Editing 1990s

{{short description|Decade of the Gregorian calendar (1990–1999)}}
{{Redirect-multi|3|'90s|The 90s|Nineties|AD 90–99|90s|other uses|The 1990s (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}

<imagemap>File:1990s decade montage.png|From top left, clockwise: The '''[[Hubble Space Telescope]]''' orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American jets fly over burning oil fields in the 1991 '''[[Gulf War]]'''; the '''[[Oslo Accords]]''' on 13 September 1993; the '''[[World Wide Web]]''' gains [[History of the World Wide Web#1994–2004: Open standards, going global|massive popularity worldwide]]; [[Boris Yeltsin]] greets crowds after the failed [[August Coup]], which leads to the '''[[dissolution of the Soviet Union]]''' on 26 December 1991; '''[[Dolly (sheep)|Dolly the sheep]]''' is the first mammal to be [[cloned]] from an adult [[somatic cell]]; the [[Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales|funeral procession]] of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], who '''[[Death of Diana, Princess of Wales|died in a 1997 car crash]]''', and was mourned by millions; hundreds of thousands of [[Tutsi]] people are killed in the '''[[Rwandan genocide]]''' of 1994|upright=1.4|thumb
rect 1 1 385 312 [[Hubble Space Telescope]]
rect 392 1 1101 312 [[Gulf War]]
rect 477 318 1101 718 [[Oslo Accords]]
rect 723 724 1101 1080 [[Internet]]
rect 311 723 717 1080 [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union]]
rect 1 723 305 1080 [[Dolly (sheep)|Dolly the sheep]]
rect 1 535 471 717 [[Death of Diana, Princess of Wales]]
rect 1 317 236 529 [[Rwandan genocide]]
rect 236 317 471 529 [[Second Congo War]]
desc bottom-left
</imagemap>
{{Decadebox|199}}

The '''1990s''' (often referred and shortened to as "'''the '90s'''" or "'''the Nineties'''") was the [[decade]] that began on 1 January 1990, and ended on 31 December 1999. Known as the "[[Post–Cold War era|post-Cold War decade]]", the 1990s were culturally imagined as the period from the [[Revolutions of 1989]] until the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001.<ref>The Nineties, A Book by Chuck Klosterman, pg. 132</ref> The [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] marked the end of Russia's status as a [[superpower]], the end of a [[Polarity (international relations)|multipolar]] world, and the rise of [[anti-Western sentiment]]. China was still recovering from a politically and economically turbulent period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovell |first=Julia |title=The 1980s Are Buried but Not Dead in China |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/10/15/the-1980s-are-buried-but-not-dead-in-china/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Foreign Policy |date=15 October 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> This allowed the US to [[Superpower#Post-Cold War era|emerge as the world's sole superpower]], creating relative [[peace]] and [[1990s economic boom|prosperity]] for many western countries. During this decade, the [[world population]] grew from 5.3 to 6.1 billion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Population Growth Rate 1961-2025 |url=https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/WLD/world/population-growth-rate |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=MacroTrends}}</ref>

The decade saw greater attention to [[multiculturalism]] and advance of [[alternative media]]. Public education about [[safe sex]] curbed [[HIV]] in developed countries. [[Generation X]] bonded over musical tastes. Humor in television and film was marked by ironic [[self-reference]]s mixed with [[popular culture]] references. Alternative music movements like [[grunge]], [[reggaeton]], [[Eurodance]], and [[hip hop music|hip-hop]], became popular, aided by the rise in [[satellite television|satellite]] and [[cable television]], and the [[internet]]. New music genres such as [[drum and bass]], [[post-rock]], [[happy hardcore]], ''[[denpa song|denpa]]'', and [[trance music|trance]] emerged. Video game popularity exploded due to the development of [[CD-ROM]] supported [[3D computer graphics]] on platforms such as [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]], [[Nintendo 64]], and [[Personal computer|PC]]s.

The 1990s saw [[1990s in technology|advances in technology]], with the [[World Wide Web]], evolution of the [[Pentium (original)|Pentium microprocessor]], rechargeable [[Lithium-ion battery|lithium-ion batteries]], the first [[gene therapy]] trial, and [[cloning]]. The [[Human Genome Project]] was launched in 1990, by the [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) with the goal to sequence the entire human genome.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Genome Project Fact Sheet |url=https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/educational-resources/fact-sheets/human-genome-project |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=www.genome.gov |language=en}}</ref> Building the [[Large Hadron Collider]], the world's largest and highest-energy [[particle accelerator]], commenced in 1998, and [[Nasdaq]] became the first US stock market to trade online.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-04 |title=The Large Hadron Collider |url=https://home.cern/science/accelerators/large-hadron-collider |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=CERN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NASDAQ |url=https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/career-map/sell-side/capital-markets/nasdaq/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Corporate Finance Institute |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Chris Llewellyn |date=2015-01-13 |title=Genesis of the Large Hadron Collider |url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2014.0037 |journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |volume=373 |issue=2032 |pages=20140037 |doi=10.1098/rsta.2014.0037}}</ref> [[#Environment|Environmentalism]] is divided between left-wing [[green politics]], [[primary industry]]-sponsored environmentalist [[front organization]]s, and a more business-oriented approach to the regulation of [[carbon footprint]] of businesses. More businesses started using [[information technology]].

There was a realignment and consolidation of [[#Economics|economic]] and political power, such as the continued mass-mobilization of [[capital market]]s through [[neoliberalism]], [[globalization]], and end of the [[Cold War]]. Network cultures were enhanced by the proliferation of [[#Internet|new media]] such as the internet, and a new ability to self-publish web pages and make connections on professional, political and hobby topics. The [[digital divide]] was immediate, with access limited to those who could afford it and knew how to operate a computer. The internet provided anonymity for individuals skeptical of the government. Traditional mass media continued to perform strongly. However, mainstream internet users were optimistic about its benefits, particularly the future of [[e-commerce]]. [[Web portal]]s, a curated bookmark homepage, were as popular as searching via [[web crawler]]s. The [[dot-com bubble]] of 1997–2000 brought wealth to some [[entrepreneur]]s before its [[Stock market downturn of 2002|crash of the early-2000s]].

Many countries were economically prosperous and spreading [[globalization]]. [[World Bank high-income economy|High-income countries]] experienced steady growth during the [[Great Moderation]] (1980s—2000s). Using a [[mobile phone]] in a public place was typical [[conspicuous consumption]]. In contrast, the [[GDP]] of [[post-Soviet states|former Soviet Union]] states declined as a result of neoliberal restructuring. [[International trade]] increased with the establishment of the [[European Union]] (EU) in 1993, [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) in 1994, and [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) in 1995. The [[Asia-Pacific]] economies of the [[Four Asian Tigers]], [[ASEAN]], Australia and Japan were hampered by the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]] and [[early 1990s recession]].

Major wars that began include the [[First Congo War|First]] and [[Second Congo War]]s, the [[Rwandan Civil War]] and [[Rwandan genocide|genocide]], the [[Somali Civil War]], and [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] in [[Africa]]; the [[Yugoslav Wars]] in [[Southeast Europe]]; the [[First Chechen War|First]] and [[Second Chechen War]]s, in the former Soviet Union; and the [[Gulf War]] in the [[Middle East]]. The [[Afghanistan conflict (1978–present)]] and [[Colombian conflict]] continued. The [[Oslo Accords]] seemed to herald an end to the [[Israeli-Palestinian conflict]], but this was in vain. However, in [[Northern Ireland]], [[The Troubles]] came to a standstill in 1998 with the [[Good Friday Agreement]], ending 30 years of violence.<ref>{{cite book|last=Stiglitz|first=Joseph E.|title=The Roaring Nineties|publisher=W. W. Norton|year=2004|isbn=978-0-393-32618-5}}</ref>

==Politics and wars==
{{further|List of wars: 1990–2002}}
{{See also|List of sovereign states in the 1990s}}
[[File:Flag Map of The World (1992).png|center|thumb|749x749px|Flag map of the world from 1992]]

===International wars===
*The Congo Wars began in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.queensu.ca/cidp/publications/martello-papers|title=EUFOR RD Congo: A Misunderstood Operation?|last=Fritsch|first=Helmut|publisher=[[Queen's University at Kingston]]|date=2008|series=Martello Papers|volume=33|pages=5–6, 8|isbn=978-1-55339-101-2}}</ref>
**The [[First Congo War]] (24 October 1996 – 16 May 1997) resulted in the overthrow of dictator [[Mobutu Sese Seko]], following his 32-year rule of [[Zaire]], which was then renamed the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]].
**The [[Second Congo War]] (August 1998 – July 2003) started in [[Central Africa]] and involved multiple nearby nations.
*The [[Gulf War]] (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991).
**Iraq was left in severe debt after the [[Iran–Iraq War]] in the 1980s. President [[Saddam Hussein]] accused [[Kuwait]] of flooding the oil market, therefore driving down prices. As a result, Iraqi forces [[invasion of Kuwait|invaded and conquered Kuwait]]. 
**The UN ([[United Nations]]) immediately condemned the action and a coalition force led by the [[United States]] was sent to the [[Persian Gulf]]. [[Gulf War air campaign|Aerial bombing of Iraq]] began in January 1991, and one month later, the UN forces drove the Iraqi army from Kuwait in four days.
*Two wars were fought in the region of [[Chechnya]]:
**The [[First Chechen War]] (1994–1996) was a conflict between the [[Russia|Russian Federation]] and the [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria]]. After the initial campaign of 1994–1995, culminating in the devastating [[Battle of Grozny (August 1996)|Battle of Grozny]], Russian federal forces attempted to seize control of the mountainous area of Chechnya. Despite Russia's overwhelming manpower, weaponry, and [[air support]], they were set back by Chechen [[guerrilla warfare|guerrillas]] and raids on the flatlands. The resulting widespread demoralization of Russian federal forces, and the universal{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} opposition of the Russian public to the conflict, led [[Boris Yeltsin]]'s government to declare a [[ceasefire]] in 1996 and sign a [[peace treaty]] a year later.
**The [[Second Chechen War]] (1999 – 2009) was started by the Russian Federation in response to the [[Invasion of Dagestan (1999)|1999 invasion of Dagestan]] and the [[Russian apartment bombings]], which were blamed on the Chechens. In this military campaign, Russian forces largely recaptured the separatist region of Chechnya{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} and the outcome of the First Chechen War – in which the region gained de facto independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria – was essentially reversed.
*The [[Eritrean–Ethiopian War]] (1998–2000) was commenced by the invasion of Ethiopia by Eritrea due to a territorial dispute.<ref>{{cite news |date=2005-12-21 |title=International commission: Eritrea triggered the border war with Ethiopia |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4548754.stm |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> The conflict resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides<ref name="Tens-of-thousands">Tens of thousands [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1053983.stm Eritrea: Final deal with Ethiopia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060224212710/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1053983.stm |date=24 February 2006 }} BBC 4 December 2000
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/07/news/eritrea.php Eritrea orders Westerners in UN mission out in 10 days] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619042941/http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/07/news/eritrea.php |date=19 June 2008 }}, [[International Herald Tribune]], 7 December 2005</ref> and a peace agreement in December 2000.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2000-12-11 |title=Horn peace deal: Full text |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1066401.stm |access-date=2021-12-30}}</ref>
*The [[Kargil War]] (1999) began in May when Pakistan covertly sent troops to occupy strategic peaks in [[Kashmir]]. A month later, the [[Kargil War]] with India resulted in a political fiasco for Pakistani Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif]], followed by a Pakistani military withdrawal to the [[Line of Control]]. The incident led to a Pakistani [[1999 Pakistani coup d'état|military coup]] in October, in which Sharif was ousted by [[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|Army Chief]] [[Pervez Musharraf]]. This conflict remains the only war fought between the two declared nuclear powers.

[[File:Evstafiev-sarajevo-building-burns.jpg|150px|thumb|right|[[Greece–Bosnia and Herzegovina Friendship Building|Executive council building]] burns in [[Sarajevo]] after being hit by Bosnian Serb artillery in the [[Bosnian War]].]]
*The [[Yugoslav Wars]] (1991–1995) followed the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]], beginning on 25 June 1991, after the republics of [[Croatia]] and [[Slovenia]] declared independence from [[Yugoslavia]]. These wars were notorious for war crimes and human rights violations, including [[ethnic cleansing]] and [[genocide]], with the overwhelming majority of casualties being Muslim [[Bosniaks]].
**The [[Ten-Day War]] (1991) was a brief military conflict between Slovenian TO ([[Slovenian Territorial Defence]]) and the [[Yugoslav People's Army]] ("JNA") following [[Slovenia]]'s declaration of independence.
**The [[Croatian War of Independence]] (1991–1995) was fought in modern-day [[Croatia]] between the Croatian government (having declared independence from the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]) and both the [[Yugoslav People's Army]] ("JNA") and [[Serbs of Croatia|Serb]] forces, who established the self-proclaimed [[Republic of Serbian Krajina]] ("RSK") within Croatia.
**The [[Bosnian War]] (1992–1995) involved several [[ethnicity|ethnically]]-defined factions within [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]: [[Bosniaks]], [[Serbs]], and [[Croats]], as well as [[Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia|a smaller Bosniak faction led by Fikret Abdić]]. The [[Siege of Sarajevo]] (1992–1995) marked the most violent [[urban warfare]] in Europe since [[World War II]] at that time, as [[Serbs|Serb]] forces bombarded and attacked Bosnian-controlled and populated areas of the city. War crimes occurred, including [[ethnic cleansing]] and the destruction of civilian property.
**The final fighting in the Croatian and Bosnian wars ended in 1995 with the success of Croatian military offensives against Serb forces. This led to the mass exodus of [[Serbs]] from Croatia, Serb losses to Croat and Bosniak forces, and the signing of the [[Dayton Agreement]], which internally partitioned Bosnia and Herzegovina into a [[Republika Srpska]] and a [[Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosniak-Croat Federation]].
*The [[Kosovo War]] (1998–1999) was a war between Albanian separatists and Yugoslav military and Serb paramilitary forces in [[Kosovo]]. That conflict began in 1996 and escalated in 1998, with increasing reports of atrocities.
**In 1999, the [[NATO]], led by the United States, launched [[1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|air attacks]] against [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] (then composed of only [[Serbia]] and [[Montenegro]]) to pressure the Yugoslav government to end its military operations against Albanian separatists in [[Kosovo]]. The intervention lacked UN approval yet was justified by NATO based on accusations of war crimes committed by Yugoslav military forces working alongside nationalist Serb paramilitary groups. Finally, after months of bombing, Yugoslavia conceded to NATO's demands, and NATO forces (later UN peacekeeping forces) occupied Kosovo.
*The [[South African Border War]] (1990) was a border war between [[Zambia]], [[Angola]], and [[Namibia]] that began in 1966 and ended in 1990.

===Civil wars and guerrilla wars===
[[File:Rwandan Genocide Murambi skulls.jpg|thumb|[[Rwandan genocide]]: Bones of genocide victims in Murambi Technical School. Estimates put the death toll of the Rwandan genocide as high as 800,000 people.]]
* The [[First Liberian Civil War]] occurred from 1989 until 1997, and led to the death of around 200,000 people.
*The [[Ethiopian Civil War]] (1991) was an internal conflict that had been raging for over twenty years. Its end coincided with the establishment of a coalition government of various factions.
*The [[Algerian Civil War]] (1991–2002) was caused by a group of high-ranking army officers canceling the first multi-party elections in [[Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Noh|first=Yuree|date=October 2018|title=Politics and education in post-war Algeria|url=https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/politics-and-education-post-war-algeria|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-26|website=Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121093357/https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/politics-and-education-post-war-algeria |archive-date=21 January 2019 }}</ref>
*The [[Somali Civil War]] (1991–present) included the [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]].
*The [[Rwandan genocide]] (1994) occurred from 6 April to mid-July 1994 when hundreds of thousands of [[Rwanda]]'s [[Tutsis]] and [[Hutu]] political moderates [[Rwandan genocide|were killed]] by the [[Hutu]]-dominated government under the [[Hutu Power]] ideology. For approximately 100 days between 500,000<ref name="A">{{Cite book|last=Des Forges|first=Alison|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda|title=Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda|publisher=Human Rights Watch|year=1999|isbn=978-1-56432-171-8|access-date=12 January 2007}}</ref> and 1,000,000<ref>See, e.g. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1288230.stm Rwanda: How the genocide happened] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221233819/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1288230.stm |date=21 February 2009 }}, [[BBC]], 1 April 2004, which gives an estimate of 800,000, and [https://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/subjindx/121rwan.htm OAU sets inquiry into Rwanda genocide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225085128/http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/subjindx/121rwan.htm |date=25 February 2007 }}, Africa Recovery, Vol. 12 1#1 (August 1998), page 4, which estimates the number at between 500,000 and 1,000,000. 7 out of every 10 Tutsis were killed.</ref> people were killed. The United Nations and major states came under criticism for failing to stop the genocide.
*[[1993 Russian constitutional crisis]] resulted from a severe [[political deadlock]] between Russian President [[Boris Yeltsin]] and the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia|Supreme Soviet]] (Russia's parliament at this time) resulting in Yeltsin ordering the controversial shelling of the Russian parliament building by tanks.
*The [[Tajikistani Civil War]] (1992–1997) occurred when the [[Politics of Tajikistan|Tajikistan government]] was pitted against the [[United Tajik Opposition]], resulting in the death of between 50,000 and 100,000 people.
*The [[Zapatista uprising]] (1994) occurred when a large number of the Zapatista indigenous people of [[Mexico]] formed the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation]] and began an armed conflict with the Mexican government to protest against [[NAFTA]]. The uprising lasted 12 days, bringing worldwide attention to the Zapatistas, and continued through the rest of the 1990s.
*The [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] (1996–2001) was formed at the end of the [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|Afghan Civil War]], when the [[Taliban]] seized control of [[Afghanistan]] in 1996. They ruled during the [[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)|later Afghan Civil War]] until their ousting 2001.
*[[The Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]] (1998) involved 30 years of conflict that ended on 10 April 1998, when the [[Good Friday Agreement]] was signed.
*[[1999 East Timorese crisis]].

===Coups===
{{Main|List of coups d'état and coup attempts#1990–1999}}

===Terrorist attacks===
{{Main|List of terrorist incidents#1970–present}}
[[File:Oklahomacitybombing-DF-ST-98-01356.jpg|thumb|right|The federal building that was bombed in the [[Oklahoma City bombing]] two days after the bombing, viewed from across the adjacent parking lot.]]
*The [[1993 World Trade Center bombing]] in the [[United States]] (1993) led to broader public awareness in the US of [[domestic terrorism]] and [[international terrorism]] as a potential threat.
*[[Markale massacres|Markale market massacres]] in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] (1994) – soldiers of the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] deliberately targeted [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]] (then known as "Bosnian Muslims") civilians.
*[[AMIA bombing]] (1994) – on 18 July 1994, an unknown terrorist targeting [[Argentinian Jew|Argentina's Jewish community]] planted a [[car bomb]] in the [[Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina]] headquarters in [[Buenos Aires]], killing 85 people and injuring hundreds, making it the first ethnically targeted bombing and deadliest bombing in Argentine history.
*[[Srebrenica genocide]] in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995) – soldiers of the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] and members of [[Scorpions (paramilitary)|Serbia's Scorpions]] paramilitary group committed mass murder of Bosniak civilians.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
*[[Oklahoma City bombing]] (1995) in the [[United States]] – the bombing of a federal building in [[Oklahoma City]], [[Oklahoma]] killed 168 people, becoming the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States at that time. Suspect [[Timothy McVeigh]] claimed he bombed the building in retaliation for the 1992 [[Ruby Ridge]] standoff and the [[Waco siege]] a year later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.history.com/news/how-ruby-ridge-and-waco-led-to-the-oklahoma-city-bombing|title=How Ruby Ridge and Waco Led to the Oklahoma City Bombing|last=Pruitt|first=Sarah|work=[[History (American TV channel)|History]]|date=2 April 2020|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>
*The [[1996 Manchester bombing]] (1996) – on 15 June 1996, the IRA set off a bomb in [[Manchester]], England. The bomb, placed in a van on Corporation Street in the city center, targeted the city's infrastructure and economy and caused widespread damage, estimated by insurers at £700 million (£1 billion {{as of|2011|lc=y}}). Two hundred and twelve people were injured, but there were no fatalities.
*The [[1998 United States embassy bombings]] – [[Al-Qaeda]] militants carried out bomb attacks on United States embassies in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]]. In retaliation, U.S. naval military forces launched [[cruise missile]] attacks against Al-Qaeda bases in [[Afghanistan]].
*The [[Omagh bombing]] in [[Northern Ireland]] (1998) – a bombing in [[Omagh]], [[County Tyrone]], that killed 29 civilians and injured hundreds more.
*[[2000 millennium attack plots#LAX bombing plot|LAX bombing plot]] (1999) – [[Ahmed Ressam]], an [[Islamism|Islamist]] militant associated with Al-Qaeda, was arrested when attempting to cross from Canada into the United States at the Canada-U.S. border on 14 December 1999. It was later discovered that he intended to bomb [[Los Angeles International Airport]] (LAX) during [[millennium celebrations]]. This was the first major attempted terrorist attack by Al-Qaeda on United States soil since the [[1993 World Trade Center bombing]] and marked the beginning of a series of attempted terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda against the United States that would continue into the 21st century.

===Decolonization and independence===

*[[Independence of Namibia]] (1990) – the [[Namibia|Republic of Namibia]] gained independence from [[South Africa]] on 21 March 1990. [[Walvis Bay]], initially retained by South Africa, joined Namibia in 1994.
*[[Breakup of Yugoslavia]] (1991–1992) – the republics of [[Croatia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], and [[Macedonia (country)|Macedonia]] declared independence from [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]].
*[[Independence of Eritrea]] (1993) – [[Eritrea]] gained independence from [[Ethiopia]].
*[[Dissolution of Czechoslovakia]] (1993) – the [[Slovak Republic]] adopts the [[Slovak National Council's Declaration of Independence of the Slovak Nation|Declaration of Independence]] from the [[Czech and Slovak Federative Republic]] ([[Czechoslovakia]]).
*[[History of Palau#Post-war development|Independence of Palau]] (1994) – [[Palau]] gained independence from the [[United Nations Trusteeship Council]].
*[[Handover of Hong Kong]] (1997) – The [[United Kingdom]] handed sovereignty of [[Hong Kong]] (then [[British Hong Kong]]) to the [[People's Republic of China]] on 1 July 1997.
*[[1999 East Timorese independence referendum|Independence of East Timorese]] (1999) – [[East Timor]] broke away from [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor|Indonesian occupation]], only a year after the fall of [[Suharto]] from power, ending a 24-year [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla war]] and [[genocide]] with more than 200,000 casualties. The UN deployed a peacekeeping force spearheaded by Australia's armed forces. The United States deployed police officers to serve with the [[Interpol]] element to help train and equip an East Timorese police force.
*[[Handover of Macau]] (1999) – [[Portuguese Empire|Portugal]] handed sovereignty of [[Macau]] ([[Portuguese Macau]]) to the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999.
*[[Dissolution of the Soviet Union]] (1991) – multiple [[Republics of the Soviet Union|Soviet Socialist Republics]] (SSRs) declared independence from the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|USSR]].
**[[Armenia]] – the [[Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic|Armenian SSR]] became the Republic of Armenia following the [[Declaration of State Sovereignty of Armenia|Declaration of Independence of Armenia]].
**[[Azerbaijan]] – the [[Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic|Azerbaijan SSR]] became the Republic of Azerbaijan.
**[[Belarus]] – the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]] became the Republic of Belarus following its [[Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic|Declaration of State Sovereignty]].
**[[Estonia]] – [[Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic|Estonian SSR]] became the Republic of Estonia.
**[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] – The [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic|Georgian SSR]] became the Republic of Georgia.
**[[Kazakhstan]] – the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]] became the Republic of Kazakhstan.
**[[Kyrgyzstan]] – the [[Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic|Kirghiz SSR]] became the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
**[[Latvia]] – the [[Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic|Latvian SSR]] became the Republic of Latvia.
**[[Lithuania]] – the [[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic|Lithuanian SSR]] became the Republic of Lithuania
**[[Moldova]] – the [[Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian SSR]] became the Republic of Moldova.
**[[Tajikistan]] – the [[Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic|Tajik SSR]] became the Republic of Tajikistan.
**[[Turkmenistan]] – the [[Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic|Turkmen SSR]] became the Republic of Turkmenistan.
**[[Ukraine]] – the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]] became the Republic of Ukraine
**[[Uzbekistan]] – the [[Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic|Uzbek SSR]] became the Republic of Uzbekistan.

===Political trends===
*The 1990s saw an increased spread of [[capitalism]] and [[Third Way|third way]] policies.<ref name="between">{{Cite book
|last1=Antohi
|first1=Sorin
|author-link1=Sorin Antohi
|last2=Tismăneanu
|first2=Vladimir
|author-link2=Vladimir Tismăneanu
|title=Between Past and Future: The Revolutions of 1989 and Their Aftermath
|chapter=Independence Reborn and the Demons of the Velvet Revolution
|date=January 2000
|publisher=Central European University Press
|isbn=978-963-9116-71-9
|pages=85
|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pl5T45FwIwC&pg=PA85
}}</ref> The former countries of the [[Warsaw Pact]] moved from single-party socialist states to multi-party states with private sector economies.<ref name="between" /> The same wave of political liberalization occurred in the capitalist and [[Newly industrialized country|newly industrialized countries]] (including [[First World|First]] and [[Third World]] countries), such as [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Chile]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Mexico]], the [[Philippines]], [[South Africa]], [[South Korea]], [[Taiwan]], and [[Thailand]]. Market reforms made incredible changes to the economies of [[Second World]] socialist countries such as [[China]] and [[Vietnam]].
*Ethnic tensions and violence in [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|former Yugoslavia]] during the 1990s created a greater sense of ethnic identity among nations in newly independent countries and a marked increase in the popularity of nationalism.

===Prominent political events===
====Africa====
[[File:Mandela voting in 1994.jpg|thumb|120px|right|[[Nelson Mandela]] voting in 1994, after thirty years of imprisonment.]]
*[[African National Congress]] leader [[Nelson Mandela]] was released from prison on 11 February 1990, after thirty years of imprisonment for opposing [[South Africa under apartheid|apartheid]] and white-minority rule in South Africa. [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|Apartheid ended]] in South Africa in 1994.<ref name="mandela">{{Cite thesis
 |last1        = Evans
 |first1       = Martha
 |date         = February 2012
 |title        = Transmitting the Transition: Media Events and Post-Apartheid South African National Identity
 |url          = https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/10475
 |publisher    = University of Cape Town
 |pages        = ix
 |access-date  = 11 April 2020
 |hdl          = 11427/10475
 |type         = Doctoral Thesis
 |hdl-access   = free
 |archive-date = 11 April 2020
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20200411112626/https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/10475
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>
*Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa in 1994, becoming the first democratically elected president in South African history, and ending a long legacy of apartheid white rule in the country.<ref name="mandela" />

====Americas====
[[File:Response to the Lewinsky Allegations (January 26, 1998) Bill Clinton.ogv|right|220px|thumb|During the late 1990s, a move was made to remove American president [[Bill Clinton]] from power following the [[Clinton–Lewinsky scandal]]. This [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|impeachment]] attempt did not succeed, and Clinton continued to serve as president until the end of his term in January 2001.]]
* The [[Argentine peso]] was pegged to the [[United States dollar|American dollar]] by the [[Convertibility plan]] by the government of [[Carlos Menem]] in an attempt to eliminate [[hyperinflation]] and stimulate [[economic growth]]. While it was initially met with considerable success, the board's actions ultimately failed. The Convertibility Plan went from 1991 to 2002.
* The establishment of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) on 1 January 1994, created a North American [[free-trade zone]] consisting of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
* The [[Constitution of Argentina]] went through an important [[1994 amendment of the Constitution of Argentina|reform in 1994]], which introduced [[Three generations of human rights|third generation rights]], gave more relevance to [[Treaty|international treaties]], and also introduced new concepts such as [[Necessity and Urgency Decree|Necessity and Urgency Decrees]] and the [[two-round system]].
*Canadian politics was radically altered in the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993 federal election]] with the collapse of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada]]. A major political party in Canada since 1867, the party went from controlling the government to being left with only two seats. The [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]] collapsed as well, with their sets declining from 44 to 9. The [[Liberal Party of Canada]] was the only genuinely 'national' political party left standing. Regionally-based parties, such as the Quebec-based [[Bloc Québécois]] and the almost entirely Western Canada-based [[Reform Party of Canada]], rose from political insignificance to being major political parties.
*After the collapse of the [[Meech Lake Accord|Meech Lake constitutional accord]] in 1990, the province of [[Quebec]] in Canada experienced a rekindled wave of separatism by [[Francophone]] [[Québécois people|Québécois]] nationalists, who sought for Quebec to become an independent country and forced a referendum on the question of independence in 1995.
**The [[1995 Quebec independence referendum|1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty]] was held in the predominantly francophone province of Quebec in Canada, a majority [[Anglophone]] country. If accepted, Quebec would have become an independent country with an economic association with Canada. Quebec's voters narrowly rejected the proposal.
*[[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]], a former Haitian priest, became the first democratically elected President of [[Haiti]] in 1990. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a Roman Catholic parish in [[Port-au-Prince]] in 1982 after completing his studies to become a priest of the Salesian order. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa and returned to Haiti after several years.
*[[Ernesto Zedillo]] was elected [[President of Mexico]] in the [[1994 Mexican general election|1994 presidential election]], making him the last of an uninterrupted 72-year-long succession of Mexican presidents from the dominant [[Institutional Revolutionary Party]] (PRI). The original PRI candidate, [[Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta]], was assassinated several months prior.
*Due to [[Internal conflict in Peru|internal conflict]] and an economic crisis, [[Alberto Fujimori]] rose to power in [[Peru]] and remained in office for eleven years. His administration was marked by economic development but also by numerous human rights violations ([[La Cantuta massacre]], [[Barrios Altos massacre]]) and a rampant corruption network set up by [[Vladimiro Montesinos]].
*The sluggish [[Latin America]]n economies of [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Chile]], and [[Mexico]], by a new emphasis on [[free market]]s for all their citizens after the [[Latin American debt crisis|debt crisis]] of the 1980s. Following democratic reforms and neoliberal policies were implemented by President [[Carlos Saúl Menem]] (Argentina), President [[Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle]] (Chile), President [[Ernesto Zedillo]] (Mexico), and President [[Fernando Henrique Cardoso]] (Brazil), in their best shape by the late 1990s.
*[[President of the United States|United States President]] Bill Clinton was a dominant political figure in international affairs during the 1990s, known primarily for his attempts to negotiate peace in the Middle East and end the ongoing wars occurring in the former Yugoslavia, his promotion of international action to decrease human-created [[climate change]], and his endorsement of advancing [[free trade]] in the Americas.
*[[February 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt|After a failed coup attempt in 1992]], [[Hugo Chávez]], politician and former member of the Venezuelan military, is [[1998 Venezuelan presidential election|elected]] President of [[Venezuela]] in 1998.
*[[Lewinsky scandal]] – US president Bill Clinton was caught in a media-frenzied scandal involving inappropriate relations with White House intern [[Monica Lewinsky]], which was first announced on 21 January 1998. After the United States House of Representatives [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|impeached Bill Clinton]] on 19 December 1998, for perjury under oath, and following an investigation by federal prosecutor [[Kenneth Starr]], the Senate acquitted Clinton of all charges on 12 February 1999. He served out the remainder of his second term.
*California voters passed [[California Proposition 215 (1996)|Proposition 215]] in 1996, which legalized [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] for medicinal purposes.

====Asia====
[[File:Bill Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat at the White House 1993-09-13.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Prime Minister of Israel|Israeli Prime Minister]] [[Yitzhak Rabin]], [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) Chairman [[Yasser Arafat]] during the signing of the [[Oslo Accords]] on 13 September 1993.]]
*In 1990, the [[Lebanese Civil War]] came to a close and a return to political normalcy in [[Lebanon]] began. With peace among all factions in Lebanon, the rebuilding of the country and its capital, [[Beirut]], began.
*[[1990 Nepalese revolution]], a multiparty movement against the one-party Panchayat rule in Nepal. It led to the end of absolute monarchy in Nepal and the restoration of democracy. 
*[[Israel]]i Prime Minister [[Yitzhak Rabin]] and [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] Prime Minister [[Yasser Arafat]] agree to the [[Israeli–Palestinian peace process]] at the culmination of the [[Oslo Accords]], negotiated by the United States President, Bill Clinton, on 13 September 1993.
**By signing the Oslo accords, the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] recognized Israel's right to exist. At the same time, Israel permitted the creation of an autonomous [[Palestinian National Authority]] consisting of the [[Gaza Strip]] and [[West Bank]], which was implemented in 1994.
**Israeli military forces withdrew from these Palestinian territories in compliance with the accord, which marked the end of the [[First Intifada]] (a period of violence between Palestinian Arab militants and Israeli armed forces from 1987 to 1993).
**The Palestinian National Authority was created in 1994 following the Oslo Accords, giving Palestinian Arab people official autonomy over the Gaza Strip and West Bank, though not official independence from Israel.
*On 4 November 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin [[Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin|was assassinated]] by a right-wing extremist who opposed the signing of the [[Oslo Accords]].
*[[Yemen Arab Republic|North Yemen]] and [[South Yemen]] merged to form [[Yemen]] in 1991.
*[[Lee Kuan Yew]] resigned as the Prime Minister of [[Singapore]] on 28 November 1990, a position he had held since 1959, to [[Goh Chok Tong]]. Lee remained in the cabinet as Senior Minister.
*In July 1994, [[North Korea]]n leader [[Kim Il Sung]] died, having ruled the country since its founding in 1948. His son [[Kim Jong Il]], who succeeded him, took over a nation on the brink of complete economic collapse. [[North Korean famine|Famine]] had caused a significant number of deaths in the late 1990s, and North Korea gained a reputation for being an important hub of money laundering, counterfeiting, and weapons proliferation. The country's ability to produce and sell nuclear weapons became a prominent concern in the international community.
*In 1990, [[Aung San Suu Kyi]]'s [[National League for Democracy]] in Burma won a majority of seats in the first free election conducted in 30 years. But the [[State Peace and Development Council|SPDC]] refused to relinquish power, beginning a peaceful{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} struggle that began in the 1990s and continued for several decades, primarily fueled by Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters to demand the end of military rule.
*Indonesian President [[Suharto]] resigned after ruling the country for 32 years (1966–1998), following the [[May 1998 riots of Indonesia|riots]] on several cities in Indonesia. [[Fall of Suharto|His resignation]] marked the beginning of the [[Post-Suharto era in Indonesia|Reform era]].
*In India, the former prime minister [[Rajiv Gandhi]] was [[Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi|assassinated]] on 21 May 1991 by the [[Tamil Tigers]], beginning a period of [[Economic liberalisation in India|economic liberalization]] led by new Prime Minister [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]].
*After democratic reforms and steady economic growth in the four [[Asia-Pacific]] [[major non-NATO ally|MNNAs]] by the United States and Canada, after the [[Revolutions of 1989]].
**In the [[Philippines]], following the [[People Power Revolution]] of 1986 under the [[Corazon Aquino]] presidency until 1992, democratic reforms and economic policies implemented by two Presidents were elected by [[Fidel V. Ramos]] in 1992, and [[Joseph Estrada]] in 1998.
**South Korea and Taiwan became [[developed country|developed countries]], and two of the [[Four Asian Tigers]] in the 1990s. Following democratic reforms in 1988, neoliberal policies were implemented by President [[Kim Young-sam]] (South Korea) and President [[Lee Teng-hui]] (Taiwan), both who led their countries during the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]].
**Japan saw eight different [[List of prime ministers of Japan|prime ministers]] serve during the 1990s in what was at first called the "Lost Decade" but later became referred to as the "[[Lost Decades]] of the [[Heisei era|Heisei Era]]". These included [[Morihiro Hosokawa]], who won the [[1993 Japanese general election]] and formed an opposition coalition until 1996.

====Europe====
*The improvement in relations between [[NATO]] countries and the former members of the [[Warsaw Pact]] led to the end of the [[Cold War]], both in Europe and other parts of the world.
*[[German reunification]] – on 3 October 1990, East and West Germany reunified as a result of the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]] and the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]]. After reintegrating their economic structure and provincial governments, Germany focused on the modernization of the formerly communist East. People brought up in socialist East Germany became integrated with those living in capitalist West Germany.
*[[Margaret Thatcher]], who had been the United Kingdom's Prime Minister since 1979, resigned as Prime Minister on 22 November 1990 after being challenged for leadership of the Conservative Party by [[Michael Heseltine]]. This was because of widespread opposition to the introduction of the controversial [[Poll tax (Great Britain)|Community Charge]], and the fact that her key allies such as [[Nigel Lawson]] and [[Geoffrey Howe]] resigned over the deeply sensitive issues of the [[Maastricht Treaty]] and Margaret Thatcher's resistance to Britain joining the [[European Exchange Rate Mechanism]]. Less than two years later, on the infamous [[Black Wednesday]] of September 1992, the [[pound sterling]] crashed out of the system after the pound fell below the agreed exchange rate with the [[Deutsche Mark]].
**[[John Major]] replaced Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister in 1990.
*The [[Perestroika]] (restructuring) of the Soviet Union destabilized, leading to nationalist and separatist demagogues gaining popularity. [[Boris Yeltsin]], then [[Chairmen of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets|chairman]] of the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia|Supreme Soviet]] of [[Russian SFSR|Russia]], resigned from the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] and became the opposition leader against [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]. The Communist Party lost its status as the governing force of the country and was banned after a [[August Putsch|coup attempt]] by communist hardliners attempted to revert the effects of Gorbachev's policies. Yeltsin's counter-revolution was victorious, and on 25 December 1991, Gorbachev resigned from the presidency, which led to the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]]. Yeltsin [[Presidency of Boris Yeltsin|became president]] of the Soviet Union's successor, the Russian Federation, and presided over a period of political unrest, economic crisis, and social anarchy. On 31 December 1999, Yeltsin resigned, leaving [[Vladimir Putin]] as acting president.
*The [[European Union]] was formed in 1992 under the [[Maastricht Treaty]].
*The [[Downing Street Declaration]], signed on 15 December 1993 by the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]], John Major, and the [[Taoiseach]] of Ireland, [[Albert Reynolds]] at the British Prime Minister's office in [[10 Downing Street]], affirmed that (1) the right of the people of Ireland to [[self-determination]], and (2) that [[Northern Ireland]] would be transferred to the [[Republic of Ireland]] from the United Kingdom only if a majority of its population was in favour of such a move. It included, as part of the perspective of the so-called "Irish dimension," the [[principle of consent]] that the people of the island of Ireland had the exclusive right to solve the issues between North and South by mutual consent.<ref>
Peatling, Gary (2004). ''The failure of the Northern Ireland peace process''. Irish Academic Press, p. 58. {{ISBN|0-7165-3336-7}}</ref><ref>Cox, Michael, Guelke, Adrian and Stephen, Fiona (2006). ''A farewell to arms?: beyond the Good Friday Agreement''. Manchester University Press, p. 486. {{ISBN|0-7190-7115-1}}</ref> The latter statement, which later would become one of the points of the [[Belfast Agreement|Good Friday Agreement]],<ref>Clark, Desmond, and Jones, Charles (1999). ''The rights of nations: nations and nationalism in a changing world''. Palgrave Macmillan, p. 168. {{ISBN|0-312-22595-4}}</ref> was key to producing a positive change of attitude by the Republicans towards a negotiated settlement. The joint declaration also pledged the governments to seek a peaceful constitutional settlement and promised that parties linked with paramilitaries (such as [[Sinn Féin]]) could take part in the talks so long as they abandoned violence.<ref>Cox & Guelke, pp. 487–488</ref>
*The [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] agreed to a truce in 1994. This marked the beginning of the end of 25 years of violence between the IRA and the United Kingdom and the start of political negotiations.
*[[Tony Blair]] became Prime Minister in 1997 following a [[1997 United Kingdom general election|general election]].
*The [[Belfast Agreement]] (a.k.a. the Good Friday Agreement) was signed by the U.K. and Irish politicians on 10 April 1998, declaring a joint commitment to a peaceful resolution of the territorial dispute between [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and the United Kingdom over [[Northern Ireland]]. The [[1998 Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement referendum]] was held on 22 May 1998, with majority approval.<ref name=ARK01>ARK: Northern Ireland Elections, [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fref98.htm The 1998 Referendums] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209230657/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fref98.htm |date=9 February 2012 }}</ref>
*The [[National Assembly for Wales]] was established following the [[1997 Welsh devolution referendum]], in which a majority of voters approved the creation of the National Assembly for Wales.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/analysis/rozenberg2.shtml Politics 97] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125091119/http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/analysis/rozenberg2.shtml |date=25 January 2011 }} by Joshua Rozenberg: BBC website. Retrieved 9 July 2006.</ref>
*In September 1997, the [[1997 Scottish devolution referendum]] was put to the Scottish electorate and secured a majority in favor of the establishment of a new [[Scottish Parliament]].<ref name="ScotlandReferendum">{{cite web|url=http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/referendums/Scotland1997.cfm|title=Past Referendums – Scotland 1997|publisher=The Electoral Commission|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207062754/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/referendums/Scotland1997.cfm|archive-date=7 December 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ScotlandElections">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99-050.pdf|first=Bryn|last=Morgan|title=House of Commons Research Paper – Scottish Parliament Elections: 6 May 1999|date=8 October 1999|publisher=House of Commons Library|access-date=17 November 2006}}</ref>

==Assassinations and attempts==
Prominent assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts include:

[[File:Rabin in 1994 (cropped).jpg|thumb|120px|right|[[Yitzhak Rabin]]]]
[[File:Pablo Escobar Mug (cropped).jpg|thumb|120px|right|[[Pablo Escobar]]]]
[[File:RajivGandhi.jpg|thumb|120px|right|[[Rajiv Gandhi]]]]
[[File:Armee de l'Air - Dassault Falcon 50.jpg|thumb|120px|right|A [[Dassault Falcon 50]] similar to the one shot down in the [[Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira|assassination]] of [[Juvénal Habyarimana]] and [[Cyprien Ntaryamira]]]]
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible sortable"
|-
! style="width:120px;"| Date
! Description
|-
|9 September 1990
|[[Samuel Doe]], 21st President of [[Liberia]], was captured by rebels, tortured and murdered. His torture was controversially videotaped and seen on news reports around the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/144562/pt-5-liberia-samuel-doe-death-washed-down-with-budweiser/ |title=Liberia : Samuel Doe, death washed down with a Budweiser |date=10 November 2021 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026154025/https://www.theafricareport.com/144562/pt-5-liberia-samuel-doe-death-washed-down-with-budweiser/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|21 May 1991 
|[[Rajiv Gandhi]], former Prime Minister of [[India]], is [[Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi|assassinated]] in [[Sriperumbudur]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/21/newsid_2504000/2504739.stm |title=1991: Bomb kills India's former leader Rajiv Gandhi |date=21 May 1991 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=21 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621194715/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/21/newsid_2504000/2504739.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|7 August 1991
|[[Shapour Bakhtiar]], former Prime Minister of [[Iran]], is assassinated by Islamic Republic agents.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20100518-ali-vakili-rad-perfect-murder-imperfect-getaway-shapour-bakhtiar |title=Ali Vakili Rad: The perfect murder and an imperfect getaway |date=18 May 2010 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=22 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022021441/https://www.france24.com/en/20100518-ali-vakili-rad-perfect-murder-imperfect-getaway-shapour-bakhtiar |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|29 June 1992
|[[Mohamed Boudiaf]], President of [[Algeria]], is [[Assassination of Mohamed Boudiaf|assassinated]] by a bodyguard.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/144038/the-killing-of-algerias-mohamed-boudiaf-a-parricide-on-live-television/ |title=The killing of Algeria's Mohamed Boudiaf: A 'parricide' on live television |date=9 November 2021 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026154027/https://www.theafricareport.com/144038/the-killing-of-algerias-mohamed-boudiaf-a-parricide-on-live-television/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|13 April 1993
|[[George H. W. Bush]], former President of the [[United States]], is alleged to be the target of an [[1993 cruise missile strikes on Iraq#George H. W. Bush assassination plot|assassination]] by Iraq per a report from the Kuwaiti government during a visit to the country.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/?020930fr_archive02|title=A Case Not Closed|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=7 February 2016|url-status=dead|last=Hersh|first=Seymour M|date=1 November 1993|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021014165340/http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/?020930fr_archive02|archive-date=14 October 2002 }}</ref>
|-
|1 May 1993
|[[Ranasinghe Premadasa]], 3rd President of [[Sri Lanka]], is killed by a suicide bombing.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/05/09/sri-lanka-a-nation-divided/0270089c-e650-4e10-a89f-28ac273bb676/ |title=SRI LANKA: A NATION 'DIVIDED' - the Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=13 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013040000/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/05/09/sri-lanka-a-nation-divided/0270089c-e650-4e10-a89f-28ac273bb676/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|21 October 1993
|[[Melchior Ndadaye]], 4th President of [[Burundi]], is killed during an attempted military [[1993 Burundian coup d'état attempt|coup]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Krueger |first1=Robert |last2=Krueger |first2=Kathleen Tobin |title=From Bloodshed to Hope in Burundi: Our Embassy Years During Genocide |publisher=University of Texas Press |date=2007 |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/archive-files3/ambassador_robert_krueger_kathleen_tobin_kruegerbook4you.pdf |isbn=9780292714861 |pages=18–19}}</ref>
|-
|2 December 1993
|[[Pablo Escobar]], leader of the [[Medellín Cartel|Medellín drug cartel]], is killed by special operations units of the [[National Police of Colombia]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-pablo-escobar-2136126 |title=Biography of Pablo Escobar, Colombian Drug Kingpin |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=14 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414133446/https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-pablo-escobar-2136126 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|23 March 1994
|[[Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta]], the [[Institutional Revolutionary Party]] candidate in the [[1994 Mexican general election]], was assassinated at a campaign rally in [[Tijuana]]. 
|-
|6 April 1994
|[[Juvénal Habyarimana]], 2nd President of [[Rwanda]], and [[Cyprien Ntaryamira]], 5th President of Burundi, are both killed when their jet is [[Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira|shot down]] in what is considered the prelude to the [[Rwandan genocide]] and the [[First Congo War]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940406-1 |title=ASN Aircraft accident Dassault Falcon 50 9XR-NN Kigali Airport (KGL) |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026154025/https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940406-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|4 November 1995 
|[[Yitzhak Rabin]], 5th Prime Minister of Israel, is [[Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin|assassinated]] at a rally in Tel Aviv by a radical ultranationalist who opposed the Oslo Accords.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thisamericanlife.org/570/transcript |title=570: The Night in Question |date=14 December 2017 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026154035/https://www.thisamericanlife.org/570/transcript |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|21 April 1996
|[[Dzhokhar Dudayev]], 1st President of Chechnya, is killed by two laser-guided missiles after his location was detected by a Russian reconnaissance aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/325347.stm |title=BBC News &#124; Europe &#124; 'Dual attack' killed president |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727220538/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/325347.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|2 October 1996
|[[Andrey Lukanov]], former Prime Minister of [[Bulgaria]], is shot outside his apartment in [[Sofia]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-andrei-lukanov-1356634.html |title=Obituary: Andrei Lukanov |website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |date=3 October 1996 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026154025/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-andrei-lukanov-1356634.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|23 March 1999
|[[Luis María Argaña]], Vice President of [[Paraguay]], is assassinated by gunmen outside his home.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/paraguay/gunman.htm |title=Arrested gunman implactes Oviedo, Cubas in Argaña |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026154026/http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/paraguay/gunman.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|9 April 1999
|[[Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara]], 5th President of [[Niger]], is assassinated by members of his protective staff in [[Niamey]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/9/newsid_2463000/2463927.stm |title=1999: President of Niger 'killed in ambush' |date=9 April 1999 |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-date=15 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415001633/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/9/newsid_2463000/2463927.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|}

==Disasters==

===Natural disasters===
{{See also|Category:1990s natural disasters}}
[[File:Izmit eart3.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[1999 İzmit earthquake]], which occurred in northwestern Turkey, killed 17,217 and injured 43,959.]]
The 1990s saw a trend in frequent and more devastating natural disasters, breaking many previous records. Although the 1990s was designated by the United Nations as an [[International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction]] as part of its program to prevent losses due to disasters, disasters would go on to cause a record-breaking US$608 billion worth of damage—more than the past four decades combined.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uPEf1AmFGmMC|chapter=Averting Natural Disasters|title=State of the World 2001|last=Abramovitz|first=Janet N.|publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]]|date=2001|access-date=13 April 2020|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=uPEf1AmFGmMC&pg=PA123 123], [https://books.google.com/books?id=uPEf1AmFGmMC&pg=PA126 126]|isbn=0-393-04866-7}} [[Worldwatch Institute]].</ref>

*The most prominent natural disasters of the decade include: [[Hurricane Andrew]] striking South Florida in August 1992, the crippling [[1993 Storm of the Century|super storm]] of March 1993 along the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]], the devastating [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] in Los Angeles, the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] in [[Kobe]], Japan in January 1995, the [[North American blizzard of 1996|Blizzard of 1996]] in the eastern United States, the US drought of 1999, the deadly [[Hurricane Mitch]] which struck Central America in October 1998, the destructive [[1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak|Oklahoma tornado outbreak]] in May 1999, the August [[1999 İzmit earthquake]] in Turkey, and the September 1999 [[Chi-Chi earthquake]] in Taiwan.
*A [[1990 Luzon earthquake|magnitude 7.8 earthquake]] hit the Philippines on 16 July 1990 and killed around 1000 people in [[Baguio]].
*After 600 years of inactivity, [[Mount Pinatubo]] in the [[Philippines]] erupted and devastated [[Zambales]] and [[Pampanga]] in June 1991.
*July 1995 – [[1995 Chicago heat wave|Midwestern United States heat wave]] – An unprecedented heat wave strikes the [[Midwestern United States]] for most of the month. Temperatures peak at {{convert|106|°F|°C}}, and remain above {{convert|94|°F|°C}} in the afternoon for 5 straight days. At least 739 people died in Chicago alone.
[[File:Key West Damage.jpg|right|thumb|[[Hurricane Georges]] downed trees in Key West along the old houseboat row on South Roosevelt Blvd.]]
*[[Hurricane Georges]] made landfall in at least seven different countries ([[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[St. Kitts and Nevis]], Haiti, the [[Dominican Republic]], Cuba, the United States and [[Puerto Rico]], a Commonwealth of the United States) – more than any other hurricane since [[Hurricane Inez]] of the 1966 season. The total estimated costs were $60 billion (about $110 billion in 2022).
*September 1996 – [[Hurricane Fran]] made landfall in [[North Carolina]], causing significant damage throughout the entire state.
*[[Hurricane Iniki]] hit the island of [[Kauai]] in the Hawaiian Islands on 11 September 1992, making it one of the costliest hurricanes on record in the eastern Pacific.
*A flood hits the [[1997 Red River flood|Red River Valley in 1997]] becoming the most severe flood since 1826.
*On May 3, 1999, the highest wind speeds recorded on Earth at 321 mph (517 km/h) took place during the [[1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado|1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado]] outbreak. The estimated costs were $1 billion (about $1.8 billion in 2024). This event was the first issued [[tornado emergency]] by the [[National Weather Service]] in history.
*In December 1999, torrential rains and flash floods killed tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in the state of [[Vargas (state)|Vargas]] in a natural disaster known as the [[Vargas tragedy]].

===Non-natural disasters===
[[File:Bijlmerramp2 without link.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The crash site of [[El Al Flight 1862]] in 1992.]]
[[File:Model of MS Estonia.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Miniature model from [[MS Estonia]]]]
*[[Gulf War oil spill]]: Resulting from actions taken during the [[Gulf War]] in 1991 by the Iraq military, the oil spill caused considerable damage to wildlife in the Persian Gulf, especially in areas surrounding Kuwait and Iraq.
*11 July 1991: A [[Nolisair|Nationair]] [[Douglas DC-8]], chartered by [[Nigeria Airways]], [[Nigeria Airways Flight 2120|caught fire and crashed]] in [[Jeddah, Saudi Arabia]], killing 261 people.
*15 December 1991: The [[Egypt]]ian ferry ''[[Salem Express]]'' sinks in the [[Red Sea]], killing more than 450 people.
*4 October 1992: [[El Al Flight 1862]], a [[Boeing 747]] cargo airplane heading to [[Tel Aviv]], suffered physical engine separation of both right-wing engines (#3 and #4) just after taking off from Schiphol and crashed into an apartment building in the [[Bijlmer]] neighbourhood of Amsterdam while attempting to return to the airport. A total of 43 people were killed, including the plane's crew of three and a "non-revenue passenger." Several others were injured.
*26 July 1993: [[Asiana Airlines Flight 733]] crashed into Mt. Ungeo in [[Haenam]], South Korea, killing 68 people.
*26 April 1994: [[China Airlines Flight 140]], an [[Airbus A300]], crashed just as it was about to land at [[Nagoya Airfield]], Japan, killing 264 and leaving only seven survivors.
*8 September 1994: [[USAir Flight 427]] crashed near [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], killing 132 people.
*28 September 1994: The car ferry [[MS Estonia]] sinks in the [[Baltic Sea]], killing 852 people.
*29 June 1995: The [[Sampoong Department Store collapse]]s in [[Seoul]], South Korea, killing 502 people.
*20 December 1995: [[American Airlines Flight 965]], a [[Boeing 757]], hit a mountain in [[Colombia]] at night, killing 159 people.
*17 July 1996: [[TWA Flight 800|Trans World Airlines Flight 800]], a Boeing 747-131 exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, killing 230 people.
*12 November 1996: A [[Saudia]] Boeing 747 and a [[Kazakhstan Airlines]] [[Ilyushin Il-76]] [[Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision|collided]] over the town of [[Charkhi Dadri]], outside [[New Delhi]], India, killing 349.
*6 August 1997: [[Korean Air Flight 801]], a Boeing 747-300, crashed into a hill on the island of Guam, killing 228 people.
*26 September 1997: [[Garuda Indonesia Flight 152]] crashed in bad weather, killing 234.
*2 September 1998: [[Swissair Flight 111]], a [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]], crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off [[Nova Scotia]] near the towns of [[Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggy's Cove]] and [[Bayswater, Nova Scotia|Bayswater]], killing 229.
*31 October 1999: [[EgyptAir Flight 990]], a [[Boeing 767]], crashed off the coast of [[Nantucket, Massachusetts]], killing 217.

==Economics==
{{See also|Globalization|Dot-com bubble}}
[[File:NASDAQ IXIC - dot-com bubble small.png|left|thumb|The [[Nasdaq Composite]] displaying the [[dot-com bubble]], which ballooned between 1997 and 2000. The bubble peaked on Friday, 10 March 2000.]]
Many countries, institutions, companies, and organizations were prosperous during the 1990s. High-income countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Western Europe experienced steady economic growth for much of the decade during the [[Great Moderation]]. However, in the [[post-Soviet states|former Soviet Union]], GDP decreased as their economies restructured to produce goods they needed, and some [[capital flight]] occurred.
*In 1993, the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade|General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)]] was updated to include the creation of the [[World Trade Organization]], with the 76 existing GATT members and [[European Communities]] becoming the founding members of the World Trade Organization on 1 January 1995. Opposition by anti-globalization activists showed up in nearly every GATT summit, like the demonstrations in [[Seattle]] in December 1999.
**The [[anti-globalization movement|anti-globalization]] protests in the [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999]] in Seattle began on 30 November 1999. This marked the beginning of a steady increase in anti-globalization protests in the first decade of the 21st century and increasing hostility to [[neoliberalism]].
*U.S. inflation moderated, beginning in 1990 at 5.39%, falling to a low of 1.55% in 1998 and rising slightly to 2.19% in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Inflation in the 1990s|url=https://inflationdata.com/articles/inflation-in-the-1990s/|website=InflationData.com|access-date=28 December 2021}}</ref>
*The [[G20]] or Group of Twenty formed on 26 September 1999.

'''North America'''
[[File:President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas participate in the... - NARA - 186460.jpg|thumb|US, Canadian, and Mexican dignitaries initialing the draft [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] in October 1992]]
[[File:Dow jones.png|thumb|right|228px|The [[Dow Jones Industrial Average|Dow Jones Index]] of the 1990s]]
*The decade is seen as a time of great prosperity in the United States and Canada, largely because of the unexpected advent of the Internet and the explosion of [[High tech|technology industries]]. The US and Canadian economies experienced their longest period of peacetime economic expansion, beginning in 1991. Personal incomes doubled from the recession in 1990, and there was higher productivity overall. The [[New York Stock Exchange]] stayed over the 10,500 mark from 1999 to 2001.
*After the 1992 boom of the US [[stock market]], [[Alan Greenspan]] coined the phrase "[[irrational exuberance]]", a reference to the overenthusiasm of investors that typified the trading of this period, and warned of [[overvaluation]] of assets and the stock market generally.
*The [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA), which phases out the trade barriers between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, was signed into law by President [[Bill Clinton]].

'''Asia'''
*In the [[China|People's Republic of China]], the government announced the major [[privatization]] of state-owned industries in September 1997. China entered the 1990s in a turbulent period due to the aftermath of both the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre|Tiananmen Square Massacre]] and [[Hardline (subculture)|hardline politicians]]' efforts to rein in [[Privately held company|private enterprise]] and attempt to revive old-fashioned [[propaganda]] campaigns. Relations with the United States deteriorated sharply, and the Chinese leadership was further embarrassed by the disintegration of [[communism]] in Europe. In 1992 [[Deng Xiaoping]] [[Deng Xiaoping's southern tour|travelled]] to southern China in his last major public appearance to revitalize faith in [[Market economy|market economics]] and stop the country's slide back into [[Maoism]]. Afterward, China recovered and would experience explosive economic growth during the rest of the decade. Despite this, dissent continued to be suppressed, and [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]] General Secretary [[Jiang Zemin]] launched a brutal crackdown against the [[Falun Gong]] [[Sect|religious sect]] in 1999. Deng Xiaoping died in 1997 at the age of 93. Relations with the US deteriorated again in 1999 after the [[United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade|bombing of the Chinese embassy]] during the [[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia|bombing of Serbia by NATO forces]], which caused three deaths, and allegations of Chinese espionage at the Los Alamos Nuclear Facility.
*[[1997 Asian financial crisis|Financial crisis]] hits [[East Asia|East]] and [[Southeast Asia]]n countries between 1997 and 1998 after a long period of phenomenal economic development, which continues into 1999. This crisis begins to be felt by the end of the decade.
*In [[Japan]], after three decades of [[Japanese economic miracle|economic growth]] put them in second place in the world's economies, the county experienced [[Lost Decades|an economic downturn]] after 1993. The recession went on into the early first decade of the 21st century, ending the seemingly unlimited prosperity that the country had previously enjoyed.
*Less affluent nations such as [[India]], [[Malaysia]], and [[Vietnam]] also saw tremendous improvements in economic prosperity and quality of life during the 1990s. Restructuring following the end of the Cold War was beginning. However, 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.

[[File:Bush Gorba P15623-25A.jpg|thumb|right|[[George H. W. Bush|Bush]] and [[Mikhail Gorbachev|Gorbachev]] at the [[Helsinki Summit (1990)|1990 Helsinki summit]].]]
[[File:Boris Yeltsin with Bill Clinton-1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Boris Yeltsin]] and [[Bill Clinton]] share a laugh in October 1995.]]

'''Europe'''
*By 1990, Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]'s reforms were causing major inflation and economic chaos. A [[Coup d'état|coup]] attempt by hardliners in August 1991 failed, marking the effective end of the Soviet Union. All its constituent republics declared their independence by 1991, and Gorbachev resigned from office on Christmas. After 73 years, the Soviet Union had ceased to exist. The new [[Russia|Russian Federation]] was headed by [[Boris Yeltsin]], and would face severe economic difficulty. [[Oligarchy|Oligarchs]] took over Russia's energy and industrial sectors, reducing almost half the country to poverty. With a 3% approval rating, Yeltsin had to [[Bribery|buy the support of]] the oligarchs to win reelection in 1996. Economic turmoil and devaluation of the [[Russian ruble|ruble]] continued, and with [[heart disease|heart]] and [[Alcoholism|alcohol troubles]], Yeltsin stepped down from office on the last day of 1999, handing power to [[Vladimir Putin]].
*[[1998 Russian financial crisis|Russian financial crisis]] in the 1990s resulted in mass hyperinflation and prompted economic intervention from the [[International Monetary Fund]] and western countries to help Russia's economy recover.
*The first [[McDonald's]] restaurant opened in [[Moscow]] in 1990 with then-President of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR and future Russian President Boris Yeltsin attending, symbolizing Russia's transition towards a capitalist [[free market]] economy and a move towards adopting elements of [[Western culture]].
*[[Oil]] and [[Gasoline|gas]] were discovered in many countries in the former Soviet bloc, leading to economic growth and broader adoption of trade between nations. These trends were also fueled by inexpensive [[Fossil fuel|fossil energy]], with low [[petroleum]] prices caused by increased oil production. Political stability and decreased militarization due to the winding down of the [[Cold War]] led to economic development and higher living standards for many citizens.
*Most of Europe enjoyed growing prosperity during the 1990s. However, problems including the massive [[1995 strikes in France|1995 general strikes in France]] following a recession and the difficulties associated with [[German reunification]] led to sluggish growth in these countries. However, the French and [[Germany|German]] economies improved in the latter half of the decade. Meanwhile, the economies of Spain, [[Scandinavia]] and former [[Eastern Bloc]] countries accelerated at rapid speed during the decade. [[Unemployment|Unemployment rates]] were low due to many having experienced a deep [[recession]] at the start of the decade.
*After the [[early 1990s recession]], the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Celtic Tiger|Ireland]] experienced rapid economic growth and falling unemployment that continued throughout the decade. Economic growth would continue until the [[Great Recession]], marking the longest uninterrupted period of economic growth in history.
*Some [[Eastern Europe]]an economies struggled after the fall of communism, but [[Poland]], [[Hungary]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]] and [[Lithuania]] saw economic growth in the late 1990s.
*With the creation of the [[European Union]] (EU), there is [[freedom of movement]] between member states, such as the [[European Union free trade agreements|1992 and 1995 free trade agreements]].
**The [[Euro]] is adopted by the European Union on 1 January 1999, which begins a process of phasing out the former national currencies of EU countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jsis.washington.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/05/the_euro.pdf|title=The Euro: Money Changes Everything|last1=Boschker|first1=Karen|last2=Sieberson|first2=Eric|publisher=[[University of Washington]]|date=2007|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>

'''South America'''
*A Latin American common market, [[Mercosur]], was established in 1991. Mercosur's origins are linked to the discussions for the constitution of a regional economic market for Latin America, which go back to the treaty that established the Latin American Free Trade Association in 1960, which was succeeded by the Latin American Integration Association in the 1980s.

==Science and technology==
{{Main|1990s in science and technology}}

===Technology===
{{See also|Timeline of computing 1990–1999}}
[[File:CD autolev crop new.jpg|thumb|225x225px|The [[compact disc]] reached its peak in popularity in the 1990s, and not once did another [[Timeline of audio formats|audio format]] surpass the CD in [[Record sales|music sales]] from 1991 throughout the remainder of the decade. By 2000, the CD accounted for 92.3% of the entire [[market share]] in regard to music sales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Music Revenue Database |url=https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/ |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=RIAA |language=en-US}}</ref>]]
The 1990s were a revolutionary decade for [[information technology|digital technology]]. Between 1990 and 1997, household [[personal computer|PC]] ownership in the US rose from 15% to 35%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/archive/computer-ownership-up-sharply-in-the-1990s-pdf.pdf|title=Computer Ownership Up Sharply in the 1990s}}</ref> Cell phones of the early-1990s and earlier ones were very large, lacked extra features, and were used by only a few percent of the population of even the advanced nations. Only a few million people used online services in 1990, and the [[World Wide Web]], which would have a significant impact on technology for many decades, had only just been invented. The first web browser went online in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/news/articles/13/02/1993/index2.html|title=Did 1993 Change Everything? &ndash; New York Magazine|website=nymag.com}}</ref> By 2001, more than 50% of some Western countries had Internet access, and more than 25% had cell phone access.

====Electronics and communications====
===== Internet =====
The 90s were a vital period for the development of the [[Internet]]. Several inventions and applications were launched to create the web as it's known today. [[Tim Berners-Lee]], an English computer scientist, released the [[World Wide Web]] to the general public on April 30, 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Wide Web (WWW) launches in the public domain {{!}} April 30, 1993 |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-wide-web-launches-in-public-domain |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref> The same year, [[NCSA Mosaic#:~:text=Mosaic, the first web browser,Mosaic appeared on the scene.|Mosaic]], one of the first widely available web browsers, was launched as the first browser to display images in line with text and not in a separate window.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Browser {{!}} Web surfing, navigation, search engine {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/browser#ref1036937 |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1990, [[Archie (search engine)|Archie]], the world's first search engine, was released. In the early days of its development, Archie served as an index of [[File Transfer Protocol]] (FTP) sites, which was a method for moving files between a client and a server network.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nguyen |first=Jennimai |date=2020-09-10 |title=Archie, the very first search engine, was released 30 years ago today |url=https://mashable.com/article/first-search-engine-archie?test_uuid=01iI2GpryXngy77uIpA3Y4B&test_variant=b |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is File Transfer Protocol (FTP) meaning |url=https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/file-transfer-protocol-ftp-meaning |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Fortinet |language=en}}</ref> This early search tool was superseded by more advanced engines like [[Yahoo!]] in 1995 and [[Google Search|Google]] in 1998.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Andrew |date=2008-02-01 |title=How Jerry's guide to the world wide web became Yahoo |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/feb/01/microsoft.technology |access-date=2025-01-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-09 |title=Britannica Money |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Google-Inc |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

Following the launch of the early Internet and fiber optic capabilities to the public, a significant shift occurred. Consumers, recognizing the potential of the Internet, began to demand more network capacity. This surge in demand spurred developers to seek solutions to reduce the time and cost of laying new fiber, in order to meet the growing needs of the public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birth of the Commercial Internet - NSF Impacts {{!}} NSF - National Science Foundation |url=https://new.nsf.gov/impacts/internet#:~:text=Going%20public,dedicated%20infrastructure%20backbone%20in%201995. |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=new.nsf.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/short-history-internet “A Short History of the Internet.”] ''National Science and Media Museum'', 3 Dec. 2020, www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/short-history-internet. </ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Internet Commercialization History |url=https://internethistory.org/commercialization/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=History of the Internet |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1992, [[David R. Huber|David Huber]], an optical networking engineer, joined forces with entrepreneur [[Kevin Kimberlin]]. Together, they laid the foundation for a new era in telecommunications with the birth of [[Ciena|Ciena Corporation]].<ref name=":3" /><ref>Hirsch, Stacey (February 2, 2006). "Huber steps down as CEO of Broadwing". The Baltimore Sun.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. David Huber |url=https://internethistory.org/bio/dr-david-huber/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=History of the Internet |language=en-US}}</ref> The company would harness the technology physicist [[Gordon Gould]], inventor of the [[laser]] (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), had pioneered with co-founder William Culver of [[Optelecom]], an early creator of fiber optic cable and optical amplifiers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=May 17, 1993, page 76 - The Baltimore Sun at Baltimore Sun |url=https://baltimoresun.newspapers.com/image/170916535/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>Hall, Carla. [http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-17-vw-29544-story.html “Inventor Beams over Laser Patents : After 30 Years, Gordon Gould Gets Credit He Deserves.”] Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 1987.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |date=2005-09-20 |title=Gordon Gould, 85, Figure in Invention of the Laser, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/20/science/gordon-gould-85-figure-in-invention-of-the-laser-dies.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Ciena's former [[Chief executive officer#:~:text=A chief executive officer (CEO,company or a nonprofit organization.|chief executive officer]] Pat Nettles, and a team of engineers attempted to transmit information on waves of light with a form of a laser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carroll |first=Jim |date=2024-12-12 |title=Patrick Nettles Steps Down as Executive Chair of Ciena |url=https://convergedigest.com/patrick-nettles-steps-down-as-executive-chair-of-ciena/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Converge Digest |language=en-US}}</ref> The team began working on a dual-stage optical amplifier that enabled [[Wavelength-division multiplexing|dense wave division multiplexing]] (DWDM), which allowed large amounts of data to be transmitted across the nation.<ref>Alexander, Stephen B., Chaddick, Steve w., et al. WDM Optical Communication System with Remodulators. [https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadBasicPdf/5696615?requestToken=eyJzdWIiOiJkMjI1MjEyYS1hMDg5LTRmMzctYTBkMS1hYzA3ZmE1NzdjNjAiLCJ2ZXIiOiJmMDdlYWY4Ny04NGU1LTRmNGYtYmVhMC01OTM0NTJmOWRhOGUiLCJleHAiOjB9 US Patent 5,504,609.], May 11, 1995., April 2, 1996.</ref> The firm filed a patent on a dual-stage amplifier on November 13, 1995.<ref>Alexander, Stephen B., Chaddick, Steve w., et al. Wavelength division multiplexed optical communication systems employing uniform gain optical amplifiers. [https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadBasicPdf/5696615?requestToken=eyJzdWIiOiIzOGEyYzYxMC04N2U3LTRjNWMtOWM3Mi1hZWNlYTgyNzE4ZDciLCJ2ZXIiOiJmNTVjYWQ0MS1lZDM5LTRhNTAtYTg0Yy01YjcxMjBlN2RiYjgiLCJleHAiOjB9 US Patent 5,696,615.], November 13, 1995., December 9, 1997.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1995-12-01 |title=Angst and Awe on the Internet |url=https://www.discovery.org/a/25/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Discovery Institute |language=en-US}}</ref> A year later, in 1996, Ciena made history by deploying the world's first dense [[wavelength-division multiplexing]] (WDM) system on the [[Sprint Corporation|Sprint]] fiber network.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Winzer |first=Peter J. |last2=Neilson |first2=David T. |last3=Chraplyvy |first3=Andrew R. |date=2018-09-03 |title=Fiber-optic transmission and networking: the previous 20 and the next 20 years [Invited] |url=https://opg.optica.org/oe/viewmedia.cfm?uri=oe-26-18-24190&html=true |journal=Optics Express |language=en |volume=26 |issue=18 |pages=24190 |doi=10.1364/OE.26.024190 |issn=1094-4087|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Hecht |first=Jeff |title=City of light: the story of fiber optics |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford Univ. Press |isbn=978-0-19-510818-7 |edition=Rev. and expanded ed., 1. paperback [ed.] |series=The Sloan technology series |location=Oxford}}</ref> These developments eventually formed the backbone of every global communications network, and the foundation of the Internet.<ref name=":4" />

Prominent [[website]]s launched during the decade include [[IMDb]] (1993), [[eBay]] (1995), [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] (1994), [[GeoCities]] (1994), [[Netscape]] (1994), [[Yahoo!]] (1995), [[AltaVista]] (1995), [[AIM (software)|AIM]] (1997), [[ICQ]] (1996), [[Hotmail]] (1996), [[Google]] (1998), [[Napster]] (1999). The pioneering [[peer-to-peer]] (P2P) file sharing internet service [[Napster]], which launched in Fall 1999, was the first peer-to-peer software to become massively popular. While at the time it was possible to share files in other ways via the Internet (such as [[IRC]] and [[USENET]]), Napster was the first software to focus exclusively on sharing [[MP3|MP3 files]] for [[music]].

*On 6 August 1991, [[CERN]], a pan-European organization for particle research, publicized the new World Wide Web project.<ref name="wwwinvent">{{Cite news|title=How the Web Was Spun|url=http://www.time.com/time/80days/910806.html|last=Grossman|first=Lev|date=31 March 2003|work=Time Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625000847/http://www.time.com/time/80days/910806.html|archive-date=25 June 2009|quote=Berners-Lee's computer faithfully logged the exact second the site was launched: 2:56:20&nbsp;pm, 6 August 1991.|access-date=19 July 2009|url-status=dead }}</ref> Although the basic applications and guidelines that make the Internet possible had existed for almost two decades, the network did not gain a public face until the 1990s.
*Advancements in [[Modem|computer modems]], [[Integrated Services Digital Network|ISDN]], [[cable modem]]s, and [[Digital subscriber line|DSL]] led to faster connections to the Internet.
*Businesses start to build [[e-commerce]] websites; e-commerce-only companies such as [[Amazon.com]], [[eBay]], [[AOL]], and [[Yahoo!]] grow rapidly.

*Driven by mass adoption, consumer [[personal computer]] specifications increased dramatically during the 1990s, from 512 KB RAM 12&nbsp;MHz [[White box (computer hardware)|Turbo XTs]] in 1990,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5|title=InfoWorld Jan 8 1990|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|date=8 January 1990}}</ref> to 25–66&nbsp;MHz [[Intel 80486|80486]]-class processor<ref>{{cite web|url=http://winsupersite.com/article/commentary/blast-buying-computer-1995-141723|title=Blast from the Past: Buying a Computer in 1995|date=27 December 2011|access-date=8 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518080723/http://winsupersite.com/article/commentary/blast-buying-computer-1995-141723|archive-date=18 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> to over 1&nbsp;GHz CPUs with close to a [[gigabyte]] of RAM by 2000.
[[File:Y2K Logo.gif|thumb|right|The logo created by The President's Council on the [[Year 2000 problem|Year 2000 Conversion]], for use on Y2K.gov]]
*[[Year 2000 problem|Y2K]] spread fear throughout the United States and eventually the world in the last half of the decade, particularly in 1999, about possible massive computer malfunctions on 1 January 2000. As a result, many people stocked up on supplies for fear of a worldwide disaster. After significant effort to upgrade systems on the part of software engineers, no failures occurred when the clocks rolled over into 2000.
*The [[P5 (microarchitecture)|first Pentium microprocessor]] is introduced and developed by the [[Intel|Intel Corporation]].
*Email becomes popular; as a result, [[Microsoft]] acquires the popular [[Outlook.com|Hotmail]] webmail service.
*[[Instant messaging]] and the [[contact list|buddy list]] feature becomes popular. [[AOL Instant Messenger|AIM]] and [[ICQ]] are two early protocols.
*The introduction of affordable, smaller [[satellite dish]]es and the [[DVB-S]] standard in the mid-1990s expanded satellite television services that carried up to 500 television channels.
*The first MP3 player, the [[MPMan]], is released in the late spring of 1998. It came with 32 MB of [[flash memory]] expandable to 64 MB. By the mid-2000s, the MP3 player would overtake the CD player in popularity.
*The first [[GSM]] network is launched in Finland in 1991.
*[[Digital single-lens reflex camera]]s and regular [[digital camera]]s become commercially available. They would replace film cameras by the late 1990s and early 2000s.
*[[IBM]] introduces the {{convert|1|in|mm|adj=on}} wide [[Microdrive]] hard drive in 170 MB and 340 MB capacities.
*[[Apple Computer]] in 1998 introduces the [[iMac]] all-in-one computer, initiating a trend in computer design towards translucent plastics and multicolour case design, discontinuing many [[legacy system|legacy technologies]] like [[serial port]]s, and beginning a resurgence in the company's fortunes that continues to this day.
*[[Optical disc drive|CD burner]] drives are introduced.
*The [[CD-ROM]] drive became standard for most personal computers during the decade.
*The [[DVD]] media format is developed and popularized along with a plethora of [[memory card|Flash memory card]] standards in 1994.
*[[Pager]]s are initially popular but ultimately are replaced by mobile phones by the early-2000s.
*Hand-held [[satellite phone]]s are introduced towards the end of the decade.
*The [[24-hour news cycle]] becomes popular alongside the outbreak of the [[Gulf War]] between late 1990 and early 1991, and is solidified with CNN's coverage of [[Desert Storm]] and [[Operation Desert Shield (Gulf War)|Desert Shield]]. Though CNN had been running 24-hour newscasts since 1980, it was not until the Gulf War that the general public took notice, and others imitated CNN's non-stop news approach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://birminghamskews.com/post/4544141336/this-truly-is-our-story|title=This truly is our story|access-date=3 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324225107/http://birminghamskews.com/post/4544141336/this-truly-is-our-story|archive-date=24 March 2012 }}</ref>
*[[Portable CD player]]s, introduced during the late 1980s, became very popular and profoundly impacted the music industry and youth culture during the 1990s.
*In 1992, [[Fujitsu]] introduced the world's first {{convert|21|in|cm|adj=on}} full-color display [[plasma display]] television set.

<gallery widths="190" perrow="4">
File:EC1835 C cut.jpg|A typical early 1990s [[personal computer]].
File:Discman D121.jpg|An early [[portable CD player]], a Sony Discman model D121.
File:Nokia Mobira Cityman 5000.jpg|Mobile phones gained massive popularity worldwide during the decade.
File:Motorolapager.jpg|[[Pager]]s became widely popular.
</gallery>

====Software====
*[[Microsoft Windows]] operating systems become virtually ubiquitous on [[IBM PC compatible]]s.
*[[Microsoft]] introduces [[Windows 3.1]], [[Windows 95]], and [[Windows 98]] to the market, which gain immediate popularity.
*Macintosh [[System 7]] was released in 1991. For much of the decade, Apple would struggle to develop a next-generation graphical operating system, starting with [[Copland (operating system)|Copland]] and culminating in its December 1996 buyout of [[NeXT]] and the 1999 release of [[Mac OS X Server 1.0]].
*The development of [[web browser]]s such as [[Netscape Navigator]] and [[Internet Explorer]] makes surfing the [[World Wide Web]] easier and more [[Usability|user-friendly]].
*The [[Java (programming language)|Java programming language]] is developed by [[Sun Microsystems]] (later acquired by [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]] in 2009–2010).
*In 1991, development of the free [[Linux kernel]] was started by 21-year-old [[Linus Torvalds]] in Finland.
*[[SolidWorks]] [[computer-aided design]] software for Windows released in 1995.
*[[Adobe Shockwave Player|Macromedia Shockwave Player]] for multimedia in browsers released in 1995.
*[[Winamp]] media player first released 1997.
*[[QuickTime]] media player created in 1991.

====Rail transportation====
The opening of the [[Channel Tunnel]] between France and the United Kingdom saw the commencement by the three national railway companies of Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom, respectively [[National Railway Company of Belgium|SNCB/NMBS]], [[SNCF]] and [[British Rail]] of the joint [[Eurostar]] service.

[[File:Eurostar.svg|thumb|left|200px|[[Eurostar]] logo 1994–2011]]
[[File:Eurostars at waterloo international.jpg|thumb|right|A pair of [[British Rail Class 373|Eurostar trains]] at the former [[Waterloo International railway station|Waterloo International]] since moved to [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras International]]]]
On 14 November 1994 Eurostar services began between [[Waterloo International railway station|Waterloo International]] station in London, [[Gare du Nord]] in Paris and [[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels South]] in Brussels.<ref name='EuroTun His'>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcTunnelInfrastructure/ukcDevelopment/ukpHistory|title=Our history|publisher=Eurotunnel|access-date=10 May 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103073037/http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcTunnelInfrastructure/ukcDevelopment/ukpHistory|archive-date=3 January 2010 }}</ref><ref name = 'waterloovid'>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whnt8cYaNng |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Whnt8cYaNng| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Official Waterloo 'Goodbye' video, useful statistics and numbers shown|publisher=YouTube.com|date=20 December 2007|access-date=27 April 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name = 'Watlooguardi'>{{cite news
|title= Waterloo International: 1994–2007|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2007/nov/13/railtravel?picture=331254132
|work = [[The Guardian]]|location = London|date=13 November 2007}}</ref>
In 1995 Eurostar was achieving an average end-to-end speed of {{convert|171.5|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} between London and Paris.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr40/pdf/f04_tak.pdf|title=High-speed Railways:The last ten years|last=Takagi|first=Ryo|journal=Japan Railway & Transport Review|issue=40|pages=4–7|date=March 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620081824/http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr40/pdf/f04_tak.pdf|archive-date=20 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 8 January 1996 Eurostar launched services from a second railway station in the UK when [[Ashford International railway station|Ashford International]] was opened.<ref>{{cite press release|url= http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/09_01_06_Eurostar_celebrates_10_years.jsp|title= Eurostar celebrates 10 years at Ashford International|publisher= Eurostar|date= 9 January 2006|access-date= <!---- 25 April 2009----->|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120522090109/http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/09_01_06_Eurostar_celebrates_10_years.jsp|archive-date= 22 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Journey times between London and Brussels were reduced by the opening of the [[High Speed 1]] line on 14 December 1997.

====Automobiles====
<!-- Commented out: [[File:Gm-impact.jpg|thumb|right|The [[General Motors EV1]], sold during this decade, It was the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era from a major automaker, and the first GM car designed to be an electric vehicle from the outset.]] -->

The 1990s began with a [[recession]] that dampened car sales. [[General Motors]] suffered huge losses because of an inefficient structure, stale designs, and poor quality. Sales improved with the economy by the mid-1990s, but GM's US market share gradually declined to less than 40% (from a peak of 50% in the 1970s). While the new [[Saturn Corporation|Saturn]] division fared well, [[Oldsmobile]] fell sharply, and attempts to remake the division as a European-style luxury car were unsuccessful.

Cars in the 1990s had a rounder, more streamlined shape than those from the 1970s and 1980s; this style would continue early into the 2000s and to a lesser extent later on.

[[Chrysler]] ran into financial troubles as it entered the 1990s. Like GM, the Chrysler too had a stale model lineup (except for the best-selling [[Chrysler minivans|minivans]]) that were largely based on the aging [[Chrysler K platform|K-car platform]]. In 1992, chairman [[Lee Iacocca]] retired, and the company began a remarkable revival, introducing the new [[Chrysler LH platform|LH platform]] and "Cab-Forward" styling, along with a highly successful redesign of the full-sized [[Dodge Ram]] in 1994. Chrysler's minivans continued to dominate the market despite increasing competition. In 1998, [[Daimler-Benz]] (the parent company of [[Mercedes-Benz]]) merged with Chrysler. The following year, it was decided to retire [[Plymouth (automobile)|Plymouth]], which had been on a long decline since the 1970s. [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] continued to fare well in the 1990s, with the [[Ford Taurus (second generation)|second]] and [[Ford Taurus (third generation)|third]] generations of the [[Ford Taurus]] being named the best-selling car in the United States from 1992 to 1996. However, the Taurus would be outsold and dethroned by the [[Toyota Camry]] starting in 1997, which became the best-selling car in the United States for the rest of the decade and into the 2000s. Ford also introduced the Ford Explorer, with the first model being sold in 1991. Ford's Explorer became the best-selling SUV on the market, outselling both the Chevy Blazer and Jeep Cherokee.

Japanese cars continued to be highly successful during the decade. The [[Honda Accord]] vied with the Taurus most years for being the best-selling car in the United States during the early decade. Although launched in 1989, the luxury brands [[Lexus]] and [[Infiniti]] began car sales of 1990 model year vehicles and saw great success. Lexus would go on to outsell Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the United States by 1991 and outsell Cadillac and Lincoln by the end of the decade. SUVs and trucks became hugely popular during the economic boom in the decade's second half. Many manufacturers that had never built a truck before started selling SUVs. Fabrication during the 1990s became gradually rounder and ovoid, the [[Ford Taurus (third generation)|Ford Taurus]] and [[Mercury Sable]] being some of the more extreme examples. Safety features such as [[airbags]] and shoulder belts became mandatory equipment on new cars.

===Science===
[[File:Dollyscotland (crop).jpg|thumb|[[Dolly (sheep)|Dolly the sheep]] is the first mammal to be [[cloned]] from an adult [[somatic cell]].]]
[[File:Hubble Space Telescope (27946391011).jpg|thumb|[[Hubble Space Telescope]].]]
*Physicists develop [[M-theory]].
*Detection of [[extrasolar planet]]s orbiting [[star]]s other than the Sun.
*In the United Kingdom, the first [[cloning|cloned]] mammal, [[Dolly (sheep)|Dolly the sheep]] was confirmed by the [[Roslin Institute]], and was reported by global media on 26 February 1997. Dolly would trigger a raging controversy on cloning, and [[bioethics|bioethical]] concerns regarding possible human cloning continue to this day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dolly-at-20-the-inside-story-on-the-world-s-most-famous-sheep/|title=Dolly at 20: The Inside Story on the World's Most Famous Sheep|last=Callaway|first=Ewen|work=[[Scientific American]]|publisher=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|date=30 June 2016|access-date=10 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230125710/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dolly-at-20-the-inside-story-on-the-world-s-most-famous-sheep/|archive-date=30 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
*The NIH launched the [[Human Genome Project]] in 1990 under the leadership of [[Francis Collins]], with the goal of sequencing the entire human genome.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shampo |first=Marc A. |last2=Kyle |first2=Robert A. |date=2010-09-01 |title=Francis S. Collins—Human Genome Project |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0025619611602243 |journal=Mayo Clinic Proceedings |language=English |volume=85 |issue=9 |pages=e66–e67 |doi=10.4065/mcp.2010.0495 |issn=0025-6196 |pmc=2931629 |pmid=20836248}}</ref> In the same year, [[Mary-Claire King|Mary-Claire King's]] discovery of the link between heritable breast cancers and a gene found on chromosome 17q21 sparked a wave of collaborative research.<ref name=":2">Kevin Davies, and Michael White. Breakthrough: The Race to Find the Breast Cancer Gene. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1996. [https://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Race-Find-Breast-Cancer/dp/0471120251 978-0471120254]</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hurst |first=Jillian H. |date=2014-10-01 |title=Pioneering geneticist Mary-Claire King receives the 2014 Lasker~Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science |url=https://www.jci.org/articles/view/78507 |journal=The Journal of Clinical Investigation |language=en |volume=124 |issue=10 |pages=4148–4151 |doi=10.1172/JCI78507 |issn=0021-9738 |pmc=4191015 |pmid=25196046}}</ref> Inspired by this breakthrough, scientists [[Mark Skolnick]] and [[Walter Gilbert]], in partnership with entrepreneur [[Kevin Kimberlin]], joined forces to establish [[Myriad Genetics]], a company dedicated to sequencing the BRCA1 gene.<ref name=":2" /> In 1991, Skolnick and his team of scientists developed a gene mapping method, [[Restriction fragment length polymorphism|Restriction Fragment-length Polymorphisms]] (RFLP), to help locate the cancer gene.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cook-Deegan |first=Robert |title=The gene wars: science, politics, and the human genome |date=1995 |publisher=Norton |isbn=978-0-393-31399-4 |edition=1. publ. as a Norton paperback |location=New York NY}}</ref> The company later introduced the first commercial genetic test for assessing the risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, the BRACAnalysis.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lynch |first=Julie A. |last2=Venne |first2=Vickie |last3=Berse |first3=Brygida |date=2015-05-01 |title=Genetic Tests to Identify Risk for Breast Cancer |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0749208115000236 |journal=Seminars in Oncology Nursing |series=Breast Cancer |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=100–107 |doi=10.1016/j.soncn.2015.02.007 |issn=0749-2081 |pmc=4998965 |pmid=25951739}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Antoniou |first=A. |last2=Pharoah |first2=P. D. P. |last3=Narod |first3=S. |last4=Risch |first4=H. A. |last5=Eyfjord |first5=J. E. |last6=Hopper |first6=J. L. |last7=Loman |first7=N. |last8=Olsson |first8=H. |last9=Johannsson |first9=O. |last10=Borg |first10=Å. |last11=Pasini |first11=B. |last12=Radice |first12=P. |last13=Manoukian |first13=S. |last14=Eccles |first14=D. M. |last15=Tang |first15=N. |date=2003-05-01 |title=Average Risks of Breast and Ovarian Cancer Associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutations Detected in Case Series Unselected for Family History: A Combined Analysis of 22 Studies |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002929707606405 |journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics |volume=72 |issue=5 |pages=1117–1130 |doi=10.1086/375033 |issn=0002-9297|pmc=1180265 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dominguez |first=Francisco J. |last2=Jones |first2=Julie L. |last3=Zabicki |first3=Katherina |last4=Smith |first4=Barbara L. |last5=Gadd |first5=Michele A. |last6=Specht |first6=Michele |last7=Kopans |first7=Daniel B. |last8=Moore |first8=Richard H. |last9=Michaelson |first9=James S. |last10=Hughes |first10=Kevin S. |date=2005 |title=Prevalence of hereditary breast/ovarian carcinoma risk in patients with a personal history of breast or ovarian carcinoma in a mammography population |url=https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.21393 |journal=Cancer |language=en |volume=104 |issue=9 |pages=1849–1853 |doi=10.1002/cncr.21393 |issn=1097-0142}}</ref> The Human Genome Project was partially completed in 2003 with a 92% accuracy. It was not until 2022 that the final complete human genome sequence was published.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-11 |title=First complete sequence of a human genome |url=https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/first-complete-sequence-human-genome |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=National Institutes of Health (NIH) |language=EN}}</ref>
*[[DNA]] identification of individuals finds wide application in [[criminal law]]. Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Russia and The Netherlands established their own national [[DNA database]].
*[[Hubble Space Telescope]] was launched in 1990 and revolutionized [[astronomy]]. Unfortunately, a flaw in its main mirror caused it to produce fuzzy, distorted images. This was corrected by a [[Space Shuttle]] repair mission in 1993.
*[[Protease inhibitor (pharmacology)|Protease inhibitors]] introduced, allowing [[antiretroviral drug|HAART]] therapy against HIV; drastically reduces AIDS mortality.
*[[NASA]]'s spacecraft [[Mars Pathfinder|Pathfinder]] lands on [[Mars]] and deploys a small roving vehicle, ''[[Mars Pathfinder|Sojourner]]'', which analyzes the planet's geology and atmosphere.
*The [[Comet Hale–Bopp|Hale–Bopp]] comet swings past the Sun for the first time in 4,200 years in April 1997.
*Development of [[biodegradation|biodegradable products]], replacing products made from [[Polystyrene|polystyrene foam]]; advances in methods for [[recycling]] of waste products (such as paper, glass, and aluminum).
*[[Genetically modified food|Genetically engineered crops]] are developed for commercial use.
*Discovery of [[dark matter]], [[dark energy]], [[brown dwarf]]s, and first confirmation of [[black hole]]s.
*The ''[[Galileo (spacecraft)|Galileo]]'' probe orbits [[Jupiter]], studying the planet and its moons extensively.
*[[Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9]] (formally designated D/1993 F2, nicknamed String of Pearls for its appearance) was a comet that broke apart and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects.
*The [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) becomes fully operational.
*Proof of [[Fermat's Last Theorem]] is discovered by [[Andrew Wiles]].
*Construction started in 1998 on the [[International Space Station]].

==Society==
{{See also|Generation X|Don't ask, don't tell}}
[[File:Pres. Clinton at Homosexuals in Military Policy Announcement (DADT) (1993).webm|thumb|President [[Bill Clinton]] speaks on "[[Don't ask, don't tell]]" on 19 July 1993, which was the United States policy regarding [[Homosexuality|homosexuals]] in the military implemented from 1994 to 2011.]]
The 1990s represented continuing social liberalization in most countries, coupled with an increase in the influence of capitalism, which would continue until the [[Great Recession]] of the late 2000s/early 2010s.
*[[Youth subculture|Youth culture]] in the 1990s responded to this by embracing both environmentalism and [[entrepreneurship]]. Fashion of the Western world reflected this by often turning highly [[individualism|individualistic]] and/or [[counterculture|counter-cultural]], which was influenced by [[Generation X]] and early [[millennials]]: [[tattoo]]s and [[body piercing]]s gained popularity, and "retro" styles, inspired by fashions of the 1960s and 1970s, were also prevalent. Some young people became increasingly involved in [[extreme sports]] and outdoor activities that combined embracing athletics with the appreciation of nature.
*In 1990 the [[World Health Organization]] removed homosexuality from its list of diseases.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stop discrimination against homosexual men and women |url=https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-determinants/gender/news/news/2011/05/stop-discrimination-against-homosexual-men-and-women |website=The WHO Regional Office for Europe |access-date=10 February 2021 |date=17 May 2011 |archive-date=22 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122043721/https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-determinants/gender/news/news/2011/05/stop-discrimination-against-homosexual-men-and-women |url-status=dead }}</ref> Increasing acceptance of [[Coming out|openly homosexual people]] occurred in the western world, slowly starting in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2009/07/what-happened-in-1990/199110/|title=What Happened In 1990?|first=The Daily|last=Dish|website=[[The Atlantic]]|date=7 July 2009}}</ref> [[Biphobia]] towards bisexual men became somewhat fashionable amongst heterosexual women and gay men, while lesbians and bisexual women complained of being commodified by publishing and film industries to cater to heterosexual men.
*Following the murder of actress [[Rebecca Schaeffer]] by a [[Stalking|stalker]], America's first anti-stalking laws, including California Penal Code 646.9 were passed in 1990. California also passed the first [[Cyberstalking legislation|cyberstalking]] law in 1999 (§646.9 of the California Penal Code).
*[[Transdisciplinarity]] in academia. The 1st World Congress of Transdisciplinarity, Convento da Arrabida, was in Portugal, November 1994.
*Child abduction warnings on emergency broadcasting systems, such as [[Amber Alert]]s became standard in such cases.
*[[Midlife crisis]] is a major concern in [[domestic violence]], social implications and [[suicide]]s for [[middle age|middle-aged]] adults in the 1990s.
*Aggressive marketing tactics for [[psychoactive drugs]] and used to treat [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]], inappropriate prescribing by doctors.

===Environment===
At the beginning of the decade, [[sustainable development]] and [[environmental protection]] became serious issues for governments and the international community. In 1987, the publication of the [[Brundtland Report]] by the United Nations paved the way to establish an [[environmental governance]]. In 1992, the [[Earth Summit]] was held in [[Rio de Janeiro]], in which several countries [[Rio Declaration on Environment and Development|committed]] to protect the environment, signing a [[Convention on Biological Diversity]].

The prevention of the destruction of the [[tropical rainforests]] of the world is a major environmental cause that first came into wide public concern in the early 1990s and has continued and accelerated in its prominence.

The [[Chernobyl disaster]] had [[Cultural impact of the Chernobyl disaster|significant impact on public opinion]] at the end of the 1980s, and the fallout was still causing cancer deaths well into the 1990s and possibly even into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Perrineau |first1=Aude |last2=Hairy |first2=Guillaume Hairy |editor-last=Martin Serra |editor-first=Marina |date=2016 |title=The Chernobyl Disaster: The Nuclear Catastrophe and Its Devastating Effects |publisher=50Minutes.com |url=https://elibrary.wayne.edu/record=b5850930~S47 |isbn=9782806279200}}</ref> Well into the 1990s, several [[environmental movement|environmental NGOs]] helped improve [[environmental awareness]] among public opinion and governments. The most famous of these organizations during this decade was [[Greenpeace]], which did not hesitate to lead illegal actions in the name of environmental preservation. These organizations also drew attention to the [[Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest|large deforestation]] of the [[Amazon rainforest]] during the period.

[[Global warming]] as an aspect of [[climate change]] also became a major concern, and the creation of the [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]] (UNFCCC) after the Earth Summit helped coordinate efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. From 1995, the UNFCCC held annual summits on climate change, leading to the adoption of the [[Kyoto Protocol]] in December 1997, a binding agreement signed by several developed countries.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-international-law/article/kyoto-protocol-to-the-united-nations-framework-convention-on-climate-change/963B9A4FEEB7342563BFE2A5B17AD188|title=The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|last1=Breidenich|first1=Clare|last2=Magraw|first2=Daniel|last3=Rowley|first3=Anne|last4=Rubin|first4=James W.|journal=American Journal of International Law|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|date=April 1998|access-date=9 April 2020|volume=92|issue=2|pages=315–331|doi=10.2307/2998044|jstor=2998044|s2cid=144578117 |issn = 0002-9300 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The 1989 [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] total ban on [[asbestos]] was overturned in 1991.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/epa-proposes-rule-to-finally-ban-asbestos|title=EPA proposes rule to 'finally' ban asbestos|newspaper=[[PBS NewsHour]]|date=5 April 2022|access-date=20 January 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811130439/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/epa-proposes-rule-to-finally-ban-asbestos|archive-date=11 August 2022}}</ref>

In 1996, (Anderson, et al. v. Pacific Gas & Electric, file BCV 00300) alleged contamination of drinking water with hexavalent chromium and the case was settled for (US) $333 million, a new record for a direct-action lawsuit.

===Third-wave feminism===
{{See also|Third-wave feminism}}[[File:First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's Remarks to the Fourth Women's Conference in Beijing, China.webm|thumb|First Lady [[Hillary Clinton]] addresses the [[United Nations]] Women's Conference on 5 September 1995, in which she gave her famous "[[Women's rights are human rights]]" speech.]][[File:"I Believe Anita Hill" Button.jpg|thumb|An "I Believe [[Anita Hill]]" button pin in support of her [[sexual harassment]] allegations against [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] nominee [[Clarence Thomas]]. Hill testified before the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]] arguing against the confirmation of Thomas.|left]]
*[[Anita Hill]] and other women testify before the [[United States Congress]] on being [[sexual harassment|sexually harassed]] by [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] nominee [[Clarence Thomas]]. Thomas was narrowly confirmed by the [[United States Senate]], but Hill's testimony, and the testimony of other harassed women, begins a national debate on the issue.
*Record numbers of women are elected to high office in the United States in 1992, the "[[Year of the Woman]]".
*[[Violence against women]] takes centre stage as an essential issue internationally. The [[Violence Against Women Act]] was passed in the United States, which greatly affected the world community through the United Nations. The law's author, [[Joe Biden]], UN Ambassador and Secretary of State [[Madeleine Albright]], and [[Hillary Clinton]] (see below) have become vocal advocates of action against violence against women.[[File:3evague.jpg|thumb|200px|Women's rights demonstration in Paris, November 1995]]
*Women reach great heights of power in the United States government. Hillary Clinton, leading policy proposals, traveling abroad as a State Department representative to 82 nations, advising her husband, and being elected a [[United States Senate|Senator]] (in 2000), is the most openly empowered and politically powerful [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] in American history; Madeleine Albright and [[Janet Reno]] take two of [[United States Cabinet|the cabinet]]'s top jobs as [[United States Secretary of State]] (#1), and [[United States Attorney General]] (#4), respectively. [[Sheila Widnall]] becomes head and [[United States Secretary of the Air Force|Secretary]] of the [[the United States Air Force|Air Force]], and [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]] joins [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] as the second woman on the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]].
*More nations than ever before are led by elected women Presidents and Prime Ministers. Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]]'s 1988 victory in Pakistan makes great strides for women leaders in Muslim states. In Turkey, [[Tansu Çiller]] became the first female prime minister in 1993.
*In popular culture, British pop group the [[Spice Girls]] also played a part in the feminist movement, boosting popularity with their slogan "[[Girl Power]]!", while country music superstar [[Shania Twain]] declared female supremacy in her 1995 hit song "[[Any Man of Mine]]."

===Baby boomers===
Marketing campaigns aimed at young adults in wealthy English-Speaking Countries were informed by unscientific theories about selling to so-called [[Generation X]] and [[Baby boomers]]. Few people embraced the labels Generation X and Baby Boomer as self-descriptors. Films with characters depicting the Generation X stereotype included [[Slacker (film)|Slacker]], [[The Brady Bunch Movie]] and [[Austin Powers]].

===Substance abuse===
* In Western countries, Fashion and Music magazines embrace [[heroin chic]].
* Peak in numbers of heroin overdose deaths. 
* An estimated fifty percent of deaths of 15–54 in post-Soviet Russia are blamed on alcohol abuse.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/alcohol-blamed-half-90s-russian-deaths-flna1c9450713 | title=Alcohol blamed for half of '90s Russian deaths | website=[[NBC News]] | date=25 June 2009 }}</ref>
* More restrictions on tobacco advertising in some countries.

===Slavery and human trafficking===
See: [[History of slavery]], [[Global Slavery Index]], [[Slavery in contemporary Africa]], [[Slavery in Asia]], [[Debt bondage in India]], [[Child labour in Pakistan]], [[Sex trafficking in China]], [[Nike sweatshops]]

* Pakistan
Pakistan's government passed laws to end caste based slavery:
- 1992 Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. 
- 1995 Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Rules.

===Civil rights===
* Saudi Arabia: [[Women to drive movement]]. 6 November 1990, 47 Saudi women in Riyadh protested Saudi government's ban on women drivers.
* United States: 1992 [[Rosa Parks]]: My Story, the autobiography of Rosa Parks is published.

==Additional significant events==
*Worldwide New Year's Eve celebrations on 31 December 1999, welcoming the year 2000.

'''Europe'''
*1991 – [[January Events (Lithuania)]] – Soviet Union military troops attack [[Lithuania]]n independence supporters in [[Vilnius]], killing 14 people and wounding 1000.
*In Paris, [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] and her fiancé, [[Dodi Al-Fayed]], were killed in a car accident in August 1997, when their chauffeured, hired [[Mercedes-Benz S-Class]] crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. The chauffeur, Henri Paul, died at the scene, as did Al-Fayed. Diana and an Al-Fayed bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived the accident. The Princess of Wales died at a Paris hospital hours later. The bodyguard, Rees-Jones, is the sole survivor of the now infamous accident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-20-mn-34192-story.html|title=Survivor Can't Recall Paris Crash|last=Dahlburg|first=John-Thor|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=20 September 1997|access-date=9 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409090141/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-20-mn-34192-story.html|archive-date=9 April 2020|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref>
*[[Mother Teresa]], the Roman Catholic [[nun]] who won the [[Nobel Peace Prize]], dies at age 87.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-06-mn-29425-story.html|title=Mother Teresa, 87, Dies; Devoted Her Life to Poor|last=Dahlburg|first=John-Thor|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=6 September 1997|access-date=9 April 2020|url-access=limited}}</ref>
*The birth of the "Second Republic" in Italy, with the [[Mani Pulite]] investigations of 1994.
*The [[Channel Tunnel]] across the [[English Channel]] opens in 1994, connecting France and England. {{as of|2022}} it is the third-[[List of longest railway tunnels|longest rail tunnel in the world]], but with the undersea section of {{convert|37.9|km|mi|abbr=on}} being the longest undersea tunnel in the world.
*The resignation of [[President of Russia|President]] Boris Yeltsin on 31 December 1999 resulted in Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's succession to the position.

'''North America'''
*[[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold]] kill 13 people and then themselves during the [[Columbine High School massacre|Columbine High School shooting]] in April 1999, which would [[Columbine effect|inspire]] a number of future [[school shooting|school shooters]] to commit similar offenses.
*[[O. J. Simpson murder case]] – [[O. J. Simpson]]'s trial, described in the American media as the "[[trial of the century]]", proceeds for nearly a year under intense media publicity. A majority of the trial was broadcast nightly during [[prime time]] television. On 3 October 1995, Simpson was found not guilty of the double-murder of ex-wife [[Nicole Brown Simpson]] and her friend, [[Ronald Goldman]].
*With help from clinical [[fertility medication|fertility drugs]], an Iowa mother, [[McCaughey septuplets|Bobbie McCaughey]], gave birth to the first surviving [[septuplets]] in 1997. There followed a media frenzy and widespread support for the family.
*[[John F. Kennedy Jr.]], his wife [[Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy|Carolyn Bessette]] and sister-in-law [[Lauren Bessette]] are killed when Kennedy's private plane crashes off the coast of [[Martha's Vineyard]] in July 1999.
*Debate on [[assisted suicide]], highly publicized by [[Michigan]] doctor [[Jack Kevorkian]], surfaces when Kevorkian is charged with multiple counts of [[homicide]] of his terminally ill patients through the decade.
*Beer [[keg registration]] becomes a popular public policy in the United States.
*The 500th anniversary of [[Christopher Columbus|Christopher Columbus']] purported discovery of the Americas in 1992 was popularly observed in the United States, despite controversy and protests against the victimization of Native Americans by Columbus' expeditions. The holiday was labeled by some as [[racism|racist]], in view of Native American experiences of [[colonialism]], [[slavery]], [[genocide]], and cultural destruction.
*[[Matthew Shepard]] is murdered near the [[University of Wyoming]], purportedly for being [[homosexual|gay]]. This sparks intense national and international media attention and outrage. Shepard becomes a major symbol in the [[LGBT]] rights movement and the fight against [[homophobia]]. Claims of crystal methamphetamine related "meth rage" as a contributing factor in the crime surfaced in 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bindel |first=Julie |date=2014-10-26 |title=The truth behind America's most famous gay-hate murder |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/26/the-truth-behind-americas-most-famous-gay-hate-murder-matthew-shepard |access-date=2023-10-18 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
*[[Murder of Shanda Sharer|Shanda Sharer]] was murdered on 11 January 1992. She was lured away from her house and held captive by a group of teenage girls. She was tortured for hours and burned alive. She died from smoke inhalation. Those found guilty and sentenced to prison were [[Melinda Loveless]], [[Laurie Tackett]], [[Hope Rippey]], and [[Toni Lawrence]]. According to Loveless, she was jealous of her former partner Amanda Heavrin's relationship with Shanda Sharer.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
*[[Karla Homolka]] was arrested with her husband, [[Paul Bernardo]], in 1993. Both sexually tortured and killed their victims. Their first victim was Karla's 15-year-old sister, [[Tammy Homolka]]. The second and third victims were [[Leslie Mahaffy]] and [[Kristen French]]. Karla told the investigators that she reluctantly did what Paul told her to do because he was abusive, and was given a [[plea bargaining in the United States|plea deal]]. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison (10 years for Mahaffy and French, and two years for Tammy). Later, investigators discovered the crime videotapes, proving that Karla was a willing participant. But by that time the deal had already been made. In 1995, Paul was sentenced to life in prison. Karla was released from prison in 2005.
*[[Polly Klaas]] (3 January 1981 – October 1993) was kidnapped by [[Richard Allen Davis]] from her home during a slumber party. She was later strangled to death. After her death, her father, Marc Klaas, established the KlaasKids Foundation.
*[[Jonbenet Ramsey]] (6 August 1990 – 25 December 1996) was a child beauty pageant contestant who was missing and found dead in her [[Boulder, Colorado]], home. The crime terrified the nation and the world. Her parents were initially considered to be suspects in her death but were cleared in 2003 when DNA from her clothes was tested. To this day, her murderer has not been found and brought to justice.
*[[Lorena Bobbitt]] was charged with malicious wounding for severing her husband [[John and Lorena Bobbitt|John Bobbitt]]'s penis after she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Bobbitt, for which he was charged. Both parties were acquitted of their respective crimes. The story was notable because of the use of [[Microsurgery]] to re-attach the man's penis.
*[[Wanda Holloway]] was convicted of solicitation of capital murder when she attempted to hire a [[hitman]] to kill the mother of her daughter's junior high school cheerleading rival.
*American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor [[John Denver]] died in a plane crash in [[Monterey Bay]] near [[Pacific Grove, California|Pacific Grove]] on 12 October 1997.
*Scandal rocked the sport of [[figure skating]] when skater [[Nancy Kerrigan]] was [[1994 Cobo Arena attack|attacked]] during practice by an assailant hired by Jeff Gillooly, former husband of skater [[Tonya Harding]]. The attack was carried out in an attempt to injure Kerrigan's leg to the point of her being unable to compete in the upcoming [[1994 Winter Olympics]], thereby securing Harding a better spot to win a [[Olympic gold medal|gold medal]].
*[[1992 Los Angeles riots]] – resulted in 53 deaths and 5,500 property fires in a {{convert|100|sqmi|km2|adj=on}} riot zone. The riots were a result of the state court [[acquittal]] of three white and one [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] L.A. police officer by an [[all-white jury]] in a [[Police brutality in the United States|police brutality]] case involving motorist [[Rodney King]]. In 1993, all four officers were convicted in a federal civil rights case.
'''South America'''
*In 1990, the [[Carapintadas|last military uprising attempting at a military coup]] in Argentine history, was successfully put down by the government.
*In 1994, [[Conscription in Argentina|Conscription]] ceases to exist and becomes voluntary in [[Argentina]] after the murder of a conscript which caused great social upheaval, the trial to clarify the cause of death was named [[:es:Caso_Carrasco|Caso Carrasco]]. 
*The government of [[Carlos Menem]] privatized several enterprises owned by the Argentine state, such as [[YPF]], [[Aerolíneas Argentinas]], [[Ferrocarriles Argentinos]], [[:es:Radio_y_Televisión_Argentina|Radio y Televisión Argentina]], among others.
*[[Puerto Madero]], the richest neighbourhood of [[South America]] is developed during the 1990s in [[Buenos Aires]], due to the great economic growth [[Argentina]] experienced. 

'''Asia'''
*[[1990s post-Soviet aliyah|Massive immigration wave of Jews from the Commonwealth of Independent States to Israel]] – With the end of the Soviet Union, Israel faced a mass influx of Russian Jews, many of whom had high expectations the country was unable to meet. Israel also came under an Iraqi missile attack during the Gulf War but acquiesced to US pressure not to retaliate militarily, which could have disrupted the US-Arab alliance. The US and Netherlands then rushed anti-missile batteries to Israel to defend the country against missile attacks.
*The [[Spratly Islands]] issue became one of the most controversial islands in Southeast Asia.
*The closing Mass of the X [[World Youth Day 1995]] was held in [[Rizal Park]] on 15 January 1995, attended by more than 5 million people. This is the [[List of largest peaceful gatherings in history|record gathering]] of the Roman Catholic Church.
*The [[Philippines]] celebrates the 100th anniversary of [[Independence Day (Philippines)|Philippine Independence]] in 1998 with its theme: "Kalayaan: Kayamanan ng Bayan."
*The [[Ram Janmabhoomi]] movement centering around the [[Ayodhya dispute|disputed site]] of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] holy city of [[Ayodhya]] in [[India]] gathers steam, culminating in the violent [[Demolition of the Babri Masjid|demolition]] of the [[Babri Masjid|mosque]] which stood on the site by [[Karsevak|Hindu volunteers]] in 1992. This in turn lead to violent [[Religious violence in India|communal riots]] throughout the country in that year, which also spilled out into the neighbouring Muslim-majority [[Hinduism in Pakistan|Pakistan]] & [[1992 Bangladesh violence|Bangladesh]]. The [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] [[Bharatiya Janata Party]], which spearheaded the movement, wrested power in [[1996 Indian general election|1996]] after a intensely [[Political polarization|polarised]] campaign run along religious lines, defeating the [[Centre-left politics|centre-left]] [[Gandhian socialism|Gandhian]] [[Indian National Congress]]. 
*[[Pakistan]] & [[Bangladesh]] both witnessed a transition to democracy following the end of the military dictatorships of [[Zia-ul-Haq]] & [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad]] respectively. In the first half of the decade, both countries were led by women. [[Benazir Bhutto]]'s election in Pakistan was the first instance of a woman heading the government in a Muslim-majority country, followed by [[Khaleda Zia]] in Bangladesh. In Pakistan, Bhutto's opponent was [[Nawaz Sharif]], while Zia faced challenge from another woman, [[Sheikh Hasina]].  

==Popular culture==
<gallery widths="190" perrow="5">
File:Nintendo 64 with Mario Kart 64 cartridge 20040725.jpg|The [[fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth]] and [[fifth generation of video game consoles]] like [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Sega Genesis]] and [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]], and [[Super Nintendo]] and [[Nintendo 64|N64]] (pictured) were a hit in the 1990s. Video games like ''Super Mario'' ''[[Super Mario World|World]]'' and ''[[Super Mario 64|64]]'', ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic The Hedgehog]],'' ''[[Street Fighter II]], [[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]], [[Donkey Kong Country]]'', ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|Goldeneye 007]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', ''[[Gran Turismo (1997 video game)|Gran Turismo]]'', ''[[Crash Bandicoot (video game)|Crash Bandicoot]]'', ''[[Spyro the Dragon|Spyro The Dragon]], [[Metal Gear Solid (1998 video game)|Metal Gear Solid]], [[Resident Evil (1996 video game)|Resident Evil]], [[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]],'' and ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' were all popular.
File:Dreamcast-Console-Set.png|The [[Dreamcast]] ([[Sega]]'s final video game console) launched in Japan in 1998, and launched in North America and Europe the following year. The system saw the release of games like ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' and ''[[Soulcalibur (video game)|Soulcalibur]]''.
File:The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida.jpg|Popular animated TV shows of the 1990s included ''[[Doug (TV series)|Doug]]'', ''[[Rugrats]]'', ''[[The Ren & Stimpy Show]]'', ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'', ''[[Daria]]'', ''[[Rocko's Modern Life]]'', ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'', ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'', ''[[Animaniacs]]'', ''[[Pinky and the Brain]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]],'' ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'', ''[[Johnny Bravo]]'', ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', and ''[[Eek! The Cat]]''.
File:Jerry Seinfeld Julia Louis-Dreyfus2.jpg|TV shows like ''[[Seinfeld]]'', ''[[Frasier]]'', ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Friends]]'', ''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'', ''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]'', ''[[Mr. Bean]]'', ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'', ''[[Baywatch]]'', ''[[Cops (TV program)|Cops]]'', ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'', ''[[Prime Suspect]]'', and ''[[Law & Order]]'' were popular in the 1990s.
File:Nirvana around 1992.jpg|[[Grunge]] was a genre of music and subculture popular in the 1990s, as modeled here by [[Krist Novoselic]] (left) and [[Kurt Cobain]] of the band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], one of the most influential bands of the decade. [[Pearl Jam]], [[Soundgarden]] and [[Alice in Chains]] were also popular bands of this genre. 
File:Early internet (cropped).png|Technological advancements like the [[internet]], [[personal computer]]s, and the [[World Wide Web]] were popular in the 1990s. The [[Year 2000 problem|Y2K bug]] in the late 1990s affected popular culture. Y2K was a computer bug occurring when computers switched from the years 1999 to 2000, some computers reset to 1900.
File:IMac G3 Bondi Blue, three-quarters view.png|The futuristic [[Y2K aesthetic]] was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, named after the Y2K bug. This period was defined by then-new technology such as the [[iMac G3]], [[digital camera]]s, and fashion such as shiny metallic clothing.
File:Crystal Pepsi 20oz.jpg|[[Crystal Pepsi]] was a popular drink in the 1990s, which was re-released for a limited run in the summer of 2016. Drinks like [[Surge (drink)|Surge]] released in 1997 and were also popular in the 1990s. 
File:VHS-Video-Tape-Top-Flat.jpg|In the 1990s [[videotape]]s were used for personal home video recordings and recording television airings. VHS tapes could be put in devices such as [[videocassette recorder|VCR]]s, which were popular in the decade. 
File:PokemonRedBlueYellowBack.jpg|''[[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow]]'' released in the late 1990s, which launched the globally popular ''[[Pokémon]]'' franchise, pictured above the GameBoy cartridges. 
File:Barcelona AUGUST 1992 the Olympic Games (Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona 1992) - panoramio.jpg|Five [[Olympic Games]] were held in the 1990s, [[1992 Winter Olympics|Albertville]] and [[1992 Summer Olympics|Barcelona in 1992]], [[1994 Winter Olympics|Lillehammer in 1994]], [[1996 Summer Olympics|Atlanta in 1996]] and [[1998 Winter Olympics|Nagano in 1998]] (all held in the post-Cold War decade).
File:RoyE.DisneyAnimationBuilding.jpg |The "[[Disney Renaissance]]" of the 1990s produced critically and commercially successful animated films like the first ever CGI motion picture ''[[Toy Story]]'' (produced with [[Pixar]]), and traditionally animated films such as ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' and ''[[The Lion King]]'', later it was adapted into [[List of remakes and adaptations of Disney animated films|live-action remakes]].
File:President Clinton and SDLP leader John Hume 02.jpg|US President [[Bill Clinton]] merged with popular culture in the 1990s. Bill Clinton played saxophone on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'', and the [[Clinton–Lewinsky scandal]] made TV headlines in 1998.
File:Tokyo Shibuya Scramble Crossing 2018-10-09.jpg|[[Shibuya]] became [[Tokyo]]'s popular youth hangout in the 1990s, part of the [[Heisei era|Heisei Power]] cultural movement during the [[Lost Decades]] in Japan.
File:RELAP Desktop View.jpg|Popular computing software like [[Windows 95]] and [[Windows 98|98]] by [[Microsoft]] defined 1990s aesthetics.
File:PulpFictionPosterSpoof.jpg|In the 1990s crime and spy comedy films were extremely popular like [[Wild at Heart (film)|''Wild at Heart'']], ''[[Hana-bi]]'', ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'' (depicted), [[L.A. Confidential (film)|''L.A. Confidential'']], ''[[New Jack City]]'', ''[[Boyz n the Hood]]'', ''[[Menace II Society]]'', ''[[Goodfellas]]'', and the ''[[Austin Powers]]'' film series.
File:Google 1998.jpg|The 1990s saw the use of earlier internet search engines, such as [[Google]] in its infancy, [[JumpStation]], [[Ask.com]], and [[AltaVista]]. 
File:TLC 2016.jpg|In the 1990s [[girl group]]s such as [[TLC (group)|TLC]] (pictured), [[Destiny's Child]], and [[The Spice Girls]] gained popularity. These bands are among the highest selling girl groups of all time. 
</gallery>

===Film===
{{Main|1990s in film}}'''Live-action films'''[[File:Titanic Movie Cinema shooting. Airstar Lighting balloons.jpg|thumb|The highest-grossing film of the decade was [[James Cameron]]'s ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' (1997), which remains one of the [[List of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing films of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-27 |title=Titanic - Box Office Mojo |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120338/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027003338/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120338/ |archive-date=27 October 2019 }}</ref>]]

[[Dogme 95]] became an important European artistic motion picture movement by the decade's end. Also in 1998, ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' by director [[James Cameron]] (released in late 1997) became the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing over $1.8 billion worldwide. It would hold this record for over a decade until 2010 when James Cameron's ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' (released in December 2009), took the title.<ref>{{cite web |title=Titanic (1997) |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=titanic.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512195659/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=titanic.htm |archive-date=12 May 2009 |access-date=22 May 2009}}</ref>

[[Crime films]] were also extremely popular during the 1990s and garnered several awards throughout the decade, such as ''[[Wild at Heart (film)|Wild at Heart]]'', ''[[Goodfellas]]'', ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', ''[[Fargo (1996 film)|Fargo]]'', ''[[L.A. Confidential (film)|L.A. Confidential]]'', ''[[Heat (1995 film)|Heat]]'', ''[[The Godfather Part III]]'', ''[[Seven (1995 film)|Seven]]'', ''[[Trainspotting (film)|Trainspotting]]'', ''[[A Simple Plan (film)|A Simple Plan]]'', and many others.

Live-action films featuring computer-animated characters became popular, with films such as ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'', ''[[James and the Giant Peach (film)|James and the Giant Peach]]'', ''[[101 Dalmatians (1996 film)|101 Dalmatians]]'', ''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]'', ''[[Small Soldiers]]'' and ''[[Stuart Little (film)|Stuart Little]]'' proving financially successful. Live-action/traditional cel animated film featuring traditional characters like ''[[Cool World]]'', ''[[The Pagemaster]]'' and ''[[Space Jam]]'' were prevalent as well.

In Argentina, a new artistic movement appeared in the filmmaking scene, called ''[[:es:Nuevo_cine_argentino|Nuevo Cine Argentino]],'' which would be greatly influential in [[Cinema of Latin America|Latin American cinema]]. 

'''Animated films'''

In 1994, former Disney employee [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] founded [[DreamWorks SKG]], which would produce its first two animated films: ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' and ''[[Antz]]'' which were both aimed more at adults than children and were both critically and commercially successful. ''[[Toy Story]]'', the first full-length [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] movie, made by [[Pixar]], was released in 1995 and revolutionized animated films. In 1998, with the release of [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]]'s ''[[Antz]]'' and Pixar's ''[[A Bug's Life]]'', the rivalry between DreamWorks and Pixar began between the studios due to the similarities between both films.

Meanwhile, films by Pixar's parent company, [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] became popular once more when the studio returned to making family-oriented animated musical films. [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Disney Animation]] was navigating the "[[Disney Renaissance]]", through both animated theatrical films and animated television series on the [[Disney Channel]] (owned by [[Disney General Entertainment Content|Walt Disney Television]]). The "Disney Renaissance" began with ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' in 1989 and ended with ''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]'' in 1999. Films of this era include ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]],'' ''[[The Lion King]], [[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]], [[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]], [[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]],'' and ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]''.

Japanese [[anime]] films remained popular throughout the 1990s with the release of [[Studio Ghibli]] films such as ''[[Only Yesterday (1991 film)|Only Yesterday]]'', ''[[Porco Rosso]]'', ''[[Pom Poko]]'', ''[[Whisper of the Heart]]'', ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'' (which became the highest-grossing anime film at the time) and ''[[My Neighbors the Yamadas]]''. Other significant anime films which gained cult status include ''[[Roujin Z]]'', ''[[Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama]]'', ''[[Patlabor 2: The Movie]]'', ''[[Ninja Scroll]]'', ''[[Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie]]'', ''[[Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'', ''[[Memories (1995 film)|Memories]]'', ''[[The End of Evangelion]]'', ''[[Perfect Blue]]'', ''[[Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade]]'', and the [[List of Pokémon films|''Pokémon'' film series]], which started with ''[[Pokémon: The First Movie]]''.

Other significant animated films have also gained cult status, such as ''[[Jetsons: The Movie|The Jetsons Movie]]'', ''[[The Princess and the Goblin (film)|The Princess and the Goblin]]'', ''[[Happily Ever After (1990 film)|Happily Ever After]]'', ''[[An American Tail: Fievel Goes West]]'', ''[[Ferngully: The Last Rainforest]]'', ''[[Tom and Jerry: The Movie]]'', ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]'', ''[[Once Upon a Forest]]'', ''[[We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)|We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story]]'', ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'', ''[[Felidae (film)|Felidae]]'', ''[[The Swan Princess]]'', ''[[A Goofy Movie]]'', ''[[Balto (film)|Balto]]'', ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head Do America]]'', ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]'', ''[[Anastasia (1997 film)|Anastasia]]'', ''[[Quest for Camelot]]'', ''[[The Rugrats Movie]]'', ''[[Kirikou and the Sorceress]]'', ''[[The King and I (1999 film)|The King and I]]'', ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut]]'' and ''[[The Iron Giant]]''. Family-centric animated feature films began to gain popularity through the late-1990s ([[List of animated feature films of 1997|1997]], [[List of animated feature films of 1998|1998]], and [[List of animated feature films of 1999|1999]]). [[Don Bluth]]'s [[Sullivan Bluth Studios|animation studio]] released a number of underperforming family animated films such as ''[[Rock-a-Doodle]]'', ''[[Thumbelina (1994 film)|Thumbelina]]'' and ''[[The Pebble and the Penguin]]'' and closed down in 1995.

In India, [[Shah Rukh Khan]] got rise in his stardom by [[Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge]], [[Kuch Kuch Hota Hai]] and [[Dil To Pagal Hai]].{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

====Award winners====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:9%"|Award
! style="width:9%"|1990
! style="width:9%"|1991
! style="width:9%"|1992
! style="width:9%"|1993
! style="width:9%"|1994
! style="width:9%"|1995
! style="width:9%"|1996
! style="width:9%"|1997
! style="width:9%"|1998
! style="width:9%"|1999
|-
| '''Academy Award for Best Picture winners'''
| ''[[Dances with Wolves]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1991|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1991|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=4 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1992|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1992|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=9 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[Unforgiven]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1993|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=4 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[Schindler's List]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1994|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1994|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=4 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1995|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1995|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=5 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[Braveheart]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1996|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1996|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=5 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[The English Patient (film)|The English Patient]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1997|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=5 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1998|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=5 October 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[Shakespeare in Love]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=1999|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1999|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=18 November 2016 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
| ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=2000|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2000|website=Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=22 April 2015 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''''Palme d'Or'' winners at the Cannes Film Festival'''
| ''[[Wild at Heart (film)|Wild at Heart]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=David Lynch Film Takes the Top Prize at Cannes Festival|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/movies/david-lynch-film-takes-the-top-prize-at-cannes-festival.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=22 May 1990}}</ref>
| ''[[Barton Fink]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent|author-link=Vincent Canby|title='Barton Fink' Wins the Top Prize And 2 Others at Cannes Festival|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/21/movies/barton-fink-wins-the-top-prize-and-2-others-at-cannes-festival.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=21 May 1991}}</ref>
| ''[[The Best Intentions]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Swedish Film Is No. 1 at Cannes; Tim Robbins Wins Acting Prize|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/19/movies/swedish-film-is-no-1-at-cannes-tim-robbins-wins-acting-prize.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=19 May 1992}}</ref>
| ''[[Farewell My Concubine (film)|Farewell My Concubine]]'' and ''[[The Piano]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent|author-link=Vincent Canby|title=Top Prize at Cannes Is Shared|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/25/movies/top-prize-at-cannes-is-shared.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=25 May 1993}}</ref>
| ''[[Pulp Fiction]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=A Dark Comedy Wins at Cannes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/24/movies/a-dark-comedy-wins-at-cannes.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=24 May 1994}}</ref>
| ''[[Underground (1995 film)|Underground]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=2 Films on Strife in Balkans Win Top Prizes at Cannes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/29/movies/2-films-on-strife-in-balkans-win-top-prizes-at-cannes.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=29 May 1995}}</ref>
| ''[[Secrets & Lies (film)|Secrets & Lies]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Secrets and Lies' Wins the Top Prize at Cannes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/21/movies/secrets-and-lies-wins-the-top-prize-at-cannes.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=21 May 1996}}</ref>
| ''[[Taste of Cherry]]'' and ''[[The Eel (film)|The Eel]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Pensiveness, Not Glitz, Gets The Gold at Cannes Festival|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/19/movies/pensiveness-not-glitz-gets-the-gold-at-cannes-festival.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=19 May 1997}}</ref>
| ''[[Eternity and a Day]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Greek Director Wins Top Prize at Cannes Festival|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/25/movies/greek-director-wins-top-prize-at-cannes-festival.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=25 May 1998}}</ref>
| ''[[Rosetta (film)|Rosetta]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=A Belgian Film Wins Top Prize at the Cannes Festival|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/24/movies/a-belgian-film-wins-top-prize-at-the-cannes-festival.html|access-date=5 July 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=24 May 1998}}</ref>
|-
| '''César Award for Best Film winners'''
| ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (1990 film)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]''
| ''[[Tous les Matins du Monde|Tous les matin du monde]]''
| ''[[Savage Nights]]''
| ''[[Smoking/No Smoking]]''
| ''[[Wild Reeds]]''
| ''[[La haine]]''
| ''[[Ridicule (film)|Ridicule]]''
| ''[[Same Old Song]]''
| ''[[The Dreamlife of Angels]]''
| ''[[Venus Beauty Institute]]''
|-
| '''''Golden Lion'' winners at the Venice Film Festival'''
| ''[[Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (film)|Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead]]''
| ''[[Close to Eden]]''
| ''[[The Story of Qiu Ju]]''
| ''[[Short Cuts]]'' and ''[[Three Colours: Blue]]''
| ''[[Vive L'Amour]]'' and ''[[Before the Rain (1994 film)|Before the Rain]]''
| ''[[Cyclo (film)|Cyclo]]''
| ''[[Michael Collins (film)|Michael Collins]]''
| ''[[Hana-bi|Fireworks]]''
| ''[[The Way We Laughed]]''
| ''[[Not One Less]]''
|}

====Highest-grossing====
The 25 highest-grossing films of the decade are:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1990/|title=Worldwide Box Office|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=10 April 2020|pages=1990–[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1994/ 1994], [https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1996/ 1996]–[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1999/ 1999]}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 65%"
|+Films by worldwide box office
|-
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|No.
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Box office
|-
!1
|''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1997
|style="text-align:right;"|$1,850,197,130
|-
!2
|''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1999
|style="text-align:right;"|$924,305,084
|-
!3
|''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1993
|style="text-align:right;"|$912,667,947
|-
!4
|''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1996
|style="text-align:right;"|$817,400,891
|-
!5
|''[[The Lion King]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1994
|style="text-align:right;"|$763,455,561
|-
!6
|''[[Forrest Gump]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1994
|style="text-align:right;"|$677,387,716
|-
!7
|''[[The Sixth Sense]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1999
|style="text-align:right;"|$672,806,292
|-
!8
|''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1997
|style="text-align:right;"|$618,638,999
|-
!9
|''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1997
|style="text-align:right;"|$589,390,539
|-
!10
|''[[Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1998
|style="text-align:right;"|$553,709,788
|-
!11
|''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1991
|style="text-align:right;"|$516,950,043
|-
!12
|''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1990
|style="text-align:right;"|$505,702,588
|-
!13
|''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1992
|style="text-align:right;"|$504,050,219
|-
!14
|''[[Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1996
|style="text-align:right;"|$494,471,524
|-
!15
|''[[Toy Story 2]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1999
|style="text-align:right;"|$487,059,677
|-
!16
|''[[Saving Private Ryan]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1998
|style="text-align:right;"|$481,840,909
|-
!17
|''[[Home Alone]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1990
|style="text-align:right;"|$476,684,675
|-
!18
|''[[The Matrix]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1999
|style="text-align:right;"|$463,517,383
|-
!19
|''[[Pretty Woman]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1990
|style="text-align:right;"|$463,406,268
|-
!20
|''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1996
|style="text-align:right;"|$457,696,391
|-
!21
|''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1999
|style="text-align:right;"|$448,191,819
|-
!22
|''[[Mrs. Doubtfire]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1993
|style="text-align:right;"|$441,286,195
|-
!23
|''[[Dances with Wolves]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1990
|style="text-align:right;"|$424,208,848
|-
!24
|''[[The Mummy (1999 film)|The Mummy]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1999
|style="text-align:right;"|$415,933,406
|-
!25
|''[[The Bodyguard (1992 film)|The Bodyguard]]''
|style="text-align:center;"|1992
|style="text-align:right;"|$410,945,720
|}

=== Music ===
{{main|1990s in music}}
'''Music artists and genres'''
{{multiple image
| align             = left
| image1            = Whitney Houston (cropped3).JPEG
| width1            = 118
| alt1              = Whitney
| caption1          = 
| image2            = Celine Dion Concert Singing Taking Chances 2008.jpg
| width2            = 128
| alt2              = Celine
| caption2          = 
| image3            = Mariah Carey13 Edwards Dec 1998.jpg
| width3            = 170
| alt3              = Mariah
| caption3          = 
| footer_align      = center
| footer            = [[Whitney Houston]] (left), [[Celine Dion]] (center) and [[Mariah Carey]] (right) were three of the highest-selling and most popular female artists of the decade.
}}

Music marketing became more segmented in the 1990s, as [[MTV]] gradually shifted away from music videos and radio splintered into narrower formats aimed at various niches.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www-cgi.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/21/omigod.80s/index.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title='Like, Omigod!' It's the return of the '80s|date=22 August 2002|first1=Todd|last1=Leopold|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104212110/http://www-cgi.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/21/omigod.80s/index.html|archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2005-07-20/entertainment/eye.ent.90s_1_box-sets-packaging-music|title=Return of the '90s|date=21 July 2005|access-date=22 March 2013|first1=Todd|last1=Leopold|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316065347/http://articles.cnn.com/2005-07-20/entertainment/eye.ent.90s_1_box-sets-packaging-music?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|archive-date=16 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-ball-drops-on-the-music-industry-19991005|newspaper=Rolling Stone|title=The Ball Drops on the Music Industry|date=5 October 1999|access-date=10 December 2012|last=DeCurtis|first=Anthony}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=We Hate the 80s|first=Jeff|last=Leeds|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 February 2005|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/arts/music/13leed.html|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref> However, the 1990s are perhaps best known for [[grunge music|grunge]], [[gangsta rap]], [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[teen pop]]; [[Eurodance]], [[electronic dance music]], the renewed popularity of [[punk rock]] from the band [[Green Day]] and their 1994 album ''[[Dookie (album)|Dookie]]'' (which would also help create a new genre [[pop punk]]), and for the entrance of [[alternative rock]] into the mainstream. [[U2]] was one of the most popular 1990s bands; their groundbreaking [[Zoo TV Tour|Zoo TV]] and [[PopMart Tour|PopMart]] tours were the top-selling tours of 1992 and 1997, respectively. [[Glam metal]] died out in the music mainstream by 1991.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.spin.com/2009/11/myth-no-2-nirvana-killed-hair-metal/?aggr_node=55990|website=Spin|title=MYTH No. 2: Nirvana Killed Hair Metal|date=10 November 2009|access-date=17 September 2011|first1=Chuch|last1=Eddy}}</ref> [[Grunge]] became popular in the early 1990s due to the success of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s ''[[Nevermind]]'', [[Pearl Jam]]'s ''[[Ten (Pearl Jam album)|Ten]]'', [[Alice in Chains]]' ''[[Dirt (Alice in Chains album)|Dirt]]'', [[Soundgarden]]'s ''[[Badmotorfinger]]'' and [[Stone Temple Pilots]]' ''[[Core (Stone Temple Pilots album)|Core]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/14/arts/pop-view-nirvana-bes-awaiting-fame-s-call.html|work= The New York Times|title=POP VIEW; Nirvana-bes Awaiting Fame's Call|date=14 June 1992|access-date=23 November 2011|first1=Jon|last1=Pareles}}</ref> [[Pop punk]] also becomes popular with such artists as Green Day, [[Blink-182]], [[Weezer]], [[Social Distortion]], [[the Offspring]], [[Bad Religion]], [[NOFX]] and [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/punk-pop-d2928|title=Music Genres|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=28 April 2020|archive-date=22 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122044938/http://allmusic.com/explore/style/punk-pop-d2928|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other successful alternative acts included [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], [[R.E.M.]], [[Nickelback]], [[Creed (band)|Creed]], [[Radiohead]], [[Gin Blossoms]], [[Soul Asylum]], [[Third Eye Blind]], [[Faith No More]], [[the Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Live (band)|Live]], [[Everclear (band)|Everclear]], [[Bush (British band)|Bush]], [[Screaming Trees]] and [[Ween]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/magazine/the-gen-x-nostalgia-boom.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=My So Called Adulthood|date=4 August 2011|access-date=25 August 2011|first1=Carl|last1=Wilson}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| image1            = Tupac graffiti New York.jpg
| width1            = 137
| alt1              = Tupac
| caption1          = 
| image2            = Bushwick Collective 01.jpg
| width2            = 146
| alt2              = Biggie
| caption2          = 
| footer_align      = center
| footer            = Murals of [[Tupac Shakur]] (left) and [[the Notorious B.I.G.]] (right), two significant cultural figures throughout the 1990s who helped popularize the genre of [[gangsta rap]].
}}

Rappers [[Salt-n-Pepa]] continued to have hit songs until 1994. [[Dr. Dre]]'s 1992 album ''[[The Chronic]]'' provided a template for modern [[gangsta rap]], and gave rise to other emerging artists of the genre, including [[Snoop Dogg]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/jan/03/thegoldenageofhiphop|work=The Guardian|location=UK|title=The missing link of hip-hop's golden age|date=3 January 2008|access-date=17 September 2011|first1=Allan|last1=McGee}}</ref> Due to the success of [[Death Row Records]] and Tupac Shakur, [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] gangsta rap commercially dominated hip hop during the early-to-mid 1990s, along with [[Bad Boy Records]] and the Notorious B.I.G. on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.spin.com/2009/11/myth-no-4-biggie-tupac-are-hip-hops-pillars/|website=Spin|title=MYTH No. 4: Biggie & Tupac Are Hip-Hop's Pillars|date=9 November 2009|access-date=4 September 2011|first1=Jon|last1=Caramanica}}</ref> Hip hop became the best-selling music genre by the mid-1990s.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/07/hiphop-heritage-public-enemy-krs-one|work=The Guardian|location=UK|title=The hip-hop heritage society|date=7 October 2010|access-date=8 November 2011|first1=Angus|last1=Batey}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/02/09/guitar.hero.gone/|work=CNN|title=The music dies for once popular 'Guitar Hero' video game|date=9 February 2011|first1=Michael|last1=Martinez|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811065922/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-09/us/guitar.hero.gone_1_music-genre-air-guitar-guitar-center?_s=PM%3AUS|archive-date=11 August 2011}}</ref>

1994 became a breakthrough year for [[punk rock in California]], with the success of bands like [[Bad Religion]], [[Social Distortion]], [[Blink-182]], [[Green Day]], [[the Offspring]], [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]] and similar groups following. This success would continue to grow over the next decade. The 1990s also became the most important decade for [[ska punk]]/[[reggae fusion|reggae rock]], with the success of many bands like [[Smash Mouth]], [[Buck-O-Nine]], [[Goldfinger (band)|Goldfinger]], [[Less Than Jake]], [[the Mighty Mighty Bosstones]], [[Murphy's Law (band)|Murphy's Law]], [[No Doubt]], [[Reel Big Fish]], [[Save Ferris]], [[Sublime (band)|Sublime]] and [[Sugar Ray]].

The [[rave music|rave]] movement that emerged in the late 1980s continued to grow in popularity. This movement spawned genres such as [[Intelligent dance music]] and [[Drum and bass]]. The latter is an offshoot of jungle techno and [[Breakbeat hardcore|breakbeat]]. Popular artists included [[Moby]], [[Fatboy Slim]], [[Björk]], [[Aphex Twin]], [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]], [[the Orb]], [[the Chemical Brothers]], [[Basement Jaxx]], [[Todd Terry]], [[808 State]], [[Primal Scream]], [[the Shamen]], [[the KLF]] and [[the Prodigy]].

The rise of [[industrial music]], somewhat a fusion of [[synthpop]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], rose to worldwide popularity with bands like [[Godflesh]], [[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Rammstein]], [[Ministry (band)|Ministry]] and [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]]. [[Groove metal]] was born through the efforts of [[Pantera]], whose seventh studio album ''[[Far Beyond Driven]]'' (1994) was notable for going number one on [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. Another heavy metal subgenre called nu metal, which mixed metal with hip hop influences, became popular with bands like [[Korn]], [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] and [[Limp Bizkit]] selling millions of albums worldwide. [[Metallica]]'s 1991 eponymous album ''[[Metallica (album)|Metallica]]'' is the best-selling album of the [[Soundscan|SoundScan]] era, while [[extreme metal]] acts such as [[Death (metal band)|Death]], [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]], [[Darkthrone]], [[Emperor (Norwegian band)|Emperor]], [[Cannibal Corpse]] and others experienced popularity throughout the decade.

====Country music====
In the 1990s, country music became a worldwide phenomenon thanks to [[Billy Ray Cyrus]], [[Shania Twain]] and [[Garth Brooks]].<ref name="Country Worldwide">{{cite news |date=19 August 1992 |title=Country is No. 1 musical style |newspaper=Reading Eagle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0LYxAAAAIBAJ&pg=1510,3298161 |access-date=26 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="Country Worldwide2">{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Bret |date=27 September 1992 |title=Country music reflects the time |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TjQfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4760,3698051 |access-date=26 July 2010 |publisher=Herald-Journal}}</ref><ref name="Country Worldwide3">{{cite news |last=Hurst |first=Jack |date=25 November 1993 |title=Country music is making waves across the seas |work=The Star |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/504338431.html?dids=504338431:504338431&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+25%2C+1993&author=Jack+Hurst&pub=The+Record&desc=Country+music+is+making+waves+across+the+seas&pqatl=google |access-date=26 July 2010 |archive-date=6 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506081606/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/504338431.html?dids=504338431:504338431&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+25%2C+1993&author=Jack+Hurst&pub=The+Record&desc=Country+music+is+making+waves+across+the+seas&pqatl=google |url-status=dead }}</ref> The latter enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the decade. The [[RIAA]] has certified his recordings at a combined (128× [[RIAA certification|platinum]]), denoting roughly 113 million United States shipments.<ref>{{cite web |title=RIAA.com |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |archive-date=26 June 2007 |access-date=1 February 2011 |publisher=RIAA.com}}</ref>

Other artists that experienced success during this time included [[Clint Black]], [[Sammy Kershaw]], [[Aaron Tippin]], [[Travis Tritt]], [[Suzy Bogguss]], [[Alan Jackson]], [[Lorrie Morgan]] and the newly formed duo of [[Brooks & Dunn]]. [[George Strait]], whose career began in the 1980s, also continued to have widespread success in this decade and beyond. Female artists such as [[Reba McEntire]], [[Faith Hill]], [[Martina McBride]], [[Deana Carter]], [[LeAnn Rimes]] and [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]] all released platinum-selling albums in the 1990s. Rimes, a teenager at the time, spawned a "teen movement" in country music; with fellow teen artists [[Lila McCann]], [[Jessica Andrews]], [[Billy Gillman]], and others following suit; a feat that hasn't been duplicated since [[Tanya Tucker]] and [[Marie Osmond]] in the early 1970s. The [[Dixie Chicks]] became one of the most popular country bands in the 1990s and early 2000s. Their 1998 debut album ''[[Wide Open Spaces (album)|Wide Open Spaces]]'' went on to become certified 12× platinum, while their 1999 album ''[[Fly (Dixie Chicks album)|Fly]]'' went on to become 10× platinum.

====R&B and related====
Contemporary [[quiet storm]] and [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] continued to be quite popular among adult audiences originating from African-American communities, which began during the 1980s. Popular African-American contemporary R&B artists included [[Mariah Carey]], [[D'Angelo]], [[Lauryn Hill]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]], [[En Vogue]], [[TLC (band)|TLC]], [[Destiny's Child]], [[Toni Braxton]], [[Boyz II Men]], [[Dru Hill]], [[Vanessa Williams]] and [[Janet Jackson]].

Also, British R&B artists [[Sade (singer)|Sade]] (active since 1982), [[Des'Ree]] and [[Mark Morrison]] became quite popular during this decade.

====Music from around the world====
{{multiple image
| align             = left
| image1            = BlurWembley090723 (166 of 172) (cropped).jpg
| width1            = 190
| alt1              = Blur
| caption1          = 
| image2            = Oasis Liam and Noel.jpg
| width2            = 162
| alt2              = Oasis
| caption2          = 
| footer_align      = center
| footer            = [[Blur (band)|Blur]] (left) and [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] (right) became some of the most internationally popular [[Britpop]] bands of the decade.
}}

In the [[United Kingdom]], the alternative rock [[Britpop]] genre emerged as part of the more general [[Cool Britannia]] culture, with [[Pulp (band)|Pulp]] (already founded in 1978), [[Blur (band)|Blur]] (active since 1988), [[Ocean Colour Scene]] (since 1989), [[Suede (band)|Suede]] (existing since 1989 with hiatus), [[the Verve]] (1990–1993), [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] (formed in 1991), [[Elastica]] (1992–2001), [[Ash (band)|Ash]] (since 1992), [[Supergrass]] (1993–2022 with hiatus) and [[Kula Shaker]] (since 1995) serving as popular examples of this emergence.

The impact of boy band pop sensation [[Take That]], founded in 1990, lead to the formation of other boy bands in the UK and Ireland, such as [[East 17]] in 1991 and the Irish boy band [[Boyzone]] in 1993. Female pop icons [[Spice Girls]] took the world by storm since 1994, becoming the most commercially successful British group since [[the Beatles]], [[the Rolling Stones]] and [[Led Zeppelin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/10_october/19/spice.shtml|title=BBC - Press Office - New Spice Girls documentary on BBC One|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/31/newsid_2494000/2494855.stm|work=BBC News|title=1998: Ginger leaves the Spice Girls|date=31 May 1998|access-date=29 March 2010}}</ref> Their global success brought about a widespread scene of teen pop acts around the world<ref>{{cite web|title=Teen Pop Music: A Guide|url=http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/p/teenpop.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211142900/http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/p/teenpop.htm|archive-date=11 February 2009|url-status=live|access-date=26 August 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/teen-pop-ma0000002895|website=[[AllMusic]]|title=Teen Pop|access-date=17 February 2017 }}</ref> such as [[All Saints (group)|All Saints]], [[Backstreet Boys]] (both formed in 1993) as well as American acts as [[Hanson (band)|Hanson]] (from 1992), [[NSYNC]] (1995–2002, reunited 2003), [[Britney Spears]] and [[Christina Aguilera]] who came to prominence into the new millennium.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2008/may/25/workandcareers.worklifebalance|work=The Guardian|location=UK|title=They don't live for work ... they work to live|date=25 May 2008|access-date=21 July 2011|first1=Anushka|last1=Ashthana}}</ref>

Many musicians from Canada, such as [[Celine Dion]], [[Maestro Fresh Wes]], [[Snow (musician)|Snow]], [[Barenaked Ladies]], [[Shania Twain]], [[Len (band)|Len]], [[Sarah McLachlan]], and [[Alanis Morissette]] became known worldwide.
[[File:Soda Stereo '84.png|thumb|Most commercially successful rock band from Latin America, [[Soda Stereo]]]]
[[Argentine rock|Argentine rock music]] continues to be commercially successful and culturally relevant throughout the 1990s. [[Soda Stereo]], the most famous rock band of Latin America reached new heights with their album ''[[Canción Animal]]'' in 1990, which contained great anthems of Argentine Rock, such as ''[[De Música Ligera]]'', ''Té para tres'' and ''Entre Caníbales''. Many bands of the [[Underground music|Underground scene]] become mainstream, such as [[hard rock]] band, [[La Renga]], [[post-punk]] band [[Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota|Los Redondos]] and [[alternative rock]] band [[Babasónicos]]. Also [[Charly García]] and [[Fito Páez]] would continue their successful solo careers, the latter with one of hist most famous albums, ''[[Circo Beat]]'', and his classic song, [[:es:Mariposa_tecknicolor|''Mariposa Tecknicolor'']].

In 1991, Australian children's music group [[The Wiggles]].

In Japan, the [[J-pop]] genre emerged as part of the more general [[Heisei era|Heisei Power]] cultural movement, with [[B'z]], [[Mr. Children]], [[Southern All Stars]], [[Yumi Matsutoya]], [[Dreams Come True (band)|Dreams Come True]], [[Glay]], [[Zard]], [[Hikaru Utada]], [[Namie Amuro]], [[SMAP]], [[Chage and Aska]], [[L'Arc-en-Ciel]], [[Masaharu Fukuyama]], [[Globe (band)|Globe]], [[Tube (band)|Tube]], [[Kome Kome Club]], [[Maki Ohguro]], [[Tatsuro Yamashita]], [[TRF (band)|TRF]], [[Speed (Japanese band)|Speed]], [[Wands (band)|Wands]], and [[Field of View]] became more popular for Japanese youth audiences during the [[Lost Decades]].

The [[Tibetan Freedom Concert]], organized by [[Beastie Boys]] and the [[Milarepa Fund]], brought 120,000 people together in the interest of increased human rights and autonomy for [[Tibet]] from China.

====Controversies====
[[File:Blink-182 at the Showcase Theater in Corona July 18,1995.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Blink-182]] performing in 1995, whose 1999 album ''[[Enema of The State]]'' became a pivotal moment for contemporary [[pop punk]]]]

Controversy surrounded [[the Prodigy]] with the release of the track "[[Smack My Bitch Up]]". The National Organization for Women (NOW) claimed that the track was "advocating violence against women" due to the song's lyrics, which are themselves sampled from [[Ultramagnetic MCs]]' "Give the Drummer Some". The music video (directed by Jonas Åkerlund) featured a first-person POV of someone going clubbing, indulging in drugs and alcohol, getting into fist fights, abusing women and picking up a prostitute. At the end of the video, the camera pans over to a mirror, revealing the subject to be a woman.

====Deaths of artists====
1991 also saw the death of [[Queen (band)|Queen]] frontman [[Freddie Mercury]] from AIDS-related pneumonia. Next to this [[Kurt Cobain]], [[Selena]], [[Eazy-E]], [[Tupac Shakur]] and [[the Notorious B.I.G.]] were the most publicized music-related deaths of the decade, in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 respectively. [[Richey Edwards]] of [[Manic Street Preachers]] was publicized in the media in 1991 following an incident involving [[Steve Lamacq]] backstage after a live show, in which Edwards carved '4 Real' into his arm. Edwards' disappearance in 1995 was highly publicized. He is still missing but was presumed dead in 2008.

===Television===
{{Main|1990s in television}}'''Comedies and sitcoms'''[[File:Seinfeld actors montage.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Seinfeld]]'', which premiered on [[NBC]] in 1989, became a commercial success and cultural phenomenon by 1993.]]

TV shows, mostly [[sitcom]]s, were popular with American audiences. Series such as ''[[Roseanne (TV series)|Roseanne]]'', ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'', ''[[Empty Nest]]'', ''[[Mr. Belvedere]]'', ''[[227 (TV series)|227]]'', ''[[Cheers]]'', ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', ''[[Growing Pains]]'', ''[[Night Court]]'', ''[[The Hogan Family]]'', ''[[Murphy Brown]]'', ''[[Full House]]'', ''[[The Wonder Years]],'' ''[[A Different World]]'', ''[[Amen (TV series)|Amen]]'', ''[[ALF (TV series)|ALF]]'', ''[[Perfect Strangers (TV series)|Perfect Strangers]]'', ''[[Married... with Children]],'' ''[[Family Matters]]'', ''[[Charles in Charge]]'', ''[[Saved by the Bell]]'', ''[[My Two Dads]]'', ''[[Major Dad]]'', ''[[Newhart]]'', ''[[Dear John (U.S. TV series)|Dear John]]'', ''[[Designing Women]]'', ''[[The Golden Girls]]'', ''[[Who's the Boss?]]'', ''[[Head of the Class]]'', and ''[[Seinfeld]]'', which premiered in the eighties, and ''[[Frasier]]'', a spin-off of the 1980s hit ''[[Cheers]]'' were viewed throughout the 1990s.

These sitcoms, along with ''[[Friends]]'', ''[[That '70s Show]]'', ''[[Ellen (TV series)|Ellen]]'', ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'',  ''[[Nurses (American TV series)|Nurses]]'', ''[[Living Single]]'', ''[[Step by Step (TV series)|Step by Step]]'', ''[[NewsRadio]]'', ''[[Blossom (American TV series)|Blossom]]'', ''[[The King of Queens]]'', ''[[Fired Up (TV series)|Fired Up]]'', ''[[Jesse (TV series)|Jesse]]'', ''[[Parker Lewis Can't Lose]]'', ''[[For Your Love (TV series)|For Your Love]]'', ''[[The Steve Harvey Show]]'', ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'', ''[[Sex and the City]]'', ''[[Arliss (TV series)|Arliss]]'', ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]'', ''[[Grace Under Fire]]'', ''[[Mad About You]]'', ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'', ''[[The Naked Truth (TV series)|The Naked Truth]]'', ''[[The Jeff Foxworthy Show]]'', ''[[The Jamie Foxx Show]]'', ''[[Smart Guy]]'', ''[[The Wayans Bros.]]'', ''[[Malcolm & Eddie]]'', ''[[Clueless (TV series)|Clueless]]'', ''[[Moesha]]'', ''[[The Parent 'Hood]]'', ''[[Unhappily Ever After]]'', ''[[Roc (TV series)|Roc]]'', ''[[Martin (TV series)|Martin]]'', ''[[Hangin' with Mr. Cooper]]'', ''[[In Living Color]]'', ''[[Sister, Sister (TV series)|Sister, Sister]]'', ''[[Boy Meets World]]'', ''[[Ned and Stacey]]'', ''[[Becker (TV series)|Becker]]'', ''[[Veronica's Closet]]'', ''[[Two Guys and a Girl]]'', ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'', ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'', ''[[The John Larroquette Show]]'', ''[[Caroline in the City]]'', ''[[Sports Night]]'', ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'', ''[[Will & Grace]]'', ''[[Evening Shade]]'', ''[[Cosby (TV series)|Cosby]]'', ''[[Spin City]]'', ''[[The Nanny]]'', ''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]'', ''[[Suddenly Susan]]'', ''[[Cybill]]'', ''[[Just Shoot Me!]]'', ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'', and ''[[Dharma and Greg]]'' from the 90s turned TV in new directions and defined the humor of the decade.<!-- Please don't add every show from the 1990s, thanks. -->

Furthermore, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' experienced a new era of success during the 1990s, launching the careers of popular comedians and actors such as [[Chris Farley]], [[Dana Carvey]], [[Phil Hartman]], [[Adam Sandler]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Molly Shannon]], [[Mike Myers]], [[Chris Rock]], [[Norm Macdonald]], [[David Spade]], [[Cheri Oteri]] and others. 
[[File:Friends actors montage.jpg|thumb|left|280px|''[[Friends]],'' which premiered on [[NBC]] in 1994 became one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. From left, clockwise: [[Lisa Kudrow]], [[Jennifer Aniston]], [[Courteney Cox]], [[Matthew Perry]], [[Matt LeBlanc]], and [[David Schwimmer]], the six main actors of ''Friends.'']] 
'''Drama shows'''

1993 saw the debut of the [[medical]]–[[:wikt:mystery|mystery]] drama, ''[[Diagnosis Murder]]'', a comeback vehicle for [[Dick Van Dyke]], who guest-starred on an episode of its parent series, ''[[Jake and the Fatman]]'', where the show got off to a rocky start and became one of television's long-running mysteries, that lasted until its cancellation in 2001. It was one of a number of shows that made CBS popular with a distinctly older audience than its competitors, with a lineup consisting mainly of murder mysteries, westerns and religious dramas, such as ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'', ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'', ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' and ''[[Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman]]''.

Medical dramas started to return to television in the 1990s after the end of ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' in 1988. In 1994, ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'', which originally starred [[Anthony Edwards (actor)|Anthony Edwards]], [[Noah Wyle]] and [[George Clooney]], was instantly a domestic and international success, lasting until 2009 and spawning similar series to compete against it, such as the more soap opera-esque ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' (2005–present), and the short lived ''[[Medicine Ball (TV series)|Medicine Ball]]'' (1995). It was one of the many successful shows during that period (as well as sitcoms such as ''Seinfeld'' and ''Friends'') which made [[NBC]] the most-watched channel in the United States. This show launched the career of [[George Clooney]]. That same year, ''[[Chicago Hope]]'', that starred [[Héctor Elizondo]], [[Mandy Patinkin]] and [[Adam Arkin]], was also a popular series for [[CBS]], lasting between 1994 and 2000.

Crime drama and police detective shows returned to the spotlight after soap operas died down. After the successful debuts of ''[[Law & Order]]'', ''[[NYPD Blue]],'' ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'', [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] debuted ''[[New York Undercover]], ''which starred [[Malik Yoba]] and [[Michael DeLorenzo|Micheal DeLorenzo]], is notable for featuring two people of color in the main roles. ''[[Nash Bridges]],'' a comeback vehicle for [[Don Johnson]], lasting six seasons (1996–2001), dealt with escapist entertainment instead of tackling social issues.''<ref>{{cite news |last=McCABE |first=HEATHER |date=25 April 1996 |title=With a New Beat and Attitude, the 'Vice' Man Cometh |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-04-25-ca-62314-story.html}}</ref>''

''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]'' ran on Fox from 1990 to 2000. It established the teen soap genre, paving the way for ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'', ''[[Felicity (TV series)|Felicity]]'', ''[[Party of Five]]'', and other shows airing later in the decade, and into the 2000s. The show was then remade and renamed simply ''[[90210 (TV series)|90210]]'' and premiered in 2008. ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', and its spin-off ''[[Melrose Place]]'' also became a popular TV show throughout the 1990s. ''[[Baywatch]]'' became the most-watched TV show in history {{citation needed|date=December 2022}} and influenced pop culture.

''[[Sex and the City]]''{{'s}} portrayal of relationships and sexuality caused controversy and acclaim, leading to a new generation of sexually progressive television shows in the 2000s, such as ''[[Queer as Folk (American TV series)|Queer as Folk]]'' and ''[[The L Word]]''.

'''Other television shows and genres'''

Fantasy and science fiction shows were popular on television, with NBC airing ''[[SeaQuest DSV]]'' beginning in 1993, which made [[Jonathan Brandis]] a popular [[teen idol]], but was cancelled after three seasons. The 1990s saw a multitude of ''[[Star Trek]]'' content: in 1993, following the success of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', Paramount released the follow-up shows ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' (1993–1999) and ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' (1995–2001). ''[[Touched By an Angel]]'', broadcast by CBS in 1994, was intended as the comeback vehicle of [[Della Reese]], and also launched the career of [[Roma Downey]]. It wasn't an immediate success and was cancelled, but was revived the following year due to a fan letter-writing campaign, and ran for eight more seasons. At the end of the decade, the [[fantasy drama]] series [[Charmed]] gained a [[cult following]] and helped popularize [[the WB]].

In 1993, one of the last [[western (genre)|westerns]] to air on television was ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'', a [[crime drama]] starring [[Chuck Norris]] as the title character. Running for nine seasons, the show tackled a wide variety of subjects and was one of few shows to feature an actor performing karate stunts at that time.

[[Reality television]] was not an entirely new concept (''[[An American Family]]'' aired on [[PBS]] in 1973) but proliferated for [[Generation X]] audiences with titles such as ''[[Judge Judy]]'', ''[[Eco-Challenge]],'' and ''[[Cops (TV program)|Cops]]''.

The 1990s saw the debut of live-action children's programs such as the educational ''[[Bill Nye the Science Guy]]'' and ''[[Blue's Clues]]'' as well as the superhero show ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'', the latter becoming a pop culture phenomenon along with a line of action figures and other toys by Japanese toy manufacturer [[Bandai]]. This can also be said for the British pre-school series ''[[Teletubbies]]'', which was a massive hit loved by very young children. It also saw long time running shows such as ''[[Barney & Friends]]'' and the continuation of ''[[Sesame Street]]'', both of which would continue in the following decades and so.

During the mid-1990s, two of the biggest professional wrestling companies: ''[[World Championship Wrestling]]'' and ''[[World Wrestling Federation]]'' were in a ratings battle that was called the [[Monday Night Wars|Monday Night War]] (1995–2001). Each company fought to draw more viewers to their respective Monday night wrestling show. The "War" ended in 2001 when ''[[WWE]]'' bought ''[[WCW]]''. In November 2001, there was a Winner Takes All match with both companies in a Pay-Per-View called ''[[Survivor Series]]''. WWF won the match, putting an end to WCW.

The late 1990s also saw the evolution of a new TV genre: primetime game shows, popularized by the quiz show ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]'', hosted originally by [[Chris Tarrant]] on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] in the United Kingdom and [[Regis Philbin]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the United States, as well as other first-run game shows aired in prime time on the newly launched [[Game Show Network]].

Many Argentine TV shows and [[Soap opera|soap operas]] were greatly successful abroad, such as ''[[Muñeca Brava]]'', which would become immensely successful in Russia, and would be exported to over 80 countries, and translated to over 50 languages. Similarly, ''[[Chiquititas]]'' was broadcast in 36 countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia.

'''Animated shows'''

An animated sitcom, ''[[The Simpsons]]'', premiered on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in December 1989 and became a domestic and international success in the 1990s. The show has since aired more than 600 episodes and has become an institution of pop culture. In addition, it has spawned the adult-oriented [[animated sitcom]] genre, inspiring more adult-oriented animated shows such as ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' (1993–1997), ''[[Daria]]'' (1997–2001), along with ''[[South Park]]'' and ''[[Family Guy]]'', the latter two of which began in 1997 and 1999, respectively, and continue to air new episodes through the 2000s and into the 2020s.

Cartoons produced in the 1990s are sometimes referred to as the "Renaissance Age of Animation" for cartoons in general, particularly for American animated children's programs. [[Disney Channel]], [[Nickelodeon]] (owned by Viacom, now Paramount Global) and [[Cartoon Network]] (owned by Warner Bros. Discovery) would dominate the animated television industry. These three channels are considered the "Big Three", of children's entertainment, even today, but especially during the 1990s.

Other channels such as [[Warner Bros. Animation]] would create shows like ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'', ''[[Animaniacs]]'', and the start of the [[DC Animated Universe]] with shows such as ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', and ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'', as well as syndicated shows like ''[[Phantom 2040]]''. Nickelodeon's first three animated series (''[[Doug (TV series)|Doug]]'', ''[[Rugrats]]'', ''[[The Ren & Stimpy Show]]'') all premiered in 1991 along with shows such as ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'', ''[[CatDog]]'', ''[[The Wild Thornberrys]]'', and in 1999 saw the debut of Nickelodeon's well known animated comedy series ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]''. Cartoon Network would create shows like ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'', ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'', ''[[Ed, Edd n Eddy]]'', ''[[Johnny Bravo]],'' and ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]''. Disney Channel would make shows like ''[[Recess (TV series)|Recess]]'', ''[[Pepper Ann]]'', ''[[Darkwing Duck]]'', ''[[TaleSpin]]'', and ''[[Gargoyles (TV series)|Gargoyles]]''. The 1990s also saw animated shows such as ''[[Oggy and the Cockroaches]]'', ''[[Bobby's World]]'', ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'' achieve popularity, alongside British stop-motion animated film series ''[[Wallace & Gromit]]'', which spawned over four short films and two feature-length films. 

Japanese [[anime]] was popular in the 1980s and expanded to a worldwide audience by the 1990s for its expansive spectrum of story subjects and themes not limited to comedy and superhero action found in the US. It featured well-produced, well-written, visual, and story content that came to showcase animation's potential for emotional and intellectual depth and integrity on par with live action media to its viewers. Anime expanded to older and adult audiences in the medium of [[animation]]. Anime shows such as ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', ''[[Digimon]]'', ''[[Pokémon (TV series)|Pokémon]]'', ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'', ''[[Berserk (1997 TV series)|Berserk]]'', ''[[Trigun]]'', ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'', ''[[Gundam Wing]]'', ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', ''[[Ranma ½]]'', ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', ''[[Slayers]]'', ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'', ''[[Initial D]]'', ''[[Gunsmith Cats]]'', ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]'', ''[[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water]]'', ''[[Outlaw Star]]'', to anime movies such as ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'', ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'', ''[[Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade]]'', ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'', ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'', ''[[Castle in the Sky]]'', ''[[The Castle of Cagliostro]]'', and imports by various distributors such as [[Viz Media|Viz]], [[AnimEigo]], [[Central Park Media]], [[A.D. Vision]], [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer Entertainment]], [[Media Blasters]], [[Manga Entertainment]], and [[Celebrity Home Entertainment|Celebrity]], helped begin the mid to late 1990s and turn of the millennium introductory anime craze in the US, and the [[Cartoon Network]] anime programming block [[Toonami]] in 1997.

===Fashion and body modification===
{{Main|1990s in fashion}}
Significant fashion trends of the 1990s include:
*Earth and jewel tones, as well as an array of minimalist style and design influences, characterize the 1990s, a stark contrast to the camp and bombast seen in the brightly colored fashion and design trends of the [[1980s in fashion|1980s]].
*[[Rachel haircut|The Rachel]], [[Jennifer Aniston]]'s hairstyle on the hit TV show ''[[Friends]]'', became a cultural phenomenon, with millions of women copying it worldwide.
*The [[Hi-top fade]] was trendy among [[African-Americans]] in the early 1990s.
*The [[Curtained hair|Curtained Haircut]] increased in popularity in fashion and culture among teenage boys and young men in the 1990s, mainly after it was popularized in the film ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' by the actor [[Edward Furlong]].
*The model 1300 [[Wonderbra]] style has a resurgence of popularity in Europe in 1992, which kicks off an international media sensation, the 1994 return of "The Wonderbra" brand, and a spike in the push-up, plunge bras around the world.
*Additional fashion trends of the 1990s include the [[Tamagotchi]], [[Inline skates|Rollerblades]], [[Pogs]] and [[Dr. Martens]] shoes.
*Bleached-blond hair became very popular in the late 1990s, as were men with short hair with the bangs "flipped up."
*The 1990s also saw the return of the 1970s teenage female fashion with long, straight hair and denim [[Hotpants|hot pants]].
*''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]'' sideburns also became popular in the early and mid-1990s.
*[[Slap bracelet]]s were a popular fad among children, preteens, and teenagers in the early 1990s and were available in a wide variety of patterns and colors. Also popular among children were light-up sneakers, [[jelly shoes]], and shoelace hair clips.
*The [[Grunge]] hype at the beginning of the decade popularized [[flannel]] shirts among both genders during the 1990s.
*[[Heroin chic]] appeared sporadically across film, fashion models and grunge music, but gave way by end of the US recession and the emergence of internet "geek" culture (a sassy tech-literate style centered on web searching and drinking coffee).  
*Grunge- and [[hip-hop]]-inspired anti-fashion saw an expansion of the slouchy, casual styles of past decades, mostly seen in baggy and distressed jeans, cargo shorts and pants, baseball caps (often worn backward), chunky sneakers, oversized sweatshirts, and loose-fitting tees with [[Grandiloquence|grandiloquent]] [[graphics]] and [[logos]].
*[[2000s in fashion|Svelte fashion]] was also popular from the beginning of the 1990s and into the 2000s, as the new millennium began. The rivalry of sloppy grunge fashion versus more expensive clothing made for fitter bodies was a repeat of the rock versus disco rivalry of a decade ago. Nineties fashion became darker, slinkier, and more [[Science fiction|futuristic-looking]] clothing in the late 1990s, with Keanu Reeves in The Matrix as a style icon.
*[[Tattoo]]s and [[Body piercing|piercings]] became part of the [[wikt:mainstream|mainstream]] aesthetic. American model [[Christy Turlington]] revealed her [[Navel piercing|belly button piercing]] at a fashion show in London in 1993. In the late 1990s, some females got [[Lower-back tattoo|lower back tattoos]] and men opted for tribal style arm bands or back pieces.

<gallery widths="190" perrow="5">
File:Tamagotchi_0124_ubt.jpeg|[[Tamagotchi]] and [[Furby]] were popular iconic toys among children around the world in the 1990s, also in the 2000s
File:Kids playing pogs.jpeg|[[Pogs]] was a popular street game among children around the world during the decade
File:Jonathan Brandis Wiki.jpg|[[Grunge]]-style fashion became a trend in the 1990s, modeled here by teen actor [[Jonathan Brandis]]
File:Dr Martens, black, old.jpg|Boots like [[Timberland (company)|Timberlands]] and [[Dr. Martens]] became popular. Hiking, motorcyclist and safety boots were all part of the general trend towards grunge fashion in footwear
File:Will Smith (2078379272) (cropped).jpg|[[Will Smith]] donning a [[Hi-top fade]] in 1993, a popular hairstyle of the early decade
File:Paula Abdul (2105865065).jpg|[[Paula Abdul]] modeling a semi-transparent black dress, curled hair and smoky eye makeup at the [[62nd Academy Awards]] in 1990 
File:Jane Leeves (1995).jpg|[[Jane Leeves]] sporting a [[slip dress]] in 1995
File:Ladygoth.jpg|Example of late 1990s [[goth fashion]]
</gallery>

===Video games===
{{main|1990s in video gaming}}
'''Video game consoles'''

[[Video game console]]s released in this decade include the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]], [[Atari Jaguar]], [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]], [[Sega Saturn]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Nintendo 64]] and [[Dreamcast]]. Portable video game consoles include the [[Game Gear]], [[Atari Lynx]] and [[Game Boy Color]]. ''[[Super Mario World]]'' was the decade's best-selling home console video game, while ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue]]'' was the decade's best-selling portable video game; ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' was the decade's best-selling [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|fifth-generation video game]], while ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' was the decade's highest-grossing [[arcade video game]].

The [[console wars]], primarily between [[Sega]] (Mega Drive, marketed as the [[Sega Genesis]] in [[North America]], introduced in 1988) and [[Nintendo]] ([[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], introduced in 1990), sees the entrance of [[Sony]] with the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] in 1994, which becomes the first successful CD-based console (as opposed to [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]]). By the end of the decade, Sega's hold on the market becomes tenuous after the end of the [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] in 1999 and the [[Dreamcast]] in 2002.

[[Arcade game]]s rapidly decreased in popularity, mainly due to the dominance of handheld and home consoles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wolf |first=Mark J.P. |title=The video game explosion: a history from PONG to PlayStation and beyond |publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-313-33868-7 |location=Westport, Connecticut |page=135 |chapter=Arcade Games of the 1990s and Beyond |oclc=154776597 |quote=The decline of arcade video games would come back in the 1990s, despite attempts to redefine the arcade experience and attract players back to the arcade. |access-date=19 July 2009 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=to5zEwOC9BcC&pg=PA135}}</ref>

'''Video games'''

[[Mario]] as [[Nintendo]]'s [[mascot]] finds a rival in [[Sega]]'s [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] with the release of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' on the [[Sega Genesis|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] in 1991. ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' would go on to become one of the most successful [[List of video game franchises|video game franchises]] of the decade and of all time.

Notable video games of the 1990s include: ''[[Super Metroid]]'', ''[[Metal Gear Solid (1998 video game)|Metal Gear Solid]]'', ''[[Super Mario World]]'', ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', [[Pokémon Red and Blue|''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' Versions]], ''[[Pokémon Yellow|Pokémon Yellow Version]]'', ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'', ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', ''[[Gran Turismo (1997 video game)|Gran Turismo]]'', ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'', ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'', ''[[Radiant Silvergun]]'', ''[[Rayman (video game)|Rayman]]'', ''[[Gunstar Heroes]]'', ''[[Banjo-Kazooie (video game)|Banjo-Kazooie]]'', ''[[Soulcalibur (video game)|Soulcalibur]]'', ''[[Star Fox]]'' series, ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' series, ''[[Final Fantasy]]'', ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series, ''[[Story of Seasons]]'' series, ''[[Tony Hawk's (series)|Tony Hawk's]]'' series, ''[[Crash Bandicoot]]'' series, ''[[Metal Slug]]'' series, ''[[Resident Evil]]'' series, ''[[Street Fighter II]]'', ''[[Spyro|Spyro the Dragon]]'' series, ''[[Commander Keen]]'' series, ''[[Test Drive]]'' series, ''[[Dance Dance Revolution]]'' series, ''[[Monkey Island]]'' series, ''[[Dune computer and video games|Dune]]'' series, ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' series, ''[[Warcraft]]'' series, ''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]'', ''[[Tekken]]'' series, ''[[EarthBound]]'', ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game]]'', and ''[[StarCraft]]''.

[[Sony]]'s [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] becomes the top-selling video game console and changes the standard media storage type from [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]] to [[compact disc]]s (CDs) in home consoles. [[Crash Bandicoot (video game)|''Crash Bandicoot'']] is released on 9 September 1996, becoming one of the most successful platforming series for the Sony PlayStation. [[Spyro the Dragon|''Spyro The Dragon'']], released on 9 September 1998, also became a successful platforming series. ''[[Tomb Raider]]''{{'}}s [[Lara Croft]] became a video game [[sex symbol]], becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the entertainment industry throughout the late 1990s.

''[[Pokémon]]'' enters the world scene with the release of the original ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue|Pokémon Red]]'' and ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue|Pokémon Green]]'' for [[Game Boy]] in Japan in 1996, later changed to ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue|Pokémon Red]]'' and ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue|Pokémon Blue]]'' for worldwide release in 1998. It soon becomes popular in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], creating the term ''Pokémonia'', and is adapted into a popular [[Pokémon (TV series)|anime series]] and [[Pokémon Trading Card Game|trading card]] game, among other media forms.

''[[Resident Evil (1996 video game)|Resident Evil]]'' is released in 1996 and ''[[Resident Evil 2]]''. Both games became the most highly acclaimed [[Survival horror|survival-horror]] series on the PlayStation at the time it was released. It is credited with defining the survival horror genre and with returning zombies to [[popular culture]], leading to a renewed interest in [[zombie film]]s by the 2000s.

'''Video game genres'''

[[3D computer graphics|3D]] graphics become the standard by the decade's end. Although [[First-person shooter|FPS games]] had long since seen the transition to full 3D, other genres began to copy this trend by the end of the decade. The most notable first shooter games in the 1990s are ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'' and ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (video game)|Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six]]''.

The violent nature of fighting games like [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Street Fighter II]]'', [[Sega]]'s ''[[Virtua Fighter (arcade game)|Virtua Fighter]]'', and [[Midway Games|Midway]]'s ''[[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]]'' prompted the video game industry to accept a [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|game rating system]]. Hundreds of knockoffs are widely popular in the mid-to-late 1990s. ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993) bursts onto the world scene, and instantly popularizes the [[First-person shooter|FPS]] genre. ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' (1998) builds upon this, using gameplay without [[Level (video games)|levels]] and an immersive [[First-person narrative|first-person perspective]]. Half-Life became one of the most popular FPS games in history.

The [[real-time strategy]] (RTS) genre is introduced in 1992 with the release of ''[[Dune II]]''. ''[[Warcraft: Orcs & Humans]]'' (1994) popularizing the genre, and ''[[Command & Conquer]]'' and ''[[Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness]]'' in 1995, setting up the first major real-time strategy competition and popularizing multiplayer capabilities in RTS games. ''[[StarCraft]]'' in 1998 becomes the second best-selling computer game of all time. It remains among the most popular multiplayer RTS games today, especially in [[South Korea]]. {{citation needed|date=December 2022}} ''[[Homeworld]]'' in 1999 becomes the first successful 3D RTS game. The rise of the RTS genre is often credited with the fall of the [[turn-based strategy]] (TBS) genre, popularized with ''[[Civilization (video game)|Civilization]]'' in 1991. ''[[Final Fantasy (video game)|Final Fantasy]]'' was introduced (in North America) in 1990 for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] and remains among the most popular video game [[Final Fantasy|franchises]], with many new titles to date and more in development, plus numerous spin-offs, sequels, films and related titles. ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', released in 1997, especially popularized the series.

[[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]s (MMORPGs) see their entrance with ''[[Ultima Online]]'' in 1997. However, they do not gain widespread popularity until ''[[EverQuest]]'' and ''[[Asheron's Call]]'' in 1999. MMORPGs become among the most popular video game genres until the [[2010s]].

The [[List of best-selling video games|best-selling games]] of the 1990s are listed below (note that some sources disagree on particular years):

* 1990: ''[[Super Mario World]]''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Welch|first=Hanuman|date=23 April 2013|title=The Best Selling Video Game Of Every Year Since 1977|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/the-best-video-games-to-come-out-every-year-since-the-atari-2600/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Complex|language=en|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112230159/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/the-best-video-games-to-come-out-every-year-since-the-atari-2600/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 1991: [[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'']]<ref name=":0" />
* 1992: ''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]''<ref name=":0" />
* 1993: ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''<ref name=":0" />
* 1994: ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''<ref name=":0" />
* 1995: [[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island|''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Islan''d]]<ref name=":0" /> or ''[[Mortal Kombat 3]]''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Webb|first=Kevin|date=2019-09-12|title=The best-selling video game of every year, from 1995 to 2018|url=https://www.businessinsider.nl/best-selling-video-game-every-year-2018-11/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Business Insider|language=}}</ref>
* 1996: ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue]]''<ref name=":0" /> or ''[[Super Mario 64]]''<ref name=":1" />
* 1997: [[Gran Turismo (1997 video game)|Gran Turismo]]<ref name=":0" /> or ''[[Mario Kart 64]]''<ref name=":1" />
* 1998: ''[[Pokémon Yellow]]''<ref name=":0" /> or ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''<ref name=":1" />
* 1999: ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]''<ref name=":0" /> or ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''<ref name=":1" />
<gallery widths="190" perrow="5">
File:Neo-Geo-AES-Console-Set.jpg|'''[[Neo Geo]] AES''' released in 1990. The console was supposed to bring an experience similar to [[Arcade games]] to be played.
File:USA-SNES - JPN-SuperFamicom.png|'''[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]''' (SNES) released in 1990 and is the successor to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
File:Sega-Mega-Drive-EU-Mk1-wController-FL.jpg|The European PAL version of the '''[[Sega Genesis|Mega Drive]]''' launched in 1990, later becoming the highest-selling [[Fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth-gen]] console in Europe.
File:Game-Boy-FL.jpg|Nintendo's '''[[Game Boy]]''' was a popular handheld game console during the 1990s.
File:Atari-Jaguar-CD-wController.jpg|The '''[[Atari Jaguar]]'''  released in 1993, becoming part [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|Fifth-gen]] of video game consoles.
File:N64-Console-Set.png|The '''[[Nintendo 64]]''' was released in 1996. ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' was the best-selling game of the decade.
File:PSX-Console-wController.png|The '''[[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]''' was released in the mid-1990s and became the [[List of million-selling game consoles|best-selling gaming console]] of its time.
File:Diana Maria (cropped).jpg|The game '''''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]''''', launched in 1996, became particularly popular during the decade and as a result [[Lara Croft]]'s character eventually became a cultural icon in the video game industry
File:Mittelgrosse_lan-party.jpg|Private '''[[LAN parties]]''' were at the peak of their popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s when broadband Internet access was unavailable or too expensive for most people
</gallery>

===Architecture===
{{Further|:Category:1990s architecture}}
*The [[Petronas Towers|Petronas Twin Towers]] became two of the [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the world|tallest man-made structures]] ever built after they officially opened on 31 August 1999.

===Sports===
[[File:Jordan by Lipofsky 16577.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Michael Jordan]], the most popular NBA player of the 1990s.]]
*In [[college football]], the [[Inauguration|Inaugural]] 1992 [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] Championship Game occurred at Legion Field in [[Birmingham, Alabama]]. The [[Alabama Crimson Tide]] football team, under then-Coach [[Gene Stallings]], went 11-0 and defeated the [[Florida Gators]] under then-Coach [[Steve Spurrier]]. The Tide would later finish 13–0 to win the National Championship and beat the [[Miami Hurricanes]] in the 1993 [[Sugar Bowl]]. However, Spurrier and the Gators would later win Four SEC Championships from 1993 to 1996. They went on to win their first National Championship in the 1997 [[Nokia]] [[Sugar Bowl]] by defeating the [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State Seminoles]].
*The [[1992 Summer Olympics]] are held in [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]] and the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] are held in [[Atlanta]], [[United States]].
*The [[1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team]], nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active [[professional sports|professional]] players from the [[National Basketball Association]]. Described as the "greatest team ever assembled", its roster included the likes of [[Michael Jordan]], [[Larry Bird]], and [[Magic Johnson]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=McCallum |first1=Jack |title=Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever |date=2013 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group |isbn=9780345520494 |page=313 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8KJGlUvrPYC&pg=PA313 |access-date=31 July 2020}}</ref><ref>"[https://www.espn.com/blog/sportscenter/post/_/id/71610/this-day-in-sports-the-dream-team-takes-gold-in-barcelona This Day in Sports: The Dream Team Takes Gold in Barcelona]". ESPN. 8 August 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2012.</ref>
*[[Major League Baseball]] players went on [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike]] on 12 August 1994, thus ending the season and canceling the [[World Series]] for the first time in 90 years. The players' strike ended on 29 March 1995, when players and team owners agreed.
*The [[1991 World Series]] pitted the [[1991 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] and the [[1991 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]], two teams who finished last place in their respective divisions, the [[1990 Major League Baseball season|previous season]]. The series would go all seven games won by the home teams, concluding dramatically with the Minnesota Twins claiming their second World Series title.
*American [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] [[basketball]] player [[Michael Jordan]] became a major sports and [[Pop icon|pop culture icon]], idolized by millions worldwide. He revolutionized [[sports marketing]] through deals with companies such as [[Gatorade]], [[Hanes]], [[McDonald's]] and [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]. His [[Chicago Bulls]] team won six NBA titles during the decade ([[1991 NBA Finals|1991]], [[1992 NBA Finals|1992]], [[1993 NBA Finals|1993]], [[1996 NBA Finals|1996]], [[1997 NBA Finals|1997]] and [[1998 NBA Finals|1998]]). He was also notable in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] thanks to his self-portrayal in the film ''[[Space Jam]]'' with the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' characters.
*The [[National Hockey League]] would expand from 21 to 30 teams. During the expansion years, several teams would relocate to new cities: the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972-96)|Winnipeg Jets]] moved to [[Phoenix, Arizona]] and became the [[Phoenix Coyotes]], the [[Quebec Nordiques]] moved to [[Denver]] and became the [[Colorado Avalanche]], the [[Hartford Whalers]] moved to [[Raleigh, North Carolina]] and became the [[Carolina Hurricanes]], and the [[Minnesota North Stars]] moved to [[Dallas]] and became the [[Dallas Stars]].
**The NHL's 1990s expansion saw new teams in cities that previously never had NHL hockey: [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] ([[San Jose Sharks]]), [[Anaheim]] ([[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]]), [[Nashville]] ([[Nashville Predators]]), Miami ([[Florida Panthers]]), and [[Tampa]] ([[Tampa Bay Lightning]]). The NHL also returned to Atlanta with the expansion [[Atlanta Thrashers]].
**Two of the NHL's [[Original Six]] teams, the [[New York Rangers]] and the [[Detroit Red Wings]], would end long [[Stanley Cup]] championship droughts; the Rangers in [[1994 Stanley Cup Finals|1994]] after [[Curse of 1940|54 years]], and the Red Wings would win back-to-back Cups in [[1997 Stanley Cup Finals|1997]] and [[1998 Stanley Cup Finals|1998]] after [[1955 Stanley Cup Finals|42 years]].
**Canadian hockey star [[Mario Lemieux]] led the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], one of the original NHL expansion teams, to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in [[1991 Stanley Cup Finals|1991]] and [[1992 Stanley Cup Finals|1992]].
**In addition to the Pittsburgh Penguins, three other NHL expansion teams went on to earn their first Stanley Cup championships: the [[New Jersey Devils]] in [[1995 Stanley Cup Finals|1995]], the Colorado Avalanche in [[1996 Stanley Cup Finals|1996]], and the Dallas Stars in [[1999 Stanley Cup Finals|1999]].
**Canadian hockey star [[Wayne Gretzky]] announced his retirement from the NHL in 1999. Upon his final game on 18 April, he held 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records. He is the leading point-scorer in NHL history and the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. He played for four teams during his NHL career: the [[Edmonton Oilers]], the [[Los Angeles Kings]], the [[St. Louis Blues]], and the New York Rangers.
*American cyclist [[Lance Armstrong]] won his first [[Tour de France]] in 1999, less than two years after battling [[testicular cancer]]. Armstrong would later become embattled in a major [[Lance Armstrong doping case|doping investigation]], stripping him of this and all of his major cycling titles. 
*In [[professional wrestling]], as the popularity brought on by the [[1980s professional wrestling boom|1980s boom period]] slowly declined in the former half of the 1990s, the [[WWE|WWF]] continued its "[[History of WWE#Golden Era (1980–1993)|Golden Era]]" until 1993, led by such stars as [[Hulk Hogan]], [[The Ultimate Warrior]], and [[The Undertaker]] (who would go on to have an [[The Streak (wrestling)|undefeated streak at WrestleMania]] that continued until [[WrestleMania XXX]] in April 2014). Afterwards, a second boom period from the middle of the decade was initiated due to the [[Monday Night Wars|Monday Night War]] between the WWF and [[WCW]] to later spawn the WWF's [[Attitude Era]], home to some of the biggest names in wrestling history such as [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]], [[Dwayne Johnson|The Rock]], and [[Triple H]]. Meanwhile, the highly popular [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|nWo]] stable, along with [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]] and [[Bill Goldberg|Goldberg]], brought WCW major success.
*The [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] won an unprecedented [[treble (association football)|treble]] of the [[Premier League]], [[FA Cup]] and [[1999 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League]] after defeating [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] 2–1 in May 1999.
*The United States hosted the 15th staging of the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]]. It holds the record for the largest attendance per game during the World Cup finals (even after the tournament's expansion to 32 teams and 64 matches). Additionally, this led to the creation of the [[Major League Soccer|MLS]].
*In motor racing, triple [[Formula One]] World Champion [[Ayrton Senna]] is fatally injured in a crash at [[1994 San Marino Grand Prix|San Marino]] in 1994. [[Michael Schumacher]] enters into the sport – winning his first two championships in [[1994 Formula One season|1994]] and [[1995 Formula One season|1995]]. [[Dale Earnhardt]] wins the [[1998 Daytona 500]] and the [[NASCAR]] [[Sprint Cup Series|Winston Cup]] championship in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994. [[American Championship car racing|Indy Car racing]] delves into an organizational [[1996 Indianapolis 500#IRL/CART split|"Split"]].
*In the [[National Football League|NFL]], the [[San Francisco 49ers]] and the [[Washington Redskins]] showed promise of continuing their '80s glory by each team winning another Super Bowl at the beginning of the decade. However, it was the [[Dallas Cowboys]] who made a gradual return to dynasty status, winning three Super Bowls ([[Super Bowl XXVII|1992]], [[Super Bowl XXVIII|1993]] and [[Super Bowl XXX|1995]]) in four years after a 14-year NFL championship drought. The [[Denver Broncos]] also won their first two Super Bowls after having lost four, winning consecutive championships of the [[Super Bowl XXXII|1997]] and [[Super Bowl XXXIII|1998]] seasons. 
*[[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]], 1987–2000 – At the height of [[Bobby Bowden]]'s dominance, the Florida State Seminoles went 152–19–1, won nine [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] championships (1992–2000), two national championships (1993 and 1999), played for three more national championships (1996, 1998, and 2000), were ranked #1 in the preseason AP poll five times (1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1999), never lost the #1 AP ranking during 1999, produced 20 1st round NFL draft picks (including the 1997 offensive and defensive rookies of the year), won at least ten games every year, and never finished a season ranked lower than fourth in the AP poll. Quarterbacks [[Charlie Ward]] and [[Chris Weinke]] won [[Heisman Trophy|Heisman Trophies]].<ref name="College Football's 12 Greatest Dynasties">{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/12/25/gallery.dynasty/content.7.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051228042510/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/12/25/gallery.dynasty/content.7.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 December 2005|title=College Football's 12 Greatest Dynasties |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=2005-12-25 |quote=At the height of Bobby Bowden's dominance, the Florida State Seminoles won two national championships (1993 and 1999), played for three others (1996, 1998 and 2000) and never finished outside the AP top four. Quarterbacks Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke won Heisman Trophies. | access-date=2010-05-01}}</ref>
*The [[Nebraska Cornhuskers]] led by head coach [[Tom Osborne]] won three national championships in college football in four years (1994, 1995, 1997)
*Led by head coach [[Jim Tressel]], The [[Youngstown State Penguins]] claimed to be the "team of the '90s" by winning four national championships (1991, 1993, 1994, 1997) in division I-AA college football<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ysusports.com/fan_zone/traditions/football_traditions|title=Football Traditions}}</ref>
*The [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] (1993) and [[Pride Fighting Championship]] (1997) debut and evolve into the modern sport of [[Mixed Martial Arts]].
*[[Major League Baseball]] added four teams, [[Miami Marlins]] (as Florida Marlins), [[Colorado Rockies]], [[Tampa Bay Rays]] (as Tampa Bay Devil Rays), and the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]], and moved one ([[Milwaukee Brewers]]) into the National League. The Florida Marlins would win the World Series in [[1997 World Series|1997]] and [[2003 World Series|2003]]; the Arizona Diamondbacks would win the World Series in [[2001 World Series|2001]], becoming the fastest expansion team to win a major championship for any major sport; the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays would appear in the World Series in [[2007 World Series|2007]] and [[2008 World Series|2008]] respectively.
*In 1998, Canada wins gold medals for the first time in [[Ultimate (sport)|Disc ultimate]] at the [[World Flying Disc Federation#WFDF World Ultimate Championship|WFDF World Ultimate Championship]] in Open, Mixed, and Masters.
*In the 1996 Summer Olympics, the [[Magnificent Seven (gymnastics)|Women's Gymnastics team]] won the first team gold medal for the US in Olympic Gymnastics history.
*In 1997, eight Australian Rugby League Premiership clubs defect to the [[News Corporation]]-backed [[Super League (Australia)|Super League]], before a resolution sees the two parties form the [[National Rugby League]] in 1998. The British competition is bought out by [[News Corporation]], and renamed [[Super League]], which it is still currently named (although it was sold by News Corporation).

===Literature===
*Leading talk show host [[Oprah Winfrey]] became an important book influencer in 1996 when she launched the highly successful [[Oprah's Book Club]]. 
*The hugely successful ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series by [[J. K. Rowling]] was introduced in 1997. The series, with seven main novels, would go on to become the [[List of best-selling books|best-selling book]] series in world history and adapted into a [[Harry Potter (film series)|film series]] in 2001.
*[[John Grisham]] was the bestselling author in the United States in the 1990s, with over 60 million copies sold of novels such as ''[[The Pelican Brief]]'', [[The Client (novel)|''The Client'']], and [[The Firm (novel)|''The Firm'']].<ref name = "bestseller">{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/1999/books/news/12/31/1990.sellers/| work=CNN|title= Grisham ranks as top-selling author of decade|date=31 December 1999|access-date=8 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030220172348/http://edition.cnn.com/1999/books/news/12/31/1990.sellers/|archive-date=20 February 2003}}</ref>
*Other successful authors of the 1990s include [[Stephen King]], [[Natsuo Kirino]], [[Danielle Steel]], [[Michael Crichton]], [[James Redfield]], [[Haruki Murakami]], [[Keigo Higashino]] and [[Tom Clancy]].<ref name = "bestseller"/>
*''[[Goosebumps]]'' by [[R. L. Stine]], the second highest-grossing book series in the world, was introduced in 1992 and remained a dominant player in children's literature throughout and after the decade. A [[Goosebumps (1995 TV series)|television series]] released on [[Fox Kids]] alongside a [[Goosebumps (film)|film version]] that released in 2015.
*The decline of diverse study options in university humanities schools due to [[economic rationalism]], leading to a boom in [[purple prose]] heavily influenced by 20th century European [[social theory]] and [[cultural studies]]. In 1996 in what is known as the [[Sokal affair]], a mathematician pranked a cultural studies by tricking them into publishing his nonsensical essay "Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity" on the basis that the journal wasn't peer-reviewed and would publish anything that seemed fashionably left-wing. In 1996 the [[Postmodernism Generator]] used a [[recursive transition network]] to imitate the postmodernist style of humanities writing. 
*1990s saw the rise of independent literature and notable [[self-help book]]s, included ''[[Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus]]'' by [[John Gray (American author)|John Gray]] and ''[[Who Moved My Cheese?]]'' by [[Spencer Johnson (writer)|Spencer Johnson]].
*[[Making Monsters: False Memories, Psychotherapy, and Sexual Hysteria]] (1994)  by Richard Ofshe and Ethan Watters was critical of the [[repressed memory]] therapy that was gaining some traction in [[psychotherapy]].

== People ==

===Actors and directors===
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
*[[Bob Hope]]
* [[Ben Affleck]]
* [[Jason Alexander]]
* [[Tim Allen]]
* [[María Conchita Alonso]]
* [[Benyamin Sueb]]
* [[Gillian Anderson]]
* [[Pamela Anderson]]
* [[Paul Thomas Anderson]]
* [[Jennifer Aniston]]
* [[Christina Applegate]]
* [[Rosanna Arquette]]
* [[Rowan Atkinson]]
* [[Hank Azaria]]
* [[Kevin Bacon]]
* [[Alec Baldwin]]
* [[Antonio Banderas]]
* [[Christopher Daniel Barnes]]
* [[Roseanne Barr]]
* [[Drew Barrymore]]
* [[Kim Basinger]]
* [[Angela Bassett]]
* [[Sean Bean]]
* [[Tom Berenger]]
* [[Daniel Beretta]]
* [[Elizabeth Berkley]]
* [[Sandra Bernhard]]
* [[Halle Berry]]
* [[Kathryn Bigelow]]
* [[Powers Boothe]]
* [[Ernest Borgnine]]
* [[Matthew Broderick]]
* [[Avery Brooks]]
* [[Pierce Brosnan]]
* [[Clancy Brown]]
* [[Sandra Bullock]]
* [[Tim Burton]]
* [[Brett Butler (actress)|Brett Butler]]
* [[Yancy Butler]]
* [[Gabriel Byrne]]
* [[James Caan]]
* [[Nicolas Cage]]
* [[Dean Cain]]
* [[Chen Kaige]]
* [[James Cameron]]
* [[Neve Campbell]]
* [[Drew Carey]]
* [[George Carlin]]
* [[Jim Carrey]]
* [[Dana Carvey]]
* [[Dan Castellaneta]]
* [[Jackie Chan]]
* [[Dave Chappelle]]
* [[George Clooney]]
* [[Kevin Conroy]]
* [[Tim Conway]]
* [[Coen brothers]]
* [[Sean Connery]]
* [[Kevin Costner]]
* [[Courteney Cox]]
* [[Marcia Cross]]
* [[Tom Cruise]]
* [[Billy Crystal]]
* [[Macaulay Culkin]]
* [[Vondie Curtis-Hall]]
* [[Willem Dafoe]]
* [[Matt Damon]]
* [[Frank Darabont]]
* [[Richard Darbois]]
* [[Robert Davi]]
* [[Ellen DeGeneres]]
* [[Robert De Niro]]
* [[Gérard Depardieu]]
* [[Johnny Depp]]
* [[Danny DeVito]]
* [[Leonardo DiCaprio]]
* [[Shannen Doherty]]
* [[Kirk Douglas]]
* [[Brad Dourif]]
* [[Fran Drescher]]
* [[Léa Drucker]]
* [[David Duchovny]]
* [[Kirsten Dunst]]
* [[Charles S. Dutton]]
* [[Clint Eastwood]]
* [[Anthony Edwards (actor)|Anthony Edwards]]
* [[Peter Falk]]
* [[Chris Farley]]
* [[David Faustino]]
* [[Abel Ferrara]]
* [[Will Ferrell]]
* [[Laurence Fishburne]]
* [[Calista Flockhart]]
* [[Harrison Ford]]
* [[William Forsythe (actor)|William Forsythe]]
* [[Jodie Foster]]
* [[Jacques Frantz]]
* [[Dennis Franz]]
* [[Brendan Fraser]]
* [[Morgan Freeman]]
* [[Edward Furlong]]
* [[Eva Gabor]]
* [[James Gandolfini]]
* [[Janeane Garofalo]]
* [[Jennie Garth]]
* [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]]
* [[Mel Gibson]]
* [[Peri Gilpin]]
* [[Danny Glover]]
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]]
* [[Jeff Goldblum]]
* [[Trevor Goddard]]
* [[John Goodman]]
* [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]]
* [[Mark-Paul Gosselaar]]
* [[Kelsey Grammer]]
* [[Brian Austin Green]]
* [[Graham Greene (actor)|Graham Greene]]
* [[Thomas Ian Griffith]]
* [[Arsenio Hall]]
* [[Linda Hamilton]]
* [[Tom Hanks]]
* [[Curtis Hanson]]
* [[Phil Hartman]]
* [[Woody Harrelson]]
* [[Ed Harris]]
* [[Teri Hatcher]]
* [[Rutger Hauer]]
* [[Ethan Hawke]]
* [[Salma Hayek]]
* [[Isaac Hayes]]
* [[Mitch Hedberg]]
* [[Lance Henriksen]]
* [[Bill Hicks]]
* [[Agnieszka Holland]]
* [[Anthony Hopkins]]
* [[Dennis Hopper]]
* [[Bob Hoskins]]
* [[Ernie Hudson]]
* [[Helen Hunt]]
* [[Jeremy Irons]]
* [[Samuel L. Jackson]]
* [[Angelina Jolie]]
* [[Tommy Lee Jones]]
* [[Mike Judge]]
* [[Shekhar Kapur]]
* [[Tchéky Karyo]]
* [[Michael Keaton]]
* [[Harvey Keitel]]
* [[Tom Kenny]]
* [[Nicole Kidman]]
* [[Krzysztof Kieślowski]]
* [[Val Kilmer]]
* [[Greg Kinnear]]
* [[Lisa Kudrow]]
* [[Christopher Lambert]]
* [[Nathan Lane]]
* [[Eriq La Salle]]
* [[Martin Lawrence]]
* [[Matt LeBlanc]]
* [[Ang Lee]]
* [[Spike Lee]]
* [[Jane Leeves]]
* [[John Leguizamo]]
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]]
* [[Valérie Lemercier]]
* [[Jay Leno]]
* [[Jared Leto]]
* [[David Letterman]]
* [[Ted Levine]]
* [[Jet Li]]
* [[Rachael Lillis]]
* [[Delroy Lindo]]
* [[Ray Liotta]]
* [[John Lithgow]]
* [[Heather Locklear]]
* [[Mario Lopez]]
* [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]]
* [[Dolph Lundgren]]
* [[Michael Madsen]]
* [[Bill Maher]]
* [[John Mahoney]]
* [[Maïwenn]]
* [[John Malkovich]]
* [[Julianna Margulies]]
* [[Steve Martin]]
* [[Frances McDormand]]
* [[John McTiernan]]
* [[Alyssa Milano]]
* [[Demi Moore]]
* [[Julianne Moore]]
* [[Joe Morton]]
* [[Carrie-Anne Moss]]
* [[Kate Mulgrew]]
* [[Charlie Murphy]]
* [[Eddie Murphy]]
* [[Mike Myers]]
* [[Samy Naceri]]
* [[Hideo Nakata]]
* [[Liam Neeson]]
* [[Craig T. Nelson]]
* [[Bob Newhart]]
* [[Brigitte Nielsen]]
* [[Connie Nielsen]]
* [[Leslie Nielsen]]
* [[Aaron Norris]]
* [[Chuck Norris]]
* [[Bill Nunn]]
* [[Conan O'Brien]]
* [[Ed O'Neill]]
* [[Gary Oldman]]
* [[Jerry Orbach]]
* [[Al Pacino]]
* [[Gwyneth Paltrow]]
* [[Robert Patrick]] 
* [[Alexandra Paul]]
* [[Bill Paxton]]
* [[Chris Penn]]
* [[Sean Penn]]
* [[Ron Perlman]]
* [[Luke Perry]]
* [[Matthew Perry]]
* [[Joe Pesci]]
* [[Michelle Pfeiffer]]
* [[River Phoenix]]
* [[David Hyde Pierce]]
* [[Brad Pitt]]
* [[Kevin Pollak]]
* [[Jason Priestley]] 
* [[Alex Proyas]]
* [[Dennis Quaid]]
* [[Randy Quaid]]
* [[Christopher Reeve]]
* [[Keanu Reeves]]
* [[Jean Reno]]
* [[Paul Reiser]]
* {{ill|Pascal Renwick|fr|Pascal Renwick}}
* [[Phillip Rhee]]
* [[Michael Richards]]
* [[Alan Rickman]]
* [[Ving Rhames]]
* [[Tim Robbins]]
* [[Eric Roberts]]
* [[Julia Roberts]]
* [[Chris Rock]]
* [[Michael Rooker]]
* [[Richard Roundtree]]
* [[Mickey Rourke]]
* [[Tim Roth]]
* [[RuPaul]]
* [[Kurt Russell]]
* [[Daniel Russo]]
* [[Rene Russo]]
* [[Meg Ryan]]
* [[Winona Ryder]]
* [[Katey Sagal]]
* [[Bob Saget]]
* [[Adam Sandler]]
* [[Susan Sarandon]]
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]
* [[David Schwimmer]]
* [[Steven Seagal]]
* [[Jerry Seinfeld]]
* [[Garry Shandling]]
* [[Harry Shearer]]
* [[Charlie Sheen]]
* [[Elisabeth Shue]]
* [[Sarah Silverman]]
* [[Tony Sirico]]
* [[Christian Slater]]
* [[Will Smith]]
* [[Jimmy Smits]]
* [[Wesley Snipes]]
* [[Kevin Spacey]]
* [[David Spade]]
* [[Tori Spelling]]
* [[Steven Spielberg]]
* [[Sage Stallone]]
* [[Sylvester Stallone]]
* [[John Stamos]]
* [[Mike Starr (actor)|Mike Starr]]
* [[Jon Stewart]]
* [[Patrick Stewart]]
* [[Sharon Stone]]
* [[Meryl Streep]]
* [[Donald Sutherland]]
* [[Kiefer Sutherland]]
* [[Patrick Swayze]]
* [[Ice-T]]
* [[Jeffrey Tambor]]
* [[Quentin Tarantino]]
* [[Veronica Taylor]]
* [[Charlize Theron]]
* [[Tiffani Thiessen|Tiffani-Amber Thiessen]]
* [[Uma Thurman]]
* [[Jennifer Tilly]]
* [[Tony Todd]]
* [[Danny Trejo]]
* [[John Travolta]]
* [[Robin Tunney]]
* [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]]
* [[Dick Van Dyke]]
* [[Gus Van Sant]]
* [[Arnold Vosloo]]
* [[Christopher Walken]]
* [[Marcia Wallace]]
* [[Fred Ward]]
* [[Denzel Washington]]
* [[Sam Waterston]]
* [[Sigourney Weaver]]
* [[Hugo Weaving]]
* [[Vernon Wells (actor)|Vernon Wells]]
* [[Forest Whitaker]]
* [[Michael Jai White]]
* [[Robin Williams]]
* [[Bruce Willis]]
* [[Rita Wilson]]
* [[Oprah Winfrey]]
* [[Michael Winterbottom]]
* [[John Woo]]
* [[James Woods]]
* [[Noah Wyle]]
* [[Robert Zemeckis]]
* [[Ian Ziering]]
{{div col end}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/list/ls000076723/|title=Top Actors – Actresses of the 90's|publisher=imdb.com|access-date=7 December 2020}} {{unreliable source?|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vorel |first=Jim |date=20 August 2014 |title=The 90 Best TV Shows of the 1990s |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-90-best-tv-shows-of-the-1990s/ |access-date=7 December 2020 |website=Paste Magazine}}</ref>

<gallery widths="125px" heights="125px" perrow="5">

File:Johnny Depp Cannes nineties.jpg|[[Johnny Depp]]
File:Jodie Foster 1995.jpg|[[Jodie Foster]]
File:Morgan Freeman 1998.jpg|[[Morgan Freeman]]
File:Sean Penn Cannes.jpg|[[Sean Penn]]
File:Robin Williams 1996.jpg|[[Robin Williams]]
</gallery>

===Athletes===
{{col-begin}}

====Basketball====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}						
* [[Charles Barkley]]
* [[Larry Bird]]
* [[Clyde Drexler]]
* [[Tim Duncan]]	
* [[Patrick Ewing]]
* [[Kevin Garnett]]
* [[Allen Iverson]]
* [[Michael Jordan]]
* [[Toni Kukoč]]
* [[Karl Malone]]
* [[Reggie Miller]]
* [[Shaquille O'Neal]]
* [[Hakeem Olajuwon]]
* [[Gary Payton]]
* [[Scottie Pippen]]
* [[David Robinson]]
* [[Dennis Rodman]]
* [[Arvydas Sabonis]]
* [[John Stockton]]
{{div col end}}

====Boxing====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Tommy Morrison]]
* [[Oscar De La Hoya]]
* [[Roy Jones Jr.]]
* [[Michael Carbajal]]
* [[Mike Tyson]]
* [[Lennox Lewis]]
* [[Evander Holyfield]]
* [[Pernell Whitaker]]
* [[Felix Savon]]
{{div col end}}

====Cricket====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Steve Waugh]]
* [[Shane Warne]]
* [[Glenn McGrath]]
* [[Sachin Tendulkar]]
* [[Brian Lara]]
{{div col end}}

====Football====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[José Luis Chilavert]]
* [[Eric Cantona]]
* [[Marco van Basten]]
* [[Roberto Baggio]]
* [[Hristo Stoitchkov]]
* [[George Weah]]
* [[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]]
* [[David Beckham]]
* [[Zinedine Zidane]]
* [[Steve McManaman]]
* [[Robbie Fowler]]
* [[Michael Owen]]
* [[Romário]]
* [[Roberto Carlos]]
* [[Gabriel Batistuta]]
* [[Paolo Maldini]]
* [[Jürgen Klinsmann]]
* [[Rudi Völler]]
* [[Raúl González]]
* [[Christian Vieri]]
* [[Franco Baresi]]
* [[Alessandro Del Piero]]
* [[Diego Maradona]]
* [[Roger Milla]]
* [[Dennis Bergkamp]]
* [[Lothar Matthäus]]
* [[Frank Rijkaard]]
* [[Ronald Koeman]]
* [[Ruud Gullit]]
* [[Gheorghe Hagi]]
* [[Davor Šuker]]
* [[Roy Keane]]
* [[Paul Gascoigne]]
* [[Alan Shearer]]
* [[David Seaman]]
* [[Tony Adams]]
* [[Cafu]]
* [[David Ginola]]
* [[Michael Laudrup]]
* [[Peter Schmeichel]]
* [[Ryan Giggs]]
* [[Paul Scholes]]
* [[Fabien Barthez]]
* [[Oliver Bierhoff]]
* [[Jean-Pierre Papin]]
* [[Rivaldo]]
* [[Carlos Valderrama]]
* [[Faustino Asprilla]]
* [[René Higuita]]
{{div col end}}

====Ice Hockey====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Wayne Gretzky]]
* [[Mario Lemieux]]
* [[Mark Messier]]
* [[Patrick Roy]]
* [[Jaromír Jágr]]
* [[Martin Brodeur]]
* [[Dominik Hašek]]
* [[Steve Yzerman]]
* [[Peter Forsberg]]
* [[Brett Hull]]
{{div col end}}

====Rugby====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Neil Back]]
* [[Andrew Johns]]
* [[Ellery Hanley]]
* [[Jonah Lomu]]
* [[Martin Offiah]]
* [[Francois Pienaar]]
{{div col end}}

====Wrestling====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]]
* [[Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]]
* [[Hulk Hogan]]
* [["Macho Man" Randy Savage]]
* [[Shawn Michaels]]
* [[Bret Hart]]
* [[Bill Goldberg|Goldberg]]
* [[The Undertaker]]
* [[Steve Borden]]
* [[Triple H]]
* [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]]
* [[Big Show]]
* [[Mick Foley]]
{{div col end}}

====Other====
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Andre Agassi]]
* [[Troy Aikman]]
* [[Lance Armstrong]]
* [[Barry Bonds]]
* [[Dale Earnhardt]]
* [[Miguel Indurain]]
* [[Brett Favre]]
* [[Jerry Rice]]
* [[Kelly Slater]]
* [[Pete Sampras]]
* [[Michael Schumacher]]
* [[Damon Hill]]
* [[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]]
* [[Mark McGwire]]
* [[Steffi Graf]]
* [[John Elway]]
* [[Alexander Karelin]]
* [[Ken Griffey Jr.]]
* [[Alain Prost]]
* [[Ayrton Senna]]
* [[Nigel Mansell]]
* [[Jonathan Edwards (triple jumper)|Jonathan Edwards]]
* [[Donovan Bailey]]
* [[Svetlana Masterkova]]
* [[Marie-José Pérec]]
* [[Sergey Bubka]]
* [[Naim Süleymanoğlu]]
* [[Emmitt Smith]]
* [[Pyrros Dimas]]
* [[Wayne Rainey]]
* [[Michael Doohan]]
* [[Lilia Podkopayeva]]
* [[Vitaly Scherbo]]
* [[Derek Jeter]]
* [[Tiger Woods]]
* [[Martina Hingis]]
* [[Royce Gracie]]
* [[Jefferson Perez]]
* [[Wayne Carey]]
* [[Robert Harvey (footballer)|Robert Harvey]]
* [[Tony Lockett]]
* [[Jason Dunstall]]
* [[Barry Sanders]]
* [[Deion Sanders]]
* [[Phil Taylor (darts player)|Phil Taylor]]
* [[Jacques Villeneuve]]
{{div col end}}
{{col-end}}

<gallery widths="125px" heights="125px" perrow="5">

File:Jordan Lipofsky.jpg|[[Michael Jordan]]
File:Wgretz edit2.jpg|[[Wayne Gretzky]]
File:BarryBonds1993.jpg|[[Barry Bonds]]
File:Dale Earnhardt - NASCAR Photography By Darryl Moran.jpg|[[Dale Earnhardt]]
</gallery>

===Musicians===
The 1990s saw the rise of diverse musical trends, identifiable through the decade's top-selling pop songs and the continued prominence of established genres such as [[gangsta rap]], [[grunge]], [[industrial rock]], and [[deep house]]. [[Alternative hip hop]] gained visibility at the start of the decade, while the public's interest in independent music surged as a counter to commercial radio [[payola]].

Some of the notable artists and bands of the 1990s include [[AC/DC]], [[Ace of Base]], [[Alanis Morissette]], [[Alice in Chains]], [[Backstreet Boys]],[[Madonna]], [[Beck]], [[Blur (band)|Blur]], [[Britney Spears]], [[Celine Dion]], [[Daft Punk]], [[Depeche Mode]], [[Destiny's Child]], [[Eminem]], [[Foo Fighters]], [[Green Day]], [[Johnny Hallyday]], [[Lauryn Hill]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Mariah Carey]], [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Pearl Jam]], [[Sound Garden]], [[Radiohead]], [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], [[R.E.M.]], [[Sinéad O’Connor]], [[Snoop Dogg]], [[Jay-Z]], [[Spice Girls]], [[Texas (band)|Texas]], [[The Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Tupac Shakur]], [[Notorious B.I.G.]], [[U2]], [[Nas]], and [[Wu-Tang Clan]]. These artists and bands defined the soundscape of the decade, shaping popular music and influencing future generations.

<gallery widths="125px" heights="125px" perrow="4">
File:Trent Reznor Lollapalooza 1991.jpg|[[Nine Inch Nails]]
File:The Cranberries, Palalido, Italy, April 20, 1999.jpg|[[The Cranberries]]
File:RedHotChiliPeppersAdam1989.jpg|[[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]
File:DeLa Soul-mika.jpg|[[De La Soul]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|1990s|History}}

*[[List of decades, centuries, and millennia|List of decades]]
*[[1990s in music]]
*[[1990s in fashion]]
*[[1990s in television]]
*[[1990s in science and technology]]
*[[1990s in video gaming]]
*[[List of years in literature#1990s|1990s in literature]]
*[[Generation X]] (when the majority of that demographic had matured).
*[[Millennials]] (when the [[Xennials|oldest members]] of that demographic had matured in the decade's [[1999|final year]]).

=== Timeline ===
The following articles contain timelines that list the most prominent events of the decade:

[[1990]] • [[1991]] • [[1992]] • [[1993]] • [[1994]] • [[1995]] • [[1996]] • [[1997]] • [[1998]] • [[1999]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Ash, Timothy Garton. ''History of the Present: Essays, Sketches, and Dispatches from Europe in the 1990s'' (2009) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Present-Essays-Sketches-Dispatches-ebook/dp/B002GKGBNW/ excerpts]
*Bender, Thomas. "'Venturesome and Cautious': American History in the 1990s." ''Journal of American History'' (1994): 992–1003. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2081439 in JSTOR]
*Bentley, Nick, ed. ''British Fiction of the 1990s'' (Routledge, 2007).
* Berman, Milton. ''The Nineties in America'' (2009).
* Brügger, Niels, ed, ''Web25: Histories from the first 25 years of the World Wide Web'' (Peter Lang, 2017).
*Cornia, Giovanni Andrea, Ralph van der Hoeven, and Thandika Mkandawire. ''Africa's recovery in the 1990s: from stagnation and adjustment to human development'' (St. Martin's Press, 1992)
*{{cite book|last=Harrison|first=Thomas|title=Music of the 1990s|date=2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZycX04rxTcC|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313379437 }}
*O'Neill, William. ''A Bubble in Time: America During the Interwar Years, 1989-2001'' (2009) [https://www.amazon.com/Bubble-Time-America-Interwar-1989-2001-ebook/dp/B009R6GYKI/ Excerpt], popular history
*Parratt, Catriona M. "About Turns: Reflecting on Sport History in the 1990s." ''Sport History Review'' (1998) 29#1 pp: 4–17.
* Rubin, Robert, and Jacob Weisberg. ''In an uncertain world: tough choices from Wall Street to Washington'' (2015), economic history. 
*Sierz, Aleks. ''Modern British Playwriting: The 1990s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations'' (A&C Black, 2012)
*Stiglitz, Joseph E. ''The roaring nineties: A new history of the world's most prosperous decade'' (Norton, 2004), economic history
*Turner, Alwyn. ''A Classless Society: Britain in the 1990s'' [[Aurum Press]] (2013)
*van der Hoeven, Arno. "Remembering the popular music of the 1990s: dance music and the cultural meanings of decade-based nostalgia." ''International Journal of heritage studies'' (2014) 20#3 pp: 316–330.
*Yoda, Tomiko, and Harry Harootunian, eds. ''Japan After Japan: Social and Cultural Life from the Recessionary 1990s to the Present'' (2006)

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline}}
* {{YouTube|urg0E2FlbnQ|The 90s: Tonight Tonight - A Pop Culture Tribute}}

{{20th century}}
{{1990s}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1990s| ]]
[[Category:20th century]]
[[Category:Contemporary history]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]