and Jordan, engaged in a state of war since 1948,
sign a peace treaty to end the conflict. (Sept. 19)
American troops stage a bloodless invasion of
Haiti in order to restore the legitimately elected
leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to power. (Dec. 11)
Russian leader Boris Yeltsin sends troops into
Chechnya.
Society:(Aug. 12) On the twenty-fifth anniversary of
the Woodstock music festival of 1969, Woodstock
’94 begins in Saugerties, New York. (Oct. 14)Hoop
Dreams, a highly acclaimed documentary about
two Chicago high school students who dream of
becoming professional basketball players, is re-
leased. (Nov. 16) A federal judge in California
issues a temporary restraining order, prohibit-
ing the state from implementing Proposition 187,
which would deny most public services to illegal
immigrants.
Business and economics:(Jan. 1) NAFTA goes into
effect. (Feb. 4) The Federal Open Market Com-
mittee, a division of the Federal Reserve, raises
the inflation target rate to 3.25 percent, the first
increase since May, 1989. (Apr. 29) Commodore
International, an American manufacturer of
home and personal computers, declares bank-
ruptcy.
Transportation and communications: (Jan. 31)
BMW, the German luxury automaker, announces
its purchase of rival automaker Rover from Brit-
ish Aerospace. (May 6) After more than seven
years and the labor of fifteen thousand workers,
the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) opens be-
tween England and France, enabling passengers
to travel between the two countries in thirty-five
minutes. (Nov. 13) The first passengers travel
through the Channel Tunnel.
Science and technology:(Jan. 8) Soyuz TM-18, a Rus-
sian spaceship, begins its record 437.7 days in or-
bit. (Jan. 11) The first conference to discuss the
information superhighway is held in Los Angeles.
(Mar. 14) In what is considered to be a major
advance in computer technology, Apple Com-
puter releases its first Macintosh computers us-
ing PowerPC microprocessors. (Jul. 15) Comet
Shoemaker-Levy 9 hits the planet Jupiter with
twenty-one fragments over the course of six days.
(Nov. 4) The first conference devoted exclusively
to the commercial potential of the World Wide
Web is held in San Francisco. (Dec. 15) The Web
browser Netscape Navigator 1.0 is released.
Environment and health:The Pan American Health
Organization, a division of the World Health Or-
ganization, announces the eradication of polio in
the West. (Nov. 5) A letter by former president
Ronald Reagan announcing that he is suffering
from Alzheimer’s disease is released. The an-
nouncement helps increase public awareness of
the disease.
Arts and literature:Dwight Roden and Desmond
Richardson, two of the principal dancers with the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, found Com-
plexions Contemporary Ballet, a multicultural
dance company. (May 7) Edvard Munch’s paint-
ingThe Screamis recovered, undamaged, after be-
ing stolen on February 12.
Popular culture:(Apr. 8) Kurt Cobain, lead singer of
the grunge rock band Nirvana, is found dead in
Seattle, Washington, and is believed to have com-
mitted suicide. (Jun. 24)The Lion Kingopens in
American theaters and will eventually become
the third-highest-grossing animated film of all
time. (Sept. 22) The situation comedyFriendsbe-
gins its long run on NBC television.
Sports:(Jan. 6) Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is
clubbed on the right leg by an assailant who is un-
der the orders of rival Tonya Harding’s former
husband. (Feb. 12-27) The 1994 Winter Olympics
are held in Lillehammer, Norway. (Mar. 16) Har-
ding is banned from figure skating after pleading
guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for her
part in covering up the attack on rival Kerrigan.
(May 12) Ice hockey is declared Canada’s official
winter sport. (Jun. 17) The 1994 FIFA World Cup
begins in the United States and goes on to be-
come the highest-attended sporting event in
American history. (Jul. 17) Brazil becomes the
first nation to win four World Cup titles when it
defeats Italy by a score of 3-2. (Aug. 12) Major
League Baseball players begin a lengthy strike
that will later force the cancellation of the 1994
World Series.
Crime:(Feb. 5) After thirty-one years, Byron De La
Beckwith is convicted of the 1963 murder of civil
rights leader Medgar Evers. (Mar. 4) Four terror-
ists are convicted for their roles in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing. (Jun. 12) Nicole Brown
Simpson, ex-wife of former National Football
League player O. J. Simpson, and Ronald Gold-
man are murdered outside Nicole’s home in Los
Angeles. (Jun. 17) O. J. Simpson and his friend AlThe Nineties in America Time Line 1033