Take a scroll through vintage photos from 1988: Christmas-night NES victories, brand-new boombox pride, and a kid skating the aisles of a family dry cleaners—candid scenes from real homes and shops that bring the late ’80s back to life. For context around the era, revisit our 1987 vintage photos and then jump ahead to 1990 everyday life in pictures.
1. “My pops finally beating Super Mario Bros. on Christmas night, 1988. The Nintendo was a present for ‘me and my sister.'”
2. “My grandmother and ‘Big John’ Candy. She was a secretary for the accounting firm that handled his finances. August, 1988.”
3. “My first dance in 1988.”
4. Freddie Mercury and his unimpressed cat, Tiffy, 1988
5. “Me on the way to daycare in 1988.”
6. “My dad in 1988.”
7. The 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team, who were immortalized in the 1993 film ‘Cool Runnings’
8. Rick Astley meeting Princess Diana in 1988
9. Last day of school, 1988
10. A then-unknown 18-year-old Mariah Carey meeting Will Smith, 19, at a radio concert in 1988
11. Arnold Schwarzenegger meeting his fans in Moscow, 1988
12. Pee Wee Herman, Valerie Golino, and Arsenio Hall in 1988
13. “My bestie and I at our prom in 1988. Yes, those are cookies in my cleavage, and yes, she is smoking.”
14. Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp in 1988
15. “Spring Break, Daytona Beach 1988. Some friends and I are eating at Taco Bell.”
16. Tony Hawk in Upland, California, in 1988
17. Rob Lowe, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Robert Downey Jr. at the Governors Ball after the 1988 Academy Awards
18. “Me skating around my family’s dry cleaners in 1988.”
19. Nirvana in 1988. A year before their first album, Bleach, was released. You’ll notice their original drummer, Chad Channing, is pictured here, as Dave Grohl wouldn’t join the band until September 25, 1990.
20. Robin Williams spent all day signing autographs at a homeless shelter in Boston in 1988
21. “This Rainbow Bright costume my mom hand-sewed for me in 1988.”
22. Steve Carell as a brochure model in 1988
23. Stan Lee with Hulk and Thor from the 1988 Hulk live-action TV show
24. An architect in his office in 1988
25. Conan O’Brien and Bob Odenkirk in the SNL writer’s room in 1988
26. Nick Offerman’s senior class photo from 1988. He was not only the president of the senior class, but he was also the president of the drama club, a saxophonist in the jazz band, and voted “Most likely to host the David Letterman Show.”
27. The 1988 People Magazine photo shoot that united all the slasher movie icons
28. “My mom is coming to see me during her lunch break for my kindergarten graduation in 1988.”
29. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, 1988. Photo by Elliott Erwitt.
30. “My friend and I heading out to cruise the town in 1988.”
31. “Me and my 8th birthday, that was held at the local Burger King in 1988.”
32. “My mom was a punk in high school in 1988.”
33. Mister Rogers throwing the opening pitch at a 1988 Pirates vs. Phillies game
34. Alyssa Milano and Christina Applegate in 1988
35. “My brother and his Pro Am II in 1988
36. “My mom and her brand new boom box in 1988.”
37. Russians eat American-style pizza for the first time from a food truck in Moscow, 1988
Want more ’80s vibes after these vintage photos from 1988?
Dive into our arcade time capsule in 27 Vintage Photos of 1980s Arcades That Will Take You Back, revisit golden-era fast-food memories in 25 Vintage Photos of What Life Looked Like in 1980, soak up retro dine-in energy with 15 Nostalgic Photos To Remember When Pizza Hut Had Atmosphere.
