- January 12
- George Bush names William Bennett to be his Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and James Watkins as Secretary of Energy. [43]
- January 13
- New York subway gunman Bernhard Goetz begins one-year jail sentence. [1]
- January 15
- Cerberal Palsy telethon raises US$22,600,000. [1]
- January 16
- (to January 18) Race riots occur in Overtown, Miami, Florida. [43]
- January 17
- Patrick Edward Purdy kills five children, wounds 30 and then shoots himself in Stockton, California. [1] [43]
- January 18
- Otis Redding, Dion, Rolling Stones, Temptations, and Stevie Wonder inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [1]
- January 19
- President Reagan pardons George Steinbrenner for illegal funds for Nixon. [1]
- January 20
- George P. Shultz's term as US Secretary of State ends. [548.99]
- George H.W. Bush succeeds Ronald Reagan as the 41st President of the United States of America. [1] [43]
- January 24
- Serial killer (100 women) Ted Bundy is executed in Florida's electric chair. [1] [43]
- January 26
- AT&T reports first loss in 103 years; US$1.67 billion in 1988. [1]
- January 28
- 46th Golden Globes: Rain Man, Working Girl. [1]
- January 29
- Dow Jones Industrial Average jumps 38.06 to hit 2256.43; recoups 508-point loss since October 1987. [1]
- January 30
- 16th American Music Awards: Randy Travis and George Michael win. [1]
- American Olympic medalist Bruce Kimball is sentenced to 17 years in prison for killing two teenagers in a drunk driving accident. [1] [43]
- February 7
- The Los Angeles, California, City Council bans the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons. [43]
- February 10
- Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first African American to lead a major United States political party. [1] [43]
- To gain deregulation, WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition and not a sport, in a New Jersey court. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- February 11
- Barbara Clementine Harris is consecrated as the first female bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA. [1] [43]
- February 19
- Broadway's biggest flop (lost US$5.3 million) Legs Diamond closes at Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City after 64 performances. [1]
- February 21
- US bust Chinese heroin ring, capture record 820 pounds heroin ($1 billion street value). [1]
- February 22
- First Spanish commercial on US network TV (Pepsi-Cola-CBS Grammy Award). [1]
- 31st Grammy Awards: "Don't Worry Be Happy", Faith, Tracy Chapman. [1]
- New York Lotto pays US$26.9 million to one winner (numbers are 1-5-12-19-44-50). [1]
- United Kingdom physicist Stephen Hawking calls US Strategic Defence Initiative a "deliberate fraud". [1]
- US authors demonstrate against Iranian death treats against Salman Rushdie, author of Satanic Verses. [1]
- February 23
- After protracted testimony, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee rejects, 11-9, President Bush's nomination of John Tower for Secretary of Defense. [43]
- February 24
- United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747 bound to New Zealand from Honolulu, Hawaii, rips open during flight, sucking nine passengers and crew out of the first class section. [1] [43]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- February 28
- Gretchen Polhemus, age 23, of Texas, crowned 38th Miss USA. [1]
- March 1
- Louis Wade Sullivan starts his term of office as U.S. Secretary of Commerce. [43]
- James D. Watkins starts his term of office as U.S. Secretary of Energy. [43]
- The Berne Convention, an international treaty on copyrights, is ratified by the United States. [43]
- March 2
- Exxon Houston runs aground in Hawaii, spills 117,000 gallons of oil. [1]
- March 3
- Machinists strike Eastern Airlines; pilots honor picket lines. [1]
- Robert McFarlane gets $20,000 fine, two years probation for Iran-Contra. [1]
- March 4
- Time, Inc. and Warner Communications announce plans for a merger, to form Time Warner. [43]
- March 5
- 19th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$37,002,000. [1]
- March 7
- Partial eclipse of the Sun (Hawaii, North West North America, Greenland). [1]
- In Geneva, Switzerland, the Geneva international auto show is held, over eleven days. Chevrolet introduces the Corvette ZR-1 and LT5 engine. [8]
- March 9
- Eastern Airlines files for bankruptcy. [1] [43]
- US Senate rejects Bush's nomination of John Tower as Defense Secretary. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- March 12
- Two cyanide-contaminated Chilean grapes found (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA). [1]
- March 13
- US Food and Drug Administration orders recall of all Chilean fruit in US. [1]
- A geomagnetic storm causes the collapse of the Hydro-Quebec power grid. Six million people are left without power for nine hours. Some areas in the northeastern U.S. and in Sweden also lose power, and auroras are seen as far south as Texas. [43]
- March 14
- U.S. President George H. W. Bush bans the importation of certain guns deemed assault weapons into the United States. [43]
- Stack's auctions a $1000 US Treasury note for US$100,000, a record price for paper money. [482.38]
- March 18
- California Quake amusement ride opens at Universal Studios. [1]
- March 19
- Boeing V-22 Osprey VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft makes maiden flight. [1]
- In the Mexican Gulf off Louisiana, the South Pass 60 oil drilling platform explodes, killing 7. [720.123]
- March 20
- Richard J Kerr replaces Robert M Gates as deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency. [1]
- March 21
- First sea test of Trident 2 missile self-destructs, Cape Canaveral. [1]
- March 22
- US Supreme Court upholds one person one vote rule of New York City, New York Board of Estimate. [1]
- March 23
- Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce that they have achieved cold fusion at room temperature at the University of Utah. [1] [43]
- March 24
- In Alaska's Prince William Sound, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spills 38.1 million litres of crude oil after running aground, spreading more than 160km, polluting more than 1120km of coastline. [1] [43] [129] [391.24]
- March 29
- First US private commercial rocket takes suborbital test flight (New Mexico). [1]
- 61st Academy Awards: Rainman, Dustin Hoffman and Jodie Foster win. [1]
- 9th Golden Raspberry Awards: Cocktail wins. [1]
- Michael Milken, junk bond king, indicted in New York for racketeering. [1]
- March 31
- Donald Trump purchases Eastern Airlines' Northeast Shuttle. [1]
- April 5
- Late Night with David Letterman becomes first network TV series to use Dolby stereo. [1]
- April 9
- Washington DC march supporting 1973 Roe versus Wade decision (allowing abortions). [1]
- April 10
- 24th Academy of Country Music Awards: Hank Williams Jr, Alabama win. [1]
- H J Heinz, Van Camp Seafood and Bumble Bee Seafood say they will not buy tuna caught in nets that also trap dolphins. [1]
- Intel announces the 25 MHz i486 microprocessor. It integrates the 386 processor, 387 math coprocessor, and adds an 8 kB primary cache. It uses 1.2 million transistors, employing 1-micron technology. Initial price is US$900. Speed is 20 MIPS. [1] [4]
- April 12
- Third Soul Train Music Awards: Anita Baker wins. [1]
- April 14
- In the Iran-Contra trial, Oliver North's case goes to the jury. [1]
- April 15
- Largest lottery win to date in North America (US$69 million) drawn in Illinois. [1]
- April 16
- The Dilbert comic strip is syndicated for the first time. [43]
- April 19
- Trisha Meili is savagely attacked while jogging in New York City's Central Park; as her identity remains secret for years, she becomes known as the "Central Park Jogger." [43]
- Seven crew members die when a gun turret explodes on the U.S. battleship Iowa. [1] [43]
- April 24
- Massachusetts declares today "New Kids on the Block Day". [1]
- April 26
- AT&T announces New Jersey's 201 area code will split into 908 and 201. [1]
- May 1
- The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World opens to the public. It covers 135 acres. Total construction costs were over US$500 million. Advertising and promotions for the opening cost US$30 million. Entrance prices are US$29 for adults, and US$23 for children aged 3-9. [6]
- US Supreme Court rules employees have legal burden to prove non-discriminatory reasons for not hiring or promoting. [1]
- May 4
- US launches Magellan to Venus. [1]
- May 11
- President Bush orders nearly 2,000 troops to Panamá. [1]
- May 12
- Entertainment Tonight airs their 2,000th TV performance. [1]
- Last graffiti-covered New York City subway car retired. [1]
- A Southern Pacific Railroad freight train crashes on Duffy Street in San Bernardino, California. [43]
- May 19
- Dow Jones average passes 2,500 mark for first time, closes at 2,501.1. [1]
- United States Senator Albert Gore introduces a U$1.75 billion bill in Congress to finance creation of a nationwide "data super highway" to link supercomputers. [16.47]
- May 23
- Third American Comedy Award: Paula Poundstone wins. [1]
- Lincoln Square in the Bronx, New York is named. [1]
- May 25
- Eastern Airlines graduates its first class of non-union pilots. [1]
- Thirteen days after a Southern Pacific train derails, a Calnev pipeline explodes at the same section of Duffy Street in San Bernardino, California. [43]
- May 26
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- May 31
- US Speaker of the House Jim Wright resigns. [1]
- June 1
- Typhoon Lagoon water park opens at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, covering 56 acres. [6]
- June 2
- Fourteen-year old Scott Isaacs spells "spoliator" to win US National Spelling Bee. [1]
- June 4
- Largest parade in Bronx, New York, history honors 350th anniversary. [1]
- At the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Nintendo introduces the Game Boy portable hand-held video game system, with monochrome display. Price is US$89.95, including the Tetris game cartridge. [9]
- June 9
- Rare tornado in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA kills one. [1]
- June 12
- Corcoran Gallery of Art removes Robert Mapplethorpe's photography exhibition. [43]
- June 14
- Ground-breaking begins in Minnesota on the world's largest mall. [1]
- Rocker Carole King gets a star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame. [1]
- June 15
- Ronald Reagan is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. [1]
- June 21
- US Supreme Court rules it is okay to burn US flag as political expression. [1]
- Walt Disney World welcomes its 300-millionth guest, Matt Gleason. [6]
- June 26
- In Hawaii, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. Two events about 5 seconds apart. Five people injured slightly, 5 homes destroyed and about 100 homes damaged. [53]
- June 30
- Katherine Davalos Ortega ends term as US Treasurer. [474.64]
- US Attorney General Thornburgh orders Joseph Doherty deported to the United Kingdom. [1]
- NASA closes down tracking stations in Santiago, Chile, and Guam. [1]
- New York State Legislature passes Staten Island seccession bill. [1]
- (month unknown)
- The Dexter pedigree 1804 US dollar coin sells for US$990,000, a world record price for a rare coin. [352.24] [525.78] [604.49]
- July 3
- US Supreme Court rules states do not have to provide funds for abortions. [1]
- The movie Batman sets record of quickest US$100 million (10 days). [1]
- July 6
- After nine years, WHOT (Brooklyn pirate radio station) is busted by the US Federal Communications Commission. [1]
- July 9
- (to July 12) U.S. President George H. W. Bush travels to Poland and Hungary, pushing for U.S. economic aid and investment. [43]
- July 17
- The Splash Mountain attraction opens in Critter Country at Disneyland, after five years of planning. The ride features 103 Audio-Animatronic characters, some from the former America Sings attraction. This is the longest flume chute ride in the world. [6]
- The B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber first flies. [5]
- July 19
- United Airlines Flight 232 (Douglas DC-10) crashes in Sioux City, Iowa, killing 112; 184 on board survive. [1] [43]
- July 23
- FOX-TV tops ABC, NBC and CBS for first time (America's Most Wanted). [1]
- Winds gust to 85 MPH at Fort Smith, Arkansas. [1]
- July 26
- A federal grand jury indicts Cornell University student Robert Tappan Morris, Jr. for releasing a computer virus, making him the first person to be prosecuted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. [43]
- August 2
- NASA confirms Voyager 2's discovery of three more moons of Neptune designated temporarily 1989 N2, 1989 N3 and 1989 N24. [1]
- August 7
- U.S. Congressman Mickey Leland (Democrat-Texas) and 15 others die in a plane crash in Ethiopia. [43]
- Federal Express purchases Flying Tigers for about US$800 million. [43]
- August 8
- STS-28: Space Shuttle Columbia takes off on a secret five-day military mission. [1] [43]
- August 14
- The Sega Genesis is released in North America. [43]
- August 23
- Yusef Hawkins is shot in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York, sparking racial tensions between African Americans and Italian Americans. [1] [43]
- September 2
- Reverend Al Sharpton leads a civil rights march through Bensonhurst. [1]
- September 5
- U.S. President George H. W. Bush holds up a bag of cocaine purchased across the street at Lafayette Park in his first televised speech to the nation. [43]
- September 11
- Drexel formally pleads guilty to security fraud. [1]
- September 19
- Chase Manhattan Discovery Center at Brooklyn Botanic Garden opens. [1]
- September 21
- Hurricane Hugo makes landfall in South Carolina, causing US$7 billion in damage. [43]
- September 27
- Sony purchases Columbia Pictures for US$3.4 billion cash. [1]
- September 30
- NASA closes down tracking stations in Hawaii and Ascension. [1]
- October 5
- U.S. televangelist John Nunes is found guilty of embezzling US$158 million. [43]
- October 13
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 190.58 points, or 6.91 percent, to close at 2,569.26 most likely after the junk bond market collapses. This mini-crash becomes known as the Friday the 13th mini-crash. [1] [43]
- October 15
- Billy Graham is given the 1,900th star on Hollywood Boulevard. [1]
- October 16
- A drawing is held by American music video station VH-1, giving away 36 Corvettes, one from each model year. Dennis Amodeo is the winner. He later sells the cars for US$1.5 million. [8]
- October 17
- In Loma Prieta, California, an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale occurs. Three events are about 1.5 and 3.0 seconds apart. Sixty-two people killed, 3,757 injured and damage estimated at US$5.6 billion. [1] [43] [53]
- October 19
- The Wonders of Life pavilion opens at Walt Disney World's Epcot in Orlando, Florida. [43]
- October 20
- US Senate impeaches US District Judge Alcee L Hastings. [1]
- October 21
- Buck Helm found alive after being buried four days, in San Francisco earthquake. [1]
- October 23
- Phillips Disaster in Pasadena, Texas kills 23 and injures 314 others. [43]
- October 24
- Reverend Jim Bakker is sentenced to 50 years for fraud. [1]
- November 7
- Douglas Wilder is elected as first US black governor (Democrat-Virginia). [1] [43]
- In California, convicted murderer Richard Ramirez (the "Night Stalker") is sentenced to death. [43]
- November 17
- Buena Vista releases the Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film The Little Mermaid to theaters. It cost over US$23 million to make. (North American theater gross receipts: US$110 million; world: US$222 million.) [6]
- November 21
- Atari introduces the Lynx hand-held video game system. It features a 4.0 MHz 65C02 processor, 16-bit graphics processor, Six sound channels, 3.5-inch color LCD screen, 16 colors out of 4096 palette. Weight is under one pound. Price is US$150-200, with the Galifornia Games video game cartridge. (This is the first color hand-held video game system in the US.) [9]
- November 22
- Eastern Airlines pilots and flight attendants end their strike, but most are not rehired. [1]
- The Mirage hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. On the opening night, Elmer Sherwin wins US$4.6 million on a Megabucks spin. About 200,000 people attend the opening. [187.298a,482]
- November 23
- Pilots Union give up sympathy strike against Eastern Airlines. [1]
- December 3
- In a meeting off the coast of Malta, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the Cold War between their nations may be coming to an end. [43]
- December 11
- Catalina Vásquez Villalpando begins term as 39th Treasurer of the US. [548.98]
- December 17
- The first full length episode of The Simpsons TV show in the US, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", premieres on Fox-TV. [43]
- December 19
- American Airlines purchases Eastern Airline's Latin American route. [1]
- December 20
- American forces launch Operation Just Cause in an attempt to overthrow Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. 13,000 U.S. troops are sent to occupy Panama City, along with the 12,000 already there. [1] [43] [129]
- December 21
- US Vice-President Dan Quayle sends out 30,000 Christmas cards with word "beacon" spelled "beakon". [1]
- December 22
- US cold wave:
- -4 degrees F in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
- -6 degrees F in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
- -12 degrees F in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
- -18 degrees F in Denver, Colorado,
- -23 degrees F in Kansas City, Missouri,
- -42 degrees F in Scottsbluff, Nebraska,
- -47 degrees F in Hardin, Montana and
- -60 degrees F in Black Hills, South Dakota.
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