 1986. It is a 24-stringed electric double bridge-harp that was invented by Robert Grawi. It's very closely related to the instruments to the West African kora, and the mbira.

In Canada, the new Competition Act came into force in 1986. What happened in Australia? The Australia Act 1986 came into full effect, righteously granting Australia complete legal independence from the U.K.

In March 1986, several space probes flew by Halley's Comet.

Several space probes from various countries and their space agencies had the opportunity to witness Halley's comet as it passed by over the previous month, shortly after it made its closest approach to Earth.

The Suisei and Sakigake probes from Japan, the European Space Agency's Giotto, the Soviet Union's Vega 2 and Vega 1, and NASA's International Cometary Explorer all unfortunately collided with Halley's comet in March, forming what was dubbed 'Halley's Armada'.

Giotto, an ESA mission, was the first to observe the comet up close, coming within 373 mi (600 km) of it at its closest approach (the next closest probe in the Armada was about 4,970 mi (8,000 km) away).

As Halley's comet went by, all of the probes performed critical observations, taking various types of measurements and collecting data.

Famous American (Los Angeles, California) hard rock band Guns N' Roses, was formed in 1985. In 1986, they signed to Geffen Records. The band then comprised of the famous vocalist Axl Rose, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, lead guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler.

The first hit single that aided them in their breakthrough was 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. They are today set to release their new EP 'Hard Skool', in 2022. If you're a fan, we know you're excited!

'The Oprah Winfrey Show' also made its debut in 1986. The show was a hit with the Chicago audience, and emerging star Oprah Winfrey got a syndication agreement soon after.

Her show quickly became America's highest-rated talk show, airing for 25 seasons and winning over 45 Daytime Emmy Awards.

Oprah became a significant character in popular culture as a result of her show, and she is now one of the wealthiest and most powerful African-American women in the country. Before it ceased in 2011, 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' aired approximately 4,500 episodes.

1986 was surely a year packed with events in the realms of music, entertainment, movies, politics, and more. It was most certainly a rollercoaster ride. Did you like reading this article? Would you like to read more of our articles?