At A Glance

21 March 1988 at a glance

Day of the week
21 March 1988 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Don't Turn Around” by Aswad.
Top Film of 1988
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1988 was Rain Man.
Star sign
The star sign for 21 March is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 21 March 1988 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 21 March 1988 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 21 March

  • 1980 Cold War: American President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet–Afghan War.
  • 1985 Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research.
  • 1986 Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win the World Figure Skating Championships.
  • 1990 Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule.
  • 1994 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change enters into force.

Famous people born on 21 March

  • Gary Oldman, English actor, filmmaker, musician, and author (born 1958)
  • Rosie O'Donnell, American actress, producer, and talk show host (born 1962)
  • Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballer (born 1980)
  • Matthew Broderick, American actor (born 1962)

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

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 →