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58th National Spelling Bee: Balu Natarajan wins spelling milieu

The 58th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on June 5–6, 1985, sponsored by the E.W.

The 58th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on June 5–6, 1985, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.

The winner was 13-year-old eighth-grader Balu Natarajan of Bolingbrook, Illinois, in his third appearance at the Bee (he finished 45th in 1983 and 63rd in 1984), the first winner from the Chicago area. He spelled "milieu" for the win. Second place went to 13-year-old Kate Lingley of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, who missed "farrago". Another 13-year-old, Tanya Solomon of Kansas City, Missouri, took third, missing "syllepsis".

168 spellers competed in the Bee, 17 more than competed the previous year.

Historical Significance

The 58th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Events Before

  1. AT&T's 22 owned Bell System companies divest into seven independent companies

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  2. "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC; runs for nine seas

    "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC; runs for nine seasons

  3. Supreme Court rules 5-4 that private home use of VCRs to record TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal c

    Supreme Court rules 5-4 that private home use of VCRs to record TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright law

  4. Apple Computer Inc. unveils its revolutionary Macintosh personal computer in a Super Bowl TV ad directed by Ridley Scott

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  5. Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominate ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performing t

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Events After

  1. Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

    The Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members in one of the most devastating disasters in space exploration history.

  2. Bill Veeck dies

    Bill Veeck baseball executive, known for american baseball executive, died on 1986-01-02. William Louis Veeck Jr.

  3. Aruba gains independence from the Netherlands Antilles

    The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

  4. Inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chuck Berry; James Brown; Ray Charles; Sam Cooke; Fats Domino

    Inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chuck Berry; James Brown; Ray Charles; Sam Cooke; Fats Domino; The Everly Brothers; Buddy Holly; Jerry Lee Lewis; Elvis Presley; Little Richard; Robert Johnson; Jimmie Rodgers; Jimmy Yancey; Alan Freed; John Hammond; and Sam Phillips

  5. Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, includin

    Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first teacher in space

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 6, 1985?
The 58th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on June 5–6, 1985, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Why is 58th National Spelling Bee: Balu Natarajan wins spelling milieu significant?
The 58th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Explore More

June 6 in HistoryYear 1985