1990s

The 1990s is often remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity: The Soviet Union fell, ending the decades-long Cold War, and the rise of the Internet ushered in a radical new era of communication, business and entertainment. However, the decade was not without violence and tragedy, including the Bosnian genocide, the Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. Riots, and the bombing of the World Trade Center. The Columbine High School shooting marked a solemn chapter in gun violence, and the devastatingly deadly Oklahoma City bombing by a domestic terrorist followed lethal standoffs between federal agents and armed civilians at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas.

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The 1990s

Los Angeles Riots

Racial Tensions Rise in Los Angeles The 1980s brought rising unemployment, gang activity, drugs and violent crime to the poorer neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Aggressive efforts to exert control by the Los Angeles Police Department fostered a belief among minority communities that its officers were not held liable for abusive police actions. In August 1988, […]

Branch Davidian Compound BurningThe Branch Davidians' Mount Carmel compound outside of Waco, Texas, burns to the ground during the 1993 raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Nearly 80 members of the religious group were killed in the fire, which ended the 51-day standoff between the Davidians the ATF. | Location: Near Waco, Texas, USA. (Photo by �� Greg Smith/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Waco Siege

David Koresh On February 28, 1993, some 80 agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) raided a religious compound at Mount Carmel, near Waco, Texas, after receiving reports that the Branch Davidians and their leader, David Koresh, were violating federal firearms regulations. After four ATF agents and six Davidians were killed […]

Oklahoma City Bombing

Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Shortly after 9:00 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a Ryder rental truck exploded with terrifying force in front of the nine-story Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The powerful explosion blew off the building’s entire north wall. Emergency crews raced to Oklahoma from across the country, and […]

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Flames from burning jet fuel on the waters off of Long Island from the TWA Flight 800 Boeing 747-100 aircraft that exploded on July 17, 1996 near East Moriches, New York.

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What Happened to TWA Flight 800?

Speculation fueled theories that a terrorist act had caused the crash that killed the 230 on board, but an investigation later concluded it was a tragic mechanical error.

When Biosphere 2 Became a Grand Experiment in Self-Isolation

In the 1990s, eight adventurers spent two years separated from the rest of the world inside a futuristic greenhouse meant to mimic a spaceship—on Earth.

When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act

The 1990 protest demonstrated the barriers that inaccessible buildings create for people with disabilities.

What Drove Heaven’s Gate Followers to Mass Suicide?

In 1997, 39 members of a religious sect were found dead by suicide inside a San Diego mansion. Why did they do it?

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Bree Newsome on Rodney King, a Black History Legend

Bree Newsome discusses the impact and legacy of the Rodney King trial.

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What Happened at the Waco Siege?

Learn about the Waco Siege and how cult leader David Koresh lived as a polygamist among his Branch Davidian followers at the Mount Carmel Center. Discover the 51-day siege, which ended in a deadly FBI raid on April 19, 1993.

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