Millennia:	1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium

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

The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. Sometimes it is wrongly used to refer to the era from 1991 up to and including 2000. The popular culture zeitgeist of the 1990s can be said to begin between 1989 and 1992 and end anywhere from 1997 to the present day. This other decade is rightly 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 twentieth century).

The 90s 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

While optimism and hopes were high following the collapse of Communism, the backlash of the Cold War's effect was only beginning, precipitating the continuation 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, Australia, and South Korea experienced steady economic growth for nearly the entire decade. The United Kingdom, after the recession of 1991-92 and Black Wednesday, experienced a run of 51 consecutive quarters of economic growth that stretched into the new millennium. Even less affluent nations such as Malaysia saw tremendous improvements in economic prosperity and quality of life during the 1990s. It should be noted though, that at least in the United States the economy was in a rut during the first half of the decade.

Many countries, institutions, companies, and organizations experienced the 1990s as "a prosperous time." In many Western countries, political stability and decreased militarization due to the winding down of the Cold War lead to economic growth and higher standards of living for many upper class citizens. These trends were also fuelled by inexpensive fossil energy, with low petroleum prices being due to a glut of oil on the market. Oil and gas were discovered in many countries in the former Soviet bloc, leading to economic growth and wider adoption of Western-style free market economies and free trade between nations.

The widespread adoption of personal computers and the Internet increased economic productivity, while unprecedented levels of private investment in equity markets created a perception of growing personal wealth among many Americans and Europeans. However, critics of western-style capitalism contend that the economic gains of the 1990s were unevenly distributed throughout society, widening the gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens.

Politically, the 1990s was an era of spreading democracy. The former countries of the Warsaw Pact rapidly evolved from totalitarian regimes to elected governments. The same was true in many nations of the developing world, such as Taiwan, Chile, South Africa, and Indonesia.

The thaw in relations between the countries of NATO and the formers members of the Warsaw Pact ended the Cold War both in Europe and in its peripheral conflicts in the developing world.

Despite the perception of prosperity and democracy, there was a significant dark side of the 1990s that only 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 halved as massive capital flight occurred. Financial crises in the developing world after 1994 began to undermine support for globalization. And tragic 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. Nevertheless, many of these problems remained below the surface of popular consciousness in the West until the 2000s.

Youth culture in the 1990s was characterized by environmentalism, materialism, anti-globalization, entrepreneurship, and artistic vulgarity (see Criticism of the 1990s). Fashions were often individualistic, most notably involving unique personal tattoos and excessive piercing of body parts to accommodate jewelry, and also very "retro". "Retro" became a thriving youth market and accusations that the 1970s had been rewritten to accommodate this were levelled in Britain. Young people became increasingly involved in outdoor activities that combined athletics with the appreciation of nature (such as kayaking and rock climbing).

In 1991, violent crime reached its peak in the United States. The mid and late 1990s saw a precipitous drop in crime rates all across the country.

Technology

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

Graphic representation of the WWW

The Pentium processor is developed by Intel.
Microsoft introduces Windows 95 an 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 decrease in size, and are soon a necessity for modern life.
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.

Science

Hubble Space Telescope

Physicists explore space and time fundamentals with 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, that 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.

War, peace, and politics

Gulf War

Rwandan genocide

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 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.
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 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.
Portugal hands sovereignty of Macau to the People's Republic of China on December 20, 1999.

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.
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.
Alternative rock replaces Grunge around 1995.

Trends/Various

Following on from the openly gay celebrities of the 1980s - like Boy George, the '90s saw a further increase in gay visibility in the mainstream media and the introduction of "outing" - the regrettable journalistic practise of revealing the sexuality of media celebrities and politicians against their will and using it to persecute them. 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, 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, Converses and having long, straight hair.

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 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 televison 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.

Body art, in the form of body piercing and tattoos becomes commonplace for young people. This trend continues 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.

Black becomes a dominant color in fashion, among several dark colors (see Goth, The Matrix).

Dogma 95 becomes the leading European artistic film movement by the end of the decade.

Recreational 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 dissapear 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 a social mecca for fans 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 collecting comics 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", "You go girl!", "yo", and "Wasssuppp!"

The fluffy look on guys come back into fashion by 1999, thanks to the influential boy bands such as 98 Degrees and the Backstreet Boys. This look died off in the early 2000s and still remains popular in 2006.

Music

Grunge music, popularized by Nirvana, big from the fall of 1991 through 1994 but influential to rock up to 2006 (see Post-Grunge), Grunge movement followed by the Britpop movement of about 1995 to 1997 and the industrial metal trend of about 1994 to 1999 which was in turn followed by nu metal.

Teen pop held over from the late 1980s popular into 1991, returns with Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls beginning in 1997 and especially in 1999 and into the early 2000s and eventually in the late 2000s

Explosion of Ska music(specifically Third Wave Ska or Ska/Punk) following the commercial success of Sublime and No Doubt in 1996. Some of the more mainstream bands included Reel Big Fish, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Goldfinger, Save Ferris and Less Than Jake.

Radiohead comes to be one of the most critically and commercially loved bands since The Beatles. Two of their albums, The Bends and Ok Computer top lists at the end of the decade.

Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails became extremely popular in 1994 after the release of their critically and commercially successful album The Downward Spiral featuring the hit single Closer. Reznor became a hard rock icon, and industrial music became a popular trend in hard rock.

Oasis also became one of most popular British bands of the decade. Their debut album, Definitely Maybe, was called the best debut album of all time. Their follow-up album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, that produced the hit Wonderwall, was also highly acclaimed. Their 1997 album Be Here Now was the fastest selling album in UK history.

Rap music gains widespread mainstream acceptance throughout the decade, starting with the success of MC Hammer, Public Enemy and Vanilla Ice around 1989-91 and ending with hip hop inspired by Puff Daddy, Dr. Dre and Eminem c. 1997-99.

Music festivals such as Lollapalooza or Woodstock became popular; a fusing of genres from alternative rock, rap, punk rock and garage bands.

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.

Rock music begins to be referred to as "alternative" as it is originated in 1980s underground rock and 1970s punk and begins to lose popularity to hip hop. Beginning in about 1994 rock music became primarily punk-based and more sincere as gangsta rap and later pop-rap and post-gangsta rap took its place as "party music".

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 see's the first English 24 hour terrestrial country station open in 1994. The trend decreases somewhat in the 2000s.

Television

Seinfeld becomes the most popular show on television in the United States and lasts throughout most of the 90's.

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 with everything from Animaniacs, Garfield and Friends and Tiny Toons, to television adaptations of popular video game characters Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. This period is considered by some to be a "renaissance" in American animation.

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.

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 (1991-1995), Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997), South Park (1997-), King of the Hill (1997-2006), and Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-present).

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.

Computer and video games

3-D graphics become the standard by end of decade
The console wars, that begun with Sega (Mega Drive/Genesis) x Nintendo (Super NES, sees the entrance of Sony (PlayStation).
Mario finds a rival in Sonic the Hedgehog.
Arcade games begin to decrease
Following the upgrade of computers, computer games become more sophisticated, like Civilization, Sim City and Doom.

Internet

Beginnings of MP3 music downloading; in 1999 and 2000 the Napster controversy occurred
Internet begins to affect pop culture, beginning around 1996
Most television stations gain Internet presence during latter half of decade
Earliest examples of Internet film

Other significant events

Oklahoma City Bombing

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.
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 Columbine High School shooting brought new light to security in schools.
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 African-American to win the Masters.
The Omagh bombing in Omagh, County Tyrone, 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.