1990
Mandela walks free
After twenty-seven years in prison, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster prison near Cape Town holding the hand of his wife Winnie, his fist raised.
German reunification
At midnight the German Democratic Republic ceased to exist and its sixteen million citizens became part of the Federal Republic.
Hubble Space Telescope launched
The shuttle Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, where astronomers expected to finally see the universe without atmospheric blur.
Iraq invades Kuwait
Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard crossed the border before dawn and took the oil-rich emirate of Kuwait in hours…
Lithuania declares independence
The first Soviet republic to break away, Lithuania declared its independence from the USSR, pulling the thread that unraveled the entire union.
Hubble and first web server
In the same season NASA deployed the Hubble Space Telescope and Tim Berners-Lee set up the first web server at CERN on a NeXT computer bearing a handwritten…
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1990?
Saeculum lists 6 events from 1990. The most significant is Mandela walks free: After twenty-seven years in prison, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster prison near Cape Town holding the hand of his wife Winnie, his fist raised.
What era was 1990 part of?
1990 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1990?
The events from 1990 span Africa, Europe, North America and Middle East.