The 90s was a great decade, you hear about it all the time—especially from millennials. Although, if you weren’t born during that time, you might think they’re exaggerating. However, this was a decade filled with technological advancements and fashion innovations, regardless of whether looking back at them makes you cringe. Even though it’s widely viewed through an optimistic lens, the 90s had its own political and social problems as well. Here’s a list of historical changes that happened during this period that you should know about.
- HOMOSEXUALITY IS NO LONGER A MENTAL DISORDER
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The struggle of the LGBTQ+ community for rights has been hard, with many people resisting change, even now, due to their prejudices and closed-mindedness. In 1977, The World Health Organization (WHO) labeled homosexuality as a mental disorder and people went as far as to implement the Sodomy Law as a way to prohibit such relationships. It wasn’t until 1990 that they reconsidered this and realized that someone’s sexual preference has nothing to do with their mental health, officially disassociating homosexuality as an illness. Times have changed, with younger generations becoming more accepting and open about their own sexuality, even if the world as a whole still has a long way to go.
- THE YEAR OF THE WOMAN
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1992 was labeled The Year of the Woman, being the first year that so many women had run and been elected for House seats in the United States. Twenty-four women were elected for the House of Representatives and three of them for the Senate. The positions they covered were only a few, but never before had so many women participated and been elected in a single year. This sparked more women to run for other positions such as Janet Reno who, in 1993, became the first female Attorney General. Also, by 1994, the House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Act.
- JAPANESE INFLUENCE ON FILMS AND TV
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During the 90s, the Japanese film industry gained worldwide attention when the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke was released in the US in 1999. It won the ACCA Award for Best Foreign Film and Best Animated Feature. Soon after, in 2001, we were blessed with their film Spirited Away, which received worldwide acclaim. Studio Ghibli kept winning award after award, sparking interest among a lot of people, especially international viewers.
- SITCOMS
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During the 90s, cable television started to harbor more networks and more sitcoms than ever before. It was also becoming more diverse, with shows like Family Matters and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Yet, perhaps the most influential and successful sitcom that impacted all generations was none other than Friends, which first aired in 1994. Its relatable characters and everyday complications of young adulthood received various awards and a ridiculous amount of views. It even managed to invent a new popular hairstyle known as “The Rachel” and a new catchphrase for hitting on women, the character Joey’s ever lovely, “How you doin’?” International viewers also found this show helpful as a means of learning the English language. Moreover, this decade was one of change as people yearned for new and unusual ideas, which gave way to adult animated sitcoms like The Simpsons and shows such as The X-Files.
- ITASE
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Also known as the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition, ITASE was an expedition that took place in 1990 where many nations came together and decided to send a team of six people (each from different nations) to Antarctica. Their purpose would be to study, understand, and collect data on climate change, as its impact had, and still plays, a big part on the environment and the world’s weather patterns. The expedition also encouraged them to broaden their knowledge of Antarctica. Shortly after the expedition in 1991, the Antarctic Treaty System was created, which limits visits to the continent for scientific research purposes and serves as a peaceful reminder of one of the few lands free of war.
- THE END OF THE COLD WAR
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We all know about the infamous Cold War. It took place back in 1949, after the Second World War, between the United States and the Soviet Union. These two powers sought to contain each other’s expansion and gain worldwide domination. It was only technically a war because neither of the nations declared war on the other. Therefore, it was mostly a period of tension between these two world powers, being called the “cold” war because of this very fact. There is debate on whether the Cold War ended in 1989 or 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved into tiny republics after its people rose up against its tyranny, most noticeably during the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany.
- THE GULF WAR
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The Gulf War lasted less than a year, between August 1990 and February 1991. It drew huge attention from the media, as Iraq invaded Kuwait to take over its oil reserves and expand the Iraqi territory. The United Nations had to intervene and even President Bush announced that he would use force if necessary to remove the Iraqi soldiers. The United States then led a coalition of 34 other nations. Iraq signed a cease-fire soon after.
- MUSIC WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE
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In the 90s, there was not a preferable set sound that was the most popular. There was grunge music, rap, disco, pop, R&B, electronic music, and much more. A lot of old sounds were being mixed with new ones, and so many singles were coming out that you couldn’t keep track of them all. A wave of boy bands also emerged during the 90s, such as the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and the New Kids on the Block.
- HURRICANE GEORGES
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There have been many hurricanes that have passed through the Caribbean, affecting many islands around the area. Out of all the storms that have impacted Puerto Rico, only a few have managed to cause major damage. We didn’t live through some of the most severe hurricanes that passed through the Island, but we have heard of them either in school or through the stories our parents and grandparents have told us. Such was the case of Hurricane Georges, a category three hurricane that hit the Island in 1998. Although it didn’t hit us as horribly as Hurricane Maria did back in 2017, at the time, it caused millions of dollars worth of property damage.
A lot of things happened in the 1990s all over the world. I’ve just compiled a few. We went through a lot of strife with wars and the rejection of homosexuality, but we have to see the good that happened as well, such as women taking part in politics and sitcoms growing in diversity. Likewise, we were blessed with films by Studio Ghibli, which I’m sure most of us grew up watching. The 90s were definitely eventful but it wasn’t all bad!