1990 marked a real turning point, with old borders breaking down and new realities settling in fast.
East and West Germany reunified, leaving the new nation with huge practical questions about money, jobs, identity, and how to stitch two systems into a shared future.
In South Africa, Nelson Mandela’s release from prison signaled that Apartheid’s grip was weakening, and the pace of change began to look harder to stop.
Pop culture kept the year moving, with “Home Alone” turning into a blockbuster favorite and Madonna’s “Vogue” setting the tone on radios and dance floors.
By the end of the year, 1990 felt like the world was setting itself straight, full of possibility yet also uncertainty about what the next chapter would look like.
Continue reading to uncover the significant events, groundbreaking news, chart-topping music, memorable quotes, and impactful losses that made 1990 unforgettable.
Historical Events
Here you'll discover a collection of fascinating and unforgettable events that shaped the world in 1990.
January 1990
Jan 9
NASA’s Columbia Space Shuttle launched from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-32.
STS-32, the ninth mission flown by the Columbia Space Shuttle, was the longest shuttle mission to date, lasting an impressive eleven days. The mission had two primary objectives; to launch the Leasat 5 military communications satellite and retrieve a bus-sized space lab called the Long Duration Exposure Facility. The shuttle also ferried an IMAX camera into orbit, with the footage taken making it into the 1990 film Blue Planet.
Jan 24
Japan launched its first lunar probe, Hiten, from the Uchinoura Space Center.
Hiten was the first robotic lunar probe to launch in fifteen years, after the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. It was also the first probe launched toward the moon by a nation other than the US or the Soviet Union.
February 1990
March 1990
April 1990
Apr 24
NASA’s Discovery Space Shuttle carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit.
STS-31 was the 31st mission in NASA's Space Shuttle program and the tenth mission flown by the Discovery Space Shuttle. The mission's primary objective was to carry the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit and deploy it. The crew recorded much of the historic mission with portable and fixed IMAX cameras.
Apr 25
Nicaragua elected its first-ever female President, Violeta Chamorro.
Violeta Chamorro was also the first female head of state to be elected in the Americas! Chamorro was elected as the head of a fourteen-party coalition whose goals misaligned so much that she was unable to get very much done during her seven-year term.
Apr 25
The Discovery Space Shuttle deployed the Hubble Space Telescope into low-Earth orbit.
The Hubble mission was a joint operation between NASA and the European Space Agency. Discovery ferried the telescope under mission STS-31, with the deployment of the telescope as its primary objective. During deployment, one of the telescope's solar arrays got stuck while unfurling, but fortunately, the mission's ground team found a solution in time.
May 1990
May 4
Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.
Latvia lost its independence in 1940 when it was annexed by the Soviet Union, remaining under Soviet control for 50 years. With the gradual collapse of the Soviet Union, the people of Latvia were finally able to wrest control of their nation, and their parliament declared their country independent again.
June 1990
July 1990
Jul 21
Pink Floyd performed their hit “The Wall” at the previous Berlin Wall location.
Eight months before this event, the wall at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, had been taken down after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Pink Floyd performed their hit "The Wall" at this location at a concert with over 350,000 spectators, with a live broadcast to 52 countries worldwide.
August 1990
September 1990
October 1990
November 1990
Famous Birthdays
Discover the well-known names who were born in 1990.
Age
36 years old
Born IN
Toronto, Canada
Zodiac Sign
Aquarius
Age
35 years old
Born IN
Pristina, Kosovo
Zodiac Sign
Sagittarius
Age
36 years old
Born IN
Oregon, USA
Zodiac Sign
Aquarius
Age
35 years old
Born IN
New York, USA
Zodiac Sign
Sagittarius
Famous Deaths
Take a moment to reflect on those we lost in 1990.
1958 — 1990
Keith Haring
1958 — 1990
Keith Haring
American artist Keith Haring was born on May 4, 1958. He died on February 16, 1990, at age 31, in New York, USA.
Quotes
Take a look at a few unforgettable quotes from 1990.
Jun 26
To deny any people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.
Nelson Mandela
South African President
1990 in Music
In 1990, the music scene was ablaze with a mix of unforgettable tunes that left an indelible mark on our hearts!
From the vogue-defining flair of “Vogue” by Madonna to the emotive power of “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette, these songs made 1990 unforgettable.
Discover the music moments from 1990 that deserve recognition.
Album of the Year
Bonnie Raitt’s soulful and bluesy album “Nick of Time” resonated deeply with listeners in 1990, earning her the coveted Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Song of the Year
Bette Midler’s powerful vocals soared in “Wind Beneath My Wings,” earning her the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1990.
Best New Artist
The 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist was initially won by Milli Vanilli, but it turned out they weren’t the original singers on their album, leading to the category being vacant for the year.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
The 35th Eurovision Song Contest unfolded in Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia), in 1990, showcasing Europe’s musical talent.
Toto Cutugno, an Italian singer-songwriter, enchanted the audience with his passionate performance of “Insieme: 1992” (“Together: 1992”), earning Italy its second Eurovision win.
1990 In Numbers
Are you ready for some interesting number facts? Well, here goes! If you’ve ever wondered what 1990 looks like in Roman numerals, it’s written as MCMXC. And when we look at it in binary, 1990 is represented as 11111000110, with a series of ones and zeros that form a unique digital code.
Deficient Number
1990 is recognized as a deficient number, which means that if you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into it, the sum will be less than the number itself.
So, when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into 1990 (1, 2, 5, 10, 199, 398, 995), they add up to 1610, which is less than 1990.
Chinese Zodiac 1990
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 1990 was designated as The Year of the Horse, which takes place once every twelve years.
The Chinese zodiac isn’t just animals though, they also include five elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. So 1990 was actually the Year of the Metal Horse, which only occurs every sixty years!
Because the Chinese calendar works from the lunar cycle, in 1990 Chinese New Year actually began on January 27th.
People born in the Year of the Horse are energetic, outgoing, and adventurous. They have a strong desire for freedom and love exploring new horizons, embracing life with enthusiasm and spontaneity.
Notable names like Ryan Higa and Maddie Ziegler are associated with the Year of the Horse, reflecting the remarkable accomplishments of individuals born under this sign!
1990 Trivia
Did you know that in 1990, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope, placing a powerful observatory above Earth’s atmosphere?
Shortly after, a tiny flaw in its main mirror made the early images blurry, but Hubble was built to be serviced and later received corrective optics to sharpen its vision.
With its clarity restored, Hubble delivered iconic discoveries like the Deep Fields that reshaped how scientists understand the universe.
