The purpose of this blog is to celebrate the announcement of IBM i (iSeries/AS400) and reminisce about what else was going on in 1988. Where were you that year and what do you remember?
Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. iSeries and AS400 are server brand names. I use them interchangeably to make it easy for folks to find information with search engines on the web.
IBM announced the IBM AS400 on June 21, 1988.
Did anything else happen in 1988?
Well, yes.
In technology:
· First transatlantic fiber optic cable was laid able to carry 40,000 telephone calls simultaneously.
· Stephen Hawking publishes “A Brief History of Time”.
· The first major computer virus infects computers connected to the Internet.
· The US Stealth Bomber is unveiled.
· Using carbon dating it is established that the Turin Shroud cannot be the burial cloth of Christ.
· The antidepressant Prozac is introduced which quickly becomes the market leader for treating depression.
· Apple files a copyright infringement against Microsoft for Windows 2.03 and Hewlett Packard for New Wave in comparison with their Macintosh operating system.
· About 45 million PCs are in use in the United States.
· Objective-C was licensed by NeXT in 1988.
· Steve Jobs unveiled the NeXT computer on October 12, 1988.
Did you know on January 26 The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway play ever, opened?
Do you remember any of these movies?
Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Twins, Crocodile Dundee II, Die Hard, The Naked Gun: From, the Files of Police Squad!, Beetlejuice, Bull Durham, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mississippi Burning, Dangerous Liaisons, Midnight Run, Tequila Sunrise
Entertainment Events:
· Ninety-eight percent of U.S. households have at least one television set.
· CDs outsell vinyl records for the first time.
· Ted Turner starts Turner Network Television (TNT) and buys MGM’s film library.
World Events:
· President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev exchanged optimistic New Year’s greetings, expressing mutual hope they would reach an arms control treaty on strategic weapons within six months.
· US and Canada reach a free trade agreement, the beginning of NAFTA.
· Margaret Thatcher (b.1925) became the longest serving British PM this century.
· Terrorists kill nine tourists on Aegean cruise (July 11).
· Benazir Bhutto, first Islamic woman prime minister, chosen to lead Pakistan (Dec. 1).
· Pan-Am 747 explodes from terrorist bomb and crashes in Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on ground (Dec. 21).
US Events:
· Robert C. McFarlane, former National Security Adviser, pleads guilty in Iran-Contra case (March 11).
· US Navy ship shoots down Iranian airliner in Persian Gulf, mistaking it for jet fighter; 290 killed (July 3).
· Democratic convention nominates Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts for President and Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen for Vice President (July 17).
· Republican convention nominates George Bush for President and Indiana Senator Dan Quayle for Vice President (Aug. 15).
· Republicans sweep 40 states in election, and Bush beats Dukakis (Nov. 8).
Science:
· France and China permit use of “morning-after” birth-control drug RU486 (Mifepristone).
· NASA scientist James Hansen warns congress of the dangers of global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Sports:
· Basketball star “Pistol” Pete Maravich dies of a heart attack during pickup game in Pasadena, CA.
· Super Bowl XXXII: Washington Redskins d. Denver Broncos (42-10)
· World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers d. Oakland A’s (4-1)
· NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers d. Detroit Pistons (4-3)
· Stanley Cup: Edmonton Oilers d. Boston Bruins (4-0)
· Wimbledon:
Women: Steffi Graf d. Martina Navratilova (5-7 6-2 6-1)
Men: Stefan Edberg d. Boris Becker (4-6 7-6 6-4 6-2)
· Kentucky Derby Champion: Winning Colors
· NCAA Basketball Championship: Kansas d. Oklahoma (83-79)
· NCAA Football Champions: Notre Dame (12-0-0)
· 1988 Summer Olympics: Seoul, South Korea
Yes, 1988 was one heck of a year!
Where were you in 1988?
Still searching for an IBM Business Partner that has the right fit with your operation? Email me at blosey@source-data.com or call me at 714-593-0387.
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