News Highlights of 1991

• Cyclone in Bangladesh kills 200,000
  
  
• Fires in the hills of Oakland, California burns thousands of homes and kills 25
  
  
• 50% of India population is living at or below the poverty line
  
  
• Canada introduces the Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) a national sales tax
  
  
• Typhoon Kinna strikes western Japan with 80 mph winds
  
  • Iraq is attacked by UN forces
  January 16, 1991 signaled the start of an air campaign against Iraq. February 27, after 100 hours of ground fighting, Kuwait was liberated, and a ceasefire was declared. 200,000 Iraqis were dead, including hundreds of civilians, 148 UN allies were killed.
  
  
• Yugoslavia falls apart
  June 1991, Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic blocked Croatian leader Stipe Mesic from assuming the presidency, Croatia and Slovenia seceded. The Yugoslav army moved into both republics. In July they left Slovenia, but began "ethnic cleansing" in Croatia until January 1992 when a UN supervised ceasefire took place. 25,000 were dead. Macedonia declared independence in September 1991, though Greece requested they find a different name since they also had an area named Macedonia.
  
  • Albania refugees flee their country
  The summer of 1991 saw over 40,000 people leave their country for Italy. Approximately 20,000 were able to stay, most were flown back. As a result of the great exodus, autocrat Ramiz Alia was forced to begin reforming the government.
  
  • The Soviet Union Ends
  Yeltsin, president of the Russian republic, lead a revolution against Gorbachev in order to preserve the crumbling Soviet Union power structure. Yeltsin however didn't lose much, after the failed revolt, the 15 separate republics were granted their independence and Yeltsin remained the president of the newly independent republic.
  
  • USA Sanctions Against South Africa lifted
  
  • US President Zachary Taylor is exhumed
  In order to discover whether his death was caused by arsenic poisoning instead of acute gastrointestinal illness. No arsenic was found.
  
  • Biosphere II is launched
  Later the subject of a bad Pauly Shore film, the Biosphere II is sealed with four men and four women in the Arizona desert. The expriment was being conducted in order to determine whether or not a self-sustained ecosystem could be maintained without outside influences. It was a failure, several food crops died, and fresh air needed to be pumped in at one point.
  
  • Jeffery Dahlmer is arrested
  Over a 13 year period, this serial killer was responsible for at least 17 deaths. He would lure young men home for sex, and would then drug and kill them. He would then continue to have sex with the corpses, and would sometimes dismember and eat his victims. He was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms, but was killed two years into his sentence by a prison inmate.
  
  • Bank of Credit and Commerce International closed
  Banking regulators from 69 countries shut down the BCCI claiming it laundered money, dealt in illegal arms, and was responsible for smuggling, fraud, extortion and bribery. billion was claimed to have disappeared within it's walls. BCCI was responsible for Iran-Contra transfers, providing nuclear weapons technology to Iraq, and secretly buying three American banks.
  
  • Robert Maxwell dies, discovered to be a con-man
  The British tabloid tycoon disappeared, and turned up dead in the Atlantic Ocean. An investigation into his business turned up that he had stolen nearly $2 billion from the pension funds of his companies. He was also $4 billion in debt. Due to poor lending practices by major international banks, he was able to take out larges loans without anything to back them up.
  
  • Princess Diana and Prince Charles split.
  It is announced from Buckingham Palace that, with regret, the Prince and Princess of Wales have decided to seperate. They have no intention to divore and will both continue to have an active role in their boys' lives.
  • Mt Pinatubo Volcano Erupts
  Volcanic eruption in Philippines. Clark Air Base is evacuated and then abandoned. World weather patterns effected.

Entertainment News of 1991

Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, issues a public statement confirming that he is stricken with AIDS, and the next day he dies of complications

The release of Nirvana's Nevermind signified the start of the Grunge era that would dominate the music scene up to the mid-90's.

Sports Highlights of 1991

• Earvin 'Magic' Johnson tests HIV positive
Magic retired November 7th after learning of his test results, and became an AIDS spokesperson.
Mike Tyson is arrested and charged with raping Desiree Washington
• Super Bowl XXV – New York Giants won 20-19 over the Buffalo Bills

World Series – The Minnesota Twins win 4 games to 3 over the Atlanta Braves.

Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 36-21 over the Calgary Stampeders

Stanley Cup – Pittsburgh Penguins win 4 games to 2 over the Minnesota North Stars

Ernie Irvan won the Daytona 500

NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt

CART Racing - Michael Andretti won the season championship

Formula One Championship - Ayrton Senna of Brazil

Top Movies of 1991
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• The Silence of the Lambs
• Hook
• The Addams Family
• Sleeping with the Enemy
• Father of the Bride
• The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
• Beauty and the Beast
• Backdraft
• Beethoven
• Thelma & Louise


Top TV Shows of 1991
• American Gladiators
• Beverly Hills, 90210
• Twin Peaks
• Quantum Leap
• MacGyver
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Northern Exposure
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
• Seinfeld
• Dallas


Top Songs of 1991
1. (Everything I Do) I Do It for You , Bryan Adams
2. I Wanna Sex You Up , Color Me Badd
3. Gonna Make You Sweat , C+C Music Factory
4. Rush, Rush , Paula Abdul
5. One More Try , Timmy T
6. Unbelievable , EMF
7. More Than Words , Extreme
8. I Like the Way (The Kissing Game) , Hi-Five
9. The First Time , Surface
10. Baby, Baby , Amy Grant

Top Musicians of 1991
• Pearl Jam
• Whitney Houston with All The Man That I need
• Michael Jackson with black and White
• Queen
• Bryan Adams with Everything That I do I do it for You
• Erasure
• Marillion
• Phil Collins
• Guns N' Roses
• Mariah Carey with Someday
• Metallica
• Amy Grant
• Beverly Craven
• Cher
• Gloria Estefan
• R.E.M.
• Janet Jackson
• Extreme
• Boyz II Men
• U2
• Van Halen
• The Clash
• Paula Abdul with The Promise of The New Day
• Billy Bragg
• Garth Brooks
• Nirvana