Born in 2008
Turns 18 in 2026 · 18th birthday gifts
18th birthday gifts for someone born in 2008
2008 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 2008 · New Zealand
A little history to go with their gift.
Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Android arrived on a phone, while Coldplay reached its first UK singles number one with Viva la Vida. The first Android phone was the T-Mobile G1.
What happened in 2008?
Scott Dixon wins the Indianapolis 500
New Zealander Scott Dixon won the Indianapolis 500 motor race in 2008. He became the first New Zealander to win the famous race.
Evers-Swindell twins defend Olympic rowing gold
New Zealand rowers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell defended their Olympic double sculls title at the 2008 Beijing Games. They became the first women’s double sculls crew to win consecutive Olympic titles.
Duncan Grant wins world rowing gold
Duncan Grant won lightweight single sculls gold at the 2008 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The win added to New Zealand’s strong international rowing record.
National wins New Zealand’s 2008 general election
The 2008 election brought National to government after nine years of Labour-led rule.
Firsts and new ideas
Beijing staged a global Olympic spectacle
China staged its first Summer Olympics with a lavish opening ceremony and record levels of construction and security. The Games ran through August 2008 and closed with China topping the gold medal table.
U.S. House of Representatives / Congress.gov · World Athletics
The Large Hadron Collider switched on beneath Europe
CERN's underground accelerator near Geneva began operating after decades of construction, aiming to recreate conditions from moments after the Big Bang. A technical fault shut it down again just days after this first successful test.
Number ones and music in 2008
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown tops New Zealand's 2008 singles chart
Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown's 'No Air' ranked No. 1 on the Official Aotearoa Music Charts' 2008 End of Year Top 50 Singles.
Spotify opened its service in Europe
Spotify opened its streaming music service in Britain, Sweden, Finland, France, Norway and Spain in October 2008, offering a new way to listen to recorded music online.
Prices and everyday money in 2008
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bread – white sliced loaf | $1.62 | 700g Statistics New Zealand |
| Milk – standard homogenised | $3.34 | 2 litres Statistics New Zealand |
| Cinema (adult avg.) | $13.99 | one admission Statistics New Zealand |
| Petrol (annual avg.) | $1.81 | litre MBIE via Figure.NZ |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 2008 turns 18 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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