The 1990's were a time that changed pop culture, politics, and history. From the Bush Presidency to NSYNC to the ongoing AIDS crisis, this decade was packed full with iconic dance moves, music, and movies. This post will act as your guide through the decade, with links that you can navigate through important milestones.
The Early Years (1990-1993)
1990: The decade started off with a bang. With a historic art theft from a museum in Boston, Germany's reuniting after 45 years of separation, the liberation of Nelson Mandela, and the launching of the Hubble telescope.
1991: Operation Desert Storm, or the first Gulf War, occurred in this year. Along with the arrest of Jeffrey Dahmer, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War.
1992: This year marks the beginning of the Bosnian genocide, along with the riots in Los Angeles after the verdict of the Rodney King trial was announced.
1993: In 1993, the World Trade Center in New York City was bombed, and the compound of the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas was raided by Federal agents. President Clinton signed the U.S. HIV immigration exclusion policy into law, banning people living with HIV/AIDS from entering the United States.
The Middle Years (1994-1996)
1994: After being freed in 1990, Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa while genocide was occurring in another nation in Africa, Rwanda. In Europe, the Channel Tunnel opened, connecting Britain and France.
1995: Several major events occurred in the year that marked the halfway point of the decade. OJ Simpson was found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and Ron Goldman (If you want to know more than what is in the article, I recommend watching The People vs. OJ Simpson on Netflix). A federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed by domestic terrorists, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.
1996: The Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta was bombed During the Olympic Games that year, mad cow disease spread across Britain, JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her family home on Christmas Day, and the Unabomber was arrested.
The Later Years (1997-1999)
1997: This is the year that the Harry Potter franchise was born, with the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone hit the shelves. Tiger Woods won the Master's Golf Tournament, and Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car crash.
1998: President Bill Clinton was impeached, but escaped conviction, India and Pakistan both tested nuclear weapons, and viagra became available to purchase.
1999: The euro became the currency of Europe, the world feared the Y2K bug as the century turned, the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado occurred, and Panama regained control of the Panama Canal.
Credit for timeline: Jennifer Rosenberg for ThoughtCo.
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