1994

Events in 1994 72

• 1902 – 1994 Karl Popper (1902-1994) Died 17 September 1994, aged 92 Karl Popper, the Austrian-British philosopher of science known for his theory of falsifiability, died in London. His work on The Open Society and Its Enemies profoundly shaped 20th-century political and scientific thought.
• 1905 – 1994 Joseph Cotten (1905-1994) American actor from Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, star of Citizen Kane, Shadow of a Doubt and The Third Man.
• 1905 – 1994 Elias Canetti (1905-1994) Died 14 August 1994, aged 89 Elias Canetti, the Bulgarian-born writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1981 for works including Crowds and Power, died in Zurich. He wrote in German and spent much of his life in exile in Britain and Switzerland.
• 1905 – 1994 Gilbert Roland (1905-1994) Mexican-born actor with a film career of six decades, from Camille to Cheyenne Autumn.
• 1907 – 1994 Cesar Romero (1907-1994) American actor and dancer, the Cisco Kid and the Joker in Batman.
• 1907 – 1994 Cab Calloway (1907-1994) Died 18 November 1994, aged 86 Cab Calloway, the jazz bandleader and singer famed for "Minnie the Moocher" and his Cotton Club performances, died in Delaware after suffering a stroke. He was a central figure of the swing era and a major influence on American popular music.
• 1909 – 1994 Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) Died 11 September 1994, aged 85 Jessica Tandy, the British-American actress who won an Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy, died of ovarian cancer in Connecticut. Her stage and screen career spanned more than six decades.
• 1912 – 1994 Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) Died 8 July 1994, aged 81 Kim Il Sung, founder and long-ruling leader of North Korea, died of a heart attack, prompting a formal ten-day mourning period. His son Kim Jong Il succeeded him, beginning a dynastic leadership that continues today.
• 1912 – 1994 Erich Honecker (1912-1994) Died 29 May 1994, aged 81 Erich Honecker, the former East German leader who oversaw the construction of the Berlin Wall and its Cold War-era regime, died in exile in Chile after facing prosecution in reunified Germany. He had been released from custody in 1993 on health grounds.
• 1913 – 1994 Richard Nixon 37th president of the United States, 1969-1974 - the only one to resign Richard Nixon (Jan 9, 1913 – Apr 22, 1994) was the 37th President 1969-1974, the only US president to resign from office. He opened diplomatic relations with China and ended the Vietnam War, but was forced to resign over the Watergate scandal.
• 1913 – 1994 Ralph Ellison (1913-1994) Died 16 April 1994, aged 80 Ralph Ellison, the American novelist whose Invisible Man is considered a landmark of 20th-century literature, died of pancreatic cancer in New York City. The novel remains a foundational text on race and identity in America.
• 1913 – 1994 Peter Cushing (1913-1994) Died 11 August 1994, aged 81 Peter Cushing, the English actor best known for Hammer horror films and as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, died of cancer in Kent. He was one of the most recognizable faces of British horror cinema.
• 1913 – 1994 Burt Lancaster (1913-1994) Died 20 October 1994, aged 80 Burt Lancaster, Academy Award-winning star of films including From Here to Eternity and Elmer Gantry, died in Century City, California. His career spanned four decades of Hollywood leading roles.
• 1914 – 1994 Woody Strode (1914-1994) American football player and actor, one of the players who reintegrated the NFL, later a John Ford regular.
• 1916 – 1994 Dinah Shore (1916-1994) American singer and television host, known for See the USA in Your Chevrolet.
• 1916 – 1994 Martha Raye (1916-1994) American comedian and singer, famous for her big mouth and for entertaining troops from the Second World War to Vietnam.
• 1922 – 1994 Telly Savalas (1922-1994) Died 22 January 1994, aged 72 Telly Savalas, the American actor best known for playing the lollipop-loving detective Kojak on television, died of prostate cancer in Los Angeles. The role made him one of the most recognizable TV stars of the 1970s.
• 1928 – 1994 George Peppard (1928-1994) American actor, star of Breakfast at Tiffany's and leader of The A-Team.
• 1929 – 1994 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) Died 19 May 1994, aged 64 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former US First Lady and widow of President John F. Kennedy, died of cancer in New York City. She remained one of the most recognized public figures of the 20th century.
• 1940 – 1994 Raul Julia (1940-1994) Puerto Rican actor of stage and screen, known for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Gomez in The Addams Family.
• 1947 – 1994 North American F-86 Sabre The MiG-15's great rival The first American swept-wing fighter and the MiG-15's great rival over Korea's MiG Alley. Built under licence in Canada, Australia, Italy and Japan.
• 1950 – 1994 John Candy (1950-1994) Died 4 March 1994, aged 43 John Candy, the Canadian comedian and actor known for films including Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck, died of a heart attack while filming in Mexico. His sudden death shocked fans across North America.
• 1960 – 1994 Ayrton Senna Magic Senna Three-time World Champion; widely regarded as the most naturally gifted and intense driver in F1 history.
• 1967 – 1994 Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) Died 5 April 1994, aged 27 Kurt Cobain, frontman of Nirvana and a defining voice of grunge and 1990s rock, died by suicide at his Seattle home. His death made him one of the most mourned musicians of his generation.
• 1987 – 1994 Early swimming -- outgrowing the allergy Thorpe begins competitive swimming at age eight, following his sister Christina (who will qualify for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics). Despite the chlorine allergy that requires the nose-clip, his natural aptitude for the water is immediately apparent -- particularly his physical gifts: he will eventually stand 6 feet 5 inches tall, weigh 230 pounds, wear a size 17 shoe and carry an arm span of 6 feet 5 inches. His coaches note the extraordinarily powerful kick -- eight to ten leg beats per two arm strokes, where most swimmers manage six. At 13 he breaks 10 national age-group records in a single meet. In 1994, he captains the New South Wales team at the Australian Primary Schools Championships.
• 1987 – 1994 Nirvana American rock band Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl — the band that brought grunge and alternative rock to the mainstream.
• 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.
• 1992 – 1994 Mani Pulite Clean Hands Investigation A nationwide judicial investigation into political corruption that led to the collapse of the "First Republic."
• 1994 Blue LED GaN Innovation The breakthrough that enabled modern energy-efficient lighting and high-def displays.
• 1994 – 1995 First exoplanets discovered Planets around other stars — we are not alone in the galaxy In 1992, Aleksander Wolszczan discovered the first confirmed exoplanets around a pulsar. In 1995, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz of Geneva discovered 51 Pegasi b — the first planet found around a Sun-like star. The discovery transformed astronomy; over 5,500 exoplanets are now confirmed. The search for Earth-like planets in habitable zones has become one of science's central quests.
• 1994 – present Foo Fighters The Modern Rock Anchors Led by Dave Grohl; the most consistent arena-rock band of the 21st century.
• 1994 Internet goes public Netscape Navigator Netscape Navigator's launch in 1994 brought the World Wide Web to mainstream users, kickstarting the internet age and the dot-com era.
• 1994 John Starks' shot blocked in Finals Game 6 With a chance to win the championship, John Starks' three-point attempt is blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon, and Houston wins Game 6.
• 1994 Lose NBA Finals to Houston Rockets The Knicks fall to the Rockets in seven games, Ewing's only Finals appearance as an active player ending without a title.
• 1994 – present Maroon 5 The Chart Toppers Led by Adam Levine; maintained an incredible streak of radio hits across three decades.
• 1994 Rwanda genocide 800,000 killed In 100 days in 1994, Hutu extremists slaughtered an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu — one of history's fastest genocides.
• 1994 – 2022 Takeoff (1994-2022) Died 1 November 2022, aged 28 American rapper and member of Migos, the trio that shaped a decade of hip-hop flow.
• 1994 The MS Estonia Sinking Maritime Tragedy The sinking of the ferry MS Estonia in the Baltic Sea, claiming 852 lives; a national trauma for Finland and Sweden.
• 1994 The Zapatista uprising Chiapas, Mexico Mostly Maya rebels seized towns across Chiapas on the day the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect. They kept autonomous municipalities running for decades afterwards, with their own schools and clinics.
• 1994 Attack on Nancy Kerrigan Rival figure skater's associates club her knee An assailant hired by associates of skater Tonya Harding struck Nancy Kerrigan on the leg at a Detroit rink, weeks before the US Figure Skating Championships. The scandal dominated US media through the Lillehammer Olympics, where both skaters competed.
• 1994 Northridge earthquake Magnitude 6.7 quake strikes Los Angeles A magnitude 6.7 earthquake centered in Northridge, California killed dozens of people and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. It remains one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.
• 1994 1994 Winter Olympics open in Lillehammer Norway hosts the Winter Games The XVII Olympic Winter Games opened in Lillehammer, Norway, running through 27 February. It was the last Winter Olympics held in the same year as the Summer Games before the schedule staggered them.
• 1994 Aldrich Ames arrested for espionage CIA officer exposed as longtime Soviet and Russian spy CIA counterintelligence officer Aldrich Ames was arrested by the FBI and charged with spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia since 1985. His betrayal led to the deaths of several US intelligence assets and remains one of the most damaging espionage cases in CIA history.
• 1994 – present Justin Bieber Pop music phenomenon Canadian pop singer born March 1, 1994. Discovered on YouTube as a teenager, he became one of the best-selling music artists of all time with hits including Baby and Sorry.
• 1994 – present Joel Embiid The Process Dominant modern center and 2023 NBA MVP.
• 1994 Netscape Communications founded Company behind Netscape Navigator launches Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark founded Netscape Communications, which released the Netscape Navigator web browser later that year. It ignited the mid-1990s browser wars and helped popularize the World Wide Web.
• 1994 Nirvana's Kurt Cobain dies Seattle Cobain dies at his home in Seattle, aged 27.
• 1994 1994 World Snooker Championship Hendry Title 4 The closest Hendry/White final. Winner: Stephen Hendry; Runner-up: Jimmy White. Score: 18–17.
• 1994 Nelson Mandela elected Nelson Mandela elected Nelson Mandela was elected president on 27 April 1994 in South Africa's first election with universal suffrage, four years after his release from twenty-seven years in prison. Voters queued for hours in lines kilometres long. His government set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission rather than pursue prosecutions.
• 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement signed Israel and PLO begin Palestinian self-rule Israel and the PLO signed the Gaza-Jericho Agreement in Cairo, implementing the Oslo Accords by transferring limited self-government to Palestinians in Gaza and Jericho. It established the Palestinian Authority under Yasser Arafat.
• 1994 Channel Tunnel opens Rail link connects Britain and France under the sea The Channel Tunnel formally opened, linking Folkestone, England, and Coquelles, France, via undersea rail. Queen Elizabeth II and President Francois Mitterrand presided over the ceremony, completing a project decades in the making.
• 1994 Silvio Berlusconi becomes Prime Minister of Italy Media magnate takes office after election win Silvio Berlusconi, founder of the Forza Italia party and a media tycoon, was sworn in as Italy's Prime Minister following his coalition's victory in the March 1994 election. It was his first of several terms leading Italy.
• 1994 Game 7 win over Pacers sends Knicks to the Finals Ewing scores 24 points and grabs 22 rebounds as New York beats Indiana in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973.
• 1994 The Lion King #1 film of 1994 — $968m worldwide Disney animated classic directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. A young lion prince flees his kingdom after the murder of his father.
• 1994 1994 FIFA World Cup The American Boom The first final decided by a penalty shootout. Winner: Brazil.
• 1994 O.J. Simpson arrested after Bronco chase Former football star pursued live on television Former NFL star O.J. Simpson led police on a slow-speed chase through Los Angeles freeways, broadcast live nationwide, after being charged with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The chase and subsequent trial became a defining US media event of the decade.
• 1994 Matsumoto sarin gas attack Aum Shinrikyo releases nerve gas in Japanese city The Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin nerve gas in residential Matsumoto, Japan, killing eight people and injuring hundreds. It foreshadowed the group's larger Tokyo subway attack the following year.
• 1994 Amazon.com founded Jeff Bezos starts an online bookstore Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in Bellevue, Washington, initially as an online bookseller. It grew into one of the world's largest companies, reshaping retail and cloud computing.
• 1994 Forrest Gump Oscar Best Picture 1994 — $678m worldwide Directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks. A man with a low IQ witnesses and unknowingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century.
• 1994 Final outdoor world record -- 6.14m, Sestriere, 31 July 1994 On 31 July 1994 in Sestriere, Italy, Bubka sets his 35th and final world record: 6.14m outdoors. The altitude of Sestriere (2,035m above sea level) assists the vault, but the achievement is genuine -- he has been raising the outdoor record incrementally for a decade. The record stands for 26 years, until Armand Duplantis clears 6.15m in Rome on 17 September 2020. Together with his 6.15m indoor record (also still the record at the time of Duplantis's outdoor breakthrough), Bubka's marks define the boundary of the humanly possible in pole vault for a quarter of a century.
• 1994 Major League Baseball players strike Season and World Series cancelled Major League Baseball players went on strike over a salary cap dispute, eventually forcing cancellation of the remainder of the season and the World Series for the first time since 1904. The strike lasted into the following spring.
• 1994 IRA declares ceasefire Provisional IRA halts armed campaign in Northern Ireland The Provisional IRA announced a "complete cessation" of military operations, a major turning point in the Northern Ireland peace process. Loyalist paramilitaries followed with their own ceasefire in October.
• 1994 – present Wout van Aert The Versatile Belgian A rider capable of winning sprints, time trials, and mountain stages in the same Tour.
• 1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 2 DS9 deepens its mythology, introducing the Maquis and developing the Bajoran-Cardassian political storyline. The show begins moving away from the episodic format toward the serialised storytelling that will define its later, finest seasons.
• 1994 US-North Korea Agreed Framework signed Pyongyang agrees to freeze plutonium program The United States and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework, under which North Korea agreed to freeze and eventually dismantle its plutonium-based nuclear program in exchange for aid and light-water reactors. The agreement broke down in the early 2000s.
• 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty signed Two states formally end decades of war Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty at the Arava border crossing, formally ending the state of war between the two countries. It was only the second peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state, after Egypt in 1979.
• 1994 Eagles reunite with Hell Freezes Over Reunion Named after Henley's line about when they would reform.
• 1994 Star Trek Generations The first TNG film, which serves as a baton-pass from Kirk to Picard. Kirk dies falling from a bridge on Veridian III — widely considered one of the most anticlimactic deaths in franchise history. Malcolm McDowell plays the villain Soran. Budget: $35 million. Gross: $120 million.
• 1994 Sony PlayStation launches Console debuts in Japan, reshaping video games Sony released the original PlayStation console in Japan, entering a market long dominated by Nintendo and Sega. It went on to sell over 100 million units worldwide and established Sony as a dominant force in gaming.
• 1994 – present Giannis Antetokounmpo The Greek Freak 2-time MVP who led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship.
• 1994 First Chechen War begins Russian forces invade breakaway republic Russian troops entered Chechnya to suppress its declared independence, beginning the First Chechen War. The conflict devastated Grozny and killed tens of thousands before a 1996 ceasefire.
• 1994 Gillian Armstrong's Little Women Winona Ryder as Jo Winona Ryder plays Jo, with Susan Sarandon as Marmee, Claire Danes as Beth and Christian Bale as Laurie. Ryder is nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress.