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Historical Context for February 9, 1985

In 1985, the world population was approximately 4,868,943,465 people[†]

In 1985, the average yearly tuition was $1,228 for public universities and $5,556 for private universities. Today, these costs have risen to $9,750 and $35,248 respectively[†]

Notable Births

1985Nigel Dawes, Canadian-Kazakhstani ice hockey player[†]

Nigel Alexander Dawes is a Kazakh Canadian former professional ice-hockey winger. He played 212 games in 5 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Montreal Canadiens.

1985David Gallagher, American actor[†]

David Lee Gallagher is an American actor and former model. He began his career as a child actor and model at the age of two, and is known for his roles as Mikey Ubriacco in Look Who's Talking Now, Simon Camden in 7th Heaven, Kevin Harper in Angels in the Endzone, Richie Rich in Richie Rich's Christmas Wish, and Riku in the Kingdom Hearts series. Throughout his career, he has been a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Teen Choice Award winner.

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Headlines from February 9, 1985

MAIN STREET TURNS OUT FOR LEWIS CENTENNIAL

By Andrew H. Malcolm, Special To the New York Times

Phyllis Olson played the piano. Kathy Lieser baked a cake. Joe Kiselewski couldn't make it because of a bad cold. But Mary Hanson came out, even with all the sidewalk ice. The postmaster was there, and Jeanine Wolbeck. And Al Tingley and Dave Jacobson seemed to get along for once. At one point everybody in the hotel here sang ''Happy Birthday'' to Harry Lewis, who wasn't there. Mr. Lewis, Red to his friends, is better known to the world as Sinclair Lewis, the writer, born 100 years ago. And Sauk Centre is better known as Gopher Prairie, the not really fictional setting of Lewis's most famous novel, ''Main Street,'' which was written in 1920. Harry Sinclair Lewis, who died in Italy in 1951 at the age of 65 and had his ashes sent back home, was not the first Middle Western youth to forsake his small town for the bright lights of the big city. Nor, according to a number of older parents here, was he anywhere near the last.

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WALTERS, LONGTIME DIPLOMAT, GETS KIRKPATRICK POST AT U.N.

By Bernard Weinraub, Special To the New York Times

Gen. Vernon A. Walters, an experienced envoy and former Central Intelligence Agency official, was nominated by President Reagan today to succeed Jeane J. Kirkpatrick as chief United States delegate to the United Nations. After the announcement, the 68-year- old retired Army general told reporters at the State Department, ''I will do my best to continue the superb work that Ambassador Kirkpatrick has done in the United Nations to restore and enhance the position of the United States.'' In accepting the post, General Walters made it clear that he would hold Cabinet rank, as had Dr. Kirkpatrick. In recent weeks, Administration officials have said Secretary of State George P. Shultz was seeking to remove the post from Cabinet status.

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I was wondering if anything interesting on the news was going on when I was born, and decided to create this website for fun. The purpose is to show people what was going on when they were born. With this website I've found out that it was a pretty slow news day on my birthday, but I bet it would feel cool to know a historical event happened on your birthday.

The data used in this project is provided by the New York Times API. They have by far the best API I was able to find, with articles dating back to the 1950s. There weren't any other major newspapers that had an API with close to as much data. The closest was the Guardian API, but theirs only went back to the 1990s. I decided to only use articles from the New York Times because their API was by far the best. This tool works if you have a birthday after the 1950s or so.

Some important dates in history I'd recommend looking up on this website are:

  • 9/11/2001: The September 11 Attacks happened on this day, the news articles from this date provide great context to the tragedy our nation suffered and the immediate response from the American people. The headlines capture the shock, confusion, and unity that emerged in the aftermath of this devastating event.
  • 7/20/1969: The historic Apollo 11 moon landing, when humans first set foot on another celestial body. The articles from this date showcase humanity's greatest achievement in space exploration and the culmination of the space race.
  • 11/9/1989: The fall of the Berlin Wall, marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War. The coverage provides fascinating insights into this pivotal moment in world history and the emotions of people as decades of division came to an end.
  • 1/20/2009: Barack Obama's inauguration as the first African American President of the United States, a watershed moment in American history that represented a major milestone in the ongoing journey toward racial equality.
  • 8/15/1969: The Woodstock Music Festival began, marking a defining moment in American counterculture and music history. The coverage captures the spirit of the era and the unprecedented gathering of young people.

These historical events are just a few examples of the fascinating moments in history you can explore through this tool. Whether you're interested in your own birthday, significant historical dates, or just curious about what was making headlines on any given day, this website offers a unique window into the past through the lens of contemporary news coverage.

You can read more on our blog.