Annandale Retrospective
The Year was 1985
By: M. Callahan
Mail bombings, hijackings, plane bombings,
and worldwide terrorism
GOVERNMENT
US President: Ronald Reagan (R)
Vice President: George Bush (R)
VA Governor: Charles S. Robb (D)
US Senators from VA: Paul S. Trible, Jr. (R) & John W. Warner (R)
Chief Justice US Supreme Court: Warren Burger
Speaker of the House: Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. (D)
MAJOR EVENTS
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Gen. Sec’t of the Soviet Communist Party
Brazil returns to civilian rule after 21 yrs. of dictatorship.
Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda.
Les Miserables premiers in London and Biloxi Blues premiers in NYC
Asian Tiger mosquitoes are first found in Houston, TX.
A Columbia volcano erupts killing 23,000 people.
The Ocean Liner, Achille Lauro was hijacked on Oct 7th.
The Great Debate about BETA v. VHS recording machines ensues.
US became a debtor nation for the first time since 1918.
AWARDS & PRIZES
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie
Miss America: Sharlene Wells (Salt Lake City, UT)
Best Picture of the Year: Out of Africa
Best Actor: William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman
Best Actress: Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful
Nobel Prizes
- Physics – Klaus von Klitzing
- Chemistry – Herbert A. Hauptman, Jerome Karle
- Literature – Claude Simon
- Peace – International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
- Economics – Franco Modigliani
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – Michael S. Brown, Joseph L. Goldstein
SPORTS
Billy Martin becomes Yankee Manager for 4th time.
NCAA Basketball Champion: Villanova over Georgetown
NBA Championship: LA Lakers v Boston Celtics 4:2
College Football Champion: Oklahoma Sooners
Heisman Trophy Winner: Bo Jackson of Auburn
US Open Winner: Andy Noth
Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadians v Calgary Flames 4:1
NBA Rookie of the Year: Michael Jordon
NY Jets retire Joe Namath’s # 12.
Howard Cosell retires from television sports after 20 years.
Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb’s career hits record.
Super Bowl XIV: San Francisco 49ers v Miami Dolphins 38-16
World Series Champion: Kansas City Royals (4) v St. Louis Cardinals (3)
Heavy Weight Boxing Title: Michael Spinks
Indianapolis 500 Winner: Danny Sullivana
Wimbledon Singles Champions: Bjorn Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova
EVERYDAY LIFE
Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases the much sweeter New Coke.
|In less than 3 months Old Coke is back on the market.
The game, “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego” is released.
A record 43,000 farms go bankrupt as land prices fall and interest rates surge.
A giant hole in the earth’s ozone layer over Antarctica is discovered.
Mohammed Al Fayed buys Harrods in London.
The Tommy Hilfiger brand is established.
David Ballard discovers the wreck of the Titanic.
Saturn Corp. is founded.
Federal Minimum Wage: $3.10 per hour.
Dow Jones Ave. closes Dec. 31st at 1546.67 up from 1211.57 at end of 1984.
Gold prices range from $305.50 to 362.80.Jan 1980, all time high was $850.
World Population: 4.8 billion
US Population: 237,923,795
Cost of a new house: $89,331
Average Income: $22,138
New Car: $9.011
Average Rent: $375.00 per month
Tuition to Harvard U.: $9,800 per year
Movie ticket: $2.75 each
Gasoline: $1.09 per gallon
US Postage Stamp: $.22
Gallon of milk: $2.31
Sugar: $.98/5 pounds
Eggs: $.60 per dozen
Ground Hamburger: $1.15 per pound
Bread: $.96 per loaf
Bacon: $1.65 per pound
Coffee: $2.45 per pound
Life Expectancy: 74.5 years
MOST POPULAR MOVIES:
Star Wars: The Color Purple, Prizzi’s Honor, Back to the Future, The Breakfast Club, Out of Africa
NEW TEVEVISION PROGRAMS:
The Golden Girls, MacGyver, Spenser: For Hire, Growing Pains, The Berenstain Bears
POPULAR SONGS:
We are the World by Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie, We All Stood Together by Paul McCartney, Edge of Darkness by Eric Clapton
BIRTHS:
Keira Knightley, Michael Phelps, Lee Boyd Malvo, Frankie Muniz
DEATHS
Marc Chagall, Orson Wells, E.B. White, Ricky Nelson, Rock Hudson, Robert Graves
Annandale in 1985
Annandale Celebrates Her TriCentennial with the slogan:
“Town with a future – home with a past.”
Annandale Retail Establishments Special offers...
Giant and Safeway offer the following:
Bread - $1.29/2 loaves
5# Gold Medal Flour - $1.09
Ham - $ .99/lb
Frozen Orange Juice - $ .99
Chuck Roast - $ .99/lb
Apples - $ .69/3 lb
1# Bacon - $1.39
Chicken - $ .59/lb
Dinner at Chez Francoise in Great Falls: $22-26
Climate:
Ave. July Temp 77 degrees
Ave. Jan. Temp 41 degrees
Yearly Precipitation 44”
Snowfall 16”
Frost 10/28-4/10
Real Estate Sales in Annandale: Homes purchased in 1965 for $40,000 are now listed at $165,000.
4018 Whispering Lane $166,000
4930 Van Masdag Ct. $106,000
4818 King Richards Dr. $144,000
7713 Heritage Drive $116,000
6729 Fern Lane $118,000
4062 Championship Ct. $121,000
3705 MacGregor Ct. $124,000
According to Coldwell Banker, Northern Virginia homes valued at $121,000 would cost the following in these regions:
Richmond $ 88,000
Norfolk $ 77,750
San Francisco $217,000
New York $325,000
LOCAL NEWS: 1985-1990:
1985 Local elections:
38th District Leslie Byrne v. Gwendolyn Cody,the incumbent member of the House of Delegates 1982-1985
39th District Robert Murphy v. Vivian Watts, the incumbent member of the House of Delegates 1982-1985
October 1985: Board of Supervisors will not back Rail to Dulles. The cost in 1985 dollars would have been 175 million. Instead, they preferred new highways and feeder bus systems.
October 1985: Construction trench collapsed at 4301 Backlick Road by Jiffy Lube/Cannon Park. Two men were trapped chest high for 3 hours. This was the first time that the County Firefighters new Cave In Unit and equipment were called out. They had just been formed 4 months earlier.
October 1985: Mortgage rates for a 30 year fixed rate with 90% loan/10% down payment are 11½% - 12% with 3-4½ points up to $115,3000. Local banks are uncertain of the safety of Adjustable Rate Mortgages. They warn, “They could be like quicksand and could suck the life out of a borrower.” Home equity line of credit: 1% over prime for loans of $5-100K at Continental Bank.
October 1985: A driver traveling at a high rate of speed hit a telephone pole at 6714 Heritage Drive around 4:30pm. The County Firefighters used, for the first time, a new tool called the Jaws of Life to extract the driver.
October 5, 1985: This day was declared “Annandale Beautification Day” by Supervisors Tom Davis and Audrey Moore. Citizens meet in droves at the Fire House with brooms, shovels and rakes. Based on a study completed late in 1985 on the Annandale Commercial Areas, the Central Business District of Annandale was designated a Revitalization Zone by the Board of Supervisors.
October 17, 1986: Dr. James Buchanan of GMU awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics
October 19, 1985: Tricentinnial Parade held in Annandale with 30 organizations and Miss Virginia in attendance.
October 20, 1985: Thomas Jefferson High School for Technology opens.
1986: Thirty-one serious accidents occur this year at the intersection of Backlick and Braddock Roads. It is considered the worst intersection in the County.
November 21, 1986: Chamber holds their Annual Awards Banquet at the Elks Lodge on Arlington Blvd. Cost: $35
July 4, 1987: Blood, Sweat & Tears concert at Wolf Trap. Tickets $12 on lawn / $16 in house.
Summer of 1987: 17 year Cicadas swarm the area.
August 5, 1987: Construction of the Fairfax County Government Center was approved with a budget of 83.4 million. It was completed in 1991.
May 1988: Evergreen Office Condos open. Evergreen Lane is widened to accommodate the additional traffic.
MORE ANNANDALE RETROSPECTIVE & HISTORY
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