Most Influential People/Events of 1990s

[simba928]

I have to do a speech for my communications class on Tuesday about the 90s. It's a group thing, but everyone has to do their own speech. My section is on movies, actors, and influential people and events of the decade. I have my list of top 10 movies and a couple actors (Tom Hanks, Leo Dicaprio, Kate Winslet, and Julia Roberts). Of course I'm going to bring up the fact that those animated classic Disney movies were huge at the time. Probably bring in some video covers for part of my visual aid (in addition to my poster board and hopefuly I can find a couple other things).
I was just wondering what you all thought were the most influential people and events of the 1990s. The events can be big or small. Right now I have the opening of Animal Kingdom (haha!), the opening of the Mall of America, and the L.A. Riots. For influential people I have Princess Diana and Mother Theresa.
And for those in Pittsburgh, bonus points for local events/people! Thanks much!

Oh, and forgot to say influential people can be anyone (actors, musicians, politicians, criminals, etc.).

 

[Bluestars]

Did the first Harry Potter books come out in the 1990s?

 

[momof1princess]

i would think michael eisner would be considered an influential person of the 90s. let's see..the gulf war was in 1990, the oj trial was in...what...96? soviet union collapsed in 1991. hope these help

 

[happygirl]

I have to do a speech for my communications class on Tuesday about the 90s. It's a group thing, but everyone has to do their own speech. My section is on movies, actors, and influential people and events of the decade. I have my list of top 10 movies and a couple actors (Tom Hanks, Leo Dicaprio, Kate Winslet, and Julia Roberts). Of course I'm going to bring up the fact that those animated classic Disney movies were huge at the time. Probably bring in some video covers for part of my visual aid (in addition to my poster board and hopefuly I can find a couple other things).
I was just wondering what you all thought were the most influential people and events of the 1990s. The events can be big or small. Right now I have the opening of Animal Kingdom (haha!), the opening of the Mall of America, and the L.A. Riots. For influential people I have Princess Diana and Mother Theresa.
And for those in Pittsburgh, bonus points for local events/people! Thanks much!

Oh, and forgot to say influential people can be anyone (actors, musicians, politicians, criminals, etc.).

The OKC bombing
Bill Clinton and the whole Monica thing
Grunge bands

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Can't believe OJ Simpson hasn't come up, yet. "If it does not fit, you must acquit".

It was very captivating to the nation--including his bronco chase. I remember we were resetting the floor when I worked a summer in a retail store. They always turned on the radio and we were a bit confused about this chase they were talking about.

It seemed the nation stopped to hear the verdict and folks either celebrated or went "What the heck?".

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Hurricane Andrew (1992 I think?) also....

For those in Gainesville--Gainesville murders 1990. Put an entire town of college students on edge.

I recall my first radio/television class in school and they had a speaker come to us to speak about the press coverage. Suddenly, he entered a guilty plea. No big trial and it was all over.

Selena was murdered by her fan club president (1995ish)

ETA: Found a website with specific events by year so that you can broaden your scope.

http://www.inthe90s.com/generated/time1990.shtml

I did not know the Hubble Telescope was launched in 1990--that would be an influential scientific event, I would think. Wow--Nelson Mandela was released from prison, ADA was signed


1991:
The Word Wide Web Is Available
On August 6th, 1991, Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea for the "World Wide Web"


The Soviet Union Ends
Yeltsin, president of the Russian republic, lead a revolution against Gorbachev in order to preserve the crumbling Soviet Union power structure. Yeltsin however didn't lose much, after the failed revolt, the 15 separate republics were granted their independence and Yeltsin remained the president of the newly independent republic.


1994:
Chunnel opens, May 1994
Bridging England and France, it took 15,000 workers over seven years to create the tunnel which now allows passengers to travel between the two countries in 35 minutes.

NAFTA
In 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) was signed by Mexico, America, and Canada.(Ed Note: NAFTA was signed in 1992. It came into effect Jan 1, 1994)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Columbine Tragedy
April 20, 1999, two students go on a shooting rampage in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. They kill 12 students, 1 teacher and themselves

 

[OK!]

The LA riots after the Rodney King verdict was announced were in the spring of 1992.

 

[WDWAurora]

Princess Diana...her work and her tragic death.

Columbine.

 

[happygirl]

Tom Hanks won two back to back Oscars

I think it was still the 1990's when Denzel Washington won his oscar. The first time a black man had won

 

[AshleyW]

Influential (or at least important) events of the 90's:

Johnny Carson left "The Tonight Show" in 92.
Smoking on domestic airplanes was banned in 90.
Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted his first patient with death (she had Alzheimer's) in June of 90.
The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Hate Crimes Act were both signed in 90.
Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 90.
Jim Henson died from the flu in 90.
Magic Johnson retired from the NBA in 91 after finding out he was HIV positive, and became an AIDS spokesperson.
Czechoslovakia split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 93.
The World Trade Center was bombed in 93.
Nancy Kerrigan got clubbed in the back of her knee by Tonya Harding's boyfriend in January of 94.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis died in November of 94.
OKC was bombed in April of 95, 168 people died.
Windows 95 was released in August of 95.
Dolly the sheep was cloned in 96.
Hong Kong was handed over from England to China in July of 97, after 156 years of British rule.
Princess Diana was killed in 97.
California banned affirmative action in 97.
Harry Potter was published in 97.
Mother Theresa died in Sept 97.
Bill Clinton admits to having an affair with Monica Lewinsky in 98.
Matthew Sheppard was killed in October 98.
Viagra was approved by the FDA in 98.
12 students were killed at Columbine High School in April 99.
The Euro was created as a single European currency by the EU in 99.


I picked these from http://www.inthe90s.com/timeline.shtml - there's a ton more on the site, and obviously some of the ones I listed are more important than others, but those are the ones that stuck out to me.

 

[njprincess601]

Not a person.. but i'd say the internet is the most influential thing to come out of the 90's.

I'd probably include the tv show Friends as well. The actors and the show itself had a big influence on 90's pop culture.