1988

What Was Happening in 1988

Pan Am 103 falls from the sky as acid house and rave culture explode

Born in

By the Numbers in 1988

World Population

UK Life Expectancy

57.9 years

US Life Expectancy

58.3 years

Gold Price (per oz)

$429.32

Dow Jones Index

2,395

US National Debt

Sovereign Nations

178

How Much Did Things Cost in 1988?

ItemUKUS
Average house price£49,400$91,600
Average salary£11,500$27,300
Pint of milk26p$0.64
Loaf of bread47p$0.59
Gallon of petrol/gas£1.60$0.95
Pint of beer68p$1.50
Dozen eggs75p$0.81
Cinema ticket£2.50$4.11

Technology and Inventions in 1988

The first internet worm (Morris Worm) disrupted early internet. Stephen Hawking published 'A Brief History of Time.' Sega Mega Drive launched in Japan. The first transatlantic fibre optic cable was laid.

  • Morris Worm — first internet worm disrupts 6,000 computers
  • Stephen Hawking published A Brief History of Time
  • Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) launched in Japan
  • First transatlantic fibre optic cable (TAT-8) operational

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More About 1988

What Was Happening — A journey through the years