1988 in the United States

== Incumbents ==

== Incumbents ==

=== Federal government ===

=== Federal government ===

* [[President of the United States|President]]: [[Ronald Reagan]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[California]])

* [[President of the United States|President]]: [[Ronald Reagan]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[California]])

* May 14 – [[Carrollton bus collision|Bus collision]] near [[Carrollton, Kentucky]]: A drunk driver traveling in the wrong direction on [[Interstate 71]] hits a converted school bus carrying a church youth group from [[Radcliff, Kentucky]]. The resulting fire kills 27 people, making it tied for first in the U.S. for most fatalities involving 2 vehicles to the present day. Coincidentally, the other 2-vehicle accident involving a bus that also killed 27 occurred in [[Prestonsburg, Kentucky]] thirty years prior.

* May 14 – [[Carrollton bus collision|Bus collision]] near [[Carrollton, Kentucky]]: A drunk driver traveling in the wrong direction on [[Interstate 71]] hits a converted school bus carrying a church youth group from [[Radcliff, Kentucky]]. The resulting fire kills 27 people, making it tied for first in the U.S. for most fatalities involving 2 vehicles to the present day. Coincidentally, the other 2-vehicle accident involving a bus that also killed 27 occurred in [[Prestonsburg, Kentucky]] thirty years prior.

* May 16

* May 16

**A report by U.S. [[Surgeon General of the United States|Surgeon General]] [[C. Everett Koop]] states that the [[Substance dependence|addictive]] properties of [[nicotine]] are similar to those of [[heroin]] and [[cocaine]].

** A report by U.S. [[Surgeon General of the United States|Surgeon General]] [[C. Everett Koop]] states that the [[Substance dependence|addictive]] properties of [[nicotine]] are similar to those of [[heroin]] and [[cocaine]].

**''[[California v. Greenwood]]'': The [[U.S. Supreme Court]] rules that police officers do not need a [[search warrant]] to search through discarded [[waste|garbage]].

** ''[[California v. Greenwood]]'': The [[U.S. Supreme Court]] rules that police officers do not need a [[search warrant]] to search through discarded [[waste|garbage]].

* May 27 – [[Microsoft]] releases [[Windows 2.1]].

* May 27 – [[Microsoft]] releases [[Windows 2.1]].

* May 31 – U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]] addresses 600 [[Moscow State University]] students during his visit to the [[Soviet Union]].

* May 31 – U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]] addresses 600 [[Moscow State University]] students during his visit to the [[Soviet Union]].

* June 28 – Four workers are [[asphyxiated]] at a metal-plating plant in [[Auburn, Indiana]], in the worst confined-space industrial accident in U.S. history (a fifth victim dies two days later).

* June 28 – Four workers are [[asphyxiated]] at a metal-plating plant in [[Auburn, Indiana]], in the worst confined-space industrial accident in U.S. history (a fifth victim dies two days later).

* June 29 – ''[[Morrison v. Olson]]'': The [[United States Supreme Court]] upholds the law allowing [[special prosecutor]]s to investigate suspected crimes by executive branch officials.

* June 29 – ''[[Morrison v. Olson]]'': The [[United States Supreme Court]] upholds the law allowing [[special prosecutor]]s to investigate suspected crimes by executive branch officials.

** [[Kellie Pickler]] and [[Aaron Tippin]] are tough acts to follow.

===July===

===July===

===Undated===

===Undated===

*[[Thomas Greenwood (activist)|Thomas Greenwood]], Illinois labor and Indian affairs activist (b. 1908)

* [[Thomas Greenwood (activist)|Thomas Greenwood]], Illinois labor and Indian affairs activist (b. 1908)

* [[Helen Redfield]], geneticist (b. 1900)

* [[Helen Redfield]], geneticist (b. 1900)

==See also==

==See also==

*[[1988 North American drought]]

* [[1988 North American drought]]

* [[1988 in American television]]

* [[1988 in American television]]

* [[List of American films of 1988]]

* [[List of American films of 1988]]