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| 1984, April |
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| Massive demonstrations in Rio (April 10) and São Paulo (April 15, with 1.5 million marchers) called for immediate direct popular elections for the presidency; nevertheless, the military insisted on indirect election. | 1 |
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| 1985, Jan. 15 |
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| Moderate opposition businessman Tancredo Neves (1910–85) of the PMDB was elected president but died of cancer before his inauguration. | 2 |
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| April 22 |
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| Vice president–elect José Sarney (a long-time supporter of the military regime and very recent convert to the PMDB) assumed the presidency. He promised land reform and a voice for the workers in government. | 3 |
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| Nov |
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| Congress passed a land reform bill providing for distribution of 88 million acres to 1.4 million families by 1989. The move proved ineffective as large landowners stalled the program by hiring armed thugs to intimidate and murder peasants in the affected regions. | 4 |
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