1988 in the United Kingdom
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Events from the year
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. The year saw the merger in March of the SDP and the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats. There were also two notable disasters this year: the
Piper Alpha Piper Alpha was an oil platform located in the North Sea approximately north-east of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited (OPCAL) and began production in 1976, initially as an oil-only platform but la ...
oil rig explosion and the bombing of
Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by ''Clipper Maid of the Seas'', a Boeing ...
.


Incumbents

*
Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
*
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
(
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
) *
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
50th


Events


January

* January –
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss Ann Elizabeth Oldfield Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss, GBE, PC (''née'' Havers; born 10 August 1933), is a retired English judge. She was the first female Lord Justice of Appeal and was the highest-ranking female judge in the United King ...
becomes the first woman to be appointed a
Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Justice ...
. * 3 January –
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
becomes the longest-serving UK Prime Minister this century, having been in power for eight years and 244 days. * 4 January – Sir
Robin Butler Frederick Edward Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell, (born 3 January 1938) is a retired British civil servant, now sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. Early life and family Butler was born in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, ...
replaces Sir Robert Armstrong as Cabinet Secretary, on the same day that
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
makes her first state visit to Africa when she arrives in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
. * 5 January – Actor
Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles on the sitcoms '' Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and ''Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and the film series ''Johnny English'' (2003–201 ...
launches the new
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
charity appeal. * 7 January – Labour Party leader
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader of ...
calls for a further £1,300,000,000 to be made available for the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
. * 8 January – The
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is the trade association for the United Kingdom motor industry. Its role is to "promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad." History SMMT was founded by Frede ...
reveals that new car sales in Britain last year exceeded 2,000,000 for the first time. The Ford Escort was Britain's best-selling car for the sixth year running. * 11 January – The government announces that inflammable foam furniture will be banned from March next year. * 14 January – Unemployment figures are released for the end of 1987, showing the eighteenth-successive monthly decrease. Just over 2,600,000 people are now unemployed in the United Kingdom – the lowest figure for seven years. More than 500,000 of those unemployed, found jobs in 1987. * 22 January **
Colin Pitchfork Colin Pitchfork (born March 23, 1960) is a British double child-murderer and rapist. He was the first person convicted of rape and murder using DNA profiling after he murdered two girls in neighbouring Leicestershire villages, the first in Nar ...
is sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
after admitting the rape and murder of two girls in
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
in 1983 and 1986, the first conviction for murder in the UK based on
DNA fingerprinting DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding. DNA profiling is a forensic tec ...
evidence. **
Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
's British-built
405 __NOTOC__ Year 405 ( CDV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Anthemius (or, less frequently, year 1158 ''Ab ...
saloon, winner of the
European Car of the Year The European Car of the Year ("ECOTY") award is an international Car of the Year award established in 1964, by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organising companies of the award are ''Auto'' (Ita ...
award, goes on sale in Britain. A five-door estate model is due later this year. * 23 January –
David Steel David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, (born 31 March 1938) is a British politician. Elected as Member of Parliament for Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, followed by Tweeddale, Ettrick, and Lauderdale, he served as the final leade ...
announces that he will not stand for the leadership of the new Social and Liberal Democratic Party. * 24 January –
Arthur Scargill Arthur Scargill (born 11 January 1938) is a British trade unionist who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1982 to 2002. He is best known for leading the UK miners' strike (1984–85), a major event in the history of ...
is re-elected as Leader of the National Union of Mineworkers by a narrow majority. * 28 January – The
Birmingham Six The Birmingham Six were six Irishmen who were each sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975 following their false convictions for the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings. Their convictions were declared unsafe and unsatisfactory and quashed by the Cou ...
lose an appeal against their convictions.


February

* 1 February – Victor Miller, a 33-year-old warehouse worker from
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...
, confesses to the murder of 14-year-old Stuart Gough, who was found dead in
Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
last month. * 3 February – Nurses throughout the UK strike for higher pay and more funding for the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
. * 4 February – Nearly 7,000 ferry workers go on strike in Britain, paralysing the nation's seaports. * 5 February – The first
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
Red Nose Day Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
raises £15,000,000 for charity. * 7 February – It is reported that more than 50% of men and 80% of women working full-time in London, are earning less than the lowest sum needed to buy the cheapest houses in the capital. * 9 February - Helen McCourt, a 22-year-old insurance clerk from
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
(now
Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan county, metropolitan and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England, 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Merse ...
) disappeared after getting off a bus less than 500 yards from her home in the village of Billinge. Her body was never found. * 13 – 28 February –
Great Britain and Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
compete at the
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
in
Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,30 ...
, Canada, but do not win any medals. * 15 February –
Norman Fowler Peter Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler, (born 2 February 1938) is a British politician who served as a member of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major's ministries during the 1980s and 1990s. He held the office of Lord Speaker from 1 September 2016 ...
, Secretary of State for Employment, announces plans for a new training scheme which the government hopes will give jobs to up to 600,000 people who are currently unemployed. * 16 February – Thousands of nurses and co-workers form picket lines outside British hospitals as they go on strike in protest against what they see as inadequate NHS funding. * 26 February – Multiple rapist and murderer John Duffy is sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
with a recommendation that he should never be released.


March

* 1 March –
British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...
launches a takeover bid for the government-owned
Rover Group The Rover Group plc was the British vehicle manufacturing conglomerate known as "BL plc" until 1986 (formerly British Leyland), which had been a state-owned company since 1975. It initially included the Austin Rover Group car business (comprisi ...
, the largest British-owned carmaker. * 3 March – The SDP amalgamates with the
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
to form the Social and Liberal Democratic Party. Its interim leaders are
David Steel David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, (born 31 March 1938) is a British politician. Elected as Member of Parliament for Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, followed by Tweeddale, Ettrick, and Lauderdale, he served as the final leade ...
and
Robert Maclennan Robert Adam Ross Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, (26 June 1936 – 18 January 2020) was a British Liberal Democrat politician and life peer. He was the last leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), serving during the negotiations t ...
. The merger means that the Liberal Party has ceased to exist after 129 years. * 4 March –
Halifax Building Society Halifax commonly refers to: *Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada *Halifax, West Yorkshire, England *Halifax (bank), a British bank Halifax may also refer to: Places Australia *Halifax, Queensland, a coastal town in the Shire of Hinchinbrook *Halifax B ...
reveals that year-on-year house prices rose by 16.9% last month. * 6 March – Operation Flavius: a
Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
team of the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
shoots dead three unarmed members of a
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...
(IRA)
Active Service Unit An active service unit (ASU; ) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) cell of four to ten members, tasked with carrying out armed attacks. In 2002, the IRA had about 1,000 active members of which about 300 were in active service units. T ...
in
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
. * 7 March –
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
announces a £3,000,000,000 regeneration scheme to improve a series of inner city areas by the year 2000. * 9 March – It is revealed that the average price of a house in Britain reached £60,000 at the end of last year, compared to £47,000 in December 1986. * 10 March – The Prince of Wales (now
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...
) narrowly avoids death in an avalanche while on a skiing holiday in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Major Hugh Lindsay, former equerry to the Queen, is killed. * 11 March – The
Bank of England £1 note The Bank of England £1 note was a sterling banknote. After the ten shilling note was withdrawn in 1970, it became the smallest denomination note issued by the Bank of England. The one pound note was issued by the Bank of England for the first ...
ceases to be legal tender. * 15 March – In the 1988 budget, Chancellor
Nigel Lawson Nigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, (born 11 March 1932) is a British Conservative Party politician and journalist. He was a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974 to 1992, and served in the cabinet of Margaret ...
announces that the standard rate of income tax will be cut to 25p in the pound, while the maximum rate of income tax will be cut to 40p from 60p in the pound. * 16 March –
Milltown Cemetery attack The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Cemetery killings or Milltown massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During the large funeral of three Provisional IRA members killed ...
: three men are killed and 70 are wounded by loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone at
Milltown Cemetery Milltown Cemetery ( ga, Reilig Bhaile an Mhuilinn) is a large cemetery in west Belfast, Northern Ireland. It lies within the townland of Ballymurphy, between Falls Road and the M1 motorway. History Milltown Cemetery opened in 1869 as part ...
in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
during the funerals of the three
IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
members killed in Gibraltar. * 17 March – The fall in unemployment continues, with just over 2,500,000 people now registered as unemployed in the UK. However, there is a blow for the city of
Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, when
Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
scraps plans to build a new electronics plant in the city – a move which ends hopes of 1,000 new jobs being created for this city which has high unemployment. * 19 March –
Corporals killings British Army corporals Derek Wood and David HowesTaylor, p. 284. were killed by the Provisional IRA on 19 March 1988 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in what became known as the corporals killings. The soldiers (wearing civilian clothes, both ...
in Belfast: British Army corporals Woods and Howes are abducted, beaten and shot dead by
Irish republicans Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The developm ...
after driving into the funeral cortege of an
IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
member killed in the
Milltown Cemetery attack The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Cemetery killings or Milltown massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During the large funeral of three Provisional IRA members killed ...
. * 29 March – Plans are unveiled for Europe's tallest skyscraper to be built at
Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lo ...
. The office complex will cost around £3,000,000,000 to build, and is set to open in 1992.


April

* 9 April – The house price boom is reported to have boosted wealth in London and the South-East by £39,000,000,000 over the last four years, compared with an £18,000,000,000 slump in Scotland and the North-West of England. * 10 April – Golfer
Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr Lyle (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. He spen ...
becomes the first British winner of the US Masters. * 15 April – Comedian and actor
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 Car ...
, 62, dies of an overdose of barbiturates at his flat in London. * 21 April – The government announces that nurses will receive a 15% pay rise, at a cost of £794,000,000 which will be funded by the Treasury. * 24 April – Luton Town FC beat Arsenal in the Littlewoods Cup final at Wembley 3–2. The match was won in the 92nd minute with a goal by Brian Stein after Luton had come back from being 2–1 down and goalkeeper Andy Dibble saving a penalty in the 79th minute. Luton scorers Brian Stein (2) and Danny Wilson. 96,000 fans were in attendance.


May

* May – The first group of sixteen-year-olds sit
General Certificate of Secondary Education The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
examinations, replacing both the
O-level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
and
CSE CSE may refer to: Education Examinations * Certificate of Secondary Education, a secondary school qualification in the United Kingdom, replaced by the GCSE * Civil Services Examination, an examination to qualify for government service in India Fi ...
. The new qualifications are marked against objective standards rather than relatively. * 2 May – Three off-duty British servicemen are killed in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
by the
IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
. * 6 May –
Graeme Hick Graeme Ashley Hick (born 23 May 1966) is a Zimbabwean-born former England cricketer who played 65 Test matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England. He was born in Rhodesia, and as a young man played international cricket for Zimbabwe. H ...
makes English
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
history by scoring 405 runs in a county championship match. * 7 May – The proposed
Poll tax A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments fr ...
(referred to by the Government as the Community Charge), which is expected to come into force next year, will see the average house rise in value by around 20%, according to a study. * 14 May –
Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English football club formed in Wimbledon, south-west London, in 1889 and based at Plough Lane from 1912 to 1991. Founded as Wimbledon Old Centrals, the club were a non-League team for most of their history. ...
, who have been
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
members for just eleven seasons and First Division members for two, win the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
with a 1–0 win over league champions
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
.
Lawrie Sanchez Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born 22 October 1959) is a Northern Irish football manager and former international footballer. The defining moment of his playing career came in the 1988 FA Cup Final, when he scored the winning goal for Wimbledon ag ...
scored the winning goal in the first half, while Liverpool's
John Aldridge John William Aldridge (born 18 September 1958) is a former football player and manager. He was a prolific, record-breaking striker best known for his time with English club Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in M ...
missed a penalty in the second half. In
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
,
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
beat
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
2–1 in the
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Frank McAvennie Francis McAvennie (born 22 November 1959) is a Scottish former footballer, who played as a striker for St Mirren, West Ham United and Celtic, having had two spells with each of these clubs. With Celtic he won the Scottish Premier Division in ...
to complete the Scottish double. * 19 May ** Unemployment is now below 2,500,000 for the first time since early-1981. ** House prices in
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, one of the key beneficiaries of the current economic boom, have risen by 50% in the last year. * 24 May **
Local Government Act Local Government Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom, relating to local government. The Bill for an Act with this short title may have been known ...
becomes law. The controversial
Section 28 Section 28 or Clause 28While going through Parliament, the amendment was constantly relabelled with a variety of clause numbers as other amendments were added to or deleted from the Bill, but by the final version of the Bill, which received R ...
prevents local authorities from "promoting homosexuality". Local authorities are also obliged to
outsource Outsourcing is an agreement in which one company hires another company to be responsible for a planned or existing activity which otherwise is or could be carried out internally, i.e. in-house, and sometimes involves transferring employees and ...
more services, and
dog licence A dog licence is required in some jurisdictions to be the keeper of a dog. Usually a dog-licence identifying number is issued to the owner, along with a dog tag bearing the identifier and a contact number for the registering organization. If a s ...
s are abolished (except in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
). **
Albert Dock Albert Dock may refer to: *Albert Dock, Hull, in Kingston upon Hull, England *Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, a dock and warehouse system in Liverpool, England *Royal Albert Dock, London The Royal Albert Dock is one of three docks in the Royal ...
in Liverpool reopened by Prince Charles (now
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...
) as a leisure and business centre including the
Tate Liverpool Tate Liverpool is an art gallery and museum in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and part of Tate, along with Tate St Ives, Cornwall, Tate Britain, London, and Tate Modern, London. The museum was an initiative of the Merseyside Development Corpo ...
art museum. * 31 May – The controversial BBC film
Tumbledown ''Tumbledown'' is a 1988 BBC Television drama film set during the Falklands War. Directed by Richard Eyre, it stars Colin Firth, Paul Rhys, and David Calder. Synopsis The film centres on the experiences of Robert Lawrence MC (played by Col ...
is broadcast despite
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
concern.


June

* 2 June – U.S. President
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
makes a visit to the UK. * 11 June – Some 80,000 people attend a
concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in honour of
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...
, the South African anti-apartheid campaigner who has been imprisoned since 1964. * 15 June – Six British soldiers are killed by the IRA in
Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...
. * 16 June – More than one hundred English football fans are arrested in
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
in connection with incidents of football hooliganism during the
European Championships The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
. * 18 June – England's participation in the European Football Champions ended when they finished bottom of their group having lost all three games. * 21 June – The Poole explosion of 1988 causes 3,500 people to be evacuated from
Poole town centre Poole Town Centre is an area of Poole, Dorset. It is just to the west of Poole Park. Poole Old Town is home to many historic buildings like the 15th-century Scaplen's Court, the 18th-century Custom House and the Victorian St James' Church. Hi ...
in the biggest peacetime evacuation in the United Kingdom since
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. * 23 June – Three
gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...
activists invade the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
television studios during the six o'clock bulletin of the
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
.


July

* July – The '' Freeze''
art exhibition An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhib ...
is held at
Surrey Docks The Surrey Commercial Docks were a large group of docks in Rotherhithe, South East London, located on the south bank (the Surrey side) of the River Thames. The docks operated in one form or another from 1696 to 1969. Most were subsequently f ...
in
London Docklands London Docklands is the riverfront and former docks in London. It is located in inner east and southeast London, in the boroughs of London Borough of Southwark, Southwark, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets, London Borough of ...
. It is organised by
Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...
, and is considered significant in the development of the
Young British Artists The Young British Artists, or YBAs—also referred to as Brit artists and Britart—is a loose group of visual artists who first began to exhibit together in London in 1988. Many of the YBA artists graduated from the BA Fine Art course at Goldsm ...
. * 5 July – The
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
announces that it will allow the ordination of female priests from 1992. * 6 July **
Piper Alpha disaster Piper Alpha was an oil platform located in the North Sea approximately north-east of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited (OPCAL) and began production in 1976, initially as an oil-only platform but la ...
; the Piper Alpha oil rig in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
explodes and results in the death of 167 workers. ** A contractor's relief driver pours twenty tonnes of
aluminium sulphate Aluminium sulfate is a salt with the formula Al2 (SO4)3. It is soluble in water and is mainly used as a coagulating agent (promoting particle collision by neutralizing charge) in the purification of drinking water and wastewater treatment plan ...
into the wrong tank at a water treatment plant near
Camelford Camelford ( kw, Reskammel) is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles (16 km) north of Bodmin and is governed by ...
in Cornwall, causing extensive pollution to the local water supply. * 8 July – The final large
stationary steam engine Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars ...
in use in a British factory, is shut down at a tannery in
Otley Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
. * 18 July –
Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is described by the National Football Museum as "widely recognised as the most naturally talente ...
, 21-year-old midfielder, becomes the first £2,000,000
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
er signed by a British club when he leaves
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
and joins
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
br>
* 28 July –
Paddy Ashdown Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, (27 February 194122 December 2018), better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internati ...
, MP for
Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somer ...
in Somerset, is elected as the first Leader of the Social and Liberal Democratic Party. * 29 July – Most provisions of the Education Reform Act come into effect in England, Wales and
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. The Act introduces
Grant-maintained school Grant-maintained schools or GM schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government. Some of these schools had selective ad ...
s and
Local Management of Schools Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administra ...
, allowing schools to be taken out of the direct control of local government; a
National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with Federated stat ...
with
Key Stage A key stage is a stage of the state education system in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar setting the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages. The term is also used in some other a ...
s; an element of parental preference in the choice of schools; published
league table Standings or rankings are listings which compare sports teams or individuals, institutions, nations, companies, or other entities by ranking them in order of ability or achievement. A table or chart (such as a league table, a ladder or a leaderb ...
s of school examination results; controls on the use of the word '
degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics ...
' by UK institutions; and abolition of
tenure Tenure is a category of academic appointment existing in some countries. A tenured post is an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program disco ...
for new academics. * 31 July – Economists warn that the house price boom is likely to end next year.


August

* 1 August – A soldier is killed and
Inglis Barracks Inglis Barracks was a military installation in Mill Hill, London, NW7. It was also referred to as Mill Hill Barracks. The site has been redeveloped and now contains a variety of modern housing. History Early history Mill Hill Barracks, a set o ...
in London is damaged in a
bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...
. * 2 August –
Everton F.C. Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...
pay £2,300,000 for
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
striker
Tony Cottee Antony Richard Cottee (born 11 July 1965) is an English former professional footballer and manager who now works as a television football commentator. As a player, he was a striker from 1982 until 2001, notably playing in the top flight of En ...
, 22, breaking the national record set six weeks ago by Paul Gascoigne's transfer. * 8 August – The first child (a girl) of TRH The Duke and
Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...
is born at
Portland Hospital The Portland Hospital for Women and Children is a private maternity hospital on Great Portland Street, City of Westminster, London, England, owned by the Hospital Corporation of America. History The Portland was conceived by Barry Lewis, a p ...
in London. She is fifth in line to the throne until the birth of Prince George on 22 July 2013 and later ninth in line. * 14 August –
Scunthorpe United F.C. Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The tea ...
's
Glanford Park Glanford Park is a football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and is the current home of team Scunthorpe United. Opened in 1988 at a construction cost of £2.5 million, it was the first new purpose-built Football League st ...
is opened; the first new stadium to be built by a
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
club since the 1950s. Their last game at their original ground, Old Showground, was on 18 May. * 18 August – Ian Rush becomes the most expensive player to join a British club when he returns to Liverpool F.C. for £2,700,000 after a year at Juventus in Italy. * 20 August – Ballygawley bus bombing: Six British soldiers are killed by an IRA bomb near
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
; twenty-eight others are injured. * 22 August ** New licensing laws allow Public house, pubs to stay open all day in England and Wales. ** The Duke and Duchess of York's fourteen-day-old daughter is named Princess Beatrice, Beatrice Elizabeth Mary. * 29 August – Fourteen-year-old Matthew Sadler (chess player), Matthew Sadler becomes Britain's youngest international chess master. * 31 August – Postal workers walk out on 1988 United Kingdom postal workers strike, strike over a dispute concerning bonuses paid to recruit new workers in London and the South East.


September

* 3 September – Economic experts warn that the recent economic upturn for most of the developed world is almost over, and that these countries – including Britain – face a recession in the near future. * 9 September – The England cricket team's tour to India is cancelled after Captain Graham Gooch and seven other players are refused visas because of involvement in South African cricket during the apartheid boycott. * 10 September – Teenager Lee Boxell disappears in South London whilst out shopping with a friend and is never found. * 13 September – Royal Mail managers and Union of Communication Workers representatives agree a settlement to end the 1988 United Kingdom postal workers strike, postal workers strike. * 17 September – Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 1988 Summer Olympics, Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, and win 5 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze medals. * 19 September – Actor Roy Kinnear, 54, is seriously injured after falling off his horse during filming in Spain. He dies of his injuries the following day. * 20 September –
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
gives her "Bruges speech", opposing moves to transition the European Economic Community into a federal Europe. * 24 September – The house price boom is reported to be slowing as a result of increased mortgage rates. * 30 September – Operation Flavius: A Gibraltar jury decides that the IRA members killed in March were killed "lawfully".


October

* 2 October ** Great Britain and Northern Ireland finish competing in the Seoul Olympic Games, as the games come to a close. ** Car designer Sir Alec Issigonis, who designed the Mini and Morris Minor, dies aged 81 at his home in Edgbaston, Birmingham. * 9 October – Labour MP and Shadow Chancellor John Smith (Labour Party leader), John Smith, 50, is hospitalised due to a heart attack in Edinburgh. * 12 October – As Pope John Paul II addresses the European Parliament, Ian Paisley Denunciation of Pope John Paul II by Ian Paisley, heckles and denounces him as the Antichrist. * 13 October – The House of Lords rules that extracts of the banned book ''Spycatcher'' can be published in the media. * 14 October – Vauxhall Motors, Vauxhall launches the third and final generation of its popular Vauxhall Cavalier, Cavalier hatchback and saloon which will be built by General Motors in European factories including the Luton plant and sold outside the UK as the Opel Vectra. A Cavalier-based Vauxhall Calibra, coupe will be launched next year. * 18 October – Jaguar Cars, Jaguar unveils its new Jaguar XJ220 supercar at the Motor Show. It is set to go into production in 1990, costing £350,000 and being the world's fastest production car with a top speed of 220mph. * 19 October – The United Kingdom 1988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions, bans broadcast interviews with Irish Republican Army, IRA members. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
gets around this stricture through the use of professional actors. * 27 October – Three IRA supporters are found guilty of conspiracy to murder in connection with a plot to kill Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater, Tom King. * 28 October – British Rail announces a 21% increase in the cost of long distance season tickets.


November

* 2 November – Victor Miller is sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
for the murder of 14-year-old Stuart Gough in
Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
earlier this year, with a recommendation by the trial judge that he is not considered for parole for at least thirty years. * 4 November – Margaret Thatcher presses for freedom for the people of Poland on her visit to Gdańsk. * 9 November – The government unveils plans for a new Identity document, identity card scheme in an attempt to clamp down on football hooliganism. * 15 November ** The Secretary of State for Education, Education Secretary, Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking, Kenneth Baker, says that the national testing will place greater emphasis on grammar. ** Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 prohibits civilian ownership of virtually all semi-automatic firearms from January 1989, in response to the Hungerford massacre of 1987. * 30 November ** A government report reveals that up to 50,000 people in Britain may be HIV positive, and that by the end of 1992, up to 17,000 people may have died from AIDS. ** A bronze statue of former Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee (1883–1967) is unveiled outside Limehouse Library in London by another former Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson.


December

* 3 December – Health Minister Edwina Currie provokes outrage by stating that most of Britain's egg production is infected with the salmonella bacteria, causing an immediate nationwide decrease in egg sales. * 6 December – The last shipbuilding facilities on Wearside, once the largest shipbuilding area in the world, are to close with the loss of 2,400 jobs. * 10 December – James W. Black wins the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Gertrude B. Elion and George H. Hitchings "for their discoveries of important principles for drug treatment". * 12 December – 35 people are killed in the Clapham Junction rail crash. * 15 December – Unemployment is now only just over 2,100,000 – the lowest level for almost eight years. * 16 December ** Edwina Currie resigns as Health Ministe

** M25 Three: a series of burglaries take place, and a man is murdered during the early hours around the M25 motorway. * 19 December ** The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors publishes its house price survey, revealing a deep recession in the housing market. ** Police Constable, PC Gavin Carlton, 29, is shot dead in Coventry in a siege by two armed bank robbers. His colleague Detective Constable, DC Leonard Jakeman is also shot but survives. One of the gunmen gives himself up to police, while the other shoots himself dead. * 20 December – The three-month-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York is Infant baptism, christened Princess Beatrice of York, Beatrice Elizabeth Mary. * 21 December –
Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by ''Clipper Maid of the Seas'', a Boeing ...
explodes over the town of Lockerbie, killing a total of 270 people – 11 on the ground and all 259 who were on board.


Undated

* Inflation remains low for the seventh year running, now standing at 4.9%. * The Communist Party of Britain is founded by a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist faction of the Communist Party of Great Britain after the latter's leadership embraces Eurocommunism. * TAT-8, the first transatlantic telephone cable to use optical fibers, is completed, coming ashore in Cornwall. * Diggers of the foundations of the new Art Gallery at the Guildhall, London, Guildhall in the City of London accidentally discover the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, now on public display. *York City Levy, living-history group is founded.


Publications

* 17 May – ''Hello! (magazine), Hello!'' magazine launched in the UK. * Iain M. Banks' novel ''The Player of Games''. * Bruce Chatwin's novel ''Utz (novel), Utz''. * Roald Dahl's children's novel ''Matilda (novel), Matilda'' * Physicist Stephen Hawking's book ''A Brief History of Time''. * David Lodge (author), David Lodge's novel ''Nice Work''. * Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels ''Sourcery'' and ''Wyrd Sisters''.


Births

* 7 January – Alan Lowing, Scottish footballer * 10 January ** Michael McIlorum, English rugby league footballer ** Rachel Williams (footballer), Rachel Williams, English footballer * 12 January – Chris Casement, Northern Irish footballer * 14 January ** Kacey Clarke, actress ** Tom Rosenthal (actor), Tom Rosenthal, actor and comedian * 18 January – Ironik, British musician, DJ and rapper * 19 January – Danny Haynes, English footballer * 24 January – Jade Ewen, singer with Sugababes, songwriter and actress * 26 January – Mia Rose, singer-songwriter * 13 February – Aston Merrygold, English singer in boy band JLS * 17 February – Adil Rashid, English cricketer * 18 February – The Blossom Twins, English twin professional wrestlers * 29 February – Hannah Mills, Welsh sports sailor * 2 March – James Arthur, singer-songwriter * 4 March – Josh Bowman, English screen actor * 23 March – Jason Kenny, English track cyclist * 24 March – Finn Jones, English actor * 27 March ** Holliday Grainger, actress ** Jessie J, singer-songwriter * 28 March – Lacey Turner, English actress * 1 April – Ed Drewett, English pop singer-songwriter * 6 April – Fabrice Muamba, Zaire-born English footballer * 14 April – Ben Lloyd-Hughes, actor * 21 April – Sophie Rundle, English actress * 23 April – Steph Houghton, English footballer * 26 April – S. E. Lister, novelist * 5 May – Adele, English recording artist and songwriter * 10 May – Adam Lallana, English footballer * 15 May – Marcus Collins (singer), Marcus Collins, English singer * 17 May – Freddie Hogan, actor * 23 May – Gavin Free, English cinematographer * 5 June – Sam Slocombe, English footballer * 20 June – Shefali Chowdhury, British actress * 24 June – Micah Richards, English football player and pundit. * 25 June – Mark Haskins, English professional wrestler * 26 June – Samanda (Amanda and Samantha Marchant), British acting duo * 2 July – Edward Randell, English musician and actor * 4 July – Conor MacNeill, Northern Irish actor * 5 July – Joe Lycett, comedian and presenter * 7 July – Jack Whitehall, comedian * 8 July – Shazad Latif, actor * 13 July – Tulisa (singer), Tulisa, English recording artist * 15 July – Riki Christodoulou, English racing driver * 19 July – Joe Tracini, English actor and presenter * 23 July – Paul Anderson (footballer), Paul Anderson, English footballer * 27 July – Liam Smith (boxer), Liam Smith, English boxer * 2 August – Chris Quick, Scottish editor and producer * 4 August – Tom Parker (singer), Tom Parker, English singer (d. 2022) * 8 August – Princess Beatrice, daughter of The Duke and
Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...
* 12 August – Tyson Fury, world heavyweight boxing champion * 24 August – Rupert Grint, actor (Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' films) * 25 August ** Alexandra Burke, singer ** Ray Quinn, singer and actor * 31 August – Tom Hunt (politician), Tom Hunt, politician * 6 September – Max George, singer * 15 September **Michael Cooper (rugby league), Michael Cooper, rugby league player **Clare Maguire, singer-songwriter * 28 September – Lee Collins (footballer, born 1988), Lee Collins, footballer (d. 2021) * 4 October – Ashley Banjo, choreographer * 12 October – Calum Scott, British singer-songwriter * 13 October – Stephen Flynn (Scottish politician), Stephen Flynn, Scottish politician * 25 October – Rylan Clark-Neal, born Ross Clark, television personality * 28 October – Edd Gould, flash animator and creator of ''Eddsworld'' (d. 2012) * 31 October ** Ben Bruce, guitarist and vocalist for Asking Alexandria ** Lizzy Yarnold, Skeleton (sport), skeleton racer, most successful British Winter Olympian of all time * 7 November – Tinie Tempah (Patrick Okogwu), rapper * 12 November – Alistair Brammer, actor and singer * 15 November ** Ricky Norwood, English actor **Billy Twelvetrees, English rugby player * 20 November – Mz Bratt (Cleo Humphrey), electro/grime artist * 26 November – Tamsin Egerton, English actress and model * 28 November – Joe Cole (actor), Joe Cole, actor * 2 December ** Alfred Enoch, actor ** Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick * 7 December – Benjamin Clementine, English-born singer-songwriter * 13 December – Paul Johnston (cricketer), Paul Johnston, English cricketer * 15 December – Emily Head, English actress * 16 December – Anna Popplewell, English actress * 18 December – Lizzie Armitstead, racing cyclist * 27 December – Sarvi Kalhor, singer and recording artist * 28 December ** Ched Evans, Welsh footballer ** Elfyn Evans, Welsh rally driver ** Florrie, English pop singer * 30 December ** Kirsty-Leigh Porter, English actress ** Leon Jackson, Scottish singer


Deaths

* 1 January – Margot Bryant, actress (born 1897) * 2 January – E. B. Ford, geneticist (born 1901) * 6 January – L. P. Davies, novelist (born 1914) * 7 January – Trevor Howard, actor (born 1913) * 13 January – Donald Healey, rally driver, automobile engineer and speed record holder (born 1898) * 16 January – Ballard Berkeley, actor (born 1904) * 9 February - Helen McCourt, insurance clerk and murder victim (born 1965) * 11 February – Marion Crawford, Scottish nanny of
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
(born 1909) * 13 February – Léon Goossens, oboist (born 1897) * 22 February – Cecil Beresford Ramage, actor, politician and barrister (born 1895) * 27 February – Basil Boothroyd, humorous writer (born 1910) * 18 March – Percy Thrower, gardener and broadcaster (born 1913) * 5 April – Anthony Emery (bishop), Anthony Emery, Roman Catholic prelate (born 1918) * 6 April – John Clements (actor), John Clements, actor (born 1910) * 12 April – Harry McShane, socialist (born 1891) * 14 April – John Stonehouse, government minister noted for faking his own death (born 1925) * 15 April –
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 Car ...
, comic actor (born 1926) * 23 April – Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury (born 1904) * 27 April – David Scarboro, actor (born 1968) * 28 April – Fenner Brockway, socialist politician and pacifist (born 1888 in British India) * 5 May – George Rose (actor), George Rose, actor (victim of assault) (born 1920) * 11 May – Kim Philby, spy (born 1912) * 16 May – Charles Keeping, illustrator (born 1924) * 18 May – Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams, Conservative Party MP (born 1927) * 5 June – Michael Barrington, actor (born 1924) * 8 June – Russell Harty, television presenter (born 1934) * 7 July – Jimmy Edwards, comedy actor (born 1920) * 11 July – Barbara Wootton, Baroness Wootton of Abinger, sociologist and life peer (born 1897) * 22 July – Patrick Newell, actor (born 1932) * 25 July – Douglas Hickox, film director (born 1929) * 1 August – Steve Mills (footballer), Steve Mills, footballer (born 1953) * 8 August – Alan Napier, actor (born 1903) * 19 August – Frederick Ashton, choreographer (born 1904, Ecuador) * 27 August – William Sargant, psychiatrist (born 1907) * 11 September – Roger Hargreaves, children's author (born 1935) * 16 September – Dick Pym, footballer (born 1893) * 17 September – Nellie Beer, politician, Lord Mayor of Manchester (1966–67) (born 1900) * 20 September – Roy Kinnear, actor (born 1934) (fall from horse in Spain) * 1 October – Sir Sacheverell Sitwell, writer (born 1897) * 2 October – Sir Alec Issigonis, car designer (born 1906, Ottoman Empire) * 9 October – Jackie Milburn, footballer (born 1924) * 15 October – Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, composer, music critic, pianist, and writer (born 1892) * 20 October – Sheila Scott, aviator (born 1927) * 27 October – Charles Hawtrey (actor, born 1914), Charles Hawtrey, actor (born 1914) * 6 November – Donald Wade, Baron Wade, lawyer and politician (born 1904) * 9 November – Rosemary Timperley, author (born 1920) * 11 November – William Ifor Jones, Welsh composer (born 1900) * 10 December **Johnny Lawrence (cricketer), Johnny Lawrence, cricketer and coach (born 1911) **Dorothy de Rothschild, philanthropist and activist (born 1895) * 13 December – Roy Urquhart, major-general and World War II veteran (born 1901) * 26 December – John Loder (actor), John Loder, actor (born 1898)''The Daily Telegraph'', Obituary: John Loder, 29 December 1988 * 29 December – Sir Ieuan Maddock, nuclear scientist (born 1917)


See also

* 1988 in British music * 1988 in British television * List of British films of 1988


References

{{Year in Europe, 1988 1988 in the United Kingdom, Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom 1988 by country, United Kingdom