Born in 1989
Turns 37 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1989
1989 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $51.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $51.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $51.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $51.50
Front Page: New Zealand edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1989 · New Zealand
A little history to go with their gift.
Batman brought a darker comic-book hero to cinemas, Microsoft Office became available for Macintosh, and the V-22 Osprey made its first flight. Film, desktop software and aircraft design each offered a different glimpse of 1989’s changing technology and style.
What happened in 1989?
LeMond wins the Tour by eight seconds
Greg LeMond overturned a 50-second deficit on the final stage to beat Laurent Fignon by eight seconds.
Crowds begin opening the Berlin Wall
On November 9, crowds began dismantling the Berlin Wall as East Germany opened its borders.
U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian · Associated Press
Voyager 2 makes its historic Neptune flyby
Voyager 2 flew close to Neptune on August 25, 1989, returning humanity's first close views of the distant planet.
The 49ers win Super Bowl XXIII
San Francisco defeated Cincinnati 20–16 in Super Bowl XXIII on January 22, 1989.
Firsts and new ideas
A proposal sketches the World Wide Web
In March 1989, Tim Berners-Lee proposed a distributed hypertext system for organizing information at CERN.
World Wide Web Consortium · U.S. Government Publishing Office
Detroit completes its first NBA title run
Detroit beat the Los Angeles Lakers 105–97 in Game 4 on June 13, sweeping the NBA Finals for its first championship.
Number ones and music in 1989
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
“If You Don't Know Me By Now” tops New Zealand's 1989 singles chart
New Zealand's 1989 End of Year Top 50 Singles placed “If You Don't Know Me By Now” by Simply Red at No. 1.
“How Am I Gonna Sleep” ranks 17th on New Zealand's 1989 singles list
New Zealand's 1989 End of Year Top 50 Singles placed “How Am I Gonna Sleep” by Tim Finn at No. 17.
Prices and everyday money in 1989
New Zealand figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | $0.99 | 1L Statistics New Zealand |
| Bread, white | $1.43 | 750g Statistics New Zealand |
| Petrol (annual avg.) | $0.88 | litre MBIE via Figure.NZ |
| Stamp (standard letter) | NZ$0.40 | standard letter Ruapehu Bulletin / Papers Past |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1989 turns 37 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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