The week of February 17 to 23, 1985 saw a new beginning for the BBC, a female duetting at number one, and a soap set in east London kicking off with a dead body
If you’re frustrated by what’s going on in the world today, why not join me for a quick jaunt back to 1985 to see if things were any rosier then.
After all this week 40 years ago saw a new beginning for the Beeb, Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson at number one, and a new soap set in east London kicking off with a soon to be dead body. Elsewhere a Colombian drug kingpin was arrested in the US, and a boxer had his winnings stolen not long after he stepped out of the ring.
Also disaster struck in Spain when 148 people died instantly after the plane they were travelling in clipped a television antenna.
And, in lighter news, Coca-Cola introduced Cherry Cola to the world.
BBC brings in a new era
The new beginning for the BBC saw it remove its iconic mirror globe ident, which had been in use in varying forms since 1969, and replaced it with the COW ( Computer Originated World). The COW was a semi-transparent blue globe with golden continents, which revolved steadily. Its first usage came ahead of the relaunch of Terry Wogan’s eponymous talk show which was set to be a thrice-weekly live primetime programme.
Remember when the television forecasters would point and attach magnetic clouds or suns (depending on the weather) to a picture of the UK? Well this week 40 years ago that technique was replaced by computer-generated graphics.
Eastenders launches
While on its roll, the BBC also launched its iconic, and now long-running soap, Eastenders. More than 13 million viewers tuned it to watch Arthur Fowler, Ali Osman and Den Watts forced their way into Reg Cox’s flat and found Reg on the brink of death. Spoiler alert, he died, and Nasty Nick Cotton was the guilty party.
Godmother of Cocaine arrested
Away from our screens Colombian police arrested the ‘Godmother of Cocaine’ Griselda Blanco in Irvine, California. She was prominent in the cocaine-based drug trade and underworld of Miami, during the 1970s through the early 2000s, and was claimed by some to have been part of the Medellín Cartel. However, following her arrest this week in 1985 she was convicted and served 15 years for manufacturing and distributing cocaine.
Boxer has winnings stolen
After defending his WBC flyweight championship at Alexandra Pavilion in London, Sot Chitalada had his cheque for £82.5k ($104k) stolen by a ringside pickpocket. The crowd at Alexandra Pavilion mobbed Chitalada, his trainer, his manager and other members of his camp as they struggled from the locker room to the ring. The 22-year-old champion, making his first title defence, had hammered Briton Charlie Magri whose corner stopped the fight after four rounds due to a badly bleeding cut above the eye. But trying to navigate the throngs with the cheque in his pocket, Bangkok journalist, Edward Thangarajah, felt a tug on his pocket, and before he knew it the thief had clambered across seats, and made a hasty exit.
Spanish plane crash tragedy claims 148 lives
On 19 February 1985, a Boeing 727-200 crashed into a ravine after one of its wings sliced a television antenna on the summit of Mount Oiz in Biscay during an approach to Bilbao Airport. All 141 passengers and 7 crew on board died. The crash is the deadliest aviation disaster in both the Basque Country and Iberia history. Spanish officials concluded that the crash had been caused by pilot error, after they misinterpreted the altitude alarm and flew the aircraft even lower. At which point the left wing struck a television antenna, shearing it off and causing the aircraft to crash, killing everyone.
Cherry Cola was introduced by Coca-Cola
Cherry Coke launched in early 1985 in select US cities and rolled out nationwide that summer. It was “the first major entry into a whole new category: cherry-flavored sodas,” Brian Dyson, president of Coca-Cola USA, told The Coca-Cola Bottler at the time. Consumer testing had begun at the 1982 World’s Fair. The brand represented the first flavored extension of the company’s flagship trademark, and reception was strong.
Happy birthday (40 years ago) to…
Also this week American vocalist and songwriter, Gene Pitney turned 45, meanwhile actor Lou Diamond Phillips turned 23, and basketball legend Michael Jordan was blowing 22 candles out on his cake.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
