Hi,
It will certainly be interesting to see how the 1990s are viewed a
generation or two from now. From this looking-back-not-very-far
perspective, it seems to be a fairly nondescript decade. I suspect we
may look back and see some changes going on under the surface; after
all, it was a decade where previously taboo subjects (such as oral
sex) became OK to talk about openly and various moral issues (such as
abortion, homosexuality and euthanasia) were hotly debated and
somewhat divisive. It was also a time where the baby boomers
(typified by President Clinton) took over the reins of power.
Technologically, there's no question what the major development was --
the establishment of the Internet as a major communications medium.
Economically, the decade saw the end (temporarily, anyway) of U.S.
budget deficits, and the decade ended with low unemployment. Finally,
it was a time where many Americans regained some of the pride in their
country that they had lost during the Vietnam War. Throughout the
decade, the United States was the undisputed leader of the world,
something that hadn't been the case since the Cold War. Fatal
incidents at the World Trade Center, Oklahoma City and foreign
embassies, however, were awakening Americans to the threat of
terrorism.
The U.S. population passed 250 million during the decade, and the
Latino population grew in numbers and influence.
Here, then, are some of the specific events of the 1990s:
1990 -- The Soviet Union dissolves, bringing an end to the Cold War
and leaving the United States as the undisputed leader of the world.
The development also allowed the U.S. to begin dismantling parts of
its nuclear arsenal.
1991 -- The U.S. wins the Gulf War.
1991 -- The Gulf War firmly establishes CNN as a major cable TV
network. Over the decade, cable TV growed immensely, threatening the
dominance of the traditional TV networks.
1992 and years following -- The Internet reaches the
1,000,000-computer mark as the term "surfing the net" is coined in
1992. By 1993, AOL alone had 1,000,000 subscribers. By 1997, AOL had
10,000,000 subscribers. By 1998, it was estimated that there were 5
million Web sites and 30 to 60 million Internet users. At the end of
the decade, there was no end in sight to expansion of the Internet.
1992 -- Racial tensions continue to simmer. Riots erupt in Los
Angeles after the police beating of a black man.
1992 -- Clinton becomes the first baby boomer president.
1993 -- Clinton institutes the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for
homosexuals in the military. The gay-rights movement made major
advances during the decade as a growing number of Americans became
sympathetic to the activists' calls for recognition of their civil
rights. Numerous gay celebrities (and ordinary people) disclosed their
sexual orientation publicly for the first time.
1993 -- The first human embryos (nonviable ones) were cloned,
launching a national debate over the issue.
1993 and years following -- Health care becomes a major issue for
debate, although no radical reforms are made.
1995 -- Terrorist bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building.
1995 -- U.S. attention is riveted on the trial of a former football
player, O.J. Simpson. Reaction to the trial showed a divide between
how blacks and whites view police.
1997 and years following -- The U.S. gets involved in messy and
sometimes bloody entanglements in Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan and the
Balkans.
1998 -- Terrorism again enters the U.S. consciousness as embassy
bombings apparently perpetrated by Osama bin Laden kill hundreds.
1999 -- President Clinton goes on trial in the Senate and emerges
victorious but weakened.
This list was based on personal knowledge and the following sources.
Infoplease.com Decade by Decade
http://www.infoplease.com/millennium1.html
History Channel Timeline
http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/perl/timeline.pl%3Fyear%3D1990
I hope this helps you with your project,
mvguy |
