1990s
Kyra Grandall
Presidents and World Leaders
The first president of the 90's was George H. W. Bush. He served from 1989-1993 and was most known for his campaign slogan that he did not follow through on and the Saddam Hussein invasion of Kuwait. His slogan was Read my lips no new taxes and during his term the democrats proposed bills with taxes attached and if the president vetoed them he would be unpopular. This left him in a lose-lose situation. The other president of the decade was Bill Clinton. He served from 1993-2000 and was most known for not doing much during his presidency. His biggest accomplishment of being president was bringing the nation to a period of economic prosperity. The main world leader of this time was Saddam Hussein. He was the Iraqi president who attacked Kuwait. The United Nations tried to get him to leave Kuwait but he refused so the United Nations sent coalition forces, headed by the US, to get him to leave.
Key Laws
There were two key laws during this decade. The first was the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was passed in 1990. It allowed disabled employees to keep there jobs and helped with disability law suits. The next was the Civil Rights Act. This was passed in 1991 and it changed the statutes enforced by the EEOC. These two acts created a more equal business world in the US and gave Americans more opportunities.
Critical Supreme Court Decisions
There were 2 main supreme court decisions made during this decade. The first was St. Mary's Honor Center V. Hicks. The case had to deal with Hicks being fired as a correctional officer and him accusing the institute of racial discrimination. He lost the case. The second was Harris V. Forklift Systems, Inc. This case involved sexual harassment disputes in the work place. She won the case and it paved the way for a safer work environment for women.
War and Defense Decisions
The Persian Gulf War was the first big event of the decades. It lasted from August 1990 to February 1991. It started when Saddam Hussein invaded Iraq and Bush declared to invade Iraq because Kuwait is a major supplier for oil. A part of the war was operation Desert Storm. This involved air forces driving Iraqi forces in Kuwait. On February 28, 1991 President Bush calls ceasefire which ends the war. The next event is the Cold War. It started before the 90's but ended in 1992 and this caused the Soviet Union to fall from power. The last major event of the 1990's was the bombing at the World Trade Center. This took place in 1993 and involved a terrorist putting a bomb in the parking garage. When it went off it made a big crater and several floors collapsed. Six people were killed and more then a thousand were injured by this incident.
Technology
Important Technology of the Decade
- Digital Answering Machine
- CD
- Cell Phone
- MP3 Player
- Memory Card
- Mobile Phone Game (Snake)
- Cars with Automatic Doors and Windows
- Java
- DVD
- GPS
Cost Of Living
Entertainment
This era had many movies and shows that the whole family could enjoy. These included Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Jumanji, and Forest Gump. Others that were meant for just adults included Pulp Fiction and Braveheart. Some of the TV shows were Friends, Seinfeld, Price is Right, Law and Order, and That 70's Show. The music of the 90's was mostly hip hop. Some popular singers were Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, 2 Pac, and New Kids on the Block.
Sports
Sports teams that were popular were the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Reds, and the LA Lakers. The major sporting events of the decade were the Olympics that were hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, the FIFA World Cup, the World Series, and the Super Bowl. Popular athletes were Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, and Deion Sanders.
Lifestyle
Men during this decade wore baggy flannel shirts, straight led denim pants, khakis, blazers, canvas shoes, aloha shirts, and loafers. The preppy style also was popular during this decade. Women wore trousers with elastic boot straps, denim skirts, neon colors, black leather jackets, cowboy boots, bike shorts, floral dresses, and turtlenecks. Hairstyles of the decade that were popular were straight hair, colored hair, and the bowl cut. The average salary was $21,000 to $36,000 and popular jobs were agriculture, manufacturing, sales occupations, technicians, transportation, and wholesale trade. Teens spent there time hunting, shopping, summer sports, and canoeing.
Famous People
There were 2 main famous people during this decade. The first was Nelson Mandela. He was released from jail in 1990 and became one of the most important peace leaders in history. He was elected president of South Africa in 1994 after his life turn around. The other important famous person was Rodney King. He had a big part in connections between police brutality and racism/racial issues.