Historical Events of the 1990s: A Timeline | America, World, Culture, & Politics

The last decade of the 20th century was defined by a number of transformative events. The emergence of Google and Amazon fueled the growing popularity of the Internet and forever changed everyday life. On the political front, the decades-long Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, creating a new world order. And while the Persian Gulf War lasted less than a year, it had an enduring impact.

The 1990s were also marked by a number of influential cultural events. The sitcom Friends debuted, while a landmark “show about nothing” ended. A little movie called Titanic packed theaters, becoming the first film to earn $1 billion at the box office. And when it came to music, grunge and hip-hop made a lot of noise.