Nov 8
George H.W. Bush Elected President
'Read my lips: no new taxes.' Bush defeated Michael Dukakis with 53.4% of the vote, continuing the Reagan revolution. The Willie Horton ad became the most controversial in campaign history.
🇺🇸United States · 80s
Read My Lips
Bush wins the presidency, Die Hard redefines action, and the ozone hole alarm.
What happened
5 milestones of 1988
Dec 21
Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie Bombing)
A bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the ground. It was the deadliest terrorist attack against Americans until 9/11.
terrorism
Jun-Nov
Yellowstone Fires
Massive wildfires burned 793,000 acres of Yellowstone National Park — 36% of the park. The largest wildfire season in the park's history forced a national debate about fire management.
Jun 23
NASA Climate Warning to Congress
NASA scientist James Hansen told Congress he was '99 percent certain' that global warming was real and human-caused. It was the first major public alarm about climate change.
Sep-Oct
Seoul Olympics — US Wins 94 Medals
The US won 94 medals at the Seoul Olympics, including Florence Griffith-Joyner's three golds and Greg Louganis's diving triumph after hitting his head on the board.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Die Hard
John McTiernan — 'Yippee-ki-yay.' Bruce Willis redefined the action hero. Is it a Christmas movie? Yes.
Rain Man
Barry Levinson — Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Won Best Picture. 'I'm an excellent driver.'
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Robert Zemeckis — Live-action and animation together. A technical marvel and a great film noir.
Big
Penny Marshall — Tom Hanks plays a kid in a man's body. The piano scene at FAO Schwarz.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton — Michael Keaton as the ghost with the most. Burton's weird vision went mainstream.
What was on TV
Roseanne
1988-1997 — A working-class family that felt real. Roseanne Barr broke sitcom rules.
Murphy Brown
1988-1998 — Candice Bergen as a TV journalist. Dan Quayle would pick a fight with her.
The Wonder Years
1988-1993 — Kevin Arnold growing up in the late 1960s. Nostalgia within nostalgia.
America's Most Wanted
1988-2012 — Reality TV meets crime fighting. John Walsh helped catch over 1,200 fugitives.
The Cosby Show
1984-1992 — Still a ratings powerhouse in its fifth season.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$2.29
Gallon of gas$0.95
New house (median)$112,500
New car (average)$10,400
Loaf of bread$0.59
Movie ticket$4.11
Inflation: 4.1%
The economy hummed along after Black Monday's scare. Unemployment was low. The Reagan boom continued.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1988 (USD)
$2.29
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1988 (USD)
$0.95
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1988 (USD)
$112,500
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
1988 (USD)
$10,400
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
1988 (USD)
$0.59
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
1988 (USD)
$4.11
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
World Wide Web concept
Tim Berners-Lee began developing his proposal for the World Wide Web at CERN.
Prozac goes on sale
Prozac hit pharmacies. By 1994, it would be the most prescribed antidepressant.
Morris Worm
The first internet worm infected 6,000 computers — about 10% of the internet. Cybersecurity was born.
Sega Genesis
Sega released the Genesis/Mega Drive in Japan. The console wars were about to begin.
Stealth bomber revealed
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was unveiled. Invisible to radar.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Spandex cycling shortsOversized everythingFanny packs
Slang
Dope— Excellent, awesome
Talk to the hand— I'm not listening
Word— I agree, truth
Behavior
- N.W.A. and gangsta rap shocked Middle America
- Flo-Jo's nails and speed made her an Olympic icon
- The crack epidemic devastated inner cities
Share
Download or share cards from this year
1200×630 · WhatsApp/Facebook