At A Glance

31 October 1988 at a glance

Day of the week
31 October 1988 was a Monday.
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 31 October is Scorpio.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 October 1988 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 October 1988 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 31 October

  • 1998 Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
  • 1999 Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.
  • 2000 Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been crewed continuously since then.
  • 2002 A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas indicts former Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to the collapse of his ex-employer.
  • 2003 Mahathir Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir's 22 years in power.

Famous people born on 31 October

  • Marcus Rashford, English footballer (born 1997)
  • Nick Saban, American football player and coach (born 1951)
  • John Candy, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (1950–1994)
  • Michael Landon, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (1936–1991)

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 →