Born in 1998
Turns 28 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1998
1998 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from £21.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from £21.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from £21.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from £21.50
Front Page: United Kingdom 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 1998 · United Kingdom
A little history to go with their gift.
Leaders signed the Good Friday Agreement, women’s ice hockey made its Olympic debut at Nagano, and researchers recovered active black smokers from the Pacific seafloor. These records link peace-building, sport and deep-ocean science in 1998.
What happened in 1998?
Leaders sign the Good Friday Agreement.
The Belfast Agreement, also called the Good Friday Agreement, was signed on April 10, 1998. It set out new political institutions for Northern Ireland and a framework for cooperation between its communities and governments.
Women’s ice hockey debuts at the Winter Olympics
Women’s ice hockey made its Olympic debut at Nagano, with the United States winning gold.
Scientists bring active black smokers to the surface
A 1998 University of Washington and American Museum of Natural History expedition raised four large, active sulfide chimneys from more than a mile below the Pacific, including a structure still hot at the surface.
Zarya begins assembling the space station
Russia launched the Zarya module on 20 November 1998, beginning the on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station.
Firsts and new ideas
FDA Approves Viagra for Erectile Dysfunction
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra for erectile dysfunction on March 27, 1998.
U.S. Government Publishing Office / Food and Drug Administration · TIME
Harry Potter arrives in the United States.
Scholastic published the U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on September 1, 1998. The first book in J.K. Rowling’s series brought the young wizard to American readers.
Number ones and music in 1998
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Dave is born in Streatham
Dave, born David Omoregie, was born in Streatham on June 5, 1998, and later became an award-winning British rapper.
Cher gives dance pop a new voice
Cher's Believe arrived in Britain in October 1998, giving the veteran singer a dance-pop hit built around an unusually bright vocal sound.
Prices and everyday money in 1998
United Kingdom figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Average weekly earnings per person in the United Kingdom (Bank of England series) | £291.50 per week | GBP per week Bank of England (series republished by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED) |
| sugar (annual average) | 67p | perkg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| flour (annual average) | 61p | per1.5kg source-table measure Office for National Statistics |
| bread (annual average) | 51p | 800g source-table loaf Office for National Statistics |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1998 turns 28 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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