1990s

Encyclopedia : 1 : 19 : 199 : 1990s

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Centuries:	19th century - 20th century - 21st century
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s
Years:	1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

See also 1990s, the band

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The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from 2000 and 2001. In the United States, much of the decade was characterized by the presidency of Bill Clinton, the popularity of the TV sitcom Seinfeld, and the wide expansion of the Internet. Others believe we still experience the 1990s in some ways because of similar music genres (definitive 1990s genres such as Grunge exist in some form or another during the 2000s decade), similar video game franchises (Sonic the Hedgehog series, Star Fox), fashions (straight hair, body art, hipster scene), and social concerns (globalization, media violence/sex/profanity). The popular culture zeitgeist generally associated with the 1990s can be said to begin between 1989 and 1992 and end anywhere from 1997 to the present day.

This other decade is designed by the 200th decade. They are primarily in the last decade of the 20th century (except for 1990), but some historians consider them to be the same social era as the 21st century (see short 20th century).

The 1990s were marked with rapid progression of democracy, globalization and global capitalism following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Key forces shaping the decade were the Gulf War; popularization of Personal Computers and the Internet, leading to the .com boom.

Overview

Many countries, institutions, companies, and organizations experienced the 1990s as a prosperous time. Despite the recession that affected much the world in late 1980s, high income economies such as the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and South Korea experienced steady economic growth for much of the decade. The United Kingdom, after a recession in 1991-92 and devaluation of its currency on Black Wednesday, experienced sustained economic growth that stretched into the new millennium. Less affluent nations such as Malaysia also saw tremendous improvements in economic prosperity and quality of life during the 1990s. While optimism and hopes were high following the collapse of Communism, restructuring following the end of the Cold War was beginning. There was also the continuation of terrorism in Third World regions that were once the frontlines for American and Soviet foreign politics, particularly in Asia.

In many countries, political stability and decreased militarization due to the winding down of the Cold War led to economic development and higher standards of living for many citizens. These trends were also fuelled by inexpensive fossil energy, with low petroleum prices caused by a glut of oil. Oil and gas were discovered in many countries in the former Soviet bloc, leading to economic growth and wider adoption of trade between nations.

The widespread adoption of personal computers and the Internet increased economic productivity, while high levels of private investment in equity markets increased personal wealth among many Americans and Europeans. The economic gains of the 1990s were unevenly distributed throughout society, widening the gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens in some countries; critics of capitalism contend that this should not have been allowed to happen to the extent that it did.

Politically, the 1990s was an era of spreading democracy. The former countries of the Warsaw Pact moved from totalitarian regimes to democratically-elected governments. The same happened in other non-communist countries, such as Taiwan, Chile, South Africa, and Indonesia.

The improvement in relations between the countries of NATO and the former members of the Warsaw Pact ended the Cold War both in Europe and other parts of the world. The Oslo Accords resulted in an agreement by Israel to allow Palestinian self-government.

Despite the economic prosperity and democracy, there were problems in the 1990s that became more visible after the decade ended. In Africa a rapid increase in incidence of AIDS contributed to falling life expectancy and zero or negative growth rates. In the states of the former Soviet Union GDP decreased as their economies restructured to produce goods they needed and some capital flight occurred. Financial crises in the developing world after 1994 began to undermine some support for globalization. Conflicts like the Balkan Wars, the Rwandan genocide, the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia and the first Gulf War, as well as the continuation of terrorism, led some to hypothesize a Clash of Civilizations.

Youth culture in the 1990s was characterized by environmentalism, anti-globalization in some parts and entrepreneurship. Fashions were often individualistic, tattoos and body piercing gained popularity and "retro" styles inspired by fashions of the 1960s and 1970s were also prevalent. Some young people became increasingly involved in outdoor activities that combined embracing athletics with the appreciation of nature (such as kayaking, rock climbing and snowboarding).

Technology

The 1990s were a time of great change - mainstreaming and improving technologies invented and used first during the 1980s.

• The World Wide Web and HTML are created by Tim Berners-Lee.
• The Pentium processor is developed by Intel.
• Microsoft introduces Windows 95 and later Windows 98 to the market, which gained immediate popularity.
• Explosive growth of the Internet, decrease in the cost of computers and other technology.
• Advancements with computer modems, ISDN, cable modems and DSL lead to faster connection to the Internet.
• The development of web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer makes surfing the World Wide Web easier and more user friendly.
• The Java programming language is developed by Sun Microsystems.
• Businesses begin E-commerce websites; companies such as Amazon.com, eBay, AOL, and Yahoo! grew rapidly on the Internet.
• Cell phones become cheaper and decreased in size, and become very common.
• E-mail becomes popular; as a result Microsoft acquires the popular Hotmail.com.
• Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K).
• Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM PCs.
• Development of free operating system Linux is started.
• The DVD media format is developed and popularized.
• Rise of social networking websites and chat rooms such as the old MySpace and Xanga occurs.

Science

• Junior physicists Utilized exploration in Space and Time fundamentals, initiating the creation of the New string theory and M-theory.
• Detection of extrasolar planets orbiting stars other than the sun.
• The cloning of Dolly the sheep is achieved.
• Human Genome Project began.
• DNA identification of individuals finds wide application in criminal law.
• Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990; revolutionizes astronomy.
• Protease inhibitors introduced allowing HAART therapy against HIV; drastically reduces AIDS mortality.
• NASA's spacecraft Pathfinder lands on Mars and deploys a small roving vehicle, Sojourner, which analyzes the planet's geology and atmosphere.
• The Hale-Bopp comet swings past the sun for the first time in 4,200 years.
• Development of biodegradable products, replacing products made from Styrofoam; advanced methods for recycling of waste products (such as paper, glass, aluminum) are developed.
• Genetically engineered crops are developed for commercial use.
• Discovery of dark matter, dark energy, and brown dwarves, and first confirmation of black holes.
• The Galileo probe orbits Jupiter, studying the planet and its moons extensively.
• The Global Positioning System becomes fully operational.

War, peace, and politics

• Reunification of Germany on October 3 1990.
• End of apartheid in South Africa (1990) and election of ANC government of Nelson Mandela.
• Gulf War (resulting from Iraq's invasion of Kuwait) and United Nations embargo on Iraq in 1991.
• North Yemen and South Yemen merge to form Yemen (1991).
• Break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 - the end of the Cold War, United States as sole world superpower. The Cold War was officially declared over on December 31, 1992.
• The bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 by an explosive-filled van leads to awareness of international terrorism as a rising threat.
• Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia (1993).
• European Union is declared in 1992 and again in 1999.
• Israeli Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin and Palestinian Prime Minister Yasser Arafat agree to the Peace Process at the culmination of the Oslo Accords, negotiated by the United States President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1993.
• Military actions in Somalia in 1993 lead to questions of the United States' role as a policing officer of the world. (See also, Black Hawk Down).
• Rwandan genocide kills one million people, in 1994.
• The birth of the "Second Republic" in Italy, with the Mani Pulite investigations of 1994.
• In 1994 a peace treaty is signed between Israel and Jordan.
• Peace process begins in Northern Ireland in 1995
• Balkan war in former Yugoslavia in 1995.
• A decade of women presidents in the Republic of Ireland.
• The United Kingdom hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997.
• U.S. Congressman Newt Gingrich crafts his manifesto "Contract with America", leading his Republican Party to become the controlling majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• U.S. president Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and his impeachment trial in 1998, which lasts the entire year.
• Anti-globalization protests.
• The Tibetan Freedom Concert brings 120,000 people together in the interest of increased human rights and autonomy for Tibet from China.
• The Second Congo War started in 1998 in central Africa and includes 5 different cultures and 7 different nations. It goes on until 2002.
• In May 1999, Pakistan sends troops covertly to occupy strategic peaks in Kashmir. A month later the Kargil War with India results in a political fiasco for Nawaz Sharif, followed by a military withdrawal to the Line of Control. The incident leads to a military coup in October in which the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is ousted by Army Chief Pervez Musharraf.
• Kosovo war begins in late 1998. Roughly 12,000 people are killed during open hostelities between Serbian military forces and ethnic Albanian forces. The UN sends in peace keeping forces after NATO military actions result in a Serbian military withdrawal by early 1999. The US deploys American police officers to serve with the United Nations to help build a Kosovo police force.
• Portugal hands sovereignty of Macau to the People's Republic of China on December 20, 1999.
• East Timor breaks away from Indonesian control in 1999, ending a twenty four year guerilla war with better than 200,000 casualties. The UN deploys a peace keeping force, spearheaded by the Australian and New Zealand armed forces. America deploys US police officers to serve with the International Police element, to help train and equip an East Timorese police .
• Civil Unions for gay partners started in some european countries (Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden).

Economics

• GATT update and creation of the World Trade Organization and other global economic institutions.
• The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which phases out trade barriers between the United States, Mexico and Canada is signed into law by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
• Since 1990 till 1998 inclusive, the economy of Russia and some former USSR states was in a severe depression.
• After 1992 the booming of the US stock market, in reference to which Alan Greenspan coined the memorable phrase "irrational exuberance", which eventually stretched into the dot-com boom / dot-com bubble.
• Financial crisis hits East and Southeast Asia in 1997 and 1998 after a long period of phenomenal economic development. See East Asian Tigers.

Culture

• Hip-hop culture booms; by the end of the decade hip hop was as popular as rock and roll.
• Grunge culture sparks as hair metal dies off in late 1991 and 1992, allowing hard metal to return to prominence when the popular groove metal group Pantera hits number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart with their third album Far Beyond Driven.
• Tupac Shakur of Death Row Records and The Notorious BIG of Bad Boy Records, wage a cultural war in the hip hop music scene, leading to the murder of both Shakur in 1996 and BIG in 1997.
• Club/Dance Music is hugely popular on Top 40 radio from 1990 up to 1996 or 1997.
• Alternative rock replaces Grunge around 1995. Nu-Metal becomes a major genre of rock around the year 1998 along with post-grunge and alternative rock.
• Indie/hipster culture appears during the mid 1990s. Emo culture flourishes in the late 1990s.
• Teen pop makes a comeback in the late 1990s, starting in the year 1997 with artists such as the Spice Girls, Aqua, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and many more.
• Christian music peaks in the mid to late 1990s.
• R&B Music such as Quiet Storm and hip-hop influenced R&B are big in the 1990s.

Trends/Various

United States/Canada

• Following the 1980s media counter-culture lead by tabloid talk shows popularized by Oprah Winfrey in 1986, which provided high-impact media visibility for gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, and transgender people[link] the '90s saw a further increase in gay visibility in the mainstream media and the introduction of "outing" - the regrettable journalistic practice of revealing the sexuality of media celebrities and politicians against their will and using it to persecute them. Bisexuality becomes trendy and inviting by the late part of the decade. US TV shows like Will and Grace, Friends, Thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Roseanne and Ellen featured gay characters in gay situations. Movies like The Birdcage, In and Out and Kiss Me Guido saw mainstream success, and celebrities like k.d. Lang, Rob Halford, Elton John, Melissa Etheridge and George Michael all openly admitted their sexuality. US President Bill Clinton generally held a pro-gay rights viewpoint.
• Douglas Coupland publishes the novel [[Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture]], popularizing the term Generation X as the name of the generation born in the late 1960s and early 1970s (then college-age).
• The Grunge trend explodes due to the success of grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. It is characterized by wearing flannel shirts, torn jeans, Doc Martins, Converse high top sneakers and long, straight hair. The fashion hits an ironic point in 1993, when the flannel clothing these bands wore (because it was cheap and warm and most of these musicians were very poor) became high fashion accessories.
• Reality television explodes on MTV with the popularity of The Real World (1992-); along with Road Rules (1995-), Real World/Road Rules Challenge (1998), and Real World reunions, these shows remained popular throughout the 1990s. Reality would become a staple of main networks in the early part of the 2000s decade.
• Blood and gore in television and video games rises dramatically, along with language and sexual content, especially during the latter half of the decade; a Parental Ratings system for television is introduced in 1997 because of related complaints.
• Video games become more advanced and popular, although are still vastly inferior technologically to those of the 2000s. Rivals Nintendo and Sega dominate the early '90s while the Sony PlayStation debuts in 1995 and remains popular until the fall of 2000 when the PS2 debuted. Simulation and God games rise in popularity in the late 1990s, with games such as The Sims, SimCity 2000, ''SimCity 3000, and many more.
• Body art, in the form of body piercing and tattoos becomes commonplace for young people. This trend continues into the 2000s.
• Thong underwear and thong bikinis become popular in America, following a decade-long trend from Europe, and continuing on into the 2000s.
• Extreme sports reached a new height in popularity, and by 1995, were given their own annual tournament on US cable network ESPN, the X-Games.
• Recreational outdoor sports such as rock climbing, mountain biking, sky diving, snowboarding, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, in-line skating, kayaking and rowing become hugely popular.
• Extended alcohol sales are implemented in the US to reduce alcohol abuse.
• The exploitation of the collectability of comic books results in a trend of "gimmick" packaging and storylines (most notably The Death of Superman). The comic book industry collapses as interest in print comics decreases among younger generations and casual readers. Comic books disappear as a familiar sight at the newstands. As comics, including Japanese manga and other graphic novels become more available in bookstore chains, the role of the comic book store as a source for comics and social gathering wanes. The domination by industry giants Marvel Comics and DC Comics ends as various independents, such as Image Comics produce popular titles. The era of comic book collecting for speculative investment ends. Webcomics by amateur cartoonists become popular.
• Conversion to Block scheduling became a trendy initiative for United States schools.
• Major 1990s slang words/phrases, mostly related to hip hop culture, include: "homie", "phat", "da bomb", "tight", "word to your mother", "Talk to the hand [because the face ain't listening]", "You go girl!", "yo", "whatever!", "Wasssuppp!"
• The shaggy hair on guys come back into fashion by 1999, as retaliation to influential boy bands such as *Nsync and the Backstreet Boys which started more uraban modern look. Both of these trends are still popular into the 2000s.

Europe

• Dogma 95 becomes an important European artistic film movement by the end of the decade.
• Eurodance music dominates discotheques and has numerous major mainstream hits in European (and to a lesser extent, North American) music charts.

Music

• Rock and roll becomes an alternative taste, although it still outsells hip hop at the beginning of the decade. Popular styles include grunge (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden), heavy metal (Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Pantera, Tool), Britpop and British rock (Oasis, Blur, Suede, Pulp, Radiohead, The Verve, Travis), pop-punk (Green Day, Offspring, Blink-182), third wave ska (No Doubt, Sublime, Mighty Mighty Bosstones), indie rock (Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Pavement, The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse), jam bands (Dave Matthews Band, Phish), and nu metal (Korn, Limp Bizkit) toward the end of the decade. Singer-songwriters include Alanis Morissette, Beck, and Jeff Buckley.
• Rap and Hip hop music gains widespread mainstream acceptance throughout the decade, starting with influential albums by NWA and Public Enemy around 1989-91, leading to the commercial success of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, the alternative hip-hop pioneers De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and the mid-90s explosion of gangsta rap from Dr. Dre, and the iconic figures of Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG, whose success paves the way for Puff Daddy and crossover star Eminem in the late 1990s, finally putting rap on top of the pop world.
• Smoothly produced Teen pop held over from the late 1980s popular into 1991, returns with the Spice Girls and Take That in Britain and the Backstreet Boys in America beginning in 1997, ultimately leading to stars like Britney Spears, N Sync and Christina Aguilera, while Madonna continues to have success with her influential dance-pop.
• R&B Music such as Quiet Storm is popular with artists such as such Babyface, Brian McKnight, Monica, Brandy, and Faith Evans. R&B girl groups such as TLC, SWV, and En Vogue are hugely popular as well. Also, artists like Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, and Mary J. Blige combine hip hop with R&B in the 1990s. Artists like Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey appeal to the Top 40 crowd with their ballad driven songs in the early to mid 90s. R&B Boy Bands are big throughout the 90s such as Jodeci, Dru Hill, Blackstreet, 112 and especially Boyz II Men who appealed to the Top 40 crowd are popular as well.
• Latin music becomes popular outside a Spanish-speaking audience with crossover hits by Ricky Martin and others.
• Music festivals such as Lollapalooza or Woodstock became popular; a fusing of genres from alternative rock, rap, punk rock and garage bands.
• Popular hard rock bands maintain a strong presence into the 1990s. Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, and Van Halen were all still quite popular through the mid 1990s. Aerosmith and Bon Jovi's popularity and success spanned the entire decade and both were extremely popular at the turn of the new Millenium.
• Music resumes its political content after the hiatus of the 1980s. Starting in 1996, the Tibetan Freedom Concert draws up to 120,000 people per year to a rock festival for the benefit of the cause of the International Tibet Independence Movement. Also, socially aware metal bands such as Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down form.
• Club/Dance music is very popular from 1990 to 1996 or 1997 with acts like C&C Music Factory, Technotronic, Real McCoy, Corona, Crystal Waters, and La Bouche.
• Trance, techno and electronica music becomes widely popular at rave parties in Europe/USA and in pop culture, particularly later in the decade. The drug Ecstasy, (aka MDMA or 'X') is popularized by rave culture.
• 1980s backlash, beginning in about 1992 and lasting into the 2000s. During most of the 1990s anything "Eighties" was considered to be ultimately uncool. As a result, people start wearing straighter hair, darker clothes and acoustic music becomes popular in opposition to the bright synthpop of the '80s.
• Music becomes more profane, by end of decade a Parental Advisory sticker becomes acceptable rather than controversial.
• In America, country music becomes more mainstream with popular chart topping artist such as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Ray Cyrus, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw. The genre will also build up a more extensive audience world-wide, which sees the first English 24 hour terrestrial country station open in 1994.

Television

• North America
• *Seinfeld, which spawned a new form of sitcoms, becomes enormously popular in the United States and lasts from 1989 to 1998.
• *Professional wrestling became popular throughout the '90s. In the late '90s, the Monday Night Wars was the biggest impact for professional wrestling with the World Wrestling Federation (present day World Wrestling Entertainment), World Championship Wrestling, and ECW. By the early '00s, the WWF remained victorious over both WCW and ECW.
• *NASCAR Racing starts to become popular on US TV in the mid to late 1990s. Popular NASCAR drivers during this era are Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, and Bobby Labonte.
• *Pro Basketball sees high US TV ratings in the 1990s with stars like Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, Reggie Miller, David Robinson, and Patrick Ewing.
• *Anime becomes popular in the United States in the late 1990s with shows like Sailor Moon, Pokémon, Dragonball Z, and Cowboy Bebop.
• * US Saturday morning children's television programming reaches its peak popularity in the early to mid '90s considered by some to be a "renaissance" in American animation. Everything from Animaniacs, Garfield and Friends and Tiny Toons, to television adaptations of popular video game characters Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.
• *Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers gains popularity with kids in the mid 90s, leading to the entire Power Rangers series. Barney & Friends and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also become popular.
• *The Disney Renaissance of animation with the popularity of The Disney Afternoon shows in the early and mid 1990s, such as DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin and Goof Troop.
• *MTV moves away from music videos and into original television shows such as The Real World, which is often cited as the main inspiration for the Reality TV boom of the 2000s.
• * Cartoons aimed at an adult audience become popular. Among the most successful are The Simpsons (1989-), Ren & Stimpy (1991-1996), Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997), South Park (1997-), King of the Hill (1997-), and Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-).
• * US Television networks increase programs aimed at twenty- and thirty-somethings. Some of the most popular are Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000), Melrose Place (1992-1999), Party of Five (1994-2000), Ally McBeal (1997-2002), Friends (1994-2004), and Seinfeld (1989-1998).
• * Notable American television sitcoms aimed at the teen/preteen market include Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Full House (1987-1995), Family Matters (1989-1998), and 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001), among many others.
• * The sci-fi/fantasy TV genre saw three successful Star Trek spinoffs: [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation]] (1987-1994), [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]] (1993-1999), and [[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]] (1995-2001). It also featured other massively popular shows, such as The X-Files (1993-2002); Stargate SG-1 (1997-); Sliders (1995-2000); [[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]] (1993-1999); and, of course, [[Xena: Warrior Princess]] (1995-2001), the spinoff of Hercules, that went on to drastically dwarf its predecessor in popularity, notoriety, controversy, and overall viewership. Another notable series in fantasy genre was Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) which never had very high ratings but received a cult following quickly as well critical acclaim. It inspired many other series with the super hero/struggle of real life theme such as Charmed (1998-2006).
• *The Disney Channel changes from classic Disney programming to live action programming starting in the late 1990s, especially around they year 1998.See Zoog Disney. By 1999, the "MTV-esque" Zoog Disney along with Playhouse Disney was the main focus of the Disney Channel, causing classic Disney shorts and shows such as the Nutty Professor to experience backlash. Also, Cartoon Network starts to show more original programming in a form of a Cartoon Cartoon and that almost changed the face of Cartoon Network by 1999. Nickelodeon started to show more underproduced cartoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Catdog by 1998-1999 along with pilots of Jimmy Neutron and such.
• * On May 22, 1992, after 30 years, Johnny Carson retired as host of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on NBC, with Jay Leno taking over as host on May 25. The choice of Leno over Late Night host and Carson protege David Letterman is instrumental in Letterman signing a deal with CBS in January 1993. Letterman aired his final NBC show on June 25, 1993 and the Late Show with David Letterman premiered on August 30, 1993.
• *The highest-rated shows on network television:
• **1989-1990: The Cosby Show and Roseanne
• **1990-1991: Cheers
• **1991-1992: 60 Minutes
• **1992-1993: 60 Minutes
• **1993-1994: 60 Minutes
• **1994-1995: Seinfeld
• **1995-1996: ER
• **1996-1997: ER
• **1997-1998: Seinfeld
• **1998-1999: ER
• **1999-2000: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

• Europe
• *BSkyB obtain the rights to the English FA Premier League in 1992, producing high revenues for the league and becoming the bedrock of the subscription television service, holding a monopoly on the rights until 2007.
• *British public service television channel Channel 4 is granted independence from the Independent Broadcasting Authority, and begins showing US programmes such as Friends and ER in peak viewing time.
• *UK television - Popular comedies include The Fast Show, Jeeves and Wooster, One Foot in the Grave, Only Fools and Horses and Father Ted. ITV has a string of successful crime dramas including Cadfael, Prime Suspect, Inspector Morse and Cracker.
• Middle East
• *Al Jazeera begins broadcasting in 1996, subsidised by a grant from the emir of Qatar

Computer and video games

• 3-D graphics become the standard by end of decade. Although FPSs had long since seen the transition to full 3d, other genres begin to copy this trend by the end of the decade.
• The console wars, primarily between Sega (Mega Drive/Genesis) and Nintendo (Super NES), sees the entrance of Sony with the PlayStation in 1994. By the end of the decade, Sega's hold on the market becomes tenuous.
• Mario finds a rival in Sonic the Hedgehog.
• Arcade games rapidly decrease in popularity.
• Sony's PlayStation becomes the top selling game console and changes the standard media storage type from cartridges to compact disks in consoles.
• Doom (1993) bursts onto the world scene and instantly popularizes the FPS genre, and even how games are played, as Doom is among the first games to feature multiplayer capabilities. It is not until Quake (1996), however, that game developers begin to take multiplayer features into serious consideration when making games. Half-Life (1998) features the next evolutionary step in the genre and becomes one of the most popular computer games in history.
• The strategy genre becomes popular with games such as Dune II (1992) and Warcraft (1994). Command & Conquer (1995) and Warcraft II (1996) further advance and popularize the genre. StarCraft (1998) becomes among the most popular games in computer game history.
• Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing games (MMORPGs) see their entrance into the computer game world with Ultima Online in 1997, although they don't gain widespread popularity until EverQuest in 1999. MMORPGs go on to become among the most popular genres in the 2000s.
• Pokémon entered the world scene with the release of the original Game Boy Pokemon Red and Blue games in Japan in 1996. It soon becomes popular in the U.S. and is adapted into a popular children's anime series and trading card game, among other media forms. Its popularity reaches its peak near the end of the decade, but rapidly declines early on in the 2000s, although it still retains a large cult following.

Internet

• Beginnings of MP3 music downloading; in 1999 and 2000 the Napster controversy.
• Internet begins to affect pop culture, beginning around 1996.
• Most television stations gain Internet presence during the later half of the decade.
• Earliest examples of Internet film.
• Bulletin Board System interest decreases heavily with introduction of the Web.
• Pornography on the internet launches and peaks in the late 1990s.

Other significant events

• Kurt Cobain and Tupac Shakur die, 1994 and 1996 respectively
• Divorce and scandal rocked the British Royal House of Windsor.
• The assassination of Selena Quintanilla.
• Sex and violence in the media increase, especially in the late part of the decade. Profanity in music reaches peak in the late 90s.
• Model Pamela Anderson becomes the major sex symbol during the 1990s.
• O.J. Simpson's trial, described in the media as the "trial of the century".
• You go, girl! becomes a popular phrase in the media as feminism is more widely accepted and publicised with The Spice Girls, the WNBA, women's boxing, Sex and the City and others showcasing modern femininity.
• The Vieques controversy.
• The Oklahoma City Bombing, the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168.
• The Waco massacre prompts a nationwide debate in the U.S. about the freedom of association right of the Michigan Militia, Montana Militia and other radical groups.
• Crime levels in the U.S. peak in 1991, begin to fall afterwards to the lowest levels since the late 1960s at end of decade.
• Drug use in the U.S. reaches an all-time low in 1992 before increasing, reaching its peak in 1997 before declining again.
• Princess Diana dies in a car accident in 1997. Debates of accident vs. assassination rage.
• Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun who won the Nobel Peace Prize, dies at age 87.
• 21-year-old Golfer Tiger Woods wins the Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes; becoming the youngest and first American of multiracial descent to win the Masters.
• The Omagh bombing in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland which kills 29 civilians (including a woman pregnant with twins) and injures hundreds more.
• School violence is brought into the national spotlight with incidents such as the Columbine High School Massacre taking place in Littleton, Colorado.
• John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette are killed when Kennedy's private plane crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
• American cyclist Lance Armstrong wins his first Tour de France in 1999, less than two years after battling testicular cancer.
• Beer keg registration becomes popular public policy in U.S.

People

World leaders

• Prime Minister Bob Hawke (Australia)
• Prime Minister Paul Keating (Australia)
• Prime Minister John Howard (Australia)
• President Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello (Brazil)
• President Itamar Franco (Brazil)
• President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil)
• President Zhelyu Zhelev (Bulgaria)
• President Petar Stoyanov (Bulgaria)
• Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Canada)
• Prime Minister Kim Campbell (Canada)
• Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (Canada)
• "Paramount Leader" Deng Xiaoping (People's Republic of China)
• President Jiang Zemin (People's Republic of China)
• President Lee Teng-hui (Republic of China on Taiwan)
• President Franjo Tudman (Croatia)
• President Václav Havel (Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic)
• Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (Denmark)
• President Hosni Mubarak (Egypt)
• President François Mitterrand (France)
• President Jacques Chirac (France)
• Chancellor Helmut Kohl (Germany)
• Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (Germany)
• Governor David Clive Wilson (Hong Kong (under British rule))
• Governor Christopher Francis Patten (Hong Kong (under British rule))
• Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa (Hong Kong, People's Republic of China)
• Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (India)
• President Mohammad Khatami (Iran)
• President Saddam Hussein (Iraq)
• Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (Israel)
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel)
• Emperor Akihito (Japan)
• Governor Vasco Joaquim Rocha Vieira (Macau (under Portuguese rule))
• Chief Executive Edmund Ho (Macau, People's Republic of China)
• President Yasser Arafat (Palestinian Authority)
• Pope Pope John Paul II
• President Corazon Aquino (Philippines)
• President Fidel Ramos (Philippines)
• President Joseph Estrada (Philippines)
• Prime Minister Mike Moore (New Zealand)
• Prime Minister Jim Bolger (New Zealand)
• Prime Minister Jenny Shipley (New Zealand)
• Prime Minister Helen Clark (New Zealand)
• President Ion Iliescu (Romania)
• President Emil Constantinescu (Romania)
• President Boris Yeltsin (Russia)
• Taoiseach Charles Haughey (Republic of Ireland)
• Taoiseach Albert Reynolds (Republic of Ireland)
• Taoiseach John Bruton (Republic of Ireland)
• Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (Republic of Ireland)
• President Boris Yeltsin (Russia)
• President Wee Kim Wee (Singapore)
• President Ong Teng Cheong (Singapore)
• President Sellapan Ramanathan (Singapore)
• President Frederik Willem de Klerk (South Africa)
• President Nelson Mandela (South Africa)
• President Kim Dae-jung (South Korea)
• President Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Union)
• King Juan Carlos I (Spain)
• President Felipe González (Spain)
• President José María Aznar (Spain)
• President Hafez al-Assad (Syria)
• President Turgut Özal (Turkey)
• President Süleyman Demirel (Turkey)
• Prime Minister Mrs. Tansu Çiller (Turkey)
• Queen Elizabeth II (United Kingdom et al.)
• Prime Minister John Major (United Kingdom)
• Prime Minister Tony Blair (United Kingdom)
• President George H.W. Bush (United States)
• President Bill Clinton (United States)
• President Slobodan Milošević (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

Entertainers

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• 2Pac
• Aaliyah
• Ace of Base
• Adam Sandler (Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy)
• Aerosmith (Get a Grip, Big Ones, Nine Lives, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, Wayne's World 2)
• Alice in Chains (Jar of Flies, Dirt, Alice in Chains)
• Alanis Morrissette (Jagged Little Pill)
• Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Batman & Robin, The Crush, Aerosmith music videos)
• All Saints, (All Saints)
• Annie Lennox
• Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, Titus)
• Ashley Judd
• Backstreet Boys
• Beavis and Butt-Head
• Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting)
• Bill Hicks
• Billy Bob Thornton
• Blind Melon (Blind Melon)
• Bon Jovi (Blaze of Glory, Keep the Faith, Cross Road, These Days)
• Boyz II Men
• Brad Pitt
• Brandy
• Bret Hart
• Britney Spears (...Baby One More Time)
• Dean Cain
• Mariah Carey
• Dana Carvey (Wayne's World)
• David Duchovny (The X-Files)
• Celine Dion
• Christina Ricci
• Christina Aguilera
• Cuba Gooding Jr (Boyz N the Hood, Jerry Maguire)
• Amy Grant
• Dave Matthews Band
• Demi Moore (Ghost, Striptease, A Few Good Men)
• Denzel Washington (Malcolm X, Mo' Better Blues, Philadelphia)
• Destiny's Child (Destiny's Child, The Writing's On The Wall)
• Duran Duran (Liberty,Duran Duran (The Wedding Album),Thank You,Medazzaland)
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen)
• Elizabeth Berkley (Saved by the Bell, Showgirls)
• Freddie Mercury
• Friends
• *Courteney Cox
• *Jennifer Aniston
• *Lisa Kudrow
• *Matt LeBlanc
• *Matthew Perry
• *David Schwimmer
• The Fugees
• Gillian Anderson (The X-Files)
• Green Day (Dookie, Nimrod)
• Guns N' Roses (Use Your Illusion I and II)
• Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Se7en)
• Liam Gallagher of Oasis
• Noel Gallagher of Oasis
• Teri Hatcher
• Trent Reznor
• Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale)
• Halle Berry (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,Bullworth)
• Hanson
• Harrison Ford
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You, Twister, As Good as It Gets)
• Hootie & The Blowfish
• Howard Stern
• Hulk Hogan
• INXS (X, Welcome to Wherever You Are)
• Janet Jackson (Janet.)
• Jack Nicholson
• Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld)
• Jerry Springer
• Jim Carrey ([[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective]], The Mask)
• Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, My Best Friends Wedding)
• Kate Winslet (Titanic, Heavenly Creatures)
• Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)
• Kurt Cobain
• Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)
• Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, [[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]])
• Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone)
• Madonna (Erotica, Ray of Light, Evita)
• Marilyn Manson
• The Undertaker
• Martin Lawrence (House Party, Martin, Bad Boys)
• Mary J Blige (What's the 411?)
• Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)
• Meg Ryan
• Mel Gibson (Braveheart)
• Melissa Etheridge (Come To My Window), (I'm The Only One), (I Want To Come Over)
• Metallica (Metallica, Load, and Reload'')
• Michael Jackson (Dangerous, HIStory)
• Michael Keaton
• Michelle Pfeiffer (The Age of Innocence, Batman Returns)
• Mick Foley
• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (Let's Face It)
• Mike Myers (Wayne's World, Saturday Night Live, [[Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery| Austin Powers]])
• Mira Sorvino
• Monica (singer)
• Natalie Portman ([[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]])
• Nicole Kidman (My Life, Eyes Wide Shut)
• No Doubt (Tragic Kingdom)
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Nirvana (Nevermind, In Utero)
• Nine Inch Nails
• Oasis
• Ozzy Osbourne (No More Tears, Ozzmosis)
• Phil Collins
• Pamela Anderson (Baywatch)
• Pearl Jam (Ten, Vs., Vitalogy, No Code)
• "" The artist formerly known as Prince
• Queen Latifah (Living Single, Set It Off)
• Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction)
• R.E.M.
• Rage Against The Machine
• Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The English Patient)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood Sugar Sex Magik, One Hot Minute, Californication)
• Reel Big Fish (Turn the Radio Off, Everything Sucks)
• Rob Zombie
• Robbie Williams
• Roxette
• Jeri Ryan ([[Star Trek: Voyager]])
• Samuel L. Jackson (Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction)
• Sandra Bullock (Speed, A Time to Kill)
• Savage Garden
• Shawn Michaels
• Seal
• Slipknot
• Soundgarden
• Spice Girls (Spice) & (Spice World)
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Sublime (Sublime, 40 Oz. to Freedom'')
• Take That
• Tarkan (Turkish Pop Singer)
• Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns)
• Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (Saved by the Bell,Beverly Hills 90210)
• TLC (Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes, T-Boz, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas)
• Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Philadelphia, Toy Story, The Green Mile)
• Toni Braxton (Toni Braxton (album))
• U2 (Achtung Baby)
• Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)
• Usher Raymond (My Way)
• Van Halen (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Balance)
• Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, Ghost, Ghosts of Mississippi, Hollywood Squares)
• White Zombie
• Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Bad Boys, Independence Day, Men In Black)
• Whigfield (Whigfield)
• Bruce Willis ([[Die Hard 2: Die Harder]], Pulp Fiction, Die Hard With a Vengeance, Armageddon, Sixth Sense)

Films

See also: 1990s in film

Aladdin (1992) Alien³ (1992) American Beauty (1999) As Good as it Gets (1997) Batman Forever (1995) Batman Returns (1992) The Blair Witch Project (1999) Beauty and the Beast (1991) Beavis and Butt-head Do America (1996) Before Sunrise (1995) Braveheart (1995) Breaking the Waves (1996) Chasing Amy (1997) Clerks. (1994) Clueless (1995) Empire Records (1995) Fight Club (1999) Forrest Gump (1994) Goodfellas (1990) Good Will Hunting (1997) Heavenly Creatures (1994) Home Alone (1990) [[Home Alone 2: Lost in New York]] (1992) Jurassic Park (1993) Independence Day (1996) Life is Beautiful (1998) Men In Black (1997) Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) Office Space (1999)

The Piano (1993) Predator 2 (1990) Pulp Fiction (1994) Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Saving Private Ryan (1998) Schindler's List (1993) [[South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut]] (1999) [[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]] (1999) [[Terminator 2: Judgement Day]] (1991) The Crying Game(1992) The Sweet Hereafter (1999) The Big Lebowski (1998) The Matrix (1999) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) The Lion King (1994) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) The Sixth Sense (1999) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Thelma & Louise (1991) The Thin Red Line (1998) Three Colors Trilogy (1994) Titanic (1997) Toy Story (1995) Toy Story 2 (1999) Twister (1996) Waiting for Guffman (1996) Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2 (1992 and 1993) The Usual Suspects (1995) Unforgiven (1992)

Books & Literature

See also :

• The Bridges of Madison County, by Robert James Waller
• Chicken Soup for the Soul, by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
• The Client, by John Grisham
• Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells
• The Firm, by John Grisham
• The Greatest Generation, by Tom Brokaw
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling
• How to Make an American Quilt, by Whitney Otto
• It Takes A Village, by Hillary Clinton
• Jazz, by Toni Morrison
• Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, by John Gray
• The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger
• The Way Things Ought to Be, by Rush Limbaugh
• The Sum of All Fears, by Tom Clancy
• High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby
• Goosebumps, by R. L. Stine

Sports figures

See also:

American Football

Troy Aikman

Terrell Davis

John Elway

Brett Favre

Doug Flutie

Michael Irvin

Jim Kelly

Dan Marino

Joe Montana

Scott Norwood

Jerry Rice

Bruce Smith

Emmitt Smith

Barry Sanders

Deion Sanders

Reggie White

Steve Young

Athletics (Track & Field)

Sergey Bubka

Linford Christie

Haile Gebrselassie

Hicham El Guerrouj

Michael Johnson

Australian Rules Football

Tony Lockett

Baseball

Barry Bonds

Roger Clemens

Derek Jeter

Greg Maddux

Mark McGwire

Mike Piazza

Cal Ripken, Jr

Sammy Sosa

Randy Johnson

Ken Griffey, Jr.

Larry Walker

Basketball

Charles Barkley

Larry Bird

Kobe Bryant

Tim Duncan

Kevin Garnett

Allen Iverson

Michael Jordan

Hakeem Olajuwon

Karl Malone

Shaquille O'Neal

Clyde Drexler

Scottie Pippen

David Robinson

Dennis Rodman

John Stockton

Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya

Julio Cesar Chavez

George Foreman

Evander Holyfield

Mike Tyson

Roy Jones Jr.

Lennox Lewis

James Toney

Pernell Whitaker

Cricket

Curtly Ambrose

Allan Donald

Ian Healy

Brian Lara

Glenn McGrath

Muttiah Muralitharan

Mark Taylor

Sachin Tendulkar

Courtney Walsh

Shane Warne

Steve Waugh

Wasim Akram

Waqar Younis

Cycling

Marco Pantani

Lance Armstrong

Miguel Induráin

Football (soccer)

Roberto Baggio

Franco Baresi

David Beckham

Dennis Bergkamp

Didier Deschamps

Marcel Desailly

Jorge Campos

Eric Cantona

Luís Figo

Robbie Fowler

Paul Gascoigne

Ryan Giggs

Gheorghe Hagi

Fernando Hierro

Oliver Kahn

Jürgen Klinsmann

Jari Litmanen

Paolo Maldini

Steve McManaman

Rivaldo

Ronaldo

Romario

Manuel Rui Costa

David Seaman

Peter Schmeichel

Alan Shearer

Hristo Stoichkov

Davor Suker

Taffarel

George Weah

Zinedine Zidane

Golf

Tiger Woods

Ice Hockey

Wayne Gretzky

Mario Lemieux

Pavel Bure

Motor Sport

Dale Earnhardt

Jeff Gordon

Colin McRae

Michael Schumacher

Ayrton Senna

Jacques Villeneuve

Mika Häkkinen

Rowing

Steve Redgrave

Matthew Pinsent

Rugby Union

Jonah Lomu

John Eales

Francois Pienaar

Rugby League

Andrew Johns

Brad Fittler

Skating

Michelle Kwan

Nancy Kerrigan

Alpine Skiing

Alberto Tomba

Nordic Skiing

Bjørn Dæhlie

Swimming

Summer Sanders

Jenny Thompson

Tennis

Andre Agassi

Pete Sampras

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Tim Henman

Jennifer Capriati

Steffi Graf

Gabriela Sabatini

Martina Hingis

Anna Kournikova

Monica Seleš

Serena Williams

Venus Williams

See also

• 1990s music groups
• Generation X
• List of Generation Xers

External links

• [1990s Flashback 1990-1999]
• [The 1990s Week-By-Week]
• [90sxchange.com]
• [90s memories and memorabilia]
• [Crazyfads.com - 1990s fads]
• [In The 90s... The Nineties nostalgia site]
• [VH1's I Love The 90s]
• [VH1's I Love The 90s Part Deux]
• [WWW-VL: US History: 1990s History]
• [Pop Culture Madness 90s Music Lists]

[[zh-min-nan:1990 nî-tāi]]

 

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