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1990's U.S. History Timeline
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U.S. Invasion of Panama
Bush ordered the invasion of Panama because of rising tensions between the U.S. and Manuel Noriega, who was Panama’s military dictator at the time. Noriega was previously indicted on drug trafficking charges in the United States and evidence was found that pointed to the sale of restricted American technology and information. Noriega canceled presidential elections in an attempt to continue rule through a puppet government. The invasion was prompted after a military coup against Noriega failed. -
Death of Jim Henson
On May 16, 1990, Jim Henson died of pneumonia. Henson, creator of the muppets, Two weeks prior, Henson felt that his disease was but a small cough that would shortly disappear, but to his demise, it was pneumonia. He was admitted into the hospital on May 15, but after receiving an x-ray he stopped breathing. Henson’s death brought attention to the medical importance of taking medicine, as Henson could have been saved if he was prescribed antibiotics just hours earlier. -
Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act
The American Disability Act was passed on July 26, 1990. It prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities. It allowed people to have the same opportunities to purchase goods, participate in state and local government programs and services, and the same opportunities for employment. This act requires employers to make accommodations for a disabled person to perform the job adequately. -
Rodney King Beating
Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police after a high-speed chase through LA County. A videotape taken by George Holiday was released, which showed the brutal beating of King by officers. Over 20 officers were present, some beating King over 50 times with batons. King was left with 11 fractures and injuries. On March 7, King was released without any charges. -
Magic Johnson’s HIV Announcement
On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced in a press conference that he had been diagnosed with AIDS. Following the disclosure of this information, Johnson announced that he would immediately retire from basketball. By announcing his AIDS to the public, Johnson brought tremendous attention to the AIDS epidemic. His announcement helped dispel the ideology that HIV was a “gay disease.” -
L.A. Riots
Four officers were indicted for connections to the beating, but they were acquitted. Riots broke out over the course of 5 days in South Central LA, advocating for justice against the unruly acts against King. Over 50 people were dead, and over 2,000 were injured. A federal grand jury returned indictments to the four officers, two of which were found guilty. Both were sentenced to 30 months in jail and King was awarded $3.8 million in compensatory damages in a lawsuit against the City of LA. -
Hurricane Andrew
A destructive hurricane hit the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana in 1992. The category 5 hurricane cause landfall in Florida and stripped many homes of all their concrete foundations. It caused $27.3 billion dollars in damage and killed 65 people. More than 63,500 houses were destroyed. -
U.S. Soldiers in Somalia–Blackhawk Down
Somalia’s gained independence from Italy in 1960 and was led by Mohamed Siad Barre. He was a socialist and allied with the Soviet Union. Barre became increasingly radical, launching an attack against Ethiopia in 1977 in hopes of gaining land. The Soviet Union assisted Ethiopia causing Somalia to accept assistance from the United States and by 1991, Barre’s dictatorship was overthrown. -
Passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, was an agreement arranged among the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It removed barriers and allowed for the exchange of goods and services. It helped American become more competitive in the global marketplace by reducing trading costs and increasing business investment. It was signed into law on December 8, 1993, and put in place January 1, 1994. -
Olympic Park Bombing
In Atlanta Georgia, Centennial Olympic Park was pipe bombed by a domestic terrorist. One person died and 11 others were injured. Jewll, a security guard discovered the bomb before it was detonated and cleared most of the people out of the park. Eric Rudolph, the terrorist, was sentenced to life imprisonment. -
Heaven's Gate Cult Suicide
In 1996, Marshall Applewhite led the Heaven’s Gate cult into believing there was an incoming UFO. With the approach of the Comet Hale-Bopp, a supposed UFO was to come. Applewood convinced the cult that the way to enter the spaceship and enter new bodies was to leave their current one and let their soul join another body. 39 cult members were found dead. -
Murder of James Byrd
James Byrd Jr. was dragged for 3 miles across an asphalt road behind a pickup truck by 3 white supremacists in Jasper, Texas. He was killed halfway through when his head and right arm were severed after hitting the edge of a culvert. Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King dumped his torso in a black cemetery. This led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Brewer and King were executed and Berry was sentenced to life imprisonment. -
Murder of Matthew Shepard
Matthew Wayne Shepard was an openly gay American student at the University of Wyoming. He went alone to the Fireside Lounge in Laramie and was confronted by two high school dropouts that lured him. Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson convinced Shepard that they were gay. They drove him to a remote area where he was beaten, tortured and left to die. He was later found tied to a fence by a biker and brought to Poudre Valley Hospital, where he died six days after his initial attack. -
NATO Bombing in Yugoslavia
From March 4, 1999 to June 10, 1999, the NATO military launched airstrikes against Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. NATO continued these bombings until the Yugoslavians agreed to withdraw their forces from Kosovo. Since China and Russia would veto UN approval of the NATO bombings, the actions undertaken by the NATO campaign were considered war crimes and acts of terror. This was the first instance of NATO using military power without UNSC approval. -
Columbine Massacre
Around 11:19 a.m. at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris began shooting fellow students. Thirteen people were killed, one being a teacher, and more than 20 were injured. They initially planned to bomb the school with explosives hidden in duffle bags. Both Klebold and Harris turned their guns on themselves. -
Y2K Scare
Programmers feared that their computers would stop functioning due to the “Millennium Bug”. Many big businesses spent millions of dollars in order to avoid this risk. The 2 digit date recognition system would be detrimental to institutions that relied on computers because it would recognize 00 and 1900 instead of 2000. Travelers avoided airports on New Year’s Eve. In the end, the solution was to recognize 2000 as a leap year.
