Oct 3
Germany Reunified
East and West Germany officially reunited after 45 years of division. The Cold War's defining symbol was erased.
🇺🇸United States · 90s
The Last Year Before the Internet
Seinfeld, the Gulf War buildup, and the end of hair metal.
What happened
4 milestones of 1990
Aug 2
Iraq Invades Kuwait
Saddam Hussein's forces invaded Kuwait. President Bush deployed troops to Saudi Arabia in Operation Desert Shield. The countdown to the Gulf War began.
War — acknowledge civilian impact
Apr 24
Hubble Space Telescope Launched
NASA launched Hubble into orbit. Initial images were blurry (a flawed mirror), but once fixed, Hubble would deliver the most stunning images of the universe ever seen.
Feb 11
Nelson Mandela Released
After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walked free in South Africa. The world celebrated. Apartheid's end was in sight.
Apartheid — honor Mandela's sacrifice and the anti-apartheid movement
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Home Alone
Chris Columbus — Macaulay Culkin vs. the burglars. $476 million worldwide.
Ghost
Jerry Zucker — Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, and that pottery scene.
Goodfellas
Martin Scorsese — 'As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.'
Edward Scissorhands
Tim Burton — Johnny Depp's breakout. A fairy tale about being different.
The Godfather Part III
Francis Ford Coppola — Box office hit in the US — TMDB 7.4
What was on TV
Seinfeld
1989-1998 — Found its voice in season 2. The show about nothing became everything.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990-1996 — Will Smith moved to Bel-Air and became a star.
Law & Order
1990-2010 — Dun-dun. The procedural that defined a genre.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$2.78
Gallon of gas$1.16
Movie ticket$4.23
New house (median)$122,900
Inflation: 5.4%
Recession beginning. The S&L crisis was still unfolding. Gulf War uncertainty.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1990 (USD)
$2.78
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1990 (USD)
$1.16
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
1990 (USD)
$4.23
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1990 (USD)
$122,900
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee wrote the first web browser. The internet was about to go public.
Hubble Space Telescope
Launched into orbit — revolutionary astronomy despite initial mirror issues.
Super Nintendo (Japan)
SNES launched in Japan. US launch would follow in 1991.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Overalls (one strap down)Doc MartensFlannel shirts emergingBike shorts
Slang
NOT!— Sarcastic negation after a statement
Talk to the hand— I don't want to hear it
Da bomb— The best, amazing
Behavior
- Hair metal was dying, grunge was stirring in Seattle
- The Gulf War would be the first war broadcast live on CNN
- Environmental awareness mainstreamed — recycling programs expanded
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