Featured moment
Die Hard Redefines Action Movies
Bruce Willis starred as an everyman cop trapped in a skyscraper with terrorists, changing the action genre forever.
Die Hard and Sega Genesis.
John McClane saved Nakatomi Plaza, the Sega Genesis promised 16-bit power, and CDs outsold vinyl.
The Cost of Living in 1988
Gallon of Gas
$1.14
Loaf of Bread
$0.67
Gallon of Milk
$2.55
World Population
5.14 billion
Featured moment
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Launches in Japan
Sega's 16-bit console launched, beginning the fierce "console wars" of the early 90s.
Featured moment
Stephen Hawking Publishes A Brief History of Time
The cosmology book became a massive unexpected bestseller, bringing complex physics to the masses.
The wider picture
More from 1988
A few more things worth remembering.
World Events
Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing (Lockerbie)
A terrorist bomb destroyed a Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.
Gaming
Super Mario Bros. 3 Released in Japan
Mario's third outing became one of the greatest and best-selling games of all time.
Music
CDs Outsell Vinyl Records
For the first time, compact discs outsold vinyl, marking a permanent shift in how music was consumed.
Cinema & TV
My Neighbor Totoro Released
Hayao Miyazaki's enchanting animated film established Studio Ghibli and gave them their iconic mascot.
Cinema & TV
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
The groundbreaking film blended live-action and animation seamlessly, revitalizing the animation industry.
Technology
First Transatlantic Fiber-Optic Cable
TAT-8 went into operation, drastically increasing international telecommunication capacity.
You arrivedin 1988.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 1988 to today.