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 £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 2008 · United Kingdom
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?
Michael Phelps won eight Olympic gold medals
Phelps broke Mark Spitz's long-standing record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics. His eight wins in Beijing made him the most decorated swimmer of his generation.
Associated Press via The Spokesman-Review · Los Angeles Times
Economists dated the U.S. recession to December 2007
On December 1, 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research said the U.S. recession had begun in December 2007.
National Bureau of Economic Research · The Washington Post, by Renae Merle
China launches its first dedicated high-speed line
The Beijing–Tianjin service became China’s first high-speed rail operation on a dedicated line, opening shortly before the Beijing Olympics.
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
Firsts and new ideas
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.
Phoenix landed on Mars
NASA's Phoenix probe touched down near the Martian north pole and confirmed the presence of water ice just beneath the surface. It operated for several months before the Martian winter cut off its solar power.
Number ones and music in 2008
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
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.
Adele released her debut album 19
Adele’s debut album 19 was released in the UK on January 28, 2008.
Prices and everyday money in 2008
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) | £441.80 per week | GBP per week Bank of England (series republished by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED) |
| Unleaded petrol (UK annual average pump price, including tax) | £1.07 | per litre Department for Energy Security and Net Zero |
| bread (published annual average) | £1.19 | 800g sliced white loaf Office for National Statistics |
| milk (published annual average) | 42.1p | per pint Office for National Statistics |
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.
See milestone birthdays this year