March 14, 1988★★★★★
Johnson South Reef skirmish
Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces clash at Johnson South Reef in the Spratly Islands; about 64 Vietnamese sailors are killed.
War· Vietnam, China
← Previous year with events: 1987Next year with events: 1989 →View on map →View the whole 20th century
Events this year
August 8, 1988★★★★★
8888 Uprising in Burma
Nationwide pro-democracy protests in Burma are violently suppressed by the military; Aung San Suu Kyi emerges as an opposition leader.
RevolutionPolitics· Myanmar
September 17, 1988 – October 2, 1988★★★★★
1988 Seoul Olympics
Seoul hosts the Summer Olympics, marking South Korea's economic and international emergence.
Culture· South Korea
October 5, 1988★★★★★
1988 Chilean national plebiscite
Chilean voters reject extending General Pinochet's rule, paving the way for a return to democracy.
Politics· Chile
Ongoing
c. 1975 – c. 1995★★★★★
Vietnamese boat people
Hundreds of thousands of people flee Vietnam by sea after 1975; many die at sea and others are resettled, mostly in Western countries.
Politics· Vietnam, United States, Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
April 13, 1975 – 1990★★★★★
Lebanese Civil War
A multi-sided civil war devastates Lebanon for fifteen years, with intervention by Syria, Israel and other foreign forces.
War· Lebanon
December 25, 1978 – 1989★★★★★
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Following Khmer Rouge border attacks, Vietnam invades Cambodia, takes Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979 and overthrows the Khmer Rouge; Vietnamese troops remain until 1989.
War· Vietnam, Cambodia
September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988★★★★★
Iran–Iraq War
Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Iran, beginning an eight-year war of attrition that kills hundreds of thousands.
War· Iran, Iraq
July 23, 1983 – May 18, 2009★★★★★
Sri Lankan Civil War
A 26-year armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ends in the LTTE's defeat.
War· Sri Lanka
December 1987 – 1993★★★★★
First Intifada
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip rise up against Israeli occupation, in an uprising lasting until the Oslo Accords.
RevolutionPolitics· Palestine, Israel