Timeline August 1990

Events in August 1990 16

• 1900 – 1990 Aaron Copland Voice of American music American composer who created a distinctly American classical sound with Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man and Rodeo.
• 1918 – 1990 Pearl Bailey (1918-1990) American singer and actress, star of the all-Black Hello, Dolly! and later a UN envoy.
• 1954 – 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990) Died 27 August 1990, aged 35 Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American blues guitarist and singer credited with reviving interest in blues music during the 1980s. He recorded with his band Double Trouble and collaborated with artists including David Bowie. He died in a helicopter crash after a concert in Wisconsin.
• 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen storms Trinidad's parliament Six-day armed siege and hostage crisis Members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen group stormed Trinidad and Tobago's parliament and a television station on 27 July 1990, taking Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson and others hostage. The uprising triggered widespread looting and a six-day siege before the militants surrendered on 1 August. It remains the only Islamist-led coup attempt in the Western Hemisphere.
• 1990 Robert Johnson's The Complete Recordings released Bestselling box set A blues box set that sells over a million and wins a Grammy.
• 1990 US Open 1990 Men: Pete Sampras · Women: Gabriela Sabatini Pete Sampras, 19, won his first Grand Slam.
• 1990 Oil price shock Kuwait invasion doubles oil price Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990 caused oil prices to spike dramatically, doubling from around $20 to $46 per barrel within weeks, triggering fears of a global recession.
• 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait Gulf War begins Iraq's military forces invaded and occupied neighbouring Kuwait on August 2, 1990, on the orders of President Saddam Hussein. The invasion prompted an international coalition response that led to the Gulf War.
• 1990 UN sanctions on Iraq Security Council acts after Kuwait invasion The UN Security Council voted on August 6, 1990 to impose comprehensive economic sanctions on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait, one of the most sweeping embargoes in UN history.
• 1990 Operation Desert Shield US troops deploy to Saudi Arabia The United States began deploying troops to Saudi Arabia on August 7, 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield, the defensive buildup to protect Saudi Arabia and prepare for the eventual liberation of Kuwait.
• 1990 Magellan spacecraft enters orbit around Venus NASA probe begins radar mapping mission NASA's Magellan probe entered orbit around Venus on 10 August 1990 to map the planet's surface using radar. Over the following years it produced the most detailed maps of Venus's surface to date. The mission revealed extensive volcanic activity beneath the planet's thick clouds.
• 1990 Curtis Mayfield paralysed in a stage accident Brooklyn A lighting rig falls on him during an outdoor concert.
• 1990 Pearl Bailey dies in Philadelphia Pearl Bailey dies aged 72.
• 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan dies in a helicopter crash East Troy, Wisconsin Killed after a show at Alpine Valley with Eric Clapton.
• 1990 YF-23 first flight Northrop's rival Northrop's YF-23, often judged stealthier and faster than the YF-22, flies in the ATF competition.
• 1990 Plainfield tornado F5 strikes Chicago suburbs An F5 tornado struck the towns of Plainfield and Crest Hill, Illinois on August 28, 1990, killing 29 people. It was the strongest tornado ever to hit the Chicago metropolitan area.