1988

Year 1988 () was a (link displays 1988 ).

In the, the year 1988 has the most digits (11). In the, it is the until February 16 and the  for the rest of the year.

January

 * - The begins its program of economic restructuring  with legislation initiated by Premier.
 * - The is established, creating the largest  denomination in the.


 * - The falls 140.58 points, or 6.85%, to close at 1,911.31 in a mini-crash.
 * - President  dies in ; Vice-President  becomes president.
 * - In, Israeli police and Palestinian protestors clash at the ; several police and at least 70 Arabs are injured.
 * - U.S. Vice President and  anchor  clash over Bush's role in the  scandal, during a contentious television interview.
 * - The, a U.S. college athletic conference, is formed.

February

 * - The -controlled rejects President 's request for $36.25 million to support the Nicaraguan.
 * - is appointed to the.
 * - - The are held in, ,.
 * - U.S. Lieutenant Colonel, serving with a group monitoring a  in southern , is kidnapped (he is later killed by his captors).
 * - On his television show in,  confesses to an unspecified sin (an affair with prostitute Debra Murphree, as it turns out) and announces he will temporarily leave the pulpit.
 * - ': The sides with ' magazine by overturning a lower court decision to award  $200,000 for.
 * - A Nazi document implicates in W.W. II deportations.

March

 * - Students at go on strike for the selection of a non  university president.
 * - : The fatally shoot 3 unarmed  members in.
 * - Two helicopters collide in, , killing 17 servicemen.
 * - U.S. presidential candidate defeats  in numerous Republican primaries and caucuses on "Super Tuesday."  The bipartisan primary/caucus calendar, designed by Democrats to help solidify their own nominee early, backfires when none of the 6 competing candidates are able to break out of the pack in the day's Democratic contests.  , however, wins several Southern state primaries.
 * - The is carried out by  government forces.
 * - : Lieutenant Colonel and Vice Admiral  are indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the.
 * - A n jetliner,, crashes into the side of the mountains near the n border killing 143.
 * - British Army Corporals Woods and Howes are killed by the IRA in the so-called "".
 * - An i court sentences to 18 years in prison for disclosing Israel's nuclear program to .
 * - The in,  is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in.
 * - U.S. presidential candidate defeats  in the  Democratic caucuses, becoming the temporary front-runner for the party's nomination.   withdraws his candidacy after his campaign speeches against imported automobiles fail to earn him much support in.
 * - representative  is assassinated in.

April

 * -  of  is convicted in his  trial and removed from office.
 * -  Governor  wins the  Democratic presidential primary.
 * - The Ojhri Camp Disaster occurs in and.
 * - The opens to traffic in.
 * -  (directed by ) wins 9.
 * - Former pop singer is elected mayor of.
 * - In the, the commits itself to withdrawal of its forces from.
 * The  strikes a in the, while deployed on  during the  phase of the.
 * - i commandos kill the 's in.
 * - In, , the kill Senator Roberto Ruffilli, an advisor of.
 * - forces retaliate for the  mining with, in a day of strikes against ian oil platforms and naval vessels.
 * - In, is sentenced to death for s committed in .   He was accused by survivors of being the notorious guard at the  known as "Ivan the Terrible".   The conviction is later overturned by the.
 * - loses several yards of its upper fuselage while in flight; extraordinarily, the craft lands with only 1 fatality.
 * - The first National Willy Fog day (UK).
 * - World opens in , .   The exhibition runs for 6 months, hosting pavilions from over 70 countries and thrusting the city of Brisbane into the international spotlight.

May

 * - in : A major explosion at an industrial solid-fuel rocket plant causes damage extending up to 10 miles away, including 's.
 * - near : A drunk driver going the wrong way on, hits a converted school bus carrying a church youth group from .   The resulting fire kills 27, making it tied for 1st in the U.S. for most fatalities involving 2 vehicles to the present day. Coincidentally, the other 2-vehicle accident involving a bus that also killed 27 occurred in  30 years prior.
 * - wins the English  after beating  1-0 at . The south-west  had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the history of English football, as they had been top division members for just 2 years and had joined  only 11 years earlier. Liverpool, meanwhile, had won a total of 30 major trophies including 17 league titles.
 * - : After more than 8 years of fighting, the begins withdrawing from.
 * - A report by U.S.  states that the  properties of  are similar to those of  and.
 * - : The rules that police officers do not need a  to search through discarded.
 * - (outlawing promotion of homosexuality in schools) is passed as law by  in the.
 * - U.S. President addresses 600  students, during his visit to the.

June

 * - strips   of his  following his jailing for.
 * - The name of the General Public License is mentioned for the first time.
 * - Wembley Stadium hosts a concert featuring stars from the fields of music, comedy and film, in celebration of the 70th birthday of imprisoned leader.
 * - The defeats the  2-0 to win.
 * - Four workers are asphyxiated at a metal-plating plant in, in the worst confined-space industrial accident in U.S. history (a fifth victim dies 2 days later).
 * - : The upholds the law allowing s to investigate suspected crimes by executive branch officials.
 * - Roman  consecrates 4 s at,  for his , along with , without a  mandate.

July

 * - The in,  is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of  and  over the.
 * - is shot down by missiles launched from the.
 * - The drilling platform in the  is destroyed by explosions and fires, killing 165 oil workers and 2 rescue mariners.
 * - The first reported medical waste on beaches in the area (including hypodermic needles and syringes possibly infected with the  virus) washes ashore on Long Island.  Subsequent medical waste discoveries on beaches in  and in  force the closure of numerous New York-area beaches in the middle of one of the hottest summers in the American Northeast on record.
 * - closes its  plant after 10 years of operation (the first factory built by a non-American automaker in the U.S.).
 * - The in,  nominates  for U.S. President and  for Vice President.
 * - Thirty-two people are killed and 1,674 injured when a bridge at the Ferry terminal collapses in, . Famous rock mogul born in

August

 * the leader of i muslims was killed in.
 * - The culminates in the ouster of the  of,.
 * - - in :  A riot erupts in  when police attempt to enforce a newly-passed curfew for the park.   Bystanders, artists, residents,  people and political activists are caught up in the police action which took place during the night of August 6th and into the early morning of August 7th.
 * - : Thousands of protestors in, now known as "Myanmar", are killed during anti-government s.
 * - The play their first ever  at home in, defeating the , 6-4.
 * - The, , and the , , are killed in a plane crash near.
 * - The in,  nominates  for President and  for  of the United States of America.
 * - A begins in the.
 * - The ends, with an estimated one-million lives lost.
 * - A fire destroys part of quarter, in 's historical center.
 * -, "The terminal man", is stuck in the in , where he will continue to reside until ,.
 * - Seventy-five people are killed and three-hundred and forty-six injured in one of the worst in history at 's, when three s from the  air demonstration team, , collide, sending one of the aircraft crashing into the crowd of spectators.

September

 * - With US$2 billion in federal aid, the Robert M. Bass Group agrees to buy the 's largest thrift, American Savings and Loan Association.
 * - In, 300 000 demonstrate for independence.
 * - devastates ; it turns towards 's  2 days later, causing an estimated $5 billion in damage.
 * - - The are held in,.
 * - The drilling rig suffers a blowout and fire in the North Sea. (See also )
 * - - Large, militant protests against the take place in.
 * - ': resumes  flights, grounded after the ', with.

October

 * - Thousands riot in, against the  government; by  the army has killed and tortured about 500 people in crushing the riots.
 * -  is defeated in a national  which sought to renew his.
 * - In, in the only vice presidential debate of the , the party vice presidential nominee, Senator  of , insists he has as much experience in government as  did when he sought the presidency in .  His  party opponent, Senator  of , replies, "Senator, I knew Jack Kennedy.  I served with Jack Kennedy.  Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.  Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."   The tremendously positive audience response to Sen. Bentsen's remark solidified the reputation of Sen. Quayle as a political lightweight.
 * - are allowed to study at, for the first time.    s wear s and the  flies a.
 * - : Two officers are gunned down,, in.
 * - In the second U.S. presidential debate, held by, the nominee, , is asked by journalist  of , if he would support the  if his , "", were to be d and ed.  Gov. Dukakis' reply, voicing his opposition to capital punishment in any and all circumstances, is later said to have been a major reason for the eventual failure of his campaign for the.
 * - hits a dramatic  to win Game One of the  for the, over the , by a score of five runs to four.
 * - The bans  s with  members.  The  gets around this stricture through the use of professional actors.
 * - is released in
 * - : 48 hours after announcing it was abandoning, manufacturer  states that it would resume distribution of the , bowing to pressure from the  of.
 * - 's resigns from his post as the  of, following attempts by the , , to limit the vast powers Gen. Rahimuddin had accumulated.
 * - buys  for US$13.1 billion.
 * - in   draws to a close after a six month spectacular.
 * - : clinches his first  with a phenomenal drive in the, recovering from 16th place on the first lap to win the race and beat rival  into second place.

November

 * - In the Israeli election, wins 47 seats,  wins 49, but Likud Prime Minister  remains in office.
 * -: Thousands of South Korean students demonstrate against former president.
 * - : is elected over.
 * - In, police find a body buried in the lawn of 60-year-old boardinghouse landlady (7 bodies are eventually found and Puente is convicted of 3 murders and sentenced to life in prison).
 * - In the, the unmanned Shuttle  is launched by an rocket on its maiden al spaceflight (the first and last space flight for the shuttle).
 * - : An independent is proclaimed at the  meeting in, by a vote of 253 to 46.
 * - The very first label,, is launched by ,  and    in the.
 * - The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR declares that is "sovereign" but stops short of declaring independence.
 * - In the first open election in more than a decade, voters in choose populist candidate  to be . Elections were held as planned despite  Zia-ul-Haq's death earlier in August.
 * - : U.S. President signs a bill providing the  for murderous drug traffickers.
 * - : and the  win a second.
 * - Officially Buys  Promotions, known as  Crockett, and turns it into  or World Championship Wrestling.
 * - In, the first prototype stealth bomber is revealed.
 * - Former Korean president publicly apologizes for corruption during his presidency, announcing he will go into exile.
 * - buys  for US$25.07 billion.

December

 * - is sworn in as Prime Minister of, becoming the first woman to head the government of an -dominated state.
 * - A in  leaves 5 million homeless and thousands dead.
 * - In an  6.9 on the  kills nearly 25,000, injures 15,000 and leaves 400,000 homeless.
 * - becomes the official language of.
 * - The last and  roll off the assembly line in a Chrysler factory.
 * - The kills 35 and injures 132.
 * - The is signed at.
 * - is blown up by n terrorists over, killing a total of 270 people. Those responsible are believed to be of either ian or  origin.
 * - ian union and environmental activist is assassinated.
 * - player  scores a goal in each of the five different ways possible in one game (even-strength, power-play, shorthanded, penalty shot, and empty-net)

Undated

 * , the first to use s, is completed.
 * s found in the.
 * The mouse was created in 1988.

Fictional
The following are references to year 1988 in fiction:
 * In the and  , the adventure begins in 1988 when the Nordic Goddess  moves to Earth - specifically, to  - to be the personal guardian deity of young techie.
 * In the movie , a decisive battle to stop a rogue Kamen Rider from destroying all of time is set to the date of December 26, 1988.

January-February

 * -, Indian Fantasy Novelist
 * -, Scottish footballer
 * -, English er
 * -, Welsh television/radio personality - runner-up,
 * -, English rugby union player
 * -, Northern Irish footballer
 * -, American actor
 * -, American chess player
 * -, American musician
 * -, Danish footballer
 * -, American television personality
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, French tennis player
 * -, English footballer
 * -, Brazilian footballer
 * -, Irish footballer
 * -, Turkish soccer player
 * -, American gymnast
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, American actor
 * -, Romanian gymnast
 * -, Spanish American actress
 * -, British footballer
 * -, American actor
 * -, Brazilian actress
 * -, Japanese voice actor
 * -, Barbadian R&B singer
 * -, English footballer
 * -, Icelandic footballer
 * -, Australian footballer
 * -, German model

March-April

 * -, Andorra figure skater
 * -, American actress
 * -, daughter of former British Prime Minister
 * -, Italian footballer
 * -, Australian singer
 * -, Asian chess player
 * -, American actresses
 * -, English footballer
 * -, Australian rugby union player
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, English actress
 * -, English football player
 * -, English football player
 * -, Dutch soccer player
 * -, Mexican actress
 * -, Japanese voice actress (seiyū)
 * -, English footballer
 * -, British actor
 * -, British actor
 * -, American actor
 * -, Turkish soccer player
 * -, Australian footballer
 * -, American actress
 * -, 2007 UK Big Brother contestant
 * -, Australian soccer player
 * -, American actress
 * -, American actress
 * -, American murder victim (d. )
 * -, Canadian snowboarder
 * -, Korean born singer

May-June

 * -, Founder, Chief Technologist of Zooomr
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American student pilot (d. )
 * -, American reality star and singer
 * -, Canadian singer
 * -, Australian Idol 2004 singer
 * -, American actress
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, Iconic English
 * -, British heir
 * -, American golfer
 * -, Japanese Go player
 * -, Spanish footballer
 * -, Canadian model
 * -, English musician
 * -, Chinese gymnast
 * -, Japanese actress
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, Argentine football (soccer) player
 * -, Japanese voice actor
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, Ghana footballer
 * -, American actress
 * -, Japanese model/actress
 * -, Chinese gymnast
 * -, British actress
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, Costa Rica chess player
 * -, Hong Kong singer, actress and model
 * -, English footballer
 * -, British murder victim
 * - and, 2007 UK Big Brother contestants
 * -, American swimmer
 * -, American actor

July-August

 * -, American actor
 * -, British taekwondo expert
 * -, Mexican actress
 * -, Canadian actress
 * -, Spanish footballer
 * -, winner, season 3
 * -, American actress
 * -, English footballer
 * -, Irish footballer
 * -, American singer and basketball player
 * -, Australian rugby league player
 * -, American singer and basketball player
 * -, Australian rugby league player
 * -, Australian gymnast
 * -, Luxembourg figure skater
 * -, Italian swimmer
 * -, American football running back
 * -, French writer
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, American murderer (d. )
 * -, Minor League Baseball player
 * -, American actress
 * -, Morrocan football (soccer) player
 * -, American actress
 * -, Kenyan runner
 * -, American actor
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American actor
 * -, English actor
 * -, English singer and actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, English football player (d. )
 * -, American actress
 * -, English football player (d. )

September-October

 * -, Turkish football (soccer) player
 * -, Indian actress
 * -, Canadian hockey player
 * -, Australian actress
 * -, American singer
 * -, American religious discrimination victim (d. )
 * -, Norwegian poker player
 * -, American actress
 * -, Romanian gymnast
 * -, Christian contemporary music singer/songwriter
 * -, American actor
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, American actor
 * -, American actor
 * -, Japanese actress
 * -, American musician
 * -, Canadian actress
 * -, Australian Actress and performer
 * -, Australian footballer
 * -, American actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, Polish gymnast
 * -, American gymnast
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, Australian footballer
 * -, Irish actor
 * -, American murderer
 * -, American actor

November-December

 * -, Japanese table tennis player
 * -, American actress
 * -, English actor
 * -, American actress
 * -, Japanese actress
 * -, American actress
 * -, American musician
 * -, American actress
 * -, American soccer player
 * -, American professional hockey player
 * -, Dutch singer-songwriter
 * -, American actress
 * -, British actor
 * -, Russian gymnast
 * -, American actor
 * -, Australian actress
 * -, French basketball player
 * -, American actress and singer
 * -, Polish figure skater
 * -, English actress
 * -, Canadian soccer player
 * -, British heir
 * -, Mexican actor
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, Indian cricketer
 * -, Japanese model
 * -, American singer
 * -, Hungarian tennis player
 * -, Hungarian tennis player

Unknown dates

 * , American actress
 * , Iranian teenage offender (executed )
 * , American chess player
 * , Australian actor


 * For musicians born in 1988, see .

January - March

 * -, British geneticist (b. )
 * -, American basketball player (b. )
 * -, British actor (b. )
 * -, American pilot (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party (b. )
 * -, Irish Republican Army leader, recipient of the (b. )
 * -, British actor (b. )
 * -, French vineyard owner (b. )
 * -, American comedian and actor (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, American poet (b. )
 * -, American physicist, laureate (b. )
 * -, French poet (b. )
 * -, French-born physician, recipient of the (b. )
 * -, German born Australian mathematician (b. )
 * -, American actor and comedian (b. )
 * -, Argentine comedian and actor (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Polish-born violinist (b. )
 * -, third (b. )
 * -, British singer (b. )
 * -, Writer and American actor (b. )
 * -, twentieth (b. )

April - June

 * -, radio show, classic old time radio (b. )
 * -, American cartoonist (b. )
 * -, Scottish socialist (b. )
 * -, South African author (b. )
 * -, British actor and raconteur (b. )
 * -, Ukrainian-born American sculptor (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, American tenor (b. )
 * -, American author (b. )
 * -, Russian mathematician (b. )
 * -, American science fiction author (b. )
 * -, Chinese writer (b. )
 * -, member of died of a.
 * -, British spy (b. )
 * -, American jazz trumpeter (b. )
 * -, British illustrator (b. )
 * -, voice actor (b. )
 * -, American dancer (b. )
 * -, German physicist, laureate (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Irish-American singer and radio and television personality (b. )
 * -, Israeli-born guitarist (b. )

July - September

 * -, American wrestler (b. )
 * -, American athlete (b. )
 * -, American professional wrestler (b. )
 * -, singer-songwriter, fashion model, actress and Warhol socialite (b. )
 * -, American television personality and Game Show host (b. )
 * -, American child actress (b. )
 * -, American inventor (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, American short-story writer & poet (b. )
 * -, French-Canadian poet & singer (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Italian composer (b. )
 * -, Mexican actor (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, American musician/graffiti painter (b. )
 * -, religious Guru from India (b. )
 * -, Italian car maker (b. )
 * -, American lawyer and politician (b. )
 * -, leader of Pakistan (b. )
 * -, British psychiatrist (b. )
 * -, American physicist, laureate (b. )
 * -, German actor (b. )
 * -, author of the Mr. Men series (b. )
 * -, English footballer (b. )
 * -, Iranian Azari poet (b. )
 * -, member of (b. )
 * -, American cartoonist (b. )

October - December

 * -, English writer (b. )
 * -, English footballer (b. )
 * -, British children's author (b. )
 * -, English composer and pianist (b. )
 * -, American musician (b. )
 * -, American boxer (b. )
 * -, English Comic Actor (b. )
 * -, Romanian-born actor and producer (b. )
 * -, and convicted Watergate criminal (b. )
 * -, Welsh conductor & organist (b. )
 * -, Hungarian conductor (b. )
 * -, American shipping magnate (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Italian singer and lyricist (b. )
 * -, American singer (b. )
 * -, American R&B singer, disco performer (b. )
 * -, Dutch ornithologist, recipient of the (b. )
 * -, American oil tycoon and businessman (b. )

Nobel prizes

 * - Sir, ,
 * - The.
 * - Sir, ,
 * - The.
 * - The.

Right Livelihood Award

 * / Dr.
 * /, , the Penan people.
 * /, , the Penan people.
 * /, , the Penan people.