Look Back To 1995: What Happened That Year

Blur against Oasis on the Six O'Clock News, and Toy Story changed films for good.

Here's 1995 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 1995

• The Britpop chart battle: Blur's 'Country House' against Oasis's 'Roll With It' in the week of 20 August. Blur won, and it led the national news.
• Robson and Jerome's 'Unchained Melody' was the best-selling single of the year, which nobody remembers and everybody should.
• Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song' was Christmas number one.
• Oasis released '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' in October; it became one of the best-selling British albums ever.
• Pulp's 'Common People' reached number two and is arguably the song of the decade.

In the news in 1995

• Barings Bank collapsed in February after losses run up by a single trader, Nick Leeson.
• The fiftieth anniversary of VE Day was marked with events across the country in May.
• The Srebrenica massacre took place in July during the Bosnian war.
• The Rosemary West trial concluded in November.
• The Princess of Wales gave her Panorama interview in November, watched by around twenty-three million people.
• The Dayton Agreement ended the Bosnian war in December.

On screen in 1995

• Toy Story was released - the first fully computer-animated feature film.
• Braveheart, Se7en and GoldenEye were the other films of the year.
• Father Ted began on Channel 4.
• Hollyoaks launched, as did the BBC's Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth.
• The Sony PlayStation launched in the UK in September and changed who played video games.

In sport in 1995

• Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League, still the last club outside the traditional big names to do so for decades.
• Everton beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
• South Africa won the Rugby World Cup on home soil, with Nelson Mandela in a Springbok shirt.
• Jonathan Edwards broke the triple jump world record twice in one competition in Gothenburg.
• Eric Cantona's kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park in January earned him an eight-month ban.

Everyday life in 1995

• Buzz Lightyear sold out before Christmas - a genuine, widely reported shortage.
• Windows 95 launched in August with an advertising campaign built around the Rolling Stones.
• Dial-up internet started appearing in a small number of homes.
• Britpop, Loaded and Cool Britannia were being reported as a single cultural moment.
• The Sega Saturn launched and lost badly to the PlayStation almost immediately.

If you were born in 1995

• Anyone born in 1995 arrived the year Toy Story came out and the PlayStation launched in Britain.
• They were born during the Blur versus Oasis summer, which is a decent line for a thirtieth card.
• Anyone born in 1995 turns 30 in 2025, 40 in 2035, 50 in 2045, 60 in 2055 and 70 in 2065.
• 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 1998
• Look back to 1997
• Look back to 1996
• Look back to 1994
• Look back to 1993
• Look back to 1992
• 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
• Good luck cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Blur versus Oasis chart battle?

Blur. 'Country House' outsold 'Roll With It' in the week of 20 August 1995. The result was reported on the national news.

What was the best-selling single of 1995?

'Unchained Melody' and 'White Cliffs of Dover' by Robson and Jerome - not, as most people assume, anything by Blur or Oasis.

How old is someone born in 1995?

Subtract 1995 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2035, 50 in 2045, 60 in 2055 and 70 in 2065.

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.