| 1990-04-16
The "Doctor of Death", Jack Kevorkian, participates in his first assisted suicide.
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| 1990-11-13
In Aramoana, New Zealand, David Gray shoots dead 13 people, in what becomes known as the Aramoana Massacre.
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| 1990-10-15
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.
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| 1990-08-08
Iraq occupies Kuwait and the state is annexed to Iraq. This would lead to the Gulf War shortly afterward.
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| 1990-11-07
Mary Robinson becomes the first woman to be elected President of the Republic of Ireland.
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| 1990-02-26
The Sandinistas are defeated in Nicaraguan elections.
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| 1990-03-28
President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.
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| 1990-05-20
The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.
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| 1990-10-02
A Chinese airline Boeing 737-247 is hijacked; after landing at Guangzhou, it crashes into two airliners on the ground, killing 132 people.
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| 1990-11-23
The first all woman expedition to the south pole (3 Americans, 1 Japanese and 12 Russians), sets off from Antarctica on the 1st leg of a 70 day, 1287 kilometre ski trek.
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| 1990-08-10
The Magellan space probe reaches Venus.
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| 1990-09-02
Transnistria is unilaterally proclaimed a Soviet republic; the Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev declares the decision null and void.
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| 1990-05-22
North and South Yemen are unified to create the Republic of Yemen.
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| 1990-02-12
Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian history when she becomes Premier of Western Australia.
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| 1990-01-18
Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.
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| 1990-01-25
The Burns' Day storm hits northwestern Europe.
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| 1990-02-02
Apartheid: F.W. de Klerk allows the African National Congress to function legally and promises to release Nelson Mandela.
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| 1990-09-09
1990 Batticaloa massacre, massacre of 184 minority Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan Army in the eastern Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka.
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| 1990-03-15
Iraq hangs British journalist Farzad Bazoft for spying.
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| 1990-11-17
Fugendake, part of the Mount Unzen volcanic complex, Nagasaki prefecture, Japan becomes active again and erupts.
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| 1990-02-11
Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa.
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| 1990-02-14
92 people are killed aboard Indian Airlines Flight 605 at Bangalore, India.
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| 1990-01-22
Robert Tappan Morris, Jr. is convicted of releasing the 1988 Internet Computer worm.
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| 1990-03-19
The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureş begin four days after the anniversary of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas.
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| 1990-03-20
Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
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| 1990-09-15
France announces it will send 4,000 troops to the Persian Gulf
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| 1990-10-24
Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti reveals to the Italian parliament the existence of Gladio, the Italian "stay-behind" clandestine paramilitary NATO army.
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| 1990-09-18
Liechtenstein becomes a member of the United Nations.
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| 1990-08-23
West Germany and East Germany announce that they will unite on October 3.
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| 1990-11-29
Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council passes United Nations Security Council Resolution 678, authorizing "use all necessary means to uphold and implement" United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 "to restore international peace and security" if Iraq did not withdraw its forces from Kuwait and free all foreign hostages by January 15, 1991.
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| 1990-07-13
An earthquake with its epicentre in Afghanistan results in the greatest number of fatalities in a mountaineering accident in High Asian mountains when an avalanche kills 43 climbers in Camp I on Pik Lenina (Lenin Peak).
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| 1990-05-04
Latvia proclaims the renewal of its independence after the Soviet occupation.
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| 1990-11-21
The Charter of Paris for a New Europe refocuses the efforts of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europeon post-Cold War issues.
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| 1990-06-01
George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production.
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| 1990-12-23
History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia.
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| 1990-06-30
East Germany and West Germany merge their economies.
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| 1990-08-28
Iraq declares Kuwait to be its newest province.
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| 1990-08-02
Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to conflict with coalition forces in the Gulf War.
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| 1990-04-23
Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
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| 1990-11-09
Mary Robinson is elected Ireland's first female President and the first from the Labour Party.
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| 1990-05-15
Portrait of Doctor Gachet by Vincent van Gogh is sold for a record $82.5 million, the most expensive painting at the time.
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| 1990-06-28
Paperback Software International Ltd. is found liable by a U.S. court for copyright violation for copying the appearance and menu system of Lotus 1-2-3 in its competing spreadsheet program.
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| 1990-03-02
Nelson Mandela is elected deputy President of the African National Congress.
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| 1990-06-06
U.S. District court judge Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr. rules that the rap album As Nasty As They Wanna Be by 2 Live Crew violates Florida's obscenity law; he declares that the predominant subject matter of the record is "directed to the 'dirty' thoughts and the loins, not to the intellect and the mind."
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| 1990-11-14
After German reunification, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland sign a treaty confirming the Oder-Neisse line as the border between Germany and Poland.
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| 1990-06-19
The current international law defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, was ratified for the first time by Norway.
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| 1990-09-10
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire – the largest church in Africa is consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
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| 1990-03-09
Dr. Antonia Novello is sworn in as Surgeon General of the United States, becoming the first female and Hispanic American to serve in that position.
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| 1990-04-24
STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery.
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| 1990-09-29
Construction of the Washington National Cathedral is completed.
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| 1990-03-11
Lithuania declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.
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| 1990-01-07
The interior of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to the public because of safety concerns.
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| 1990-10-13
End of the Lebanese Civil War. Syrian forces launch an attack on the free areas of Lebanon removing General Michel Aoun from the presidential palace.
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| 1990-05-22
Microsoft releases the Windows 3.0 operating system.
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| 1990-07-11
Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec, Canada begins.
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| 1990-03-10
In Haiti, Prosper Avril is ousted 18 months after seizing power in a coup.
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| 1990-12-02
A coalition led by Chancellor Helmut Kohl wins the first free all-German elections since 1932.
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| 1990-06-12
Russia Day – the parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty.
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| 1990-06-22
Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled in Berlin.
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| 1990-11-26
The Delta II rocket makes its maiden flight.
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| 1990-05-29
The Russian parliament elects Boris Yeltsin president of the Russian SFSR.
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| 1990-12-25
The first successful trial run of the system which would become the World Wide Web.
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| 1990-03-27
The United States begins broadcasting TV Martí to Cuba in an effort to bridge the information blackout imposed by the Castro regime.
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| 1990-02-11
James Buster Douglas, a 42 to 1 underdog, deals Mike Tyson his first professional loss with the largest upset in boxing history and becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
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| 1990-01-15
AT&T's long distance telephone network suffers a cascade switching failure.
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| 1990-11-05
Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the far-right Kach movement, is shot dead after a speech at a New York City hotel.
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| 1990-06-02
The Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak spawns 66 confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, killing 12. Petersburg, Indiana, is the hardest-hit town in the outbreak, with 6 deaths.
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| 1990-05-18
In France, a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record of 515.3km/h (320.2 mph).
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| 1990-09-29
The YF-22, which would later become the F-22 Raptor, flies for the first time.
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| 1990-08-23
Armenia declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
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| 1990-04-07
Iran Contra Affair: John Poindexter is found guilty of five charges for his part in the scandal (the conviction is later reversed on appeal).
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| 1990-07-27
The Jamaat al Muslimeen stage a coup d'état attempt in Trinidad and Tobago, occupying Parliament and the studios of Trinidad and Tobago Television, holding Prime Minister A. N. R. Robinson and most of his Cabinet, as well as the staff at the television station hostage for 6 days.
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| 1990-11-12
Tim Berners-Lee publishes a formal proposal for the World Wide Web.
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| 1990-08-10
The Massacre of more than 127 Muslims in North East Sri Lanka by paramilitaries.
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| 1990-06-20
Asteroid Eureka is discovered.
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| 1990-04-12
Jim Gary's "Twentieth Century Dinosaurs" exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
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| 1990-03-15
Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first executive president of the Soviet Union.
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| 1990-11-15
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis launches with flight STS-38.
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| 1990-03-11
Patricio Aylwin is sworn-in as the first democratically elected Chilean president since 1970.
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| 1990-09-12
The two German states and the Four Powers sign the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany in Moscow, paving the way for German re-unification.
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| 1990-05-21
Democratic Republic of Yemen and North Yemen agree to merge into the Republic of Yemen.
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| 1990-11-12
Crown Prince Akihito is formally installed as Emperor Akihito of Japan, becoming the 125th Japanese monarch.
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| 1990-01-31
The first McDonald's in the Soviet Union opens in Moscow.
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| 1990-04-11
Customs officers in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, say they have seized what they believe to be the barrel of a massive gun on a ship bound for Iraq.
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| 1990-11-09
New democratic constitution is issued in Nepal.
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| 1990-09-30
The Dalai Lama unveils the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights in Canada's capital city of Ottawa.
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| 1990-10-03
Re-unification of Germany. The German Democratic Republic ceases to exist and its territory becomes part of the Federal Republic of Germany. East German citizens became part of the European Community, which later became the European Union. Now celebrated as German Unity Day.
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| 1990-09-01
The Communist Labour Party of Turkey/Leninist is founded, following a split from the Communist Labour Party of Turkey.
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| 1990-12-01
Channel Tunnel sections started from the United Kingdom and France meet 40 metres beneath the seabed.
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| 1990-12-03
At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 collides with Northwest Airlines Flight 299 on the runway, killing 7 passengers and 1 crew member aboard flight 1482.
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| 1990-11-19
Pop group Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award because the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It's True album. Session musicians had provided all the vocals.
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| 1990-10-08
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: In Jerusalem, Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount.
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| 1990-08-28
The Plainfield Tornado: an F5 tornado hits in Plainfield, Illinois, and Joliet, Illinois, killing 28 people.
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| 1990-05-24
A car carrying American Earth First! activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney explodes in Oakland, California, critically injuring both.
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| 1990-09-24
Periodic Great White Spot observed on Saturn
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| 1990-01-01
David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City's first black mayor.
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| 1990-03-21
Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule.
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| 1990-09-20
South Ossetia declares its independence from Georgia.
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| 1990-09-30
The Chicago White Sox defeat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 at the final game at Comiskey Park.
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| 1990-03-18
In the largest art theft in US history, 12 paintings, collectively worth around $300 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
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| 1990-08-19
Leonard Bernstein conducts his final concert, ending with Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.
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| 1990-01-13
L. Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia.
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| 1990-01-10
Time Warner is formed from the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc.
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| 1990-03-31
200,000 protestors take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
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| 1990-08-06
Gulf War: the United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
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| 1990-01-11
300,000 march in favor of Lithuanian independence.
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| 1990-08-23
Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western "guests" (actually hostages) to try to prevent the Gulf War.
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| 1990-02-13
German reunification: An agreement is reached on a two-stage plan to reunite Germany.
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| 1990-03-01
Steve Jackson Games is raided by the United States Secret Service, prompting the later formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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| 1990-05-01
The former Philippine Episcopal Church (supervised by the Episcopal Church of the United States of America) was granted full autonomy and raised to the status of an Autocephalous Anglican Province and renamed the Episcopal Church of the Philippines.
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| 1990-01-20
Tragedy at Baku – The Red Army killed Azerbaijani people in Baku.
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| 1990-07-27
The Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian Soviet Republic declares independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union. Until 1996 the day is celebrated as the Independence Day of Belarus; after a referendum held that year the celebration of independence is transferred to June 3.
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| 1990-12-22
Final independence of Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia after termination of trusteeship.
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| 1990-05-17
The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.
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| 1990-09-05
Eastern University massacre, massacre of 158 Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan army at the Eastern University in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
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| 1990-07-01
German re-unification: East Germany accepts the Deutsche Mark as its currency, thus uniting the economies of East and West Germany.
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| 1990-07-16
Luzon Earthquake stroke in Benguet, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, La Union, Aurora, Bataan, Zambales and Tarlac, Philippines, with an intensity of 7.7.
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| 1990-04-24
Gruinard Island, Scotland, is officially declared free of the anthrax disease after 48 years of quarantine.
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| 1990-07-24
Iraqi forces start massing on the Kuwait-Iraq border.
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| 1990-07-26
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is signed into law by President George H. W. Bush.
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| 1990-09-16
A rail link between China and Kazakhstan is completed at Dostyk, adding an important connection to the Eurasian Land Bridge.
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| 1990-11-22
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher withdraws from the Conservative Party leadership election, confirming the end of her premiership.
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| 1990-10-05
After one hundred and fifty years The Herald broadsheet newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, is published for the last time as a separate newspaper.
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| 1990-03-04
Loyola Marymount University, All-American basketball player Hank Gathers dies on the court of a heart attack during a conference semifinal game.
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| 1990-01-03
Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces.
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| 1990-02-07
Collapse of the Soviet Union: The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly on power.
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