1990's Events and Timelines: All the 411 about 1993

History & Politics | Music | Television | Movies | Sports

With the help of Björk, 1993 had us taking a look at human behavior.

There was an old fashion standoff in Waco, TX between government officials and ‘insane in the brain’ cult leader David Koresh. The debacle that ensued had us renaming the town Whacky Waco or Whack-O and dreaming of our own utopian compounds (only ours would be way cooler and less creepy). Also, The World Trade Center saw its first terrorist attack as a car bomb exploded in its parking garage, just a foreshadowing of things to come. These two events alone left us ‘dazed and confused’ and, like Four Non Blonds, asking, "Hey, what’s going on?"

Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List showed us one man’s resolve to save as many Holocaust victims as possible. Indecent Proposal presented us with the question how far will one go for money … or in the case of mute pianist, a piano. And,

Philadelphia brought to light homophobia and the fear of AIDs in our society. Plus we found our inner slackers in MTV’s Beavis and Butt-Head.

In the world of sports, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from basketball to pursue his dreams of baseball. And this declaration came on the heels of the Chicago Bulls’ NBA champion three-peat. (I know. Say what, right? … We were all asking why quit now when your team’s on fire?)

Music of ’93 got in on the human emotion side of the debate too. Haddaway had us contemplating "What is love?" And whatever love is, Meatloaf said he’d do anything for it, just not that (you decided what that might be). Plus, Aerosmith had us "Cryin’" because, as R.E.M. and the rest of the world knows, everybody hurts sometimes. But really there’s no reason to be sad because Mariah Carey taught us a "Hero" lies in all of us.

All in all, I think Dr Dre & Snoop Dogg explained human behavior the best: "It’s like this and like that and like this, uh, it’s like that and like this and like that uh." Why you ask? ‘Cuz it "ain’t nuthin’ but a G thang, baby."

HISTORY & POLITICS

• Russian president Boris Yeltsin and his American counterpart George H. Bush sign the

START II nuclear weapons treaty, pledging to reduce the number of missiles held by both superpowers.

• An enormous oil spill off the coast of Scotland occurs when the M/V Braer oil tanker runs

aground.

• Brian Mulroney resigns as prime minister of Canada, resulting in the appointment of the

country’s first female leader, Kim Campbell.

• A car bomb is detonated in the parking garage of the World Trade Center, causing over

1,000 casualties.

• A standoff between agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the

Branch Davidian religious sect lead by David Koresh occurs in Waco, Texas. The event would end with many deaths on both sides and the destruction of the group’s compound.

• 184 people are killed during a 2 day blizzard that strikes the entire eastern seaboard of

the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.

• Personal computer technology takes a major step forward with the release of the Intel

Pentium chip.

• The World Wide Web goes public.

• A terrible earthquake rips through Tokyo, killing 385 people and measuring 7.5 on the

Richter scale.

• Hurricane Calvin slams into Mexico and takes 34 lives.

• The multi-million dollar Mars Observer probe breaks radio contact with NASA and

disappears completely into the reaches of space.

• The Battle of Mogadishu occurs in Somalia between members of the U.S. army and city

militias. The death toll would surpass 500.

• The North American Free Trade Agreement is passed by Canadian, America and Mexican

governments, codifying the economic interactions of the three countries.

• Colombia’s notorious cocaine cartel leader Pablo Escobar is killed by police.

Presidents Boris Yeltsin and George H. Bush sign the START II treaty

A car bomb explodes in the World Trade Center's parking garage

A car bomb explodes in the World Trade Center’s parking garage

David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian religious sect, has a standoff with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms in Waco, TX

David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian religious sect

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MUSIC

• I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meatloaf
• (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With Your – UB40
• What’s Up? – Four Non Blondes
• Informer – Snow
• What Is Love? – Haddaway
• All Apologies – Nirvana
• Today – Smashing Pumpkins
• Bring Da’ Ruckus – Wu-Tang Clan
• All For Love – Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting
• Another Sad Love Song – Toni Braxton
• Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
• Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine
• Creep – Radiohead
• All That She Wants – Ace of Base
• Cryin’ – Aerosmith
• Everybody Hurts – R.E.M.
• Hero – Mariah Carey
• Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty By Nature
• Human Behavior – Bjork
• I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
• Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang – Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg
• That’s The Way Love Goes – Janet Jackson
• Insane In The Brain – Cypress Hill
• Plush – Stone Temple Pilots
• Slam – Onyx
• Ain’t That Lonely Yet – Dwight Yoakam

Haddaway - What Is Love? from Haddaway

Bjork - Human Nature from Debut

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TELEVISION

	Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Jane Seymour stars as a doctor on the edge of frontier medicine in this period western drama.

	Walker, Texas Ranger Set in the modern-day west, Chuck Norris dispenses his own form of karate justice in this notorious action series.

	Beavis and Butt-Head A cartoon team rip into music videos and avoid responsibility in this slacker show that found huge success on MTV.

	Mighty Morphin Power Rangers This zany children’s program about young warriors in brightly-colored suits would translate Japanese television for an American audience.

	Homicide: Life on the Street Gritty and realistic, Homicide was one of the first cop dramas to push the boundaries regarding what types of stories could be told on television.

	The Late Show with David Letterman After his falling out with NBC, popular late night host Letterman finds a new home on CBS and begins a nightly ratings war with Jay Leno’s ‘The Late Show’ that lasts for more than a decade.

	Frasier Kelsey Grammar plays a neurotic psychiatrist in this long-running sitcom.

	Diagnosis Murder Dick van Dyke returns to television as a crime-solving doctor.

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MOVIES

	Schindler’s List Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes Steven Spielberg’s in-depth examination of the Jewish Holocaust and the man who tried to save as many victims as he could from execution.

	Mrs. Doubtfire Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan A man attempts to re-connect with his children after losing custody by posing as a female nanny.

	The Fugitive Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Harrison Ford and Joe Pantoliano A remake of the television program where a man must prove his innocence in his wife’s murder while staying one step ahead of the law.

	The Firm Starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Gene Hackman A young lawyer discovers that there are a few perks he hadn’t planned on when he joins a prestigious law partnership.

	Sleepless in Seattle Starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan and Bill Pullman A widower in Seattle connects with a woman in New York City over the late-night radio airwaves and tries to piece his life back together.

	Indecent Proposal Starring Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore and Robert Redford A down-on-their-luck couple are faced with an offer they can’t refuse from an older millionaire.

	In the Line of Fire Starring Clint Eastwood, John, John Malcovich and Rene Russo An aging Secret Service agent must put his life on the line for the President one more time.

	The Pelican Brief Starring Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington and Sam Shepard Another John Grisham tale of lawyers and legal intrigue, combined with action and suspense.

	Jurassic Park Starring Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum The highest grossing film of 1993 is a fascinating, frightening and amazing-to-watch tale of dinosaurs let loose on a modern landscape.

	Cliffhanger Starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow and Michael Rooker Daredevil mountain climbers and professional thieves face off in the Rocky Mountains.

	The Piano Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel and Anna Paquin Breathtakingly beautiful film set in the 1850s about a mute woman and her piano sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage and the consequences it wreaks on the lives of all involved.

	Cool Runnings Starring Leon Robinson, John Candy and Doug E. Doug Fictionalize tale of a group of Jamaicans determined to qualify for the Winter Olympics as a bobsled team.

	Dazed and Confused Starring Matthew McConaughey, Wiley Wiggins and Ben Affleck This film detailing the last day of school in small-town 1970’s Texas would become a cult classic.

	In The Name Of The Father Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Emma Thompson and Pete Postlethwaite Harrowing true story of a group of Irish citizens who were falsely accused and imprisoned for an IRA bombing.

	Menace II Society Starring Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett-Smith Harshly realistic, this film examines daily life in South Central Los Angeles through the eyes of a group of young friends.

	Philadelphia Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and Antonio Banderas A lawyer is fired after being diagnosed with AIDS and fights a battle against his old firm to be re-instated.

	True Romance Starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette and Dennis Hopper Tony Scott directs a script written by soon-to-breakout Quentin Tarantino that deals with young love, gangsters and a caper gone wrong.

	Tombstone Starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer and Bill Paxton Critically acclaimed telling of the events that lead up to the shoot out at the OK Corral.