At A Glance

16 November 1988 at a glance

Day of the week
16 November 1988 was a Wednesday.
ARIA No. 1
The ARIA No. 1 was “Don't Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin.
Top Film of 1988
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1988 was Rain Man.
Best-Selling Vehicle of 1988
Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1988 was the Ford Falcon.
Star sign
The star sign for 16 November is Scorpio.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 16 November 1988 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for November is Topaz.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 16 November 1988 was First Quarter.

On this day: 16 November

  • 1988 The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic declares that Estonia is "sovereign" but stops short of declaring independence.
  • 1988 In the first open election in more than a decade, voters in Pakistan elect populist candidate Benazir Bhutto to be Prime Minister of Pakistan.
  • 1990 Pop group Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award because the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It's True album. Session musicians had provided all the vocals.
  • 1992 The Hoxne Hoard is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Hoxne, Suffolk.
  • 1997 After nearly 18 years of incarceration, China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons.

Famous people born on 16 November

  • Bruno Guimarães, Brazilian footballer (born 1997)
  • Tiberius, Roman emperor (born -42)
  • Bonnie Greer, American-English playwright and critic (1948–2026)
  • Burgess Meredith, American actor, singer, director, producer, and screenwriter (1907–1997)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1988 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1988 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 17 January – The TV soap Home and Away is launched by Seven Network.
  • 26 January – Australia Day, Australia celebrates its bicentennial day with the arrival of the First Fleet Re-enactment Voyage and a tall ships parade in Sydney Harbour.
  • 19 March – Nick Greiner and the Liberal Party win the 1988 New South Wales state election in a landside, removing the ALP government of Barrie Unsworth.

Life in Australia in 1988

Prime Minister

Bob Hawke

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.55

Loaf of Bread

$1.02

Average House

$92,000

Weekly Wage

$470.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →