1991

Events in 1991 70

• 1897 – 1991 Frank Capra (1897-1991) Died 3 September 1991, aged 94 Film director Frank Capra, known for It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It Happened One Night, died in La Quinta, California. He won three Academy Awards for Best Director during Hollywood's golden age. His optimistic, populist films remain holiday and classroom staples.
• 1900 – 1991 Jean Arthur (1900-1991) American actress, Frank Capra's favourite comic heroine in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
• 1904 – 1991 Theodor Geisel "Dr. Seuss" (1904-1991) Died 24 September 1991, aged 87 Theodor Geisel, known worldwide as Dr. Seuss, died at his home in La Jolla, California. His illustrated children's books, including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, sold hundreds of millions of copies and reshaped children's literacy education. His distinctive rhyming verse and artwork remain a fixture of childhood reading worldwide.
• 1904 – 1991 Ralph Bellamy (1904-1991) American actor with a career of six decades, from The Awful Truth to Trading Places and Pretty Woman.
• 1904 – 1991 Keye Luke (1904-1991) Chinese-American actor, Charlie Chan's Number One Son and later Master Po in Kung Fu.
• 1904 – 1991 Graham Greene (1904-1991) Died 3 April 1991, aged 86 British novelist Graham Greene, author of works including The Third Man, Brighton Rock, and The Power and the Glory, died in Vevey, Switzerland. His fiction combined thriller plots with explorations of moral and religious conflict. He was repeatedly considered for but never awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 1908 – 1991 David Lean (1908-1991) Died 16 April 1991, aged 83 British film director David Lean died in London shortly after completing his final film project. He directed epic films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and The Bridge on the River Kwai, winning two Academy Awards for Best Director. His sweeping visual style influenced generations of filmmakers.
• 1908 – 1991 Fred MacMurray (1908-1991) American actor, the doomed insurance man in Double Indemnity and the dad in My Three Sons.
• 1909 – 1991 Edwin Land (1909-1991) Died 1 March 1991, aged 81 Inventor and Polaroid founder Edwin Land died in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He developed instant photography and held over 500 patents during his career. His Polaroid cameras made instant pictures a fixture of consumer life for decades.
• 1909 – 1991 Leo Fender (1909-1991) Died 21 March 1991, aged 81 Leo Fender, founder of Fender Musical Instruments, died in Fullerton, California. His Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars, along with the Fender Precision Bass, became standard instruments of modern popular music. Despite his enormous influence on music, Fender himself was not a proficient musician.
• 1913 – 1991 Klaus Barbie (1913-1991) Died 25 September 1991, aged 77 Klaus Barbie, the former Gestapo chief known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for his role in torturing and deporting French Resistance members and Jews during World War II, died in a French prison. He had been convicted of crimes against humanity in 1987 after years evading justice in South America. His trial was a landmark moment in France's reckoning with wartime collaboration.
• 1920 – 1991 Gene Tierney (1920-1991) American actress celebrated for her beauty and for Laura and Leave Her to Heaven.
• 1921 – 1991 Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) Died 24 October 1991, aged 70 Gene Roddenberry, creator of the Star Trek television franchise, died in Santa Monica, California. His optimistic vision of a united, exploratory future shaped decades of science fiction television and film. Star Trek: The Next Generation, which he helped launch, was airing its fifth season at the time of his death.
• 1921 – 1991 Yves Montand (1921-1991) Died 9 November 1991, aged 70 French actor and singer Yves Montand died of a heart attack near Paris. He starred in films including The Wages of Fear and Z, and was also known internationally as a singer and for his relationships with Edith Piaf and Marilyn Monroe. He remained one of postwar France's most recognizable cultural figures.
• 1922 – 1991 Redd Foxx (1922-1991) Died 11 October 1991, aged 68 Comedian and actor Redd Foxx, best known for starring in the television sitcom Sanford and Son, died of a heart attack on a television set in Los Angeles. He had built his career on raunchy stand-up comedy before crossing into mainstream television. His sitcom was among the first American shows to feature a predominantly Black cast.
• 1923 – 1991 Robert Maxwell (1923-1991) Died 5 November 1991, aged 68 British media proprietor Robert Maxwell, owner of the Mirror Group newspapers, was found dead in the sea off his yacht near the Canary Islands. His death was followed by revelations that he had fraudulently plundered his companies' pension funds. The scandal became one of the largest corporate fraud cases in British history.
• 1926 – 1991 Miles Davis (1926-1991) Died 28 September 1991, aged 65 Miles Davis, one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century, died of pneumonia, a stroke, and respiratory failure. His trumpet playing and restless reinvention shaped bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, and jazz fusion across a five-decade career. Albums such as Kind of Blue remain among the best-selling and most acclaimed jazz recordings ever made.
• 1926 – 1991 Klaus Kinski (1926-1991) Died 23 November 1991, aged 65 German actor Klaus Kinski, known for his intense performances in films such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Nosferatu the Vampyre, died of a heart attack in California. His volatile collaborations with director Werner Herzog produced some of the most striking images in European cinema. He remained a controversial and widely discussed figure in film history.
• 1928 – 1991 Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991) Died 2 March 1991, aged 62 French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg died of a heart attack in Paris. His provocative and genre-spanning songwriting, including "Je t'aime... moi non plus," made him one of the most influential figures in French popular music. His funeral drew a public address from President Francois Mitterrand.
• 1932 – 1991 Detlev Karsten Rohwedder Head of the Treuhandanstalt, 1932-1991 - assassinated in office The manager given the job of privatising the entire East German economy, and shot dead at his own window eight months later.
• 1935 – 1991 Lee Remick (1935-1991) American actress, star of Anatomy of a Murder, Days of Wine and Roses and The Omen.
• 1936 – 1991 Michael Landon (1936-1991) Died 1 July 1991, aged 54 Actor and producer Michael Landon died of pancreatic cancer less than three months after his diagnosis was announced. He starred in the television series Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, and created and starred in Highway to Heaven. His death prompted widespread public tributes across American television.
• 1946 – 1991 Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) Died 24 November 1991, aged 45 Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band Queen, died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS, a day after publicly confirming his diagnosis. His flamboyant stage presence and vocal range made him one of rock's most celebrated performers. His death drew global attention to the AIDS epidemic and led to a benefit concert at Wembley Stadium the following year.
• 1985 – 1991 Gorbachev in power Glasnost, Perestroika and the collapse of the USSR — 1985 to 1991 Gorbachev became Soviet leader on March 11, 1985 and resigned on December 25, 1991, the day the Soviet Union was dissolved. His reforms of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) inadvertently unleashed forces that ended the Cold War and dissolved the USSR.
• 1990 – 1991 Gulf War Operation Desert Storm A US-led coalition expelled Iraq from Kuwait in 1991. The 100-hour ground war liberated Kuwait with minimal Allied casualties.
• 1991 Pat Riley hired as head coach Riley takes over, building New York into a physical, top-defense contender around Ewing.
• 1991 – 1994 Two and a half million jobs disappear The Treuhand sells, restructures or closes the East German economy He became the most hated man in the east, and told colleagues he understood why.
• 1991 World Wide Web opens World Wide Web opens Tim Berners-Lee opened the World Wide Web to the public, transforming global communication and commerce.
• 1991 – 1995 Yugoslav Wars Balkans conflict & breakup The breakup of Yugoslavia led to brutal wars in the 1990s, including ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and the Srebrenica massacre.
• 1991 Gulf War air campaign begins Operation Desert Storm Coalition aircraft open an air campaign of more than five weeks against Iraq. US F-15Cs score the majority of the coalition's air-to-air victories.
• 1991 The Silence of the Lambs Released Thriller sweeps the following year's Academy Awards Jonathan Demme's psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, opened in theaters. It went on to win all five major Academy Awards, including Best Picture, one of only three films to achieve the sweep. Hannibal Lecter became one of cinema's most enduring villains.
• 1991 Iditarod 1991 Winner: Rick Swenson — 12 days 16h Rick Swenson claimed his fifth and final Iditarod title in 1991, becoming the first five-time champion and the only musher to win in three different decades.
• 1991 Rodney King Beaten by Los Angeles Police Videotaped beating exposes police brutality Los Angeles police officers were videotaped beating motorist Rodney King after a high-speed chase, and the footage was broadcast nationwide. The incident became a flashpoint over police brutality and racial injustice in the United States. The officers' acquittal the following year triggered the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
• 1991 1991 World Snooker Championship Parrott Power Winner: John Parrott; Runner-up: Jimmy White. Score: 18–11.
• 1991 1991 Bangladesh Cyclone One of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record A powerful tropical cyclone struck the coast of Bangladesh, generating a storm surge that killed an estimated 138,000 people. It remains one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 20th century. The scale of the disaster spurred major investment in cyclone shelters and early-warning systems.
• 1991 Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi Former Indian prime minister killed by suicide bomber Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber linked to the Tamil Tigers while campaigning in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The attack killed Gandhi and at least fourteen others. His death shocked India and disrupted the general election then underway.
• 1991 Boris Yeltsin Elected President of Russia First popularly elected leader in Russian history Boris Yeltsin won Russia's first direct presidential election with about 57 percent of the vote, becoming the first popularly elected head of state in Russian history. His victory strengthened his position against Soviet central authority. He went on to lead the Russian Federation after the Soviet collapse later that year.
• 1991 Chicago Bulls Win Their First NBA Championship Michael Jordan claims his first title The Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win the franchise's first NBA championship, with Michael Jordan named Finals MVP. It began a run in which the Bulls would win six titles in eight years. The victory cemented Jordan's status as basketball's biggest star.
• 1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country The final film for most of the original cast. Directed by Nicholas Meyer, it uses the fall of the Klingon Empire as an allegory for the end of the Cold War. Kirk and McCoy are framed for the assassination of the Klingon chancellor. A fitting farewell for the original crew. Budget: $27 million. Gross: $97 million.
• 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves #3 film of 1991 — $390m worldwide Directed by Kevin Reynolds, starring Kevin Costner. Robin Hood returns from the Crusades and fights the Sheriff of Nottingham.
• 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo One of the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines produced one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, ejecting roughly ten cubic kilometers of material. The eruption killed hundreds of people and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands. Ash and sulfur dioxide injected into the stratosphere measurably cooled global temperatures for the following two years.
• 1991 South Africa Repeals Core Apartheid Laws Population Registration Act and land laws abolished South Africa's parliament repealed the Population Registration Act and other foundational apartheid legislation that had classified citizens by race and restricted land ownership. The repeal followed years of negotiation between the government of F.W. de Klerk and anti-apartheid leaders. It cleared the way for negotiations toward a democratic, multiracial constitution.
• 1991 Croatia Declares Independence Breakaway from Yugoslavia Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia on the same day as Slovenia, a move that triggered a prolonged and violent war with Yugoslav and Serb forces. The conflict continued for years and cost tens of thousands of lives. Croatia's independence was internationally recognized in 1992.
• 1991 Slovenia Declares Independence Breakaway from Yugoslavia Slovenia declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, prompting a brief ten-day war with the Yugoslav army. Slovenia's independence was internationally recognized within months. It was the first of Yugoslavia's republics to secede.
• 1991 – present Kevin De Bruyne The Visionary Widely considered the best passing midfielder of his generation.
• 1991 – present Kawhi Leonard The Klaw 2-time Defensive Player of the Year and 2-time Finals MVP.
• 1991 Warsaw Pact Dissolved Soviet-led military alliance formally disbanded Following the political changes across Eastern Europe, member states formally dissolved the Warsaw Pact in Prague. Founded in 1955 as a Communist counterweight to NATO, the pact had already lost most of its function as Soviet-bloc governments fell. Its end marked a symbolic close to the Cold War's military architecture.
• 1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day #1 film of 1991 — $520m worldwide Directed by James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. A cyborg is sent back in time to protect the future leader of mankind. Groundbreaking visual effects.
• 1991 – present Sara Sampaio Supermodel Portuguese model known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and for her work in global fashion.
• 1991 India Launches Economic Liberalization Reforms Finance minister Manmohan Singh opens India's economy Facing a balance-of-payments crisis, India's government under finance minister Manmohan Singh introduced sweeping reforms that dismantled decades of licensing controls and opened the economy to foreign investment. The reforms marked a decisive break from India's post-independence economic model. They set the stage for decades of accelerated economic growth.
• 1991 United States and Soviet Union Sign START I Landmark treaty cuts strategic nuclear arsenals President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Moscow, committing both nations to cut their long-range nuclear arsenals by about a third. It was the first treaty to require actual reductions in strategic nuclear weapons rather than just limiting growth. The treaty took effect after the Soviet collapse, binding its successor states.
• 1991 Third World Championship gold -- Tokyo 1991 Bubka wins his third consecutive world title at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo. He is now competing for the Soviet Union for the last time -- the USSR dissolves in December 1991, and Bubka subsequently competes for the Unified Team at Barcelona 1992 and then for independent Ukraine. The Tokyo title is the last he wins under the Soviet flag. He clears 5.95m to win, continuing a run of dominance that sees him unbeaten at World Championships for eight years.
• 1991 Metallica release Metallica The Black Album With Enter Sandman — one of the best-selling albums ever.
• 1991 August Coup Hardline Soviet officials attempt to oust Gorbachev A group of hardline Communist officials attempted to seize power from Mikhail Gorbachev and halt the Soviet Union's reforms. Boris Yeltsin rallied resistance from atop a tank outside the Russian parliament, and the coup collapsed within three days. Its failure accelerated the collapse of Soviet Communist Party authority and hastened the dissolution of the USSR later that year.
• 1991 Linus Torvalds Releases the Linux Kernel Free operating system kernel posted for public use Finnish student Linus Torvalds announced a free Unix-like operating system kernel he had been developing, posting the source code for public collaboration. What began as a hobby project grew into Linux, which underpins most of the world's servers, smartphones, and cloud infrastructure today. It became one of the largest collaborative software projects in history.
• 1991 Pearl Jam release Ten Debut album With Alive, Even Flow and Jeremy — a slow-burning bestseller.
• 1991 Soviet Union Recognizes Baltic Independence Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania regain sovereignty The Soviet State Council formally recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, ending five decades of forced incorporation into the USSR. The three Baltic states quickly gained recognition from the international community and the United Nations. Their restored independence became a milestone in the Soviet Union's collapse.
• 1991 On Every Street Sixth and final album — September 9, 1991 On Every Street was released on September 9, 1991, Dire Straits' sixth and final studio album. It debuted at number 1 in the UK despite mixed reviews. An exhausting 14-month world tour followed, after which Mark Knopfler quietly disbanded the group in 1995.
• 1991 Nirvana release Smells Like Teen Spirit Anthem of a generation The single that takes grunge into the mainstream.
• 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 5 Continues TNG's peak run. Includes "Darmok" (widely cited as one of the finest episodes in franchise history), "I, Borg" and the two-part "Unification," which sees the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and serves as a tribute to the recently deceased Gene Roddenberry.
• 1991 Nirvana Releases Nevermind Album propels grunge into the mainstream Nirvana's second album, Nevermind, led by the single "Smells Like Teen Spirit," became an unexpected commercial phenomenon. It displaced Michael Jackson from the top of the US charts and brought Seattle grunge into the mainstream. The album is widely regarded as one of the most influential rock records of its era.
• 1991 – present Simona Halep Simo Two-time major winner known for her elite movement and counter-punching.
• 1991 Miles Davis dies Santa Monica Dies aged 65.
• 1991 Galileo Spacecraft Makes First Asteroid Flyby Probe images asteroid 951 Gaspra NASA's Galileo spacecraft, en route to Jupiter, flew past the asteroid 951 Gaspra and captured the first close-up images ever taken of an asteroid. The flyby provided the first direct evidence of an asteroid's irregular shape and cratered surface. It was a landmark moment in solar system exploration.
• 1991 Magic Johnson Announces He Is HIV-Positive NBA star's disclosure reshapes public understanding of HIV/AIDS NBA star Magic Johnson announced his retirement from basketball after testing positive for HIV, becoming one of the most prominent public figures to disclose the diagnosis. His announcement drew global attention to HIV/AIDS and helped counter stigma surrounding the disease. Johnson went on to become a prominent HIV/AIDS advocate.
• 1991 Beauty and the Beast #2 film of 1991 — $425m worldwide Disney animated classic directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. The first animated film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
• 1991 U2 release Achtung Baby Reinvention in Berlin Recorded partly in Berlin — One and Mysterious Ways.
• 1991 European Council Agrees Maastricht Treaty Blueprint for the European Union and single currency European Community leaders meeting in Maastricht, the Netherlands, agreed the terms of a treaty establishing the European Union and setting a path toward a single currency. The treaty was formally signed the following February. It represented the deepest step yet toward European political and economic integration.
• 1991 Soviet Union dissolved Gorbachev resigns — December 25, 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991, and the Soviet flag was lowered over the Kremlin for the last time. The USSR was formally dissolved and replaced by 15 independent states. It was the end of a 69-year experiment in communism.
• 1991 USSR dissolves Cold War ends On December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union formally dissolved into 15 independent states, ending the Cold War and changing the global order.