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

The 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 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.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the Philippines on 16 July 1990 and killed around 1000 people in Baguio. 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. [39] Dzhokhar Dudayev, 1st President of Chechnya, is killed by two laser-guided missiles after his location was detected by a Russian reconnaissance aircraft. [34] The UN ( United Nations) immediately condemned the action and a coalition force led by the United States was sent to the Persian Gulf. Aerial bombing of Iraq began in January 1991, and one month later, the UN forces drove the Iraqi army from Kuwait in four days.

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. [22] [23] Bush and Gorbachev at the 1990 Helsinki summit. Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton share a laugh in October 1995. The best-selling games of the 1990s are listed below (note that some sources disagree on particular years): The Java programming language is developed by Sun Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle in 2009–2010).Anita Hill and other women testify before the United States Congress on being sexually harassed by 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. Microsoft introduces Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows 98 to the market, which gain immediate popularity.

George H. W. Bush, former President of the United States, is alleged to be the target of an assassination by Iraq per a report from the Kuwaiti government during a visit to the country. [28] Prominent political events [ edit ] Africa [ edit ] Nelson Mandela voting in 1994, after thirty years of imprisonment. 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. [40] April 26, 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.September 2, 1998: Swissair Flight 111, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia near the towns of Peggy's Cove and Bayswater, killing 229. 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 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. Beverly Hills, 90210 ran on Fox from 1990 to 2000. It established the teen soap genre, paving the way for Dawson's Creek, Felicity, Party of Five, and other shows airing later in the decade. The show was then remade and renamed simply 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] and influenced pop culture. Japan saw eight different 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". These included Morihiro Hosokawa, who won the 1993 Japanese general election and formed an opposition coalition until 1996.

The 1993 World Trade Center bombing in the United States (1993) led to broader public awareness in the U.S. of domestic terrorism and international terrorism as a potential threat. The 1990s also saw the return of the 1970s teenage female fashion with long, straight hair and denim hot pants. John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette are killed when Kennedy's private plane crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in July 1999. Saudi Arabia: Women to drive movement. 6 November 1990, 47 Saudi women in Riyadh protested Saudi government's ban on women drivers.Protease inhibitors introduced, allowing HAART therapy against HIV; drastically reduces AIDS mortality.