The big films of the year were Jurassic Park, The Fugitive, Mrs Doubtfire, Philadelphia and Schindler’s List, with the latter winning the best picture Oscar.

In music the big selling singles were Meatloaf’s I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), UB40’s I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You and Snow’s Informer. The year’s Christmas number one is an all-time classic: Mr Blobby by Mr Blobby.

On TV, Diagnosis: Murder, which ran until 2001, made its debut. It allowed the BBC to form its golden rule: we must show a repeat of Diagnosis: Murder every afternoon until the end of time.

Notable births included Godsend and Birth actor Cameron Bright and the youngest branch party president in British political history, Liberal Democrat Oliver Smith.

Notable deaths included actors Audrey Hepburn and River Phoenix, football legend Bobby Moore and Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

1993 Star Fact: On January 1, the Independent Television Commission removed the limit on the value of prizes which could be given away on ITV game shows, which had been set at £6,000 per episode since 1981. This paved the way for big money game shows.