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January 1, 1998 New Year's Day

January 1, 1998, was a Thursday. It was 26 years, 10 months, and 21 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

Song charts

Music charts

Songs that were on top of the charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on January 1, 1998:

  • United States: "Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John
  • United Kingdom: "Too Much" by Spice Girls

The Billboard Hot 100 on January 1, 1998

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Candle In The Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight - Elton John
  • How Do I Live - LeAnn Rimes
  • You Make Me Wanna... - Usher
  • Together Again - Janet
  • Been Around The World - Puff Daddy & The Family (Feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase)
Play the top singles from 1998
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1998. Take a trip back to the days of Cher, Celine Dion, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Robbie Williams and Faithless.
Titanic

Top movie at the box office

The movie "Titanic" was at the top of the box office on January 1, 1998.

Facts

New Year's Day 1998 occurred 9,822 days ago. Approximately 327 months have passed. It was the 1st day of 1998, in week 01. The decade was the nineties. People who were born on January 1, 1998, are now 26 years old and belong to the Gen-Z generation. The Earth has experienced 109 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to January 1, 1998

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is January 1, 1998, and it's a Thursday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. It's New Year's Day, the official start of the year 1998. A lot of people are relaxing at home. Some are nursing hangovers from the night before.

In America, the song "Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John is at the top of the singles charts, while "Too Much" by Spice Girls is the number-one song in the UK. Bill Clinton is the President of the United States, and the movie Titanic is at the top of the box office. Tony Blair is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

On television, people are watching popular shows such as "Mad About You", "JAG", "7th Heaven", and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". A new form of communication called "text messaging" is starting to become more widespread. However, it can only be done if both the sender and the receiver are on the same cell network. The CD is quickly becoming the dominant format for music, and people are buying portable players such as the "Discman". Consequently, sales of cassette tapes are continuing to decline.

In fashion, bright and metallic colors are all the rage—a big change from the darker "grunge" colors of the early 1990s. Women are wearing maxi skirts, bell bottoms, knee boots, crop tops, tube tops, slip dresses, maxi coats, and platform shoes. Meanwhile, a lot of men have ditched their grunge and skater clothes in favor of a "dress casual" look. They are also beginning to cut their hair shorter. It's 1998, so radio stations are being dominated by the likes of Brandy, Monica, Aerosmith, R. Kelly, K-Ci & JoJo, Céline Dion, All Saints, Steps and Will Smith. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Sonny Bono, Fat Pat, Rob Pilatus, and Frank Sinatra would all still be alive.

People are playing video games such as "Super Mario 64", "Turok: Dinosaur Hunter", "Tekken 3", and "Harvest Moon". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Home Improvement", "Goosebumps", "Hey Arnold!", and "Men in Black: The Series". Children are playing with toys such as Lego Pirates, Styrofoam plane gliders, the Tamagotchi, and Spice Girls dolls.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 1, 1998, will have the star sign Capricorn.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1998 was the year of the Tiger (Yang Fire).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 11.
  • Native American Zodiac: January 1, 1998 falls under the Goose.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of January will have the birthstone Garnet.
  • Birth flower (January): The Carnation and the Snowdrop.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on January 1, 1998.

  • Celine Dion - "My Heart Will Go On"

    Celine Dion - "My Heart Will Go On"

    "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion went on to win a Grammy for 1998's Record of the Year.
  • Pagers are dying out.

    Pagers are dying out

    Pagers started to die out at the end of the 1990s. This was due to the growing availability of cellphones. Pagers were small devices that allowed the owner to receive messages. More often than not, the message in question was a memo or a phone number that they were supposed to call back.
  • 1998 in music.

    1998 in music

    Popular music artists in 1998 included Usher, Céline Dion, K-Ci & JoJo, Next, Shania Twain, Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Monica, Sarah McLachlan, Jennifer Paige, Aerosmith, 98 Degrees, Deborah Cox, Britney Spears and All Saints.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1998?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1998?

    In 1998, the best NBA players were Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Grant Hill, Vin Baker, David Robinson, Tim Hardaway, Rod Strickland, Scottie Pippen, Glen Rice, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond and Dikembe Mutombo.
  • Bill Clinton & Ken Starr.

    Bill Clinton & Ken Starr

    US President Bill Clinton and Ken Starr, the lawyer who published the Starr Report, were both named Time Person of the Year in 1998.
  • 1998 in movies.

    1998 in movies

    Movies released in 1998 included Armageddon, Saving Private Ryan, Godzilla, There's Something About Mary, A Bug's Life, Deep Impact, Mulan, Dr. Dolittle, Shakespeare in Love, Lethal Weapon 4, Blade, American History X and The Waterboy.
  • Landline phones are still popular... for now.

    Landline phones are still popular... for now

    Although most houses still had landline telephones, they were starting to slowly die out due to the increasing availability of cellphones.
  • Jenny McCarthy.

    Jenny McCarthy

    American model and television host Jenny McCarthy was listed as FHM's sexiest model in 1998.
  • Best soccer players.

    Best soccer players

    In 1998, the best soccer players were Zinedine Zidane, Davor Šuker, Ronaldo, Michael Owen, Rivaldo, Gabriel Batistuta, Lilian Thuram, Edgar Davids, Dennis Bergkamp, Marcel Desailly and Frank de Boer.
  • Shakespeare in Love.

    Shakespeare in Love

    "Shakespeare in Love" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1998.
  • CD folders and disc towers.

    CD folders and disc towers

    People were using CD folders and disc towers to store their music collections and PlayStation games. CD folders were particularly useful if you wanted to switch between different albums while driving.
  • Titanic.

    Titanic

    James Cameron's film "Titanic" was being played in movie theaters at this time. The movie went on to gross over $2.1 billion USD.
  • Ask Jeeves.

    Ask Jeeves

    Internet users were using a search engine called "Ask Jeeves".
  • Late 1990s Fashion.

    Late 1990s Fashion

    Popular clothing items included pleather pants, high-waisted miniskirts, and halter tops. Metallic clothing became more prominent. Cargo pants and other military-inspired clothing also started to become more popular. Preppy looks became widespread among young men as brands such as "Old Navy" and "Abercrombie & Fitch" became more and more popular. The rave scene also inspired the comeback of more colors.
  • The Nintendo 64.

    The Nintendo 64

    The Nintendo 64 was competing with Sony's PlayStation console. Popular games included Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, and Yoshi's Story.
  • The Internet is still a novelty.

    The Internet is still a novelty

    Although the Internet existed, it was still something of a novelty in the late 1990s. Many people had to visit their local library just to "surf the web". Social media wasn't a thing yet, and most sites consisted of gaudy, static web pages.
  • Sony PlayStation.

    Sony PlayStation

    The Sony PlayStation (PS1) was released in September 1995. It was one of the best-selling video game consoles of the 1990s.
  • CDs have become the dominant music format.

    CDs have become the dominant music format

    By this stage, the CD had become the dominant music format. Consequently, sales of CD players and the "Discman" continued to increase. Meanwhile, people were beginning to replace their cassette players.
  • VCRs are common household items.

    VCRs are common household items

    Everyone was using VCRs to watch tapes of movies and TV shows. The device also gave people the ability to record programs and films onto a blank tape.
  • Wallpaper is beginning to go out of style.

    Wallpaper is beginning to go out of style

    By the 1990s, "modernism" was starting to heavily influence interior design trends. As a result, sales of wallpaper started to decline. Instead of using decorative wallpaper, people were beginning to opt for minimalist, painted walls.
  • The Scrunchie.

    The Scrunchie

    People are wearing an elastic hair tie called the "scrunchie".

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on January 1, 1998.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around January 1, 1998.

  • December 8, 1997:
    • Jenny Shipley becomes the first female Prime Minister of New Zealand after replacing Jim Bolger as the leader of the National Party.
    • Canadian singer Celine Dion releases her soundtrack single "My Heart Will Go On".
  • December 12, 1997:
    • Scream 2 (1997) is released.
    • Autumn Jackson is found guilty of trying to extort money from comedian Bill Cosby and is sentenced to 26 months in federal prison.
  • December 18, 1997: American actor and comedian Chris Farley dies from a drug overdose at the age of 33.
  • December 19, 1997: The movie Titanic (1997) is released in movie theaters.
  • December 23, 1997: Brazilian striker Ronaldo wins the 1997 Ballon d'Or.
  • December 24, 1997: Celine Dion releases her song "My Heart Will Go On".
  • December 25, 1997: Jackie Brown (1997) is released.
  • December 26, 1997: The movie "Spice World" is released.
  • December 27, 1997: Prominent Ulster loyalist Billy Wright is killed by INLA inmates in the Maze prison in Northern Ireland.
  • December 31, 1997: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett are married.
  • This date: January 1, 1998
  • January 5, 1998: Former recording artist Sonny Bono dies from a skiing accident.
  • January 14, 1998: $1.6 million in cash is stolen in a bank robbery at the Bank of America in the World Trade Center.
  • January 17, 1998: The Lewinsky scandal is first mentioned by The Drudge Report.
  • January 21, 1998: The game Resident Evil 2 is released.
  • January 22, 1998: Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski pleads guilty and is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
  • January 25, 1998:
    • Super Bowl XXXII: The Denver Broncos defeat the Green Bay Packers by 31-24 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
    • David Beckham and Victoria Adams (Posh Spice) announce their engagement.
  • January 26, 1998: US President Bill Clinton denies having "sexual relations" with Monica Lewinsky.

Late 1990s fashion

Photographs of late 1990s fashion and hairstyles.

Late 1990s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in January 1998

Television shows that people were watching in January 1998:

TV shows from January 1998.

Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Oz
Oz
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
King of the Hill
King of the Hill
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
7th Heaven
7th Heaven
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
JAG
JAG
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Father Ted
Father Ted

Cars in 1998

1998 saw the introduction of cars such as the Cadillac Escalade, the Volkswagen New Beetle, the Ford Cougar, the Ford Focus, the Clio Renault Sport, and the Fiat Multipla.

Cars in 1998.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in January 1998

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Bear in the Big Blue House
Bear in the Big Blue House
Men in Black: The Series
Men in Black: The Series
Teen Angel
Teen Angel

Mummies Alive!
Mummies Alive!
Caillou
Caillou
Recess
Recess
City Guys
City Guys
USA High
USA High
Cow And Chicken
Cow And Chicken
The Angry Beavers
The Angry Beavers
Smart Guy
Smart Guy
Toys

Toys in 1998

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Gogo's Crazy Bones
Gogo's Crazy Bones
Spice Girls dolls
Spice Girls dolls
The Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game
Bop It
Bop It
Car City Carpet
Car City Carpet
The Nintendo 64
The Nintendo 64
The Tamagotchi
The Tamagotchi
The PlayStation (PS1)
The PlayStation (PS1)
The Sega Saturn
The Sega Saturn
Styrofoam plane gliders
Styrofoam plane gliders
Fisher-Price Great Adventures Castle
Fisher-Price Great Adventures Castle
Dear Diary
Dear Diary
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in January 1998.

Diddy Kong Racing 1997
Diddy Kong Racing
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 1997
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back 1997
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Age of Empires 1997
Age of Empires
Grand Theft Auto 1997
Grand Theft Auto
Fallout 1997
Fallout
PaRappa the Rapper 1997
PaRappa the Rapper
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee 1997
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
GoldenEye 007 1997
GoldenEye 007
Porsche Challenge 1997
Porsche Challenge
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire 1997
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Fox 64 1997
Star Fox 64

Were you born on January 1, 1998?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1998.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out January 1, 2004, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on January 1.

J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover

The first Director of the FBI Deceased
Born on January 1, 1895
He was not alive on this date.

Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash

Hip Hop DJ
Born on January 1, 1958
He turned 40 on this day in 1998.

Verne Troyer

Verne Troyer

Actor Deceased
Born on January 1, 1969
He turned 29 on this day in 1998.

Ice Spice

Ice Spice

Rapper
Born on January 1, 2000
She was born exactly 2 years after this date.

Holidays

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on January 1:

USA

US President

Bill Clinton was the President of the United States on January 1, 1998.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Bertie Ahern was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on January 1, 1998 was most likely conceived around April 10, 1997.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 1, 1998 is close to September 24, 1998.

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Stats for January 1, 1998

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about January 1, 1998:

  • 9,822 days have passed since this date.
  • 1,403 weeks have passed.
  • 848,620,800 seconds have passed since January 1, 1998.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 990,057,600 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 437,888,332,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 141,436,800 times.
  • You have taken approximately 72,981,389 steps. That's roughly 32,436 miles.
  • 10,183,450 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1998?

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