1990s History: Key Events, Politics And Culture
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Below: the key events of the 1990s, the politics of the decade, the social changes that came with them, the culture people still talk about, and what ordinary life looked like.
Written for quizzes, reminiscence sessions, school projects and anyone working out what a relative lived through.
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Key events of the 1990s
- Black Wednesday, 16 September 1992, forces sterling out of the ERM.
- The Channel Tunnel opens in 1994.
- The National Lottery's first draw is in November 1994.
- Dunblane in March 1996 leads to a near-total handgun ban.
- Diana, Princess of Wales, dies on 31 August 1997.
- The Good Friday Agreement is signed in April 1998.
Politics and government
- John Major wins unexpectedly in 1992; the Conservatives then spend five years at war over Europe.
- Tony Blair's Labour wins a landslide in May 1997.
- Devolution referendums in 1997 create the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly in 1999.
- The minimum wage is introduced in April 1999.
- The Bank of England is made independent in 1997.
Social change: rights, work and family life
- The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 made discrimination unlawful for the first time.
- The Stephen Lawrence inquiry, reporting in 1999, found the Metropolitan Police institutionally racist.
- Scotland and Wales voted for devolution in 1997; the Good Friday Agreement followed in 1998.
- Mobile phones and the web moved from novelty to normal in five years.
- The age of consent for gay men fell from 21 to 18 in 1994.
Culture and entertainment
- Britpop: Blur versus Oasis in August 1995, and Cool Britannia after it.
- Euro 96 and Three Lions; Rave culture and the Criminal Justice Act 1994.
- Friends, The Simpsons and the first reality formats.
- Trainspotting (1996) and the first Harry Potter book (1997).
- The Spice Girls sell girl power to the world.
Everyday life
- Dial-up internet, AOL discs and the first family mobile phone.
- The Sony PlayStation makes gaming an adult hobby.
- House prices fall early in the decade, then climb for twenty years.
- Sunday trading is legalised in England and Wales in 1994.
Years covered in the 1990s
- 1990 - Thatcher resigned, Gazza cried, and the country spent a fortnight thinking England might actually win it. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1990
- 1991 - Bryan Adams would not get off the top of the chart, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and Freddie Mercury died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1991
- 1992 - Black Wednesday, a general election nobody predicted correctly, and the Premier League arrived. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1992
- 1993 - Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is somehow not the strangest thing about the year. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1993
- 1994 - The Lottery started, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Wet Wet Wet would not leave the number one spot. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1994
- 1995 - Blur against Oasis on the Six O'Clock News, and Toy Story changed films for good. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1995
- 1996 - Football came home, nearly, and the Spice Girls arrived and took the entire decade with them. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1996
- 1997 - A landslide in May, a death in August, and the best-selling single in British history. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1997
- 1998 - The Good Friday Agreement, a World Cup sending off nobody forgave, and Furby. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1998
- 1999 - An eclipse over Cornwall, a millennium everybody was quietly worried about, and boy bands everywhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1999
- That is every 1990s year we have written up so far: 1990 to 1999.
How to use this
- Quiz round: read an event and ask for the year, or read a year and ask for the prime minister.
- Reminiscence: ask where they were for one of the events above. The answers are always better than the facts.
- School project: pair this page with the decade calendar for a year-by-year timeline.
- Anyone born in 1990 turns 50 in 2040, 60 in 2050 and 70 in 2060.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop prints and posters Look back to 1990 Look back to 1991 Look back to 1992
How to write it so it lands
- Pair this with the decade calendar if you need the events in year order.
- For a reminiscence session, read one event and let the conversation go wherever it goes.
- Politics and everyday life rarely moved at the same speed. Both sections are here for that reason.
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Where to shop next
- Look back to 1990
- Look back to 1991
- Look back to 1992
- Look back to 1993
- Look back to 1994
- Look back to 1995
- Look back to 1996
- Look back to 1997
- Look back to 1998
- Look back to 1999
- 1990s calendar: year by year
- 1990s trivia: fun facts
- 1990s art and artists
- 1990s films and directors
- 1990s music: albums and artists
- 1990s fashion: clothes, hair and accessories
- The 1990s: the whole decade
- Retro gift guide: the 1990s
- 1990s party playlist
- 90s kids' TV shows
- 90s quiz questions
- Toys of the 80s and 90s
- Video shops and late fees
- Saturday morning TV
- Phones before mobiles
- Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
- Decade films: best movies and directors by era
- Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
- Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
- Decade calendar: every year from 1920
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade quiz: test your memory
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Milestone birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What were the most important events of the 1990s?
Black Wednesday, 16 September 1992, forces sterling out of the ERM. The full list above covers the events that defined the decade.
What was happening politically in the 1990s?
John Major wins unexpectedly in 1992; the Conservatives then spend five years at war over Europe. The politics section above covers the governments, laws and arguments of the decade.
How did society change in the 1990s?
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 made discrimination unlawful for the first time. The social change section above lists the laws, rights and shifts in work and family life that defined the decade.
What was life like in the 1990s?
Dial-up internet, AOL discs and the first family mobile phone. The everyday life section above covers homes, money, work and shopping.
What was popular culture like in the 1990s?
Britpop: Blur versus Oasis in August 1995, and Cool Britannia after it. There are fuller guides to the decade's music, films, television and fashion linked from this page.
Can I use this for a quiz or a school project?
Yes, freely. Print it, read it out, copy it - no permission needed. We make greeting cards and prints; these pages are free.