1990s

The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999. The 1990s were marked with rapid progression of globalization and global capitalism following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. more...

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Key forces shaping the decade were the recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the increasing popularity of personal computers beginning especially in the early 1990s, and the rise of the Internet and subsequent dot-com boom from approximately 1995 onward. The Internet would go on to revolutionize modern culture, and has served as a major medium for globalization and the spread and revolution of popular culture.

In the United States, much of the decade was characterized by the presidency of Bill Clinton, in which the United States was involved in few foreign wars and saw somewhat of a resurgence of the 1970s liberal movements, as well as seeing a nearly uninterrupted period of rapid economic growth following the recession of the late 80s. However, the ending of the Cold War dramatically changed the political landscape of the world as the long-standing communism vs. capitalism conflict essentially came to an end and the political allegiances of many third-world countries were dramatically altered as a result. Great strides were made towards Israeli-Palestinian peace in the early part of the decade, due to official PLO recognition of Isreal in 1993. However, as the decade wore on, the peace process derailed and eventually led to an escalation in conflict once again, especially into the 2000s. Al Qaeda rose as a terrorist threat against the U.S. with the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

Culturally, the 1990s is remembered for somewhat of a re-liberalization of pop culture and increased awareness of social issues. TV sitcoms reached a peak in popularity, such as Seinfeld (1989-1998), Friends (1994-2004), and the animated sitcom The Simpsons (1989-present). Animation also saw a revival in popularity, with more blockbuster Disney hits and the popularity of The Simpsons. Animation turned racier and more politically incorrect as the decade wore on, with shows such as South Park (1997-present) and Family Guy (1999-2002; 2005-present) emerging near the end of the decade. Grunge music, often attributed solely to Nirvana, was seen to inspire an entire generation and the revolution of mainstream rock music. It continues to be a major influence on rock music today. The re-emergence of punk music is seen as another important revolution in the rock music genre. Rap and hip-hop rapidly rose in popularity throughout the decade, and by the end of the decade had perhaps replaced rock as the most popular music genre with the world's youth. Teen pop, including boy bands, became a cultural phenomenon towards the end of the decade.

HIV/AIDS emerged as one of the most critical medical and social issues of the modern generation, especially after the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 and NBA superstar Magic Johnson's announcement of his HIV positivity the same year. These high-profile HIV declarations helped raise awareness of the virus and also helped to gradually overcome the 1980s stereotype that HIV/AIDS was primarily a homosexual problem. Some of the social issues that were brought to light in the 1970s and somewhat shunned during the 1980s, including abortion, gay rights, political correctness and censorship (the media's stance on sex, violence, drug use and obscenity), all came to light again in the 1990s.

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