At A Glance

18 August 1988 at a glance

Day of the week
18 August 1988 was a Thursday.
ARIA No. 1
The ARIA No. 1 was “Perfect” by Fairground Attraction.
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 18 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1988 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 August 1988 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 18 August

  • 1971 Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.
  • 1976 The Soviet Union's robotic probe Luna 24 successfully lands on the Moon.
  • 2005 A massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java; affecting almost 100 million people, it is one of the largest and most widespread power outages in history.
  • 2008 The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, resigns under threat of impeachment.
  • 2008 War of Afghanistan: The Uzbin Valley ambush occurs.

Famous people born on 18 August

  • Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
  • Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
  • Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
  • Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (born 1975)

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 →