Timeline

1990

Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

Feb11
Nelson Mandela

Anti-apartheid leader and African National Congress member Nelson Mandela and his wife anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie raise fists upon Mandela’s release from prison on February 11, 1990.

Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images
Jul12
Boris Yeltsin, fall of the soviet union, russian leaders

In 1991, following the fall of the Soviet Union, Yeltsin became the first popularly elected leader in the Russian history, guiding his country through a stormy decade of political and economic retrenching until his resignation in December 1999.

Getty Images
Aug12
World's Largest Tyrannosaurus Rex Unveiled At The Dinosaur Expo 2005

TOKYO - MARCH 16: The world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex, named Sue, is seen at the Dinosaur Expo 2005 after it's assembly was completed at the National Science Museum on March 16, 2005 in Tokyo, Japan. Fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson discovered Sue in 1990 and the Field Museum in Chicago purchased Sue at public auction in 1997. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

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Dec01

In this “This Day in History” video, learn about the history of December 1. December 1, was the day Rosa Parks became famous for standing up to racial oppression, the Kyoto Protocol was signed, and the Chunnel was created. Brought to you by host Russ Mitchell of the History Channel.

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