July 25, 1985
Rock Hudson's publicist confirms that the former matinee idol had been diagnosed with AIDS more than a year earlier. About two months later, the 59-year-old actor died from AIDS-related complications at his home in Beverly Hills.
September 1985
Elizabeth Taylor co-founds the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) with a $250,000 contribution from Rock Hudson before his death.
1985
Released by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, "That's What Friends Are For" becomes an AIDS anthem and raises $3 million for amfAR.
Nov. 11, 1985
An Early Frost, the first television movie to deal with AIDS starring Aidan Quinn as a lawyer who goes home to tell his parents (Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara) that he's gay and has the disease, premieres on NBC.
Feb. 4, 1987
Liberace succumbs to AIDS-related pneumonia at age 67. He was never out about his sexuality or HIV status.
Oct. 11, 1989
Longtime Companion, starring Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy and Mary-Louise Parker, becomes the first AIDS-themed movie to have a wide release in theaters.
June 2, 1991
Jeremy Irons is the first celebrity to publicly wear an AIDS red ribbon to the Tony Awards.
Nov. 7, 1991
NBA superstar Magic Johnson announces he is HIV-positive.
May 12, 1992
Robert Reed, who played everyone's favorite dad on The Brady Bunch, dies of cancer but it's later revealed that his HIV-positive status contributed significantly to his death.
Nov. 24, 1991
Queen's iconic lead singer Freddie Mercury dies of AIDS-related illnesses.
Sept. 12, 1992
Psycho star Antony Perkins loses his battle with AIDS at age 60.
Mar. 29, 1993
Tom Hanks wins the Oscar for Best Actor for his work in Philadelphia as an attorney who files suit against his former firm for firing him because he has AIDS.
Sept. 11, 1993
And the Band Played On, a television movie based on journalist Randy Shilts' book of the same name about the discovery and early days of HIV and AIDS, premieres on HBO. The all-star ensemble includes Matthew Modine, Ian McKellen, Lily Tomlin, Richard Gere, Angelica Huston and Alan Alda.
Nov. 11, 1994
AIDS activist Pedro Zamora, who appeared on The Real World: San Francisco, dies from the disease in Coconut Grove, Fla. Pedro, a scripted feature film about his life, was released in 2008.
February 1995
Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis tells Barbara Walters in an interview on 20/20 that, according to CDC standards, he has AIDS and knew he was HIV-positive when he competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
May 25, 2014
Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer and Julia Roberts star in The Normal Heart, Ryan Murphy's adaptation for HBO of Larry Kramer's 1985 AIDS play of the same name. It went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.
Sept. 27, 2015
Former Who's the Boss? child star Danny Pintauro says during an appearance on Oprah: Where Are They Now that he has been HIV-positive for 12 years.
Nov. 17, 2015
The Platoon actor confirms reports during an interview on the Today show that he was diagnosed with HIV about three years ago.