What happened in April 1988?
The top front-page story of each day in April 1988, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Apr 1✈️ Human-Powered Craft Test – A lightweight human-powered aircraft made successful test flights, preparing for a world-record distance attempt inspired by Daedalus.
- Apr 2🐺 Red Wolf Recovery – Four red wolves are being trained for survival in the wild as part of a project to restore this endangered species in North Carolina.
- Apr 3🏆 Lake Superior St. Wins – Lake Superior State wins the NCAA Division I hockey championship in sudden-death overtime against St. Lawrence.
- Apr 4🎬 Istanbul Film Festival – A censorship dispute may lead to the withdrawal of 5 films from the Istanbul Film Festival, which is set to screen 160 films.
- Apr 5📜 Scientists Decipher Code – Scientists are learning to decipher a chemical language that governs how cells grow and interact in health and illness.
- Apr 6🏛️ New Cooking School Opens – A new cooking school, Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise Ritz-Escoffier, has opened in Paris, adding competition among culinary institutions.
- Apr 7👶 Twins Disjoined at Head – Benjamin and Patrick Binder, twins from West Germany born joined at the head, were discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital after a successful separation surgery.
- Apr 8🦖 New Dinosaur Discovery – Paleontologists identified a new genus of pygmy tyrannosaur, shedding light on dinosaur evolution and its relation to modern birds.
- Apr 9🏟️ Celtics Crush Nets – Larry Bird scored 21 points as the Boston Celtics defeated the New Jersey Nets, 127-90, after a four-day layoff.
- Apr 10🌍 Gandhi Salt March Reenacted – Indian politicians, led by Prime Minister Gandhi, reenacted Gandhi's historic salt march to protest British rule.
- Apr 11🏌️ Lyle Wins Masters – Sandy Lyle won the 52nd Masters at Augusta National Golf Club with a remarkable 10-foot birdie putt, marking a historic victory.
- Apr 12🔬 Distant Galaxy Detected – Astronomers using telescopes in Hawaii have detected a galaxy nearly twice as far away as any previously documented.
- Apr 13🧬 Harvard Gets Mouse Patent – Harvard University received the world's first patent for a genetically engineered mouse, marking a significant milestone in biotechnology.
- Apr 14🏛️ Gorbachev Encourages U.S. Ties – Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev told 500 American executives that improved relations and economic reforms offer potential for new ties.
- Apr 15🛩️ Korean Air Orders Jets – Korean Air Lines ordered six 747-400 jumbo jets from Boeing, valued over $1.5 billion, plus options for four more.
- Apr 16🌍 U.N. Seeks Afghan Oversight – The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees requested exclusive control over aiding and resettling Afghan refugees returning home.
- Apr 17🔬 Soviet Visa for Surgery – The Soviet Union granted a 30-day visa for a family from Odessa to allow their 5-year-old daughter to undergo open-heart surgery.
- Apr 18🏆 World Best Marathon – Belaney Densimo of Ethiopia set a world record in the marathon, finishing in 2:06:49, marking a significant achievement in athletics.
- Apr 19🏙️ New Town Opens – A new town for Chernobyl power plant workers has opened, housing the first 500 residents, according to Tass news agency.
- Apr 20🚢 Largest Cruise Ship Set – The world's largest cruise ship, set to be built in Northern Ireland, will carry over 3,000 passengers and cost $454 million.
- Apr 21🚀 Shuttle Rocket Test – The redesigned shuttle booster rocket was fired with deliberate flaws in critical seals, and the test was deemed a success by space agency officials.
- Apr 22💻 Texas Instruments Reports – Texas Instruments reported a slight drop in net income, while Compaq's profits nearly doubled due to increased demand.
- Apr 23🎨 Dali in Moscow – Crowds gather at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow to view Salvador Dali's surreal art, including a flaming giraffe and a tattooed nude.
- Apr 24✈️ Daedalus Flies Record – A fragile ultralight plane with a Greek cyclist at the controls skimmed 74 miles over the Aegean Sea, setting three world records for human-powered flight.
- Apr 25🏛️ Mitterrand Leads Election – President Francois Mitterrand outdistanced Prime Minister Jacques Chirac in the first round of France's presidential election.
- Apr 26📚 Medical Atlas Nears Completion – Dr. Frank H. Netter, known as the 'Medical Michelangelo,' is nearing completion of a comprehensive anatomical atlas on his 82nd birthday.
- Apr 27🛠️ Nuclear Safety Accord Signed – The U.S. and Soviet Union signed an agreement to exchange nuclear safety data, marking a step forward in international cooperation post-Chernobyl.
- Apr 28🌍 Condor Chick Hatching – The first California condor chick conceived in captivity began hatching, marking a significant milestone for conservation efforts.
- Apr 29🩸 Red Cross Blood Testing – The American Red Cross announced plans to test blood donations for a cancer-causing virus to prevent its spread.
- Apr 30🔬 Chernobyl Investigator Dies – Valery Legasov, who led the investigation into the Chernobyl disaster, passed away at age 51, as reported by Soviet media.
Happy Birthday! 1988 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1988 in real headlines. See the 1988 book →