The Nineties in America - Salem Press (2009)

such as Duncan Sheik and Monica headlined at the
show’s nightclub, The Peach Pit After Dark.

Impact The show’s willingness to tackle controver-
sial subjects rendered it more than just a superficial
teenage series. It not only popularized trends of the
decade but also spawned similar programs such as its
spin-off,Melrose Place, andDawson’s Creek, but they
never matched the show’s popularity and longevity.
Another spin-off, 90210 , premiered in 2008 and
included Garth and Doherty.

Further Reading
Holmes, Venice.The Beverly Hills 90210 Guide. East
Lansing, Mich.: New King, 1993.
McKinley, E. Graham.Beverly Hills, 90210: Television,
Gender, and Identity. Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
Spelling, Aaron.Aaron Spelling: A Prime-Time Life.
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996.
Noelle K. Penna

See also AIDS epidemic; Cell phones; Drug use;

Education in the United States; E-mail; Fashions and

clothing;Friends; Internet; Music;Sex and the City;

Television.

 Bezos, Jeff

Identification Founder of Amazon.com

Born January 12, 1964; Albuquerque, New

Mexico

In making Amazon.com a successful retailer based on the

Internet, Bezos proved the viability of electronic commerce.

Jeff Bezos was one of the pioneers of the digital com-

mercial revolution and one of the great success sto-

ries of the late 1990’s. By the middle of the decade,

the Internet was no longer a bastion of scientists and

university students. After America Online allowed its

users direct connections to the Internet, followed by

100
Bezos, Jeff The Nineties in America

The stars ofBeverly Hills, 90210(from left): Tori Spelling, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Brian Austin Green, Luke Perry, Gabrielle
Carteris, Ian Ziering, and Jennie Garth.(©Roberts Mikel/Corbis Sygma)