December 1988 facts for kids

Pan Am Flight 103: Parts of the plane after it crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland.

This article is about the important events that happened in December 1988. It was a month with big news, from space missions and natural disasters to major political changes and sad accidents.

December 1, 1988: A New Day for AIDS Awareness

• In the Soviet Union, a group of people took over a bus with 30 schoolchildren. They asked for a lot of money and a plane to leave the country.
• Carlos Salinas de Gortari became the new President of Mexico.

December 1, 1988: The first World AIDS Day.

• The very first World AIDS Day was held. This day helps people learn about AIDS and remember those affected by it.
• NASA had to delay the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis because of bad weather.
• Born:
  • Ashley Monique Clark, American TV actress
  • Nadia Hilker, German actress
  • Tyler Joseph, American singer
  • Zoë Kravitz, American actress, singer, and model
  • Dan Mavraides, Greek-American basketball player
  • Taione Vea, Tonga rugby player

December 2, 1988: A Space Mission and a Historic Leader

• A huge storm called a cyclone hit Bangladesh. It left 5 million people without homes and caused many deaths.
• Benazir Bhutto became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was the first woman to lead a government in a country where Islam is the main religion.
• The bus hijackers from December 1 were given $2 million and a plane by the Soviet government. They flew to Israel and gave up there.

December 2, 1988: The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-27).

• NASA successfully launched the Space Shuttle Atlantis on a secret mission called STS-27. During liftoff, a piece of insulation fell off and damaged the shuttle's heat shield. The crew later used the shuttle's robot arm to release a satellite.
• George H. W. Bush, who was about to become the U.S. President, met with Michael Dukakis, who he had beaten in the election. They held a joint press conference.
• Born:
  • Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick, English fashion designer
  • Alfred Enoch, British actor
  • Fuse ODG (Nana Richard Abiona), English rapper
  • Stephen McGinn, Scottish footballer
  • Soniya Mehra, Indian Bollywood actress

December 3, 1988: Egg Scare and Shuttle Damage

• In the United Kingdom, a government official named Edwina Currie caused a big stir. She said that most British eggs had salmonella bacteria. This made egg sales drop right away.

A diagram showing damage to Space Shuttle Atlantis.

• STS-27: Mission Control asked the shuttle crew to take pictures of the heat shield under the shuttle's wing. The commander, Robert L. Gibson, was very worried when he saw the damage. Because the mission was secret, the pictures were sent in a way that made the damage look less serious to people on the ground.
• Born:
  • Melissa Aldana, Chilean saxophone player
  • Kevin Clark, American child actor and musician

December 4, 1988: Actor's Accident

• American actor Gary Busey had a very serious motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet and got a head injury that put him in a coma for four weeks. He later recovered and continued his acting career.
• Born:
  • Miki Kanie, Japanese Olympic archer
  • Mario Maurer, Thai model and actor
  • Andriy Pylyavskyi, Ukrainian footballer

December 5, 1988: Shuttle Crew's Worry

• STS-27: The day before the shuttle was set to return to Earth, commander Gibson was still very worried about the damage. He told his crew to relax, saying, "No reason to die all tensed up."
• A U.S. Navy plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during a training mission. All four crew members were lost.
• Born: Joanna Rowsell, English Olympic champion cyclist

December 6, 1988: Shuttle Returns Safely

• The Australian Capital Territory was given the power to govern itself.
• U.S. President-elect Bush chose Thomas R. Pickering to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

December 6, 1988: Space Shuttle Atlantis landing safely.

Damage to the shuttle's heat shield after landing.

• STS-27: The Space Shuttle Atlantis and its crew returned safely to Earth. They landed in California, even with the damage to the heat shield. Many of the shuttle's heat shield tiles were damaged. One tile was completely gone, and the metal underneath it partly melted. If the damage had been in a different spot, the shuttle could have been destroyed, like the Space Shuttle Columbia was in 2003.
• Born:
  • Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, known as Les Twins, French hip-hop dancers
  • Adam Eaton, American baseball player
  • Ravindra Jadeja, Indian cricketer
  • Sandra Nurmsalu, Estonian musician
  • Sabrina Ouazani, French actress
  • Nils Petersen, German footballer
  • Nobunaga Shimazaki, Japanese voice actor
• Died: Roy Orbison, 52, American rock musician, from a heart attack.

December 7, 1988: Devastating Earthquake in Armenia

December 7, 1988: Gorbachev, Reagan, and Bush meeting in New York City.

A city in Armenia after the earthquake.

• A very strong earthquake hit Soviet Armenia. It killed almost 25,000 people, injured 31,000, and left 400,000 without homes. The town of Spitak was completely destroyed.
• In Estonia, the Estonian language became the official language instead of Russian. This was part of the "Singing Revolution" where people wanted more freedom.
• Nelson Mandela, a leader fighting against apartheid in South Africa, was moved from a hospital to a house at Victor Verster Prison. He would stay there until his release in 1990.
• Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, visited the United States. He met with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and President-elect Bush. Gorbachev also promised to cut military spending. He had to leave his visit early because of the earthquake in Armenia.
• American artist Chuck Close became paralyzed after a blood clot damaged his spinal cord. He later learned to paint again in a new way.
• Born:
  • Nathan Adrian, American Olympic champion swimmer
  • Emily Browning, Australian actress
  • Angelina Gabueva, Russian tennis player

December 8, 1988: President Reagan's Last Press Conference

• Six people died when an American military plane crashed in Remscheid, West Germany.
• The British government announced that it would close a large shipbuilding company, meaning 2,400 people would lose their jobs. This ended 600 years of shipbuilding in Sunderland, England.
• An American plane carrying bug spray was shot down by missiles over Senegal. All five crew members died.

December 8, 1988: President Reagan's last press conference in the White House.

• U.S. President Ronald Reagan held his last press conference at the White House. He joked with reporters and offered his sympathy for the Armenian earthquake. When asked if he trusted Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan said it was important to "trust but verify".
• Born:
  • Marcus Gilchrist, American football player
  • Linnea Liljegärd, Swedish footballer
  • Philip Major, Canadian racing driver
  • Damien Marcq, French footballer
  • Ferdinand Tille, German volleyball player
  • Simon van Velthooven, New Zealand Olympic cyclist
  • Jerry Vandam, French footballer
• Died: Roy Orbison, 52, American rock musician, from a heart attack.

December 9, 1988: Spacewalk from Mir

December 9, 1988: Jean-Loup Chrétien during a spacewalk from the Mir space station.

• A French astronaut, Jean-Loup Chrétien, and a Soviet astronaut, Volkov, went on a spacewalk from the Mir space station. This was the first time someone not from the Soviet Union or the U.S. did a spacewalk. They installed some experiments outside the station.
• The last Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant cars were made in the United States.
• Former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos was taken to the hospital in Hawaii for heart problems.
• Born:
  • Pietro Aradori, Italian basketball player
  • Kwadwo Asamoah, Ghanaian footballer
  • Adam Gettis, American football player
  • Ji Liping, Chinese Olympic swimmer
  • Kim Kum-ok, North Korean Olympic runner
  • Georges Mandjeck, Cameroonian footballer
  • Denarius Moore, American football player
  • Travian Robertson, American football player
  • Korey Toomer, American football player
  • Veronika Vítková, Czech Olympic biathlete
  • Rhys Webb, Welsh rugby player
  • Robbie Weir, Northern Irish footballer

December 10, 1988: Human Rights Day and Nobel Prize

• The Soviet Union declared this a national day of mourning for the Armenian earthquake victims. Mikhail Gorbachev visited the damaged cities.
• About 3,000 people gathered peacefully in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to celebrate 40 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• James W. Black, Gertrude B. Elion, and George H. Hitchings won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries about how medicines work.
• A fishing boat called Arctic II sank off the coast of Alaska. Five crew members got into a life raft, but two were swept away by a big wave and lost. The other three were rescued.
• Born:
  • Wilfried Bony, Ivorian footballer
  • Pak Chol-min, North Korean footballer
  • Neven Subotić, Serbian footballer

December 11, 1988: Another Earthquake Tragedy

• A cargo plane carrying rescue workers to Leninakan, a city hit hard by the Armenian earthquake, crashed into a mountain. All 77 people on board died.
• Born: Tim Southee, New Zealand cricketer

December 12, 1988: Train Crash in London

• The Clapham Junction rail crash happened in London. This train accident killed 35 people and injured 484.
• At a meeting, STS-27 mission commander Robert L. Gibson made a joke about the shuttle's secret mission, saying it was aimed at Armenia. He was trying to make light of the serious situation they had faced.
• Born:
  • Kévin Bru, French footballer
  • Hahm Eun-jung, South Korean singer and actress
  • Isaac John, New Zealand rugby player

December 13, 1988: Peace Talks in Angola

December 13, 1988: Cleanup after the Clapham Junction rail crash.

• In Congo, leaders from Angola, Cuba, and South Africa signed an agreement called the Brazzaville Protocol. This agreement meant that Cuban and South African troops would leave Angola. It also helped Namibia get its independence.
• Born:
  • Darcy Blake, Welsh footballer
  • Rickie Fowler, American golfer
  • Paul Johnston, English cricketer
  • James Tamou, New Zealand rugby player

December 14, 1988: Spain's Big Strike

• In Spain, a huge general strike took place. It was called by workers' unions against the government's economic plans. The strike lasted 24 hours and almost all workers took part, bringing the country to a stop. The government had to change its plans because of the strike.
• The U.S. said it would start talking with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) after their leader, Yasser Arafat, said he would stop using violence.
• Born:
  • Nicolas Batum, French basketball player
  • Nate Ebner, American football and rugby player
  • Vanessa Hudgens, American actress and singer
  • Hayato Sakamoto, Japanese baseball player

December 16, 1988: Rain Man Released

• Edwina Currie, the official who caused the egg scare, resigned from her government job.
• The American movie Rain Man, starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, was released. It would go on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
• U.S. President-elect Bush chose John Tower to be his Secretary of Defense. However, the U.S. Senate would later reject this choice.
• Born:
  • Robin Cheong, New Zealand taekwondo athlete
  • Mats Hummels, German footballer
  • Gael Mackie, Canadian Olympic gymnast
  • Park Seo-joon, South Korean actor and singer
  • Anna Popplewell, English actress
  • David Simón, Spanish footballer
• Died: Sylvester, 41, American singer-songwriter.

December 19, 1988: Sri Lankan Election

• In Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, a bomb exploded at a place where immigrants lived. One person was killed and 12 were injured. The attackers tried to make it look like Jewish terrorists were responsible.
• In Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe Premadasa was elected as the new President.
• Born:
  • Casey Burgess, Australian TV personality and singer
  • Alexis Sánchez, Chilean footballer
  • Peter Winn, English footballer

December 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing

• Soviet astronauts Titov and Manarov, along with French astronaut Chrétien, returned safely to Earth from the Mir space station. Titov and Manarov had spent almost 366 days in space, setting a new record for the longest human spaceflight.
• The biggest airplane ever built, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, made its first flight. It was designed to carry the Soviet space shuttle Buran.
• Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland. A total of 270 people died, including 259 on the plane and 11 on the ground. Libya was suspected of being involved in this terrible event. Many people from different countries were among the victims.
• A large investment bank, Drexel Burnham Lambert, agreed to admit guilt for illegal trading and pay a huge fine of $650 million.
• Born:
  • Danny Duffy, American baseball player
  • Perri Shakes-Drayton, English Olympic track and field athlete
• Died: Nikolaas Tinbergen, 81, Dutch scientist who won the Nobel Prize.

December 22, 1988: Namibia's Independence Agreement

• In Spain, 84-year-old artist Salvador Dalí was hospitalized after getting sick. He would later die in January 1989.
• The day after the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, representatives from Angola, Cuba, and South Africa signed an agreement. This agreement gave Namibia its independence from South Africa and ended the involvement of foreign troops in the Angolan Civil War. Some South African officials who were supposed to be on Flight 103 had cancelled their tickets.
• A tugboat caused an oil spill near Washington state, releasing 70,000 gallons of oil.
• Born: Leigh Halfpenny, Welsh rugby player
• Died: Chico Mendes, 44, Brazilian environmental activist.

December 23, 1988: Train Crash in China

• In China, a passenger train crashed into a bus, killing at least 46 people.
• The National Hockey League denied a report that it had invited the Soviet Union to create an NHL team.
• A propane truck exploded on a highway ramp in Memphis, Tennessee. This caused nine deaths of drivers and people living nearby.
• In El Salvador, rebels set off four car bombs near military buildings. Three civilians were killed and 38 people were hurt.
• In a college football game, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles beat the UTEP Miners 38–18. The Golden Eagles quarterback, Brett Favre, said they deserved to be a top team.
• Born:
  • Mallory Hagan, American beauty pageant winner and politician
  • Siyabonga Nhlapo, South African footballer

December 24, 1988: Student Protests in China

• In Nanjing, China, a fight broke out at a university dance involving African and Chinese students. This led to Chinese students throwing rocks and bottles at dorms where African students lived. This event started protests against African students that lasted into January.
• Leaders of the PLO met to talk about forming a government for a Palestinian state.
• Queen Elizabeth II gave a special second Christmas message to comfort people affected by the Armenian earthquake, the Clapham Junction train crash, and the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing.
• U.S. President-elect Bush chose Elizabeth Dole to be the Secretary of Labor.
• A woman in Chicago died trying to save her children from a burning apartment, not knowing they had already escaped safely.
• The Governor of South Dakota, George S. Mickelson, was injured in a snowmobile accident.
• U.S. President Reagan called four members of the U.S. military around the world to wish them a Merry Christmas.
• College football player Deion Sanders was arrested after an incident at a gift shop.
• In a college football game, the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Army Cadets 29–28.
• In fiction, the movie Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve, 1988.
• Born:
  • Stefanos Athanasiadis, Greek footballer
  • Piyush Chawla, Indian cricketer
  • Emre Özkan, Turkish footballer
  • Simon Zenke, Nigerian footballer

December 25, 1988: Christmas Day Events

• In the Philippines, Communist rebels released six soldiers they had captured earlier.
• Nanjing anti-African protests: More than 2,000 Chinese students gathered at Hohai University and threw rocks and bottles at African students' dorms again. They then marched to other campuses.
• A former college football player, Derrick Fenner, was shot in the chest outside a nightclub but was released from the hospital the same day.
• A fire destroyed a 70-year-old church in Ware Shoals, South Carolina, just hours after Christmas services.
• The Lonquimay volcano in Chile erupted for the first time since 1889, causing people to leave their homes.
• In a college football game, the Washington State Cougars beat the Houston Cougars 24–22.
• An Amtrak train derailed in Colorado, leaving over 300 passengers stranded, but no one was reported injured.
• Born:
  • Eric Gordon, American basketball player
  • Joãozinho, Brazilian-Russian footballer
  • Marco Mengoni, Italian singer-songwriter
  • Lukas Autry Nelson, American vocalist and guitarist

December 26, 1988: Protests Continue and Riots in India

• Nanjing anti-African protests: About 130 African students went to the train station in Nanjing, hoping to go to Beijing. Thousands of Chinese protesters gathered at the station, shouting anti-African slogans. Police later put the African students on buses and drove them away.
• The killing of Indian politician Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga in Vijayawada led to 60 hours of riots. Over 42 people were killed in the violence.
• Born:
  • Marco Canola, Italian racing cyclist
  • Cicinho, Brazilian-Bulgarian footballer
  • Lucas Deaux, French footballer
  • Guy Edi, Ivorian-French basketball player
  • Shiho Ogawa, Japanese footballer
  • Kayo Satoh, Japanese model and TV personality
  • Etien Velikonja, Slovenian footballer
  • Mariaesthela Vilera, Venezuelan Olympic cyclist
  • Wang Meiyin, Chinese cyclist
• Died: Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga, 41, Indian politician, was killed.

December 27, 1988: Ferry Sinks in Bangladesh

• Near Munshiganj, Bangladesh, a cargo ship hit a ferry called Hasail, causing it to sink. At least 200 people died.
• Bulgaria lifted its ban on Radio Free Europe, allowing people to listen to it again.
• Brazilian footballer Enéas de Camargo died from pneumonia after being in the hospital for injuries from a car accident.
• U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that the territorial waters of the United States would extend further out from the coastline.
• Born:
  • Hera Hilmar, Icelandic actress
  • Zavon Hines, Jamaican-English footballer and coach
  • Ok Taec-yeon, South Korean actor and singer
  • Rick Porcello, American baseball player
  • Hayley Williams, American singer

December 28, 1988: New Soviet Award

• The Soviet Union created a new award called the Order "For Personal Courage". It was the last new award made before the Soviet Union ended.
• In Santa Clara, Cuba, a special place called the Che Guevara Mausoleum was opened.
• The United States officially extended its territorial waters from 5 kilometers to 19 kilometers.
• Jockey Pat Valenzuela was injured when a horse threw him during a race in California.
• American boxer George Foreman won a fight by knocking out his opponent in the first round.
• Born:
  • Islambek Albiev, Russian Olympic champion wrestler
  • Balal Arezou, Afghan footballer
  • Inès Boubakri, Tunisian Olympic fencer
  • Jordy Buijs, Dutch footballer
  • Katlyn Chookagian, American mixed martial artist
  • Laganja Estranja, American choreographer and drag queen
  • Ched Evans, Welsh footballer
  • Elfyn Evans, Welsh rally driver
  • Florrie, English pop singer-songwriter
  • Kohei Kameyama, Japanese Olympic gymnast
  • Enrica Merlo, Italian volleyball player
  • Nsima Peter, Nigerian footballer
  • Perri Pierre, American filmmaker and actor
  • Martina Pretelli, Sanmarinese track and field athlete
  • Adam Sarota, Australian footballer
  • Dzmitry Shershan, Belarusian Olympic judoka
  • Abdou Razack Traoré, Burkinabe footballer

December 29, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 Security Changes

• Corazon Aquino, the President of the Philippines, appointed Jose Ong as the new Tax Commissioner.
• Li Menghua, China's Minister of Physical Culture and Sports, lost his job. This was reportedly because the Chinese team did not perform well at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
• In response to the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, the Federal Aviation Administration announced new security rules for all U.S. airlines at airports in Europe and the Middle East.
• In a college football game, the Florida Gators beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 14–10. Florida running back Emmitt Smith was named the game's best player.
• In another college football game, the BYU Cougars beat the Colorado Buffaloes 20–17.
• Former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos was again hospitalized in Honolulu for heart problems.
• Born:
  • Eric Berry, American football player
  • Christen Press, American soccer player
  • Ágnes Szávay, Hungarian tennis player

December 30, 1988: Political Resignation in Yugoslavia

• The Soviet news agency TASS reported that the Russian Orthodox Church would allow its clergy (religious leaders) to run for office in the upcoming elections.
• Branko Mikulić, the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, and his government resigned because of the country's economic problems. This was the first time a government resigned since communist rule began in 1945.
• A new Czechoslovak airplane, the L-610M, made its first flight.
• In the Iran–Contra affair case, lawyers for Oliver North asked U.S. President Reagan and President-elect Bush to be witnesses in his trial.
• In a college football game, the Oklahoma State Cowboys beat the Wyoming Cowboys 62–14.
• Born:
  • Maria Apostolidi, Greek Olympic gymnast
  • Leon Jackson, Scottish singer
  • Cameron Long, American basketball player
  • Kirsty-Leigh Porter, English actress

December 31, 1988: The Fog Bowl and Boat Accident

• In a college football game, the NC State Wolfpack beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 28–23.

December 31, 1988: The "Fog Bowl" football game in Chicago.

• The Chicago Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20–12 in a football playoff game in Chicago. This game became famous as the "Fog Bowl" because of the very thick fog during the game.
• Just before midnight on New Year's Eve, a tourist boat called Bateau Mouche IV sank near Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 55 people died in the accident.
• Born:
  • Matthew Atkinson, American actor and musician
  • Luca Ceci, Italian track cyclist
  • Cristian Coimbra, Bolivian footballer
  • Álex Colomé, Dominican baseball player
  • Edvin Kanka Ćudić, Bosnian human rights activist
  • Tijan Jaiteh, Gambian footballer
  • Kyle Johnson, British Olympic basketball player
  • Konan Serge Kouadio, Ivorian footballer
  • Joel Martínez, Andorran footballer
  • Mira Rai, Nepalese runner
  • Michal Řepík, Czech ice hockey player
  • Alain Traoré, Burkinabé footballer
  • Enrique Triverio, Argentine footballer
  • Ely Cheikh Voulany, Mauritanian footballer
• Died: Yara Amaral, 52, Brazilian actress, in the sinking of the Bateau Mouche IV.

|