1990s

align="center" | Centuries:
19th century - 20th century - 21st century

align="center" colspan=2 | Decades:
1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s

align="center" colspan=2 | Years:
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Events and trends

Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology
Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity
Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K)
Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM PCs
Development of free operating system Linux is started
Break through of Compact Disc technology - branching into DVDs

Reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990
Gulf War and United Nations embargo on Iraq in 1991
Break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 - the end of the Cold War, United States as sole world superpower
End of apartheid in South Africa and election of ANC government of Nelson Mandela
Genocide in Rwanda kills one million people, in 1994.
Peace process begins in Northern Ireland
Balkan war in former Yugoslavia
Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia
North Yemen and South Yemen merge to form Yemen
A decade of women presidents in the Republic of Ireland
European Union is declared in 1992
The United Kingdom hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in July 1, 1997
Bill Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and his Impeachment trial in 1998, which lasts the entire year.
Anti-globalization protests

Development of GATT, the World Trade Organization and other global economic institutions
After 1992 the booming of the US stock market, in reference to which Alan Greenspan coined the memorable phrase "irrational exuberance", which eventually stretched into the dot-com boom / dot-com bubble.

Douglas Coupland publishes the novel , popularizing the term Generation X as the name of the generation
Chuck Palahniuk publishes Fight Club and becomes an influential author of Generation X
Grunge music gains widespread mainstream acceptance in the early part of the decade
Rap music gains widespread mainstream acceptance in the late part of the decade
Black becomes a dominant color in fashion, along with several dark colors (see Goth, the Matrix, and Regis Philbin)
Trance, techno electronic music becomes widely popular in Europe/USA.
Dogme 95 becomes the leading european artistic film movement by the end of the decade
Video games become more advanced. The more influential game systems include the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sony Playstation, and the Sega Dreamcast, being one of the first to jumpstart the online gaming craze of the 2000s.
Extreme sports reached a new height in popularity, and by 1995, were given their own annual tournament on ESPN, the X-Games
Cartoons aimed at an adult audience become popular. Among the most successful are The Simpsons(1989-), Ren & Stimpy(1991-1995) Beavis & Butthead(1993-1997), South Park(1997-), and Family Guy(1999-)

Global human impact on the environment widely accepted
Divorce and scandal rock the British Royal House of Windsor
Assassination of Selena Quintanilla
O.J.'s trial, called by many the trial of the century
You go, girl! becomes a popular phrase as the media gives feminist movements a boost with The Spice Girls, the WNBA, women's boxing, Sex and the City and others showcasing feminine talent
The Vieques controversy
Crime levels peak in the U.S. late in the decade and begin to taper off