Dashed left edge = started before January 1990 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond January 1990
Events in January 1990 39
1907 – 1990Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990)Died 20 January 1990, aged 82Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress known for films including "Double Indemnity" and "The Lady Eve" and the television series "The Big Valley." She was one of the most versatile leading actresses of Hollywood's golden age. She died in Santa Monica, California, on 20 January 1990.
1914 – 1990Arthur Kennedy (1914-1990)American actor with five Oscar nominations, the original Biff in Death of a Salesman.
1922 – 1990Ava Gardner (1922-1990)Died 25 January 1990, aged 67Ava Gardner was an American film actress known for roles in "The Killers," "Mogambo," and "The Night of the Iguana." She was one of the leading stars of Hollywood's studio era and was married to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra. She died in London on 25 January 1990.
1931 – 1990Osho (1931-1990)Died 19 January 1990, aged 58Osho, born Chandra Mohan Jain and also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, was an Indian spiritual teacher who founded a controversial international movement. His Oregon commune collapsed in 1985 amid criminal charges against its leadership. He died in Pune, India, on 19 January 1990.
1990Australian Open 1990Men: Ivan Lendl · Women: Steffi Graf
1990Esio TrotThe last book published in his lifetimeA lonely old man, a tortoise and an anadrome - unusually gentle for Dahl.
19901990: Ayrton SennaMcLarenSenna won his second title, deliberately colliding with Prost at the first corner at Suzuka in a moment of retribution for the previous year's controversy.
1990 – 2000Acting and Friendship with DupieuxMet future filmmaker and musician Quentin Dupieux as a teenager. Began his career as an actor, appearing in Dupieux's experimental medium-length film Nonfilm (2002) and later in his feature Steak (2007).
1990 – 1992Captain Hook — Daytime EmmyVoiced Captain Hook in the animated series Peter Pan and the Pirates, winning a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series.
1990Dinkins becomes NYC mayorFirst Black mayor of New York CityDavid N. Dinkins was inaugurated as the first African American mayor of New York City on January 1, 1990.
1990Freedom! '90 Music VideoAppeared in George Michael's Freedom! '90 music video, directed by David Fincher, in one of the most iconic pop culture moments of the decade.
1990It and The Hunt for Red OctoberTerrified a generation of television viewers as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the ABC miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's It, creating one of the most iconic horror villains in pop culture. In the same year, took a subtler turn as the Soviet physician Dr. Petrov in The Hunt for Red October alongside Sean Connery.
1990 – 2010Jazz Unites, Inc.Founded and led Jazz Unites, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the growth and appreciation of jazz and educating people through the art form. Continued performing, mentoring young musicians and organising concerts throughout Chicago.
1990Marriage to Lizzie SpenderMarried his fourth wife, Lizzie Spender, daughter of poet Stephen Spender. The marriage lasted until his death.
1990 – 1996Music and Poetry FusionReleased albums including Us an Dem and Back to Roots, blending dub poetry with reggae, hip hop and spoken word. Performed poetry on stages from the Royal Albert Hall to community centres.
1990Nothing Compares 2 UReleased the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, featuring her cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U, which reached number one worldwide. Named Rolling Stone's Artist of the Year in 1991.
1990Retirement from the StageRetired from the operatic stage after a career spanning 26 years, having performed at every major opera house in the world. Devoted her subsequent years to teaching and mentoring young singers including Angela Gheorghiu.
1990Simpsons Season 1 airsLandmark animated show launchesThe first full season of The Simpsons aired in January 1990, having debuted in December 1989. The show quickly became a cultural phenomenon and the longest-running American animated series.
1990 – 1995Slowness and Later French WorksPublished Immortality (1990) and Slowness (1995), his first novel written entirely in French, completing his transition from Czech to French literary identity.
1990The Beard Without a BeardWhile Gibbons and Hill became famous for their chest-length beards, Beard remained clean-shaven for decades — the man named Beard was the only one without one. He said he could still go to the supermarket without being recognised.
1990Women Without MenPublished Women Without Men, a short novel in the form of connected stories about five women seeking freedom from male domination. Its frank portrayal of female sexuality led to her arrest and imprisonment. The book was banned in Iran and became an underground classic.
1990Pakistan train crash200+ killed in SangiTwo trains collided near Sangi, Pakistan on January 4, 1990, killing between 200 and 300 people in one of the worst rail disasters in Pakistani history.
1990Noriega surrendersPanama dictator gives himself upGeneral Manuel Noriega, the deposed Panamanian dictator, surrendered to US forces on January 3, 1990 after taking refuge in the Vatican embassy for ten days.
1990Arthur Kennedy dies in BranfordArthur Kennedy dies aged 75.
1990Lithuania defies USSRDeclares path to independenceLithuania formally rejected a Soviet demand to renounce its declaration of independence on January 11, 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to openly defy Moscow.
1990First Black US governorDouglas Wilder takes officeDouglas Wilder was inaugurated as Governor of Virginia on January 13, 1990, becoming the first elected African American governor in US history.
1990AT&T network collapseNine-hour US phone outageA software bug caused AT&T's long-distance network to collapse for nine hours on January 15, 1990, disrupting telephone service across Atlanta, St. Louis and Detroit including 911 services.
1990Carole King inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of FameWith Gerry GoffinInducted as a songwriter.
1990Simon & Garfunkel inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of FameHall of FameInducted as a duo.
1990The Kinks inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of FameHall of FameInducted with the original line-up.
1990The Who inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of FameHall of FameInducted in their first year of eligibility.
1990Marion Barry arrestedDC mayor caught in FBI stingWashington DC Mayor Marion Barry was arrested on January 18, 1990 during an FBI sting operation after being caught smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room.
1990Kashmiri Pandits flee Kashmir ValleyMass exodus amid rising insurgencyBeginning in January 1990, escalating violence and threats from militants drove hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits, a Hindu minority, out of the Kashmir Valley. The exodus followed the outbreak of an armed insurgency against Indian rule in the region. Most displaced families were never able to return to their homes.
1990Soviet troops crack down in Baku"Black January" killings in AzerbaijanSoviet military forces entered Baku on the night of 19-20 January 1990 to suppress the Azerbaijani independence movement, killing well over a hundred civilians. The crackdown, remembered as Black January, deepened Azerbaijani opposition to Soviet rule. It hardened the push toward Azerbaijani independence the following year.
1990 – presentJennifer LawrenceOscar-winning actressAmerican actress born January 22, 1990 in Louisville, Kentucky. Won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and starred in The Hunger Games franchise.
1990 – presentPeter SaganThe TourminatorThree-time consecutive World Champion and record 7-time Green Jersey winner at the Tour.
1990 – presentSergio PerezCheco / The Tire WhispererMultiple race winner for Red Bull Racing; known as the "King of the Streets" for his proficiency on street circuits.
199049ers win Super Bowl XXIVMontana MVP in 55-10 routThe San Francisco 49ers crushed the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990. Joe Montana threw five touchdown passes and won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
1990McDonald's opens in MoscowFast food arrives in USSRThe Soviet Union's first McDonald's restaurant opened in Moscow on January 31, 1990. Thousands of Russians queued for hours to taste Western fast food for the first time.