1988
1988 is the year the first major internet worm spread.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1988 fits
Why 1988 is special
The Morris worm infected a substantial share of the machines then on the internet, reportedly through a bug in code intended only to measure its size. It produced the first conviction under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the first computer emergency response team.
Same number, different meanings
How 1988 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
The Morris worm infected a substantial share of the machines then on the internet, reportedly through a bug in code intended only to measure its size. It produced the first conviction under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the first computer emergency response team.
- History
In 1988, the Morris worm spread across the early internet, the first widely publicised such incident (United States).
- Law & regulation
The Morris worm infected a large share of the machines then connected, reportedly through a bug in code meant only to measure the network's size. It produced the first conviction under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the first computer emergency response team.
1988 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (12)
- 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28, 71, 142, 284, 497, 994, 1988
- Prime factorisation
- 2^2 × 7 × 71
- Digit sum
- 26
- Digital root
- 8
Representations
- Decimal
- 1988
- Scientific notation
- 1.988 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C M L X X X V I I I
MCMLXXXVIII uses the subtractive pair CM: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred.
Binary
1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,988
Octal
3 7 0 4
3 × 512 + 7 × 64 + 0 × 8 + 4 × 1 = 1,988
Hexadecimal
7 c 4
7 × 256 + c × 16 + 4 × 1 = 1,988
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 128 + 64 + 4 = 1,988.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 9 coils of rope, 8 hobbles, 8 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 9 × 100 + 8 × 10 + 8 × 1 = 1,988. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 3 vertical wedges (sixties place), 8 vertical wedges (units place)
33 × 60 + 8 = 1988. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Abundant number
Related numbers & connections
1988 is a year in the 20th century, in the 1980s.
ARPANET moved to TCP/IP in 1983 and the Morris worm spread across the resulting network in 1988, producing the first computer emergency response team.
View 1983 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- developed from1983
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
In 1988, the Morris worm spread across the early internet, the first widely publicised such incident (United States).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: United StatesPeriod: 1988
Law & regulation
The Morris worm infected a large share of the machines then connected, reportedly through a bug in code meant only to measure the network's size. It produced the first conviction under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the first computer emergency response team.
DocumentedLaw & regulationGeography: United StatesPeriod: 1988
Common questions
Is 1988 a prime number?
No, 1988 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1988?
The factors of 1988 are 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28, 71, 142, 284, 497, 994, 1988.
What is 1988 in Roman numerals?
1988 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXXVIII. CM is subtractive: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred. Written additively it would be MDCCCCLXXXVIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026