When This Dropped

March 2, 1986

President
Reagan
Dow (EOY)
1,896
Gas/gal
$0.86
Big Mac
$1.60
Min Wage
$3.35

Gas cost $0.86 a gallon in the spring of 1986, and the Dow Jones stood at 1,896 — a team of U.S. Navy divers recovered the crew compartment of the Space Shuttle Challenger from the Atlantic Ocean floor, with the remains of all seven astronauts still inside, bringing a somber close to the investigation into the January disaster. On radio and in theaters, Prince And The Revolution held the top spot on the charts with "Kiss," while Stephen King's "It" sat at number one on the New York Times fiction bestseller list, giving Americans plenty to listen to and read through the season. In the NBA, the Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets to claim the championship, a title that fell in the same year that the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, making it a strong spring for franchises with long and storied winning traditions.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — March 2, 1986

New York Times
Time
Rolling Stone
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of March 2, 1986

'Living Will' May Be Worth The Paper It'S Written On

Was Soviet Seaman Switched For A Non-Defector

Murdoch Savors His British Coup

World Events — March 1986

Time Person of the Year — 1986

Deng Xiaoping
Person of the Year
Deng Xiaoping

On the radio

Billboard Charts — March 2, 1986

Kyrie
Mr. Mister
Hot 100 #1
"Kyrie"
Mr. Mister
Miami Vice
Soundtrack
Billboard 200 #1
"Miami Vice"
Soundtrack

Grammy Awards

Graceland
Paul Simon
Grammy Album of the Year
"Graceland"
Paul Simon
That's What Friends Are For
Dionne Warwick & Friends
Grammy Song of the Year
"That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne Warwick & Friends
Higher Love
Steve Winwood
Grammy Record of the Year
"Higher Love"
Steve Winwood
Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Grammy Best New Artist
Bruce Hornsby & The Range

On the bookshelf

It
Stephen King
NYT Fiction #1
"It"
Stephen King
Fatherhood
Bill Cosby
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Fatherhood"
Bill Cosby
Lonesome Dove
Larry McMurtry
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"Lonesome Dove"
Larry McMurtry
World's Fair
E.L. Doctorow
National Book Award Fiction
"World's Fair"
E.L. Doctorow
Arctic Dreams
Barry Lopez
National Book Award Nonfiction
"Arctic Dreams"
Barry Lopez

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1985–86 Season

The Cosby Show
Nielsen #1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1985–86 Season

Emmy Winners — 1986

L.A. Law
Emmy Drama Series
L.A. Law
The Golden Girls
Emmy Comedy Series
The Golden Girls
Bruce Willis
Moonlighting
Emmy Lead Actor
Bruce Willis
Moonlighting
Sharon Gless
Cagney & Lacey
Emmy Lead Actress
Sharon Gless
Cagney & Lacey

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — March 2, 1986

Pretty in Pink
Box Office #1
Pretty in Pink
Out of Africa
Oscar Best Picture
Out of Africa
Oliver Stone
Platoon
Oscar Best Director
Oliver Stone
Platoon
Paul Newman
The Color of Money
Oscar Best Actor
Paul Newman
The Color of Money
Marlee Matlin
Children of a Lesser God
Oscar Best Actress
Marlee Matlin
Children of a Lesser God

Ebert 4-Star Films — March 2, 1986

28 Up
4-Star Review
28 Up
About Last Night…
4-Star Review
About Last Night…
A Room with a View
4-Star Review
A Room with a View
A Year Of The Quiet Sun
4-Star Review
A Year Of The Quiet Sun
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
4-Star Review
Down and Out in Beverly Hills

On the field

Sports Champions — March 2, 1986

Super Bowl
Chicago Bears
def. New England Patriots
World Series
New York Mets
def. Boston Red Sox
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. Houston Rockets
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Calgary Flames

Interested in postcards, posters or t-shirts? Leave your email and we’ll let you know.