The year in history
1990
Someone born in 1990 turns 36 in 2026
1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1990th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 990th year of the 2nd millennium, the 90th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1990s decade. Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South Africa, and the Baltic states declaring independence from the Soviet Union during Perestroika. Yugoslavia's communist regime collapses amidst increasing internal tensions and multiparty elections held within its constituent republics result in separatist governments being elected in most of the republics marking the beginning of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Also in this year began the crisis that would lead to the Gulf War in 1991 following the Iraq invasion and the largely internationally unrecognized annexation of Kuwait. This led to Operation Desert Shield being enacted with an international coalition of military forces being built up on the Kuwaiti-Saudi border with demands for Iraq to peacefully withdraw from Kuwait. Also in this year, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after more than 11 years.
What happened in 1990
Poland becomes the first country in Eastern Europe to begin abolishing its state socialist controls.
The trial of Joseph Hazelwood, former skipper of the Exxon Valdez, begins in Anchorage, Alaska. He is accused of negligence that resulted in America's second worst oil spill to date.
A fire at the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, kills 16 people.
The United States begins broadcasting Radio y Televisión Martí to Cuba.
A 7.0 earthquake shakes the Chinese province of Qinghai leaving 126 dead.
Cold War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production and begin destroying their respective stocks.
Argentina announces the sale of its state-owned airline, Aerolineas Argentinas, to Spanish airline Iberia. The sale will be completed in November.
Cold War: Belarus declares its sovereignty, a key step toward independence from the Soviet Union.
Geoffrey Palmer resigns as Prime Minister of New Zealand and is replaced by Mike Moore.
Moro conflict: Rebel forces seize two military posts on the island of Mindanao, Philippines before surrendering on October 6.
Indian Prime Minister Singh resigns over losing a confidence vote in the Parliament of India, having lost the support of Hindus who want a Muslim mosque in Ayodhya torn down to build a Hindu temple.
The first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, resigns after 11 years and is replaced by John Major.