1990-1994
The World
1990
Nelson Mandela was freed after twenty-seven years in the South African prison on Robben Island. Mandela fought against apartheid and the apatheid government condemned him to being a terrorist and communist.
When Mandela was freed from prison he took a new approach of reconciliation and negotiation that helped to lead to multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of the apartheid government, Nelson Mandela has been praised even by white South Africans and former opponents.
Mandela has recieved hundreds of awards and in 1993 Mandela recieved the Noble Peace Prize award.
1991
In December 1991, the Soviet Union gave fifteen countries freedom. The collapse of the Soviet Union was celebrated by the west. The victory for freedom was a triumph of democracy over communism.
In 1979 Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, invaded Kuwait. He had control of twenty four percent of the world's oil supply. It was thought that his next target would be Saudi Arabia.
1992
The first black astronaut, Dr. Mae C. Jemison became the first African American women to go into space. She spent more than a week in orbit Earth in the space shuttle Endeavor.
Amy Fisher pleads guilty to shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco. Fisher was just sixteen years old and was having an afair with Joey Buttafuoco. He was convicted of statutory rape charges. Amy Fisher decided to shoot Mary Jo Buttafuoco, her lover's wife. Mary Jo did not die.
1993
In 1993 there was a legal euthanasia in the Netherlands. The Dutch parliament adopted guidelines under which doctors engaging in voluntary euthanasia would not be prosecuted.
Michael Jordan retired to play minor league baseball. His contract to play minor league baseball was with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan's minor league baseball career was unspectacular though. He later returned to play basketball.
1994
The genocide in Rwanda was a tragic event that happened in 1994. The Rwanda genocide was a civil war between two ethnic groups the Tutsi and Hutu. The genocide was carried out by two Hutu militia groups the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi. During the genocide almost 800,000 to a million Tutsi people and thousands of moderate Hutus were murdered in one hundred days.
The genocide ended when Paul Kagame led the Rwandan Patriotic Front and overthrew the Hutu government and seized power.
