The year 1990 (MCMXC) of the Gregorian Calendar began and ended on a Monday. During the year, Iraq invaded Kuwait and the Persian Gulf War began. There was a reunification of East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall the year before. Mikhail Gorbachev and President George Bush agreed to an arms reduction by signing the Chemical Weapons Treaty to end production and destroying their current stockpiles. Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega surrendered to US authorities. Nelson Mandela was released in South Africa. Margaret Thatcher resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 40,000 people were killed in an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter Scale, near the Iranian city of Rasht. Raisa Gorbachev along with Barbara Bush gave the commencement speech at Wellesley College. Washington DC mayor Marion Berry was arrested for crack during an FBI sting. Charles Keating jailed for his part in the Savings and Loan scandal. Supreme court justice William Brennan retired leaving only Thurgood Marshall as the remaining liberal on the court.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law along with the Clean Air Act. Fuel prices increased state side due to the Gulf War crisis and a recession took hold according to economists. NASAdeployed the Hubble Space Telescope, with notable problems to its mirrors. Notable deaths included Billionaire Malcolm Forbes and Muppet creator Jim Henson. Microsoft releases Windows 3.0. The San Francisco 49ers won the Super Bowl. The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series without help from Pete Rose who was jailed for tax evasion. Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson to become World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Famous Births
- Mar. 04: Andrea Bowen - Desperate Housewives
- Apr. 09: Kristen Stewart - Twilight
- Apr. 15: Emma Watson - Harry Potter Films
- Apr. 23: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
- Dec. 20: JoJo - Musician
Famous Deaths
- December 2: Aaron Copland - Composer
Chart Toppers
- Jan. 06: Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise
- Jan. 20: Michael Bolton - How Am I Supposed...
- Feb. 10: Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract
- Mar. 03: Janet Jackson - Escapade
- Mar. 24: Alannah Myles - Black Velvet
- Apr. 07: Taylor Dayne - Love Will Lead You back
- Apr. 14: Tommy Page - I'll Be Your Everything
- Apr. 21: Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
- May 19: Madonna - Vogue
- Jun. 09: Wilson Phillips - Hold On
- Jun. 16: Roxette - It Must Have Been
- Jun. 30: New Kids On The Block - Stepy by Step
- Jul. 21: Glenn Medeiros - She Ain't Worth It
- Aug. 04: Mariah Carey - Vision of Love
- Sep. 01: Sweet Sensation - If Wishes Came True
- Sep. 08: Jon Bon Jovi - Blaze of Glory
- Sep. 15: Wilson Phillips - Release Me
- Sep. 29: Nelson - Love and Affection
- Oct. 06: Maxi Priest - Close to you
- Oct. 13: George Michael - Praying for time
- Oct. 20: James Ingram - I Don't Have the heart
- Oct. 27: Janet Jackson - Black Cat
- Nov. 03: Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
- Nov. 10: Mariah Carey - Love Takes Time
- Dec. 01: Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight
- Dec. 08: Stevie B - Because I love You Billboard: Historical Billboard Charts
Top Grossing Movies
63rd Academy Awards
- Presented: March 25, 1991
- Best Picture: Dances with Wolves
- Lead Actor: Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune
- Lead Actress: Kathy Bates in Misery
- Best Director: Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves
- Best Documentary: American Dream directed by Barbara Kopple
Championship Teams
Top Athletes
Nobel Laureates
January 1990
- January 3: Ousted Panama leader, Manuel Noriega surrendered to the United States.
- January 13: The first African-American governor, L. Douglas Wilder, entered office.
February 11 1990
February 1990
- February 2: South African President F.W. de Klerk promised to release Nelson Mandela.
March 1990
- March 22: Captain Joseph Hazelwood of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill was found innocent by a jury in Alaska.
- March 29: Record companies begin to add warning to music albums with potentially offensive lyrics.
April 8 1990
May 1990
- May 29: Boris Yeltsin was elected president of the Russian Republic by the Russian parliament.
September 1990
- September 11: During a televised speech George H. W. Bush threatens to to use force against Iraq, which had recently invaded the oil rich country of Kuwait, the speech was titled Toward a New World Order.
November 28 1990
November 28: After 11 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher resigned.
November 1990
- November 19: Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award after it's revealed neither of the members actually sang on their record.
- November 22: After failing to win re-election in the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation from the Conservative Party.
