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 first bombing of the World Trade Center.
Start Here
Timothy McVeigh developed his suspicion of government authority at a young age—but two pivotal events pushed him over the edge.
The Persian Gulf War, or Operation Desert Storm, began in 1991 after President Saddam Hussein of Iraq ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait.
Born in the ashes of World War II, the currency used by 19 European countries went into effect on January 1, 1999.
In the 1990s, hysteria over Ty Inc's $5 plush toys fed a wave of theft, fraud and market manipulation. Values soared—then plummeted.
Waco Siege
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.
3 Major Events of the 1990s
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The son of the famous president died in the 1999 accident, along with his wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette.
The designer led a minimalist revolution that redefined American chic.
The 1990s were a decade marked by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the emerging popularity of grunge music and the rapid rise of the World Wide Web.
These women transformed what it meant to be a model.
The man who gave the world "Generation X" looks back at the oft-maligned 1990s.
The Monica Lewinsky scandal in the late 1990s involved President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern in her early 20s. In 1995, the two began a sexual relationship that continued sporadically until 1997. The impeachment of Bill Clinton was initiated in December 1998 by the House of Representatives for charges of lying under oath and obstructing justice.
Newt Gingrich was offended that Clinton hadn't talked to him on Air Force One.
In the 1990s, hysteria over Ty Inc's $5 plush toys fed a wave of theft, fraud and market manipulation. Values soared—then plummeted.
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.
The Los Angeles riots erupted across the southern California city in spring 1992 after four LAPD officers were acquitted of assaulting motorist Rodney King.
Columbine was a major school shooting on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
The Waco Siege was a 51-day standoff between federal agents and members of a millennial Christian sect called the Branch Davidians at a Texas compound in 1993.
The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, carried out by Timothy McVeigh, killed 168 people and left hundreds more injured.
