When This Dropped

November 8, 1988

President
Reagan
Dow (EOY)
2,169
Gas/gal
$0.90
Big Mac
$1.70
Min Wage
$3.35

That fall of 1988, gas ran $0.90 a gallon and Reagan was in the White House — George H.W. Bush had just been elected president, defeating Democrat Michael Dukakis in a campaign that left a divided electorate debating the country's next direction. On television, "The Cosby Show" remained the top-rated program in the country, while Tom Clancy's "The Cardinal of the Kremlin" was the paperback thriller Americans were carrying onto planes and reading on their lunch breaks. The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a surprise World Series victory over the heavily favored Oakland Athletics, and just weeks earlier, American athletes had returned from Seoul, South Korea, where the United States finished the Summer Olympics with 94 total medals, including 36 gold.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — November 8, 1988

New York Times
Rolling Stone
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of November 8, 1988

The 1988 Election: The G.O.P. Advantage; Peace, Prosperity And A Disaffected South Were Among The Hurdles Facing Dukakis

The Elections: Challenges For Bush: Agenda And Congress; President-Elect Still Hasn'T Detailed Course Of Action - Lawmakers Wary

With Weicker Gone, Who'Ll Lead G.O.P.?

World Events — November 1988

Time Person of the Year — 1988

Mikhail Gorbachev
Person of the Year
Mikhail Gorbachev

On the radio

Billboard Charts — November 8, 1988

Wild, Wild West
The Escape Club
Hot 100 #1
"Wild, Wild West"
The Escape Club
Miami Vice
Soundtrack
Billboard 200 #1
"Miami Vice"
Soundtrack

Grammy Awards

Faith
George Michael
Grammy Album of the Year
"Faith"
George Michael
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Bobby McFerrin
Grammy Song of the Year
"Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Bobby McFerrin
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Bobby McFerrin
Grammy Record of the Year
"Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Bobby McFerrin
Tracy Chapman
Grammy Best New Artist
Tracy Chapman

On the bookshelf

The Cardinal of the Kremlin
Tom Clancy
NYT Fiction #1
"The Cardinal of the Kremlin"
Tom Clancy
The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure
Robert Kowalski
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure"
Robert Kowalski
Beloved
Toni Morrison
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"Beloved"
Toni Morrison
Paris Trout
Pete Dexter
National Book Award Fiction
"Paris Trout"
Pete Dexter
A Bright Shining Lie
Neil Sheehan
National Book Award Nonfiction
"A Bright Shining Lie"
Neil Sheehan

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1988–89 Season

The Cosby Show
Nielsen #1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1988–89 Season

Emmy Winners — 1988

L.A. Law
Emmy Drama Series
L.A. Law
Cheers
Emmy Comedy Series
Cheers
Carroll O'Connor
In the Heat of the Night
Emmy Lead Actor
Carroll O'Connor
In the Heat of the Night
Dana Delany
China Beach
Emmy Lead Actress
Dana Delany
China Beach

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — November 8, 1988

They Live
Box Office #1
They Live
The Last Emperor
Oscar Best Picture
The Last Emperor
Barry Levinson
Rain Man
Oscar Best Director
Barry Levinson
Rain Man
Dustin Hoffman
Rain Man
Oscar Best Actor
Dustin Hoffman
Rain Man
Jodie Foster
The Accused
Oscar Best Actress
Jodie Foster
The Accused

Ebert 4-Star Films — November 8, 1988

A Fish Called Wanda
4-Star Review
A Fish Called Wanda
Another Woman
4-Star Review
Another Woman
Au revoir les enfants
4-Star Review
Au revoir les enfants
A World Apart
4-Star Review
A World Apart
Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam
4-Star Review
Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam

On the field

Sports Champions — November 8, 1988

Super Bowl
Washington Redskins
def. Denver Broncos
World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers
def. Oakland Athletics
NBA Champion
Los Angeles Lakers
def. Detroit Pistons
Stanley Cup
Edmonton Oilers
def. Boston Bruins
Winter Olympics
Calgary, Canada
🥇2🥈1🥉3
Summer Olympics
Seoul, South Korea
🥇36🥈31🥉27

Interested in postcards, posters or t-shirts? Leave your email and we’ll let you know.