UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
16 August 1988 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 16 August 1988 was a Tuesday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “The Only Way Is Up” by Yazz and the Plastic Population.
- Top Film of 1988
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1988 was Rain Man.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 16 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 16 August 1988 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 16 August 1988 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 16 August
- 1966 Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.
- 1972 In an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, the Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
- 1975 Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically hands over land to the Gurindji people after the eight-year Wave Hill walk-off, a landmark event in the history of Indigenous land rights in Australia, commemorated in a 1991 song by Paul Kelly and an annual celebration.
- 1989 A solar particle event affects computers at the Toronto Stock Exchange, forcing a halt to trading.
- 2008 The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago is topped off at 1,389 feet (423 m), at the time becoming the world's highest residence above ground-level.
Famous people born on 16 August
- Madonna, American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and director (born 1958)
- Sophie Cunningham, American basketball player (born 1996)
- Jannik Sinner, Italian tennis player (born 2001)
- James Cameron, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1954)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1988 in the United Kingdom
A selection from Wikipedia's '1988 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.
- 5 February – The first BBC Red Nose Day raises £15,000,000 for charity.
- 3 March – The SDP amalgamates with the Liberal Party to form the Social and Liberal Democratic Party. Its interim leaders are David Steel and Robert Maclennan. The merger means that the Liberal Party has ceased to exist after 129 years.
- 24 May – Local Government Act becomes law. The controversial Section 28 prevents local authorities from "promoting homosexuality". Local authorities are also obliged to outsource more services, and dog licences are abolished (except in Northern Ireland).
Life in 1988
Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Pint of Beer
80p
Loaf of Bread
51p
Average House
£46,788
Weekly Wage
£225.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 1980s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Theo James16 December 1984Actor & musicianView their day →Pac22 August 1986WrestlerView their day →Robert Pattinson13 May 1986Actor & film producerView their day →Andrew Garfield20 August 1983ActorView their day →Charlie Hunnam10 April 1980ActorView their day →Juno Temple21 July 1989ActressView their day →Rebecca Hall3 May 1982Actress & filmmakerView their day →Lewis Hamilton7 January 1985Racing driverView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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