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Events on Friday 16 May 1986 2
1986Top Gun premieresTom Cruise as MaverickTony Scott's Top Gun, filmed with real US Navy F-14s, becomes the highest-grossing film of 1986 and a recruiting boost for naval aviation.
1986Top Gun releasedNaval aviator blockbuster becomes the year's top-grossing filmParamount released Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise as a Navy fighter pilot, which became the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide. Its soundtrack, including "Danger Zone" and "Take My Breath Away," topped charts internationally. The film boosted US Navy recruitment and became a defining pop-culture touchstone of the decade.