Timeline December 1985

Events in December 1985 19

• 1895 – 1985 Robert Graves (1895-1985) Died 7 December 1985, aged 90 Graves was an English poet and novelist best known for his memoir Good-Bye to All That and the historical novel I, Claudius. He spent much of his later life in Deia, Majorca, where he died on 7 December 1985.
• 1922 – 1985 Philip Larkin (1922-1985) Died 2 December 1985, aged 63 Larkin was an English poet whose collections, including The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows, made him one of the most admired British poets of the postwar era. He died in Hull, England, on 2 December 1985.
• 1923 – 1985 Anne Baxter (1923-1985) American actress, granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, Oscar winner for The Razor's Edge and Eve in All About Eve.
• 1975 – 1985 Began Skating in Norilsk Started skating at the age of seven in Norilsk. Moved to Leningrad to train under the legendary coach Tamara Moskvina, who would guide his entire competitive career.
• 1983 – 1985 Venger and Voltron Voiced the villain Venger in the animated series Dungeons & Dragons and narrated the Voltron series, among dozens of other roles during the golden age of 1980s animation.
• 1985 1985: Alain Prost McLaren Frenchman Prost, known as The Professor for his cerebral approach, won the first of his four titles with McLaren.
• 1985 Afterburner Released Afterburner, continuing the synth-rock sound of Eliminator with hits including Sleeping Bag and Stages. The album sold over five million copies.
• 1985 First Published Collection Published his first collection of poems, Pen Rhythm, establishing himself on the literary scene.
• 1985 Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Published Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, an ambitious novel alternating between a cyberpunk thriller and a surreal, walled town where residents have no shadows. It won the Tanizaki Prize and is widely regarded as a masterpiece.
• 1985 Legend and Clue Appeared in two cult films in the same year. In Ridley Scott's fantasy Legend, he played Darkness, the embodiment of evil, under hours of transformative makeup. In Jonathan Lynn's Clue, he delivered a brilliantly manic physical comedy performance as the butler Wadsworth, racing through multiple murder explanations in the film's famous triple ending.
• 1985 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Starred as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, adding a memorable film role to her music career.
• 1985 Mother's Death Her mother was killed in a car accident. The complicated relationship with her abusive mother would become a central theme in O'Connor's music and public life.
• 1985 Olivier Award for A Chorus of Disapproval Won his first Olivier Award for A Chorus of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn, beginning a run of three Olivier wins in five years.
• 1985 The Good Father Appeared in Mike Newell's The Good Father alongside Anthony Hopkins, in one of his more prominent dramatic roles.
• 1985 Wolf Prize in Chemistry Received the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, often considered a precursor to the Nobel Prize.
• 1985 Trial of the Juntas Argentina prosecutes former military rulers for atrocities Argentina put the leaders of its former military juntas on trial for human rights abuses committed during the 1976-1983 Dirty War, with proceedings running from 22 April to 9 December 1985. Five of the nine former commanders, including junta leader Jorge Videla, were convicted. It was one of the first times a Latin American government tried its own former rulers for state terrorism.
• 1985 Kurt Cobain records the Fecal Matter demo With Dale Crover His first recordings, with the Melvins' drummer.
• 1985 Anne Baxter dies in New York Anne Baxter dies aged 62.
• 1985 Roger Waters leaves Pink Floyd Roger Waters formally announces his departure from Pink Floyd on 17 December 1985, stating in a letter to the band's management that Pink Floyd is a 'spent force' and that he is leaving. He applies to have the band's name dissolved as a partnership. Gilmour and Mason contest this legally and win the right to continue using the Pink Floyd name. Waters considers their continuation an act of commercial cynicism, trading on a name they have no right to use without him. The legal and personal battle between Waters and Gilmour is one of the great feuds in rock music -- vicious, prolonged and occasionally petty on both sides.