Look Back To 1994: What Happened That Year

The Lottery started, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Wet Wet Wet would not leave the number one spot.

Here's 1994 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 1994

• Wet Wet Wet's 'Love Is All Around', from Four Weddings and a Funeral, spent fifteen weeks at number one. The band eventually deleted it themselves to stop it.
• It was the best-selling single of the year, and by the end people were pleading with radio stations.
• East 17's 'Stay Another Day' was Christmas number one, complete with the bells.
• Blur released 'Parklife' and Oasis released 'Definitely Maybe' - the two albums that started Britpop properly.
• Whigfield's 'Saturday Night' arrived and has never fully left a wedding reception since.

In the news in 1994

• The National Lottery launched in November, with the first draw watched by over twenty million people.
• The Channel Tunnel opened in May.
• Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party in July following the death of John Smith.
• The IRA announced a ceasefire in August.
• Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa.
• Ayrton Senna died at Imola on 1 May.

On screen in 1994

• Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Lion King, Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump all came out in the same year.
• Byker Grove's paintball episode, in which PJ was blinded, was the children's television moment of the decade.
• Knightmare ended after eight series.
• Friends began in America and arrived in Britain the following year.
• The Day Today was broadcast on BBC Two and quietly rewired British comedy.

In sport in 1994

• Manchester United won the Premier League and FA Cup double.
• Brazil won the World Cup in the United States, beating Italy on penalties; neither England nor Scotland qualified.
• Damon Hill finished runner-up in a Formula One season overshadowed by Senna's death.
• Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry were still the dominant snooker names.
• Sally Gunnell held the Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth 400 metres hurdles titles simultaneously.

Everyday life in 1994

• Lottery tickets, a Saturday night draw and a national conversation about what you'd do with it.
• The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act targeted raves, and the protests against it were enormous.
• Sony's PlayStation launched in Japan; the UK would get it the following year.
• Mobile phones were becoming visible but still expensive to run.
• Loaded magazine launched, and lad culture had a name.

If you were born in 1994

• Anyone born in 1994 arrived the year the National Lottery started and the Channel Tunnel opened.
• They were born during the fifteen weeks 'Love Is All Around' was at number one, so there's a fair chance it was number one in their birth week - worth checking for a card.
• Anyone born in 1994 turns 30 in 2024, 40 in 2034, 50 in 2044, 60 in 2054 and 70 in 2064.
• 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 1997
• Look back to 1996
• Look back to 1995
• Look back to 1993
• Look back to 1992
• Look back to 1991
• 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
• Sympathy and bereavement cards
• Sympathy cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was number one for fifteen weeks in 1994?

'Love Is All Around' by Wet Wet Wet, from Four Weddings and a Funeral. The band deleted the single themselves to end its run.

When did the National Lottery start?

November 1994. The first live draw was watched by more than twenty million people.

How old is someone born in 1994?

Subtract 1994 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2034, 50 in 2044, 60 in 2054 and 70 in 2064.

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.