Look Back To 1993: What Happened That Year

Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is somehow not the strangest thing about the year.

Here's 1993 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 1993

• Meat Loaf's 'I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)' spent seven weeks at number one and was the best-selling single of the year.
• Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, beating Take That. This actually happened.
• Take That had their first number one with 'Pray' and were the biggest band in the country by the end of the year.
• UB40's 'Can't Help Falling in Love' spent two weeks at the top.
• Suede released their debut album and won the Mercury Prize, and the word Britpop started being used.

In the news in 1993

• James Bulger was murdered in Liverpool in February, and the case dominated the year.
• The Bishopsgate bomb caused enormous damage in the City of London in April.
• Stephen Lawrence was murdered in April in a racist attack in south east London; the failures of the investigation became a defining national story over the following decade.
• Buckingham Palace opened to the public for the first time, to pay for the Windsor Castle repairs.
• Britain's last deep coal mines were closing in waves following the previous year's announcements.
• The Maastricht Treaty came into force in November.

On screen in 1993

• Jurassic Park and Schindler's List were both released - the same director, in the same year.
• Live & Kicking replaced Going Live! on Saturday mornings.
• Brookside's body under the patio storyline ran through the year.
• Cracker began on ITV with Robbie Coltrane.
• The X-Files began in America and reached British screens shortly afterwards.

In sport in 1993

• The Grand National was declared void after two false starts - the only time it has happened.
• Manchester United won the first Premier League title, their first league title in twenty-six years.
• Arsenal won both the FA Cup and the League Cup, beating Sheffield Wednesday in both finals.
• Shane Warne bowled the 'ball of the century' to Mike Gatting at Old Trafford.
• Linford Christie won the 100 metres world title in Stuttgart.

Everyday life in 1993

• The first web browsers were spreading through universities; almost no household had internet access.
• The Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo war was at its height.
• Two-tier pricing wars between newspapers began, and The Times cut its cover price.
• The National Lottery was announced for the following year.
• Grunge was, briefly, on the high street.

If you were born in 1993

• Anyone born in 1993 was born the year Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is the single best line you can put in a thirtieth birthday card.
• They arrived the same year Manchester United won the first Premier League title.
• Anyone born in 1993 turns 30 in 2023, 40 in 2033, 50 in 2043, 60 in 2053 and 70 in 2063.
• 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.

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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 1996
• Look back to 1995
• Look back to 1994
• Look back to 1992
• Look back to 1991
• Look back to 1990
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• 1990s party playlist
• 90s kids' TV shows
• 90s quiz questions
• Toys of the 80s and 90s
• Video shops and late fees
• Saturday morning TV
• Phones before mobiles
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: 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 1993?

'Mr Blobby' by Mr Blobby. It beat Take That to the top and remains the most-cited oddity in British chart history.

Why was the 1993 Grand National void?

Two false starts meant a large part of the field ran the race anyway while officials tried to stop them. The result was declared void - the only time in the race's history.

How old is someone born in 1993?

Subtract 1993 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2033, 50 in 2043, 60 in 2053 and 70 in 2063.

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.