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Events and trends

The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. The 90s were marked with rapid progression of globalization and global capitalism following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. While optimism and hopes were high following the collapse of Communism, the backlash of the Cold War's effect was only beginning, precipitating the rise of terrorism in Third World regions that were once the frontlines for American and Soviet foreign politics, particularly in Asia. However, during the 1990s many First World economies such as the United States, Canada, Ireland, and South Korea, experienced steady economic growth for nearly the entire decade.

Many countries, institutions, companies, organizations, etc. viewed the 90s decade as "the greatest decade", meaning that almost all of them rebounded after many years of failure. Some examples include Apple Computer's revival of power after being at the edge of bankruptcy, breakthroughs in many fields of technology that includes the Internet, compact disc, virtual reality, etc., the discovery of oil and gas on many countries and Pope John Paul II's papacy reached its peak. Regardless, the 1990s brought tragic conflicts as well, like the Serbian-Croatian conflict, the Rwandan genocide, and the first Gulf War.

Technology

The World Wide Web was born at CERN
Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology
Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity
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
Breakthrough of compact disc technology, later branching into DVD

Science

File:Hst sts82.jpg

Hubble Space Telescope

Detection of extrasolar planets orbiting stars other than the sun
Cloning (of Dolly the sheep) achieved
Human Genome Project begun
DNA identification of individuals finds wide application in criminal law
Hubble Space Telescope launched; revolutionizes astronomy
Protease inhibitors introduced allowing HAART therapy against HIV; drastically reduces AIDS mortality

War, peace and politics

File:Gulf war soldiers.jpg

Gulf War

Reunification of Germany on October 3 1990
End of apartheid in South Africa (1990) and election of ANC government of Nelson Mandela
Gulf War 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 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
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
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. president Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and his impeachment trial in 1998, which lasts the entire year
Anti-globalization protests
The Second Congo War start 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.
Union of Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR) collapsed after Mikhail Gorbachev resigns in his position. Boris Yeltsin became the president of Russian Federation.
Portugal hands sovereignty of Macau to the People's Republic of China on December 20, 1999

Economics

Development of GATT, the World Trade Organization and other global economic institutions
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.

Culture

File:Beavis and Butthead.jpg

Beavis & Butthead

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)
Reality Television explodes on MTV with the popularity of The Real World (1992-); Along with Road Rules (1995-), Real World/Road Rules Challenge (1998), Real World marathons, Road Rules marathons, and Real World Reunions, these shows remained popular throughout the 1990's.
Grunge music gains widespread mainstream acceptance in the early part of the decade; alternative rock gains popularity as a result
Rap music gains widespread mainstream acceptance in the late part of the decade
Black becomes a dominant color in fashion, along with several dark colors (see Goth, The Matrix, and Regis Philbin)
Trance, techno electronic music becomes widely popular in Europe/USA
Dogme 95 becomes the leading European artistic film movement by the end of the decade
Video games become more advanced. The more influential game systems include the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sony Playstation, and the Sega Dreamcast, being one of the first to jumpstart the online gaming craze of the 2000s.
Extreme sports reached a new height in popularity, and by 1995, were given their own annual tournament on ESPN, the X-Games
Cartoons aimed at an adult audience become popular. Among the most successful are The Simpsons (1989-), Ren & Stimpy (1991-1995), Beavis & Butthead (1993-1997), South Park (1997-), King of the Hill (1997-), and Family Guy (1999-)

Fads & Fashion

File:Haircuts.the.rachel.jpg

The "Rachel" Haircut

Other significant events

File:Oklahoma City bombing.jpg

Oklahoma City Bombing

Global human impact on the environment widely accepted
Divorce and scandal rock the British Royal House of Windsor
Assassination of Selena Quintanilla
Magic Johnson announced he had contracted HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) and retires immediately from the NBA.
O.J.'s trial, called by many the trial of the century
You go, girl! becomes a popular phrase in the media as feminism is more widely accepted and publicised in the media 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.
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 late in the decade and begin to taper off
Princess Diana dies in a car accident in 1997. Debates of accident vs assassination rage.

People

The original Dream Team's starters. Top Row: Barkley, Ewing, Malone Bottom: Johnson, Jordan

Andre Agassi (U.S tennis player)
Sergey Bubka (Ukrainian track and field athlete)
Roger Clemens (U.S. baseball player)
Linford Christie (English track and field athlete)
The Dream Team (U.S. 1992 Olympics basketball Team)
Dale Earnhardt (U.S. racing driver)
Brett Favre (U.S. American football player)
Paul Gascoigne (English football (soccer) player)
Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopian track and field athlete)
Ryan Giggs (Welsh soccer player)
Jeff Gordon (U.S. racing driver)
Steffi Graf (German tennis player)
Wayne Gretzky (Canadian ice hockey player)
Hicham El Guerrouj (Moroccan track and field athlete)
Tony Hawk U.S. extreme sport athlete)
Evander Holyfield (U.S. boxer)
Miguel Induráin (Spanish cyclist)
Andrew Johns (Australian Rugby League player)
Michael Johnson (U.S. track and field athlete)
Michael Jordan (U.S. basketball player)
Michelle Kwan (U.S. figure skater)
Brian Lara (Trinidadian cricketer)
Matthew Le Tissier (English football (soccer) player)
Mario Lemieux (Canadian ice hockey player)
Tony Lockett (Australian Australian Rules Football player)
Jonah Lomu (New Zealand rugby union player)
Greg Maddux (U.S. baseball player)
Mark McGwire (U.S. baseball player)
Karl Malone (U.S. basketball player)
Mark Messier (Canadian ice hockey player)
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lankan cricketer)
Shaquille O'Neil (U.S. basketball player)
Michael Owen (English soccer player)
Scottie Pippen (U.S. basketball player)
Cal Ripken Jr. (U.S. baseball player)
Dennis Rodman (U.S. basketball player)
Patrick Roy (Canadian ice hockey player)
David Robinson (U.S. basketball player)
Pete Sampras (U.S tennis player)
Barry Sanders (U.S. American football player)
Michael Schumacher (German racing driver)
Monica Seleš (Yugoslavian tennis player)
Ayrton Senna (Brazilian racing driver)
Emmitt Smith (U.S. American football player)
Sammy Sosa (U.S. baseball player)
John Stockton (U.S. basketball player)
Sachin Tendulkar (Indian cricketer)
Alberto Tomba (Italian skier)
Mike Tyson (U.S. boxer)
Courtney Walsh (Jamaican cricketer)
Shane Warne (Australian cricketer)
Steve Waugh (Australian cricketer)
Larry Walker (Canadian baseball player)
Tiger Woods (U.S. Golfer)

External links

@@ Line 322: / Line 322: @@
 ==External links==
+*[http://www.crazyfads.com/90s.htm Crazyfads.com - 1990's fads]
 *[http://www.doyouremember.co.uk/ 90s memories and memorabilia]
+*[http://www.inthe90s.com/ In The 90's... The Nineties nostalgia site]
 *[http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/i_love_the_90s/series.jhtml VH1's I Love The 90's]

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