Week of November 16, 1985
President Reagan arrives in
Geneva for a summit meeting with
Mikhail Gorbachev . Reagan
declares in his arrival remarks that
“genuine give and take” are needed
because U.S.-Soviet differences
“run deep.” Casper Weinberger
urged Reagan in a letter that he
should avoid pledging continued
U.S. compliance with the unratified
SALT II arms control or affirm that
the U.S. will follow interpretations of
the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty that might cripple his “Star Wars” program.
The United States and the Soviet Union agree to resume commercial air service
between the two countries. Reagan suspended all U.S. bound flights by the
Soviet Union national airline Aeroflot on December 29, 1981 as part of retaliation
for the Kremlin-backed imposition of martial law in Poland.
A woman shouting “U.S. out of Nicaragua!” hurls
a roll of toilet paper at Secretary of State George
Shultz , missing him by 10 feet. Shultz had just
walked into the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel
in Geneva when the woman, standing in a balcony
one floor above, began yelling and threw the roll
towards Shultz.
In Bogota, Columbia - rescue workers lift survivors
from dark, oozing mud that rushed down the
slopes of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, destroying
the town and burning thousands if its residents in
the worst volcano disaster in over 80 years. The
Health Minster estimates that between 17 and 20
thousand persons perished and at least 3
thousand are injured.
A group of 200 handicapped children and adults are cut from this year’s
Thanksgiving parade in Detroit in an effort by officials to speedup the nationally
televised event. Last year, the marching group contained some handicapped on
wheelchairs and on crutches. Tom Adams, chairman of the Michigan
Thanksgiving Parade Foundation said that reducing the number of participants
from last year’s 25 floats, 22 marching bands and 1,000 marchers was necessary
Week of November 16, 1985
for the parade’s survival. “We were criticized by (CBS) for the slowness and we
decided the parade was too long and uncontrollable.”
Antonio Johnson (26) - a “master of disguise” who passed himself off as a
woman and masked his age, gives up and surrenders to the FBI. Johnson’s
three-year bank-robbery charade netted him about $350,000. Johnson (who is
black) was linked to robberies in which witnesses described as a white woman, a
white man of about 60 and a black woman in her 20’s. The FBI said Johnson
used “superb makeup work - wigs, false beards, mustaches, eyelashes, rubber
inserts to alter the shape of his nose - a whole bag of tricks.”
Donald Trump announces that he plans to build
a giant development on Manhattan’s West side
that would include the world’s tallest building at
1,910 feet, a 65 floor office tower, six 36 story
luxury condominium buildings and a 1.7 million-
square-foot retail center. “Television City” would
cover a 13-block area from the Hudson River
between 59th and 72nd streets. Trump will try to
lure the three networks to use the site for at least
part of their operations. NBC has already indicated
it needs more room in the next 15 years and would
consider the site. The 100-acre site is the largest undeveloped tract on
Manhattan and is the former home of the Penn Central railroad yard. The project
would take 10 years to complete.
In sports - boxing promoter Don King is acquitted of charges that he evaded
income taxes on nearly $500 thousand he allegedly skimmed from his company,
Don King Productions.
First baseman Don Mattingly of the Yankees who led the
major leagues with 145 runs is named the American League’s
Most Valuable Player receiving 23 first-place votes by the
Baseball Writers Assn. of America. Third baseman George
Brett of the KC Royals is second in voting, outfielder Rickey
Henderson of the Yankees was third, third baseman Wayne
Boggs of the Red Sox is fourth and first baseman Eddie
Murray of the Orioles is fifth.
The Harvard Lampoon chooses Pee-Wee Herman for its third-
annual Elmer award. The award is named after a long-time janitor for the paper.
Lampoon editor Ned Hodgeman says, “We think he is one of the best comedians
around right now.” Herman, who stars and produces “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”
Week of November 16, 1985
on Saturday mornings, will be honored with a parade
around the Harvard campus.
Thieves break into the home of James Hendrix, the
father of the late rock and roller Jimi Hendrix and make
off with fie of the rocker’s gold records.
France is awarded its first commercial television
network. The award was given to friends of President
Francois Mitterrand and an Italian television magnate
who was accused by a cabinet minister of flooding his
country’s channels with shoddy programs. French
newspapers said Mitterrand made the decision
personally, bucking strong opposition within his Socialist party. The new channel
should be on the air by late February with an initial 45% penetration of
population.
TV ratings - Bill Cosby - 31.7, Family Ties - 29.5, 60 Minutes - 25.3, Cheers -
24.7, Dynasty - 24.2, Movie- “An Early Frost” - 23.3, Golden Girls - 23.2, “Kane &
Abel”-Part1 - 23.2, Dallas - 23, Miami Vice - 22.1, Night Court - 21.7, Movie -
“Hostage Flight” - 21.5, Knot’s Landing - 21.3, Who’s The Boss - 21.2, Facts of
Life, 20.8, A-Team - 20.1, Newhart - 20.0, Kate & Allie - 20.0, Monday Night
Football - 19.9.
Monday Night TV - (CBS) Scarecrow
and Mrs King , Kane & Abel Part
II...(NBC) Movie, TV’s Bloopers and
Practical Jokes...Hardcastle &
McCormick, Monday Night Football
(reversed on west coast).
Singer Rick James appears on the soap
“One Life To Live.”
Doug Henning and John Larroquette are
practical joke victims on TV’s practical
jokes.
Week of November 16, 1985
Pop charts - “We Built This
City” - Starship, “Separate
Lives” - Phil Collins & Marilyn
Martin, “Broken Wings” - Mr.
Mister, “Never” - Heart,
“Election Day - Aracadia, “Lay
Your Hands On Me” -
Thompson Twins, “Who’s
Zoomin’ Who” - Aretha Franklin,
“You Are My lady” - Freddie
Jackson, “You Belong To The
City” - Glenn Frey, “Head Over
Heals” - Tears For Fears,
“Sleeping Bag” - ABC, “Love
Theme From St Elmo’s Fire” -
David Foster
Top Country - “Too Much On
My Heart” - The Statler
Brothers, “Hang On To Your Heart’ - Exile, “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” - Gary
Morris, “I Don’t Mind The Thorns (If You’re The Rose) - Lee Greenwood,
“Nobody Falls Like A Fool” - Earl Thomas Conlee.
At the movies - “Kiss Of The Spider Woman” - William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia
Braga
“Once Bitten” - Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey
“Back To The Future’ - Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd
“Death Wish 3” - Charles Bronson
“King Solman’s Mines” - Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone, Herbert Lom
“White Nights” - Mikhail Baryshnikov,
Gregory Hines, Geraldine Page
Disney’s “One Magic
Christmas ” - Mary Steenburgen ,
Gary Gasaraba
“Fever Pitch” - Catherine Hicks,
Giancarlo Gianni