Featured moment
Nelson Mandela Released from Prison
After 27 years in prison, the anti-apartheid leader walked free, paving the way for a new South Africa.
A new decade begins.
Nelson Mandela was freed, the Hubble Telescope launched, and the SNES arrived.
The Cost of Living in 1990
Gallon of Gas
$1.16
Loaf of Bread
$0.75
Gallon of Milk
$2.78
World Population
5.32 billion
Featured moment
Hubble Space Telescope Launches
NASA launched the revolutionary observatory, though a flawed mirror required a daring repair mission years later.
Featured moment
Super Nintendo (Super Famicom) Launches
Nintendo's 16-bit console launched in Japan, featuring Super Mario World and sparking the great console war with Sega.
The wider picture
More from 1990
A few more things worth remembering.
Internet
Tim Berners-Lee Creates the First Web Browser
The WorldWideWeb browser and editor was completed, bringing the web to life on a NeXT computer.
World Events
East and West Germany Reunite
Less than a year after the wall fell, Germany officially became a single, reunified nation.
Cinema & TV
Home Alone Released
Macaulay Culkin defended his house from burglars in what became the highest-grossing live-action comedy for decades.
Cinema & TV
Goodfellas Released
Martin Scorsese's mob masterpiece redefined the gangster genre with its kinetic energy and raw realism.
Cinema & TV
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Premieres
Will Smith transitioned from rapper to actor in the beloved NBC sitcom.
Pop Culture
First McDonald's Opens in Moscow
Over 30,000 Russians waited in line on opening day, a major cultural milestone in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
You arrivedin 1990.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 1990 to today.