January 16
January 16
The Persian Gulf War begins
At midnight in Iraq, the United Nations deadline for the Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait expires, and the Pentagon prepares to commence offensive operations to forcibly eject Iraq from its five‑month…
A Year In History: 1991
Also Within This Year in History:
1991
In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 separate states, the Persian Gulf war both began and ended and a coup in Haiti overthrew that country’s first democratically elected president. In the U.S., Los Angeles police beat motorist Rodney King on videotape, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. Nirvana released its landmark single “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” helping bring indie music mainstream, while movies like “Slacker” and “My Own Private Idaho” heralded the ascendance of independent film.
January 23
January 23
Videotaped murder leads to convictions in Texas
Darrell Lunsford, a county constable in Garrison, Texas, is killed after pulling over a traffic violator. His murder was remarkable because it was captured on a camera set up in…
February 24
February 24
Gulf War ground offensive begins
After six weeks of intensive bombing against Iraq and its armed forces, U.S.‑led coalition forces launch a ground invasion of Kuwait and Iraq. On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait,…
March 3
March 3
LAPD officers beat Rodney King on camera
At 12:45 a.m. on March 3, 1991, robbery parolee Rodney G. King stops his car after leading police on a nearly 8‑mile pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles, California.…
March 13
March 13
“Paris is Burning” premieres in New York
After more than five years of fundraising, shooting and editing, the documentary Paris is Burning debuts in New York City on March 13, 1991. The groundbreaking look at the culture…
March 14
March 14
Birmingham Six released from prison
In the face of widespread questioning of their guilt, British authorities release the so‑called “Birmingham Six,” six Irish men who had been sent to prison 16 years earlier for the…
March 31
March 31
Warsaw Pact’s military union ends
After 36 years in existence, the Warsaw Pact—the military alliance between the Soviet Union and its eastern European satellites—comes to an end. The action was yet another sign that the…
May 6
May 6
Harry Gant is oldest NASCAR winner—again
On May 6, 1991, 51‑year‑old race car driver Harry Gant racks up his 12th National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Winston Cup career victory in the Winston 500…
May 14
May 14
Two trains crash in Japan, killing more than 40
On May 14, 1991, two diesel trains carrying commuters crash head‑on, killing 42 people and injuring over 400 more near Shigaraki, Japan. This was the worst rail disaster in Japan…
May 26
May 26
Plane crashes in Thai jungle
On May 26, 1991, a Boeing 767 crashes into the jungle near Bangkok, Thailand, and kills all 223 people on board. The plane was owned and operated by the Austrian company Lauda‑Air…
May 28
May 28
Ethiopian capital falls to rebels, ending 17 years of Marxist rule
Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, falls to forces of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), formally ending 17 years of Marxist rule in the East African country. In…
July 22
July 22
Cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is caught
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, police officers spot Tracy Edwards running down the street in handcuffs, and upon investigation, they find one of the grisliest scenes in modern history: Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment. Edwards told…
August 18
August 18
This Day in History Video: What Happened on August 18
In a This Day in History video, host Russ Mitchell takes us through the history of August 18th. On this day in 1227, Genghis Khan died in China. On this…
August 18
August 18
Soviet hard‑liners launch coup against Gorbachev
On August 18, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest during a coup by high‑ranking members of his own government, military and police forces. Since becoming leader…
August 19
August 19
A Jewish youth is killed by a mob in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Yankel Rosenbaum, a visiting student from Australia, is stabbed by a mob in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York. The crowd, consisting of young Black men, had been…
August 21
August 21
Attempted coup against Gorbachev collapses
Just three days after it began, the coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev collapses. Despite his success in avoiding removal from office, Gorbachev’s days in power were numbered. The Soviet…
September 5
September 5
AIDS activists unfurl a giant condom over Senator Jesse Helms’ home
On the sunny morning of September 5, 1991, in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Arlington, Virginia, a group of activists arrive at the home of North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms.…
September 10
September 10
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is released as a single
On September 10, 1991, Seattle rock band Nirvana releases its breakout single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” In just a few short months, a group that was a complete nonentity to…
September 29
September 29
“My Own Private Idaho” premieres in theaters
On September 29, 1991, My Own Private Idaho, an independent film written and directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, premieres in New York theaters.…
October 10
October 10
A former postal worker commits mass murder
Former U.S. postal worker Joseph Harris shoots two former co‑workers to death at the post office in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The night before, Harris had killed his former supervisor, Carol…
