1990s - Definition and Overview

Events and trends

Computers, technology

• 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
• Break through of Compact Disc technology - branching into DVDs

Science

• Detection of 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
• Global human impact on the environment widely accepted

War, peace and politics

• Reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990
• Gulf War and United Nations embargo on Iraq in 1991
• Break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 - the end of the Cold War, United States as sole world superpower
• End of apartheid in South Africa and election of ANC government of Nelson Mandela
• Genocide in Rwanda kills one million people, in 1994.
• Peace process begins in Northern Ireland
• Balkan war in former Yugoslavia
• Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia
• North Yemen and South Yemen merge to form Yemen
• A decade of women presidents in the Republic of Ireland
• European Union is declared in 1992
• The United Kingdom hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in July 1, 1997
• Anti-globalization protests

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

Culture

• Grunge music gains widespread mainstream acceptance in the early part of the decade
• Rap music gains widespread mainstream acceptance in the late part of the decade
• gothic industrial gains popularity after Marilyn Manson introduces his "Sweet Dreams (are made of these)" video came out in 1995
• Black becomes a dominant color in fashion, along with several dark colors (see Goth, the Matrix, and Regis Philbin).

Others

• Chuck Palahniuk publishes Fight Club and becomes an influential author of Generation X
• Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and his Impeachment trial
• Divorce and scandal rocks the British Royal House of Windsor
• Assassination of Selena Quintanilla
• O.J.'s trial, called by many the trial of the century
• You go, girl! becomes a popular phrase as the media gives feminist movements a boost with The Spice Girls, the WNBA, women's boxing, Sex and the City and others showcasing feminine talent.
• The Vieques controversy
• Carjacking becomes common
• Crime levels peak in the U.S. late in the decade and begin to taper off

People

World leaders

• Prime Minister Bob Hawke (Australia)
• Prime Minister Paul Keating (Australia)
• Prime Minister John Howard (Australia)
• Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (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 Tuđman (Croatia)
• President Hosni Mubarak (Egypt)
• President François Mitterrand (France)
• President Jacques Chirac (France)
• Chancellor Helmut Kohl (Germany)
• Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (Germany)
• 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)
• President Yasser Arafat (Palestinian Authority)
• Pope Pope John Paul II
• 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 Frederik Willem de Klerk (South Africa)
• President Nelson Mandela (South Africa)
• President Kim Dae-jung (South Korea)
• President Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Union)
• 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

• Sandra Bullock (Speed, A Time to Kill)
• Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns)
• Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask)
• Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves, JFK, Waterworld)
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen)
• Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)
• Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The English Patient)
• Mel Gibson (Braveheart)
• Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, Ghost, Ghosts of Mississippi, Hollywood Squares)
• Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Philadelphia, Toy Story, The Green Mile)
• Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, Titus)
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You, Twister, As Good as It Gets)
• Samuel L. Jackson (Goodfellas Pulp Fiction)
• Nicole Kidman (My Life, Eyes Wide Shut)
• Demi Moore (Ghost, Striptease, A Few Good Men)
• Michelle Pfeiffer (The Age of Innocence, Batman Returns)
• Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, Notting Hill)
• Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction)
• Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld)
• Kate Winslet (Titanic)
• Mike Myers (Wayne's World, Saturday Night Live)
• Dana Carvey (Wayne's World)
• Phil Collins
• Harrison Ford (actor)
• Bret Hart
• Ashley Judd
• Michael Keaton
• Shawn Michaels
• Liam Neeson
• Jack Nicholson
• Meg Ryan
• Adam Sandler (actor)
• M. Night Shyamalan
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Mira Sorvino
• Billy Bob Thornton
• Uma Thurman
• The Undertaker
• Bruce Willis (the Die Hard series)

Sports figures

• 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)
• Dale Earnhardt (U.S. racing driver)
• Brett Favre (U.S. American football player)
• Paul Gascoigne (English soccer player)
• Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopian track and field athlete)
• Ryan Giggs (Welsh soccer player)
• Steffi Graf (German tennis player)
• Wayne Gretzky (Canadian ice hockey player)
• Hicham El Guerrouj (Moroccan track and field 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)
• Brian Lara (Trinidadian cricketer)
• Mario Lemieux (Canadian ice hockey player)
• Tony Lockett (Australian Australian Rules Football player)
• Jonah Lomu (New Zealand rugby union player)
• Mark McGwire (U.S. baseball player)
• Karl Malone (U.S. basketball player)
• Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lankan cricketer)
• Cal Ripken Jr. (U.S. baseball 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)
• 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)

Music

#-C

• 2Pac (All Eyez on Me)
• 311 (311)
• 98 Degrees
• A Tribe Called Quest (The Low End Theory)
• Aerosmith (Get a Grip)
• Alan Jackson (A Lot About Livin' (And a Little About Love))
• Alanis Morissette (Jagged Little Pill)
• Alice in Chains (Dirt)
• Anthrax (Persistence of Time)
• Aphex Twin (Selected Ambient Works 85-92)
• Ash (1977)
• Backstreet Boys (Backstreet's Back)
• Bad Religion (Stranger Than Fiction)
• Beck (Mellow Gold)
• Beenie Man (Blessed)
• Big Audio Dynamite II (The Globe)
• Björk (Debut)
• blink-182 (Enema of the State)
• Blind Melon (Blind Melon)
• Blues Traveler (Four)
• Blur (Parklife)
• Bob Seger (The Fire Inside)
• Buju Banton (Till Shiloh)
• Bush (Sixteen Stone)
• The Butthole Surfers (Electriclarryland)
• The Candyskins (Space I'm In)
• The Cardigans (First Band on the Moon)
• Celine Dion (Let's Talk About Love)
• The Chemical Brothers (Dig Your Own Hole)
• Christina Aguilera (Christina Aguilera)
• Clint Black (Killin' Time)
• Collective Soul (Collective Soul)
• Elvis Costello (Mighty Like a Rose)
• Cradle of Filth (Dusk & Her Embrace)
• Cypress Hill (Black Sunday)

D-J

• Da Brat (Funkdafied)
• D'Angelo (Brown Sugar)
• Dave Matthews Band (Under the Table and Dreaming)
• Deftones (Around the Fur)
• Depeche Mode (Violator)
• Dixie Chicks (Wide Open Spaces)
• DMX (It's Dark and Hell Is Hot)
• Don Henley (The End of the Innocence)
• Dr. Dre (The Chronic)
• Duran Duran (Duran Duran) aka The Wedding Album
• Elastica (Elastica)
• EMF (Schubert Dip)
• Eminem (The Slim Shady LP)
• Emperor (In the Nightside Eclipse)
• Erykah Badu (Baduizm)
• Face to Face (Big Choice)
• Fugazi (Repeater)
• Garth Brooks (Ropin' the Wind)
• Genesis (We Can't Dance)
• Get Up Kids (Something to Write Home About)
• Green Day (Dookie)
• Guru (Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1)
• GZA (Liquid Swords)
• Hootie and the Blowfish (Cracked Rear View)
• INXS (X)
• Iron Maiden (Fear of the Dark)
• Jackson Browne (I'm Alive)
• James (Laid)
• Jane's Addiction (Ritual de lo Habitual)
• Jerky Boys (Jerky Boys)
• Jesus Jones (Doubt)
• Joe Strummer (Earthquake Weather)
• Judas Priest (Painkiller)

K-O

• Kid Rock (Devil Without a Cause)
• Kris Kross (Totally Krossed Out)
• Lagwagon (Trashed)
• Lauryn Hill (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)
• Limp Bizkit (Significant Other)
• Living Colour (Time's Up)
• Lush (Split)
• Madonna (Erotica)
• Mariah Carey (Music Box)
• Marilyn Manson (Antichrist Superstar)
• Mary J. Blige (What's the 411?)
• Massive Attack (Protection, Mezzanine)
• Edwin McCain (Misguided Roses)
• Midnight Oil (Blue Sky Mining)
• Moby (Play)
• Monkees (Justus)
• Monster Magnet (Dopes to Infinity)
• Morrissey (Your Arsenal)
• Peter Murphy (Deep)
• My Bloody Valentine (Loveless)
• Nas (Illmatic)
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin (God Fodder)
• Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral)
• Nirvana (Nevermind)
• NOFX (Punk in Drublic)
• Notorious B.I.G. (Life After Death)
• NSYNC
• Oasis (Definitely Maybe)
• The Offspring (Smash)
• Ol' Dirty Bastard (Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version)
• ONYX (Bacdafucup)
• OutKast (Aquemini)

P-R

• Pantera (A Vulgar Display of Power)
• Paul Oakenfold (Global Underground: Oslo)
• Pearl Jam (Ten)
• Pennywise (Pennywise)
• The Pixies (Doolittle)
• Poe (Hello)
• Portishead (Dummy, Portishead)
• The Presidents of the United States of America (The Presidents of the United States of America)
• Primus (Sailing the Seas of Cheese)
• The Prodigy (The Fat of the Land)
• Public Enemy (Fear of a Black Planet)
• Radiohead (OK Computer)
• Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx)
• Rage Against the Machine (Rage Against the Machine)
• Rancid (...And Out Come the Wolves)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
• R.E.M. (Automatic for the People)
• Richie Kotzen (Fever Dream)
• Ricky Martin (A Medio Vivir)
• Ride (Nowhere)
• Rush (Roll the Bones)

S

• School of Fish (School of Fish)
• Sepultura (Chaos A.D.)
• Shania Twain (Come on Over)
• Sheryl Crow (Tuesday Night Music Club)
• The Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dream)
• The Smithereens (11)
• Snoop Doggy Dogg (Doggystyle)
• Social Distortion (Social Distortion)
• Soundgarden (Superunknown)
• The Soup Dragons (Lovegod)
• Spacemen 3 (Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs to)
• Spice Girls (Spice World)
• Steve Vai (Passion and Warfare)
• Stone Temple Pilots (Core)
• Sublime (Sublime)
• Suicidal Tendencies (Lights...Camera...Revolution!)
• Sunny Day Real Estate (How It Feels to Be Something On)
• System of a Down (System of a Down)

T-Z

• Tears for Fears (The Seeds of Love)
• Temple of the Dog (Temple of the Dog)
• TLC (CrazySexyCool)
• Tool (Ænima)
• Tupac Shakur (2pacalaypse Now)
• Type O Negative (Bloody Kisses)
• U2 (Achtung Baby)
• The Vandals (Quickening)
• The Violent Femmes (Why Do Birds Sing?)
• Weezer (The Blue Album)
• White Zombie ()
• Wilco (Being There)
• The Wonder Stuff (Never Loved Elvis)
• Wu-Tang Clan (Enter the Wu-Tang (3676 Chambers))
• Yes (Union)

See also: 1990s music groups