Look Back To 1988: What Happened That Year

Acid house, Kylie's first number one and a grim run of disasters.

Here's 1988 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 1988

• Kylie Minogue's 'I Should Be So Lucky' reached number one in February.
• Cliff Richard's 'Mistletoe and Wine' was the Christmas number one and the year's best-selling single.
• Acid house and the second summer of love changed British clubbing for good.

In the news in 1988

• The Piper Alpha oil platform explosion on 6 July killed 167 people.
• Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed over Lockerbie on 21 December.
• The Clapham Junction rail crash happened on 12 December.

On screen in 1988

• Red Dwarf and Home and Away both began on British screens.
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Rain Man were the films of the year.
• Comic Relief's Red Nose Day became a fixture.

In sport in 1988

• Wimbledon beat Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
• Sandy Lyle won the Masters.
• Adrian Moorhouse won the 100 metres breaststroke at the Seoul Olympics, and Malcolm Cooper retained his shooting title.

Everyday life in 1988

• The Amiga 500 arrived in bedrooms; the Game Boy was still a year away.
• Mobile phones were still the size of a brick and mostly used in cars.
• Smiley faces, dungarees and baggy clothes arrived with the dance scene.

If you were born in 1988

• Anyone born in 1988 is the same age as Red Dwarf.
• They were born the year Kylie Minogue first reached number one in Britain.
• Anyone born in 1988 turns 30 in 2018, 40 in 2028, 50 in 2038, 60 in 2048 and 70 in 2058.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1989
• Look back to 1987
• Look back to 1986
• Look back to 1985
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• 1980s party playlist
• 80s kids' TV shows
• 80s quiz questions
• Toys of the 80s and 90s
• Computers and consoles we grew up with
• Saturday morning TV
• Cassette tapes and taping the charts
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Christmas number one in 1988?

'Mistletoe and Wine' by Cliff Richard, also the year's biggest-selling single.

What was the second summer of love?

The 1988 acid house boom, when warehouse parties and dance music moved from a small scene to a national one.

How old is someone born in 1988?

Subtract 1988 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2028, 50 in 2038, 60 in 2048 and 70 in 2058.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.