1991 was the year the Cold War world gave way to a new era. Operation Desert Storm drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait in January and February, a failed coup shook Moscow in August, the World Wide Web became publicly available, and Yugoslavia began to break apart. On 26 December, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved.
1991 key events
|
Date |
Event |
Why it mattered |
|
January – February |
Operation Desert Storm |
A US-led coalition drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait, reshaping Middle Eastern geopolitics. |
|
March |
Birmingham Six released |
Six men wrongly convicted of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings were freed after their convictions were quashed. |
|
June |
Apartheid laws repealed in South Africa |
The repeal of key apartheid legislation accelerated South Africa's transition towards a democratic system. |
|
July |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day released |
James Cameron's blockbuster became the year's highest-grossing film and a landmark in visual effects. |
|
August |
First website becomes publicly available |
Tim Berners-Lee's World Wide Web project moved from CERN towards public use, laying foundations for the modern web. |
|
August |
Failed Moscow coup |
An attempted coup against Mikhail Gorbachev collapsed after three days, accelerating the Soviet Union's breakup. |
|
September |
Nirvana release Nevermind |
The album helped propel grunge and alternative rock into the mainstream. |
|
November 24 |
Freddie Mercury dies |
The Queen singer's death at 45 prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief and renewed attention to AIDS. |
|
December |
Maastricht Summit |
European leaders agreed the framework for the Maastricht Treaty, which established the foundations of today's European Union. |
|
December 26 |
Soviet Union dissolved |
The USSR formally ceased to exist, ending a superpower and marking a defining moment in the end of the Cold War. |
Born in 1991?
If you were born in 1991, you turn 35 in 2026. You were born into a year of Gulf War headlines, Soviet uncertainty, grunge, blockbuster films and the emergence of the World Wide Web.
Whether you're marking your own 35th birthday or celebrating someone born in 1991, you can look back at the headlines that shaped the year — including the front page from the exact day you were born.
1991 Timeline
· January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · October · November · December · Gulf war / Operation Desert Storm · Dissolution of the Soviet Union · 1991 FAQ
January
January 17: Operation Desert Storm begins. The Gulf War dominated the headlines as US-led coalition forces launched a major air campaign against Iraq after Saddam Hussein refused to withdraw from Kuwait. The conflict would continue through February, with Iraqi forces eventually driven out of Kuwait.
January 2: Salvadoran rebels in El Salvador shoot down an American Army helicopter, killing all three crew members.
January 8: Two people are killed and more than 500 injured when a train crashes at Cannon Street station in London. An inquiry later finds the driver was responsible.
January 16: California’s law criminalising stalking comes into effect. The legislation had been passed the previous year following several high-profile murders.
January 17: Iceland’s Hekla volcano erupts. The eruption continues until March 11.
January 17: The British Royal Air Force joins the Gulf War as coalition air strikes begin against Iraq.
January 22: Iraqi forces set fire to hundreds of oil wells in Kuwait as they retreat. The resulting fires burn for months, with the final blaze extinguished in November.
January 27: The New York Giants defeat the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium, Florida.
January 29: Talks begin in South Africa between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party in an attempt to end political violence between their organisations.
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February
February 1: USAir Flight 1493 collides with a smaller aircraft when it comes to land at LA International Airport. SkyWest Airlines flight 5569, a small 19 seater plane had been taxiing onto the runway for take-off when the Boeing 737-300 crushed it before careering off the runway and catching fire. 35 people in total die, including all 12 aboard the crushed flight 5569.
February 1: Bestselling novel of the year The Firm by John Grisham is published.
February 5: American physician Dr. Jack Kevorkian is banned from assisting in the euthanasia of his patients.
February 7: 10 Downing Street is hit by a mortar attack during a cabinet meeting. The bombing was carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army but thanks to bomb-proof windows, no politicians were hurt.
February 11: In The Hague, Netherlands, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is formed.
February 14: The Silence of the Lambs is released in the US. The film is based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name.
February 18: London is attacked again by the Provisional Irish Republican Army as both Paddington station and Victoria station in London are bombed. The Paddington bomb causes no fatalities but one person dies and 38 are injured in Victoria.
February 27: President Bush orders a cease-fire in Iraq as Gulf War victory is declared.
February 23: 38-storey office building One Meridian Plaza Philadelphia, Pennsylvania catches fire. Three firefighters die while fighting the blaze, which destroys eight storeys of the building.
February 28: A Princeton University student is exposed as an impostor. James Hogue, 31 had been masquerading as a sophomore (usually aged 19-20) calling himself Alexi Indris-Santana.
February 27 – 28: The Gulf War ends with an Allied victory. After six weeks of conflict, President George H. W. Bush orders a ceasefire as coalition forces successfully drive Iraqi troops from Kuwait. The war becomes one of the defining international events of 1991.
February 1: USAir Flight 1493 collides with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 while landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Thirty-five people are killed.
February 1: John Grisham’s bestselling legal thriller The Firm is published.
February 7: The Provisional IRA launches a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street during a Cabinet meeting. No politicians are injured.
February 11: The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is established in The Hague.
February 14: The Silence of the Lambs is released in the United States. The thriller, based on Thomas Harris’s novel, becomes one of the year's most acclaimed films.
February 18: The Provisional IRA bombs Paddington and Victoria stations in London. One person is killed and 38 injured in the Victoria station attack.
February 23: One Meridian Plaza in Philadelphia catches fire, killing three firefighters and destroying eight floors of the 38-storey building.
February 27: President Bush orders a ceasefire as coalition forces declare victory in the Gulf War.
February 28: A Princeton University student is exposed as an impostor after masquerading as a student under a false identity.
March
March 14: The Birmingham Six are released after 16 years in prison. A UK court rules that police had fabricated evidence used to convict the six men of involvement in an IRA bombing. Their release becomes a landmark moment in the history of miscarriages of justice in Britain.
March 3: Four Los Angeles police officers are filmed repeatedly beating Rodney King. The footage later becomes a catalyst for widespread debate about police brutality and racial inequality.
March 3: United Airlines Flight 585 crashes near Colorado Springs, killing all 25 people aboard.
March 10: The United States begins Operation Phase Echo to withdraw its forces from the Gulf following the end of the war.
March 11: A curfew is imposed in black townships in South Africa following violence between rival political groups.
March 13: Exxon agrees to pay $1 billion towards the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.
March 13: Canada and the United States sign an agreement aimed at reducing acid rain and cross-border air pollution.
March 14: The Birmingham Six are released after the Court of Appeal finds their convictions unsafe.
March 15: France, Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union relinquish their remaining occupation rights in Germany.
March 25: Dances with Wolves wins the Academy Award for Best Picture, with Kevin Costner taking the film's leading role.
March 28: An inquest into the Hillsborough disaster records a verdict of accidental death, prompting anger from victims' families who had hoped for findings of unlawful killing.
April
April 29: A devastating cyclone strikes Bangladesh, killing around 138,000 people. The storm becomes one of the deadliest tropical cyclones ever recorded, with a huge loss of life across coastal Bangladesh.
April 4: Seven people, including Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz, are killed when a helicopter collides with a private plane over Merion, Pennsylvania.
April 4: Nine children in Orkney are returned to their families after being removed by social services over allegations of satanic abuse that are later found to be unfounded.
April 4: Four gunmen take 41 people hostage in an electronics store in Sacramento, California. The incident ends with three gunmen and three hostages dead.
April 5: Former US Senator John Tower and 20 others are killed when an aircraft crashes while attempting to land in Georgia.
April 10: The Italian ferry Moby Prince collides with an oil tanker off Livorno, killing 140 people.
April 10: Weather satellites document a tropical cyclone in the South Atlantic, an unusual occurrence for the region.
April 14: Twenty paintings worth hundreds of millions of dollars are stolen from Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. The works are recovered within an hour after being found abandoned in a car nearby.
April 26: A major tornado outbreak strikes the central United States, with 55 tornadoes reported. The strongest tornado hits Andover, Kansas, killing 21 people.
April 29: A magnitude 7 earthquake strikes Racha in Georgia, killing around 270 people.
Wheat Field With Crows, one of the 20 paintings stolen on April 14th
Image: Wikipedia
May
May 5: In the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Washington DC, a riot breaks out following the shooting of a handcuffed Salvadorean man by police. Around 400 youths battle with police for several hours, police cars are torched and numerous shops looted.
May 6: Arsenal are announced as Football League champions, their second league title in three seasons.
May 6: Time magazine publishes an article highly criticising Scientology under the title
May 21: Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated. Gandhi is killed by a suicide bomber at an election rally in Sriperumbudur, India, along with 14 other people. His assassination shocks India and has a major impact on the country's political future.
May 5: A riot breaks out in Washington, D.C.’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood following the police shooting of a Salvadoran man.
May 6: Arsenal are confirmed as Football League champions, securing their second league title in three seasons.
May 6: Time magazine publishes a controversial investigation into Scientology.
May 15: Édith Cresson becomes France’s first female prime minister.
May 15: Manchester United defeat Barcelona 2–1 to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
May 16: Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to address the United States Congress during a visit to Washington, D.C.
May 18: Tottenham Hotspur win the FA Cup for a record eighth time, defeating Nottingham Forest 2 – 1 at Wembley.
Check out our Historic Newspapers Book on The Story of Tottenham Hotspur to learn more!
May 18: Helen Sharman becomes the first British person in space when she launches aboard the Soviet Soyuz TM-12 mission.
May 21: Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated by a suicide bomber at an election rally in southern India.
May 22: Work on the Channel Tunnel reaches a major milestone as the British and French sides of the rail tunnel are connected beneath the English Channel.
June
June 5: South Africa repeals key apartheid laws governing racial segregation. The repeal of legislation restricting where people could live and work represents a major step in the country's transition away from apartheid, although the system itself would not end until 1994.
June 3: Mount Unzen erupts in Japan, producing a devastating pyroclastic flow that kills 43 people.
June 4: A powerful solar flare produces an unusually strong aurora visible much farther south than normal.
June 5: South Africa repeals the Group Areas Act and other key apartheid legislation governing racial segregation.
June 7: More than 200,000 people attend a parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the return of US troops from the Persian Gulf War.
June 10: Eleven-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard is kidnapped while walking home from school in California. She is not found until 2009.
June 13: A spectator at the US Open is struck and killed by lightning.
June 14: Julie Ann Gibson becomes the Royal Air Force’s first female pilot.
June 15: Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Philippines in one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. Hundreds of people die as a direct result and thousands more are displaced.
June 28: The Sierra Madre earthquake strikes the Greater Los Angeles area, killing two people and injuring dozens.
July
July 31: The United States and Soviet Union sign the START I treaty. George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev agree to reduce and limit their strategic nuclear arsenals, marking an important step in the changing relationship between the two Cold War superpowers.
July 1: A software failure disrupts telephone services across several major US cities, affecting millions of customers.
July 8: Two IRA suspects escape from Brixton Prison in London after shooting their way out during a church service. They later flee to the Republic of Ireland.
July 11: A total solar eclipse crosses the Pacific Ocean and parts of South America. Totality lasts for more than six minutes.
July 11: Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 catches fire shortly after taking off from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All 261 people aboard are killed.
July 22: Mike Tyson is arrested and charged with the rape of Desiree Washington.
July 22: Police discover the remains of 11 men and boys in Jeffrey Dahmer’s Milwaukee apartment. Dahmer subsequently confesses to multiple murders.
July 25: British astronomers announce the discovery of a planet outside our Solar System, although the claim is later withdrawn.
July 29: Bank of Credit and Commerce International is charged in connection with one of the largest banking frauds in history, involving billions of dollars.
July 31: George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign START I, agreeing to substantial reductions in strategic nuclear weapons.
Presidents George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev signing START I Treaty
Image: Wikimedia Commons
August
August 19: A failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev accelerates the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev is placed under house arrest while Communist hardliners attempt to seize control of the Soviet government. The coup collapses within three days, strengthening Boris Yeltsin and accelerating the independence movements of the Soviet republics.
August 4: The cruise liner Oceanos sinks off the coast of South Africa. More than 500 passengers are rescued by helicopters after the ship's crew abandon the vessel.
August 6: The first website is made publicly available at CERN. Created by Tim Berners-Lee, it explains the World Wide Web project.
August 8: The Warsaw radio mast in Poland collapses. At the time, it was the tallest structure ever built.
August 8: British journalist John McCarthy is released after more than five years as a hostage in Lebanon.
August 9: Steve Coogan first appears as Alan Partridge on BBC Radio 4's On the Hour.
August 17: Seven people are killed in a shooting at a shopping centre in Strathfield, Sydney.
August 18: Hurricane Bob strikes the US East Coast, killing 17 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.
August 19: Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest as Communist hardliners launch an attempted coup in Moscow.
August 23: The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is released in the United States.
August 30: Liz McColgan wins Britain's first gold medal at the 1991 World Athletics Championships, taking victory in the women's 10,000 metres.
September
September 1991: The Soviet Union moves rapidly towards dissolution as its republics declare independence.Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania gain international recognition, while Russia and other republics assert greater independence from Moscow. The political upheaval follows the failed August coup and sets the stage for the Soviet Union's final dissolution in December.
September 2: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are recognised as independent by the United States, and diplomatic relations are restored.
September 3: A fire at the Imperial Foods chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, kills 25 workers and injures 55.
September 6: Leningrad officially resumes its historic name, St Petersburg.
September 9: Riots break out on the Meadow Well estate in Tyneside following the deaths of two teenagers during a police pursuit.
September 19: A naturally mummified body later named Ötzi the Iceman is discovered in the Italian Alps. The body is eventually dated to more than 5,000 years old.
September 22: The Huntington Library makes the Dead Sea Scrolls available to the wider public following decades of restricted access.
September 23: UN inspectors discover documents in Baghdad detailing Iraq's nuclear weapons programme, leading to a confrontation with Iraqi authorities.
September 24: Nevermind is released by Nirvana. The album becomes one of the defining records of the grunge movement and helps propel alternative rock into the mainstream.
September 24: Former RAF fighter pilot Jackie Mann is released after more than two years as a hostage in Lebanon.
September 30: A tornado strikes the Brazilian city of Itu, killing 16 people and injuring more than 170.
October
October 28: The Perfect Storm strikes the US East Coast. A powerful combination of weather systems produces one of the most notorious storms of the decade, causing more than $200 million in damage and killing at least 12 people.
October 3: South African writer Nadine Gordimer is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for her work exploring apartheid and its effects on South African society.
October 6: On the 50th anniversary of the Babi Yar massacre, Mikhail Gorbachev condemns antisemitism in the Soviet Union.
October 9: A major sumo tournament begins at London's Royal Albert Hall, the first professional sumo tournament held outside Japan.
October 10: Joseph Harris kills four former colleagues at a post office in New Jersey before being killed by police.
October 15: Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It for You reaches its 15th consecutive week at number one in the UK singles chart, on its way to a record-breaking 16 weeks at the top.
October 16: George Hennard kills 23 people at a cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, before taking his own life.
October 20: A wildfire devastates Oakland Hills in California, destroying thousands of homes and killing 25 people.
October 21: American academic Jesse Turner, kidnapped in Lebanon in 1987, is released after more than four years in captivity.
October 28: The Perfect Storm hits the US East Coast, killing at least 12 people and causing extensive damage.
October 29: NASA's Galileo spacecraft makes the first close approach to an asteroid, passing asteroid 951 Gaspra.
Satellite image of the Perfect Storm, (also known as Halloween storm) around the time of peak intensity
Image: Wikimedia Commons
November
November 24: Freddie Mercury dies, one day after publicly announcing that he has AIDS. The Queen frontman dies aged 45, prompting a worldwide outpouring of grief and bringing renewed attention to the AIDS crisis and HIV awareness.
November 1: Gang Lu, a former student at the University of Iowa, kills four people before taking his own life.
November 5: British media mogul Robert Maxwell is found dead in the Atlantic Ocean off the Canary Islands. His death remains the subject of speculation.
November 6: The KGB formally ceases its operations as the Soviet Union's political system continues to collapse.
November 7: Basketball star Magic Johnson announces that he is HIV positive and retires from professional basketball.
November 14: Arrest warrants are issued for two Libyan nationals suspected of involvement in the Lockerbie bombing.
November 16: An IRA bomb explodes prematurely in St Albans, killing the two IRA members who were planting it.
November 22: Disney releases Beauty and the Beast, which becomes the first animated film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
November 24: Freddie Mercury dies aged 45, one day after announcing that he has AIDS.
November 30: The United States defeats Norway 2–1 in the final of the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in China.
December
December 25–26: The Soviet Union comes to an end. On Christmas Day, Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as Soviet president and the Soviet flag is lowered over the Kremlin. The Soviet Union is formally dissolved the following day, ending one of the defining geopolitical stories of the 20th century.
December 1: Ukraine votes overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union.
December 4: American journalist Terry Anderson is released after more than seven years as a hostage in Lebanon.
December 4: Pan American World Airways ceases operations after failing to secure a deal to avoid bankruptcy.
December 12: Ukraine becomes the first post-Soviet republic to decriminalise consensual homosexual activity.
December 15: The Egyptian ferry Salem Express strikes a reef in the Red Sea and sinks, killing hundreds of passengers.
December 19: The Skarnsund Bridge opens in Norway. Its 530-metre main span makes it the world's longest cable-stayed bridge at the time.
December 23: Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody returns to number one in the UK singles chart, 16 years after its original release. Proceeds are donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust.
December 25: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union and the Soviet flag is lowered over the Kremlin for the final time.
December 26: The Soviet Union is formally dissolved, bringing the USSR to an end after 69 years.
Shop our Historic Newspapers Books to learn more about The Story of Queen through newspaper headlines!
Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm
Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the United Nations issued warnings to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain to cease their invasion. When their requests were ignored, a coalition of 35 countries, led by the United States, was deployed to Kuwait to protect their oil reserves and push out the invading forces. Operation Desert Storm is the combat stage of this defensive operation.
The year the Soviet Union ended
1991 was the year a superpower disappeared. The story unfolded across the entire year, from the January crackdown in Lithuania to the failed coup in Moscow in August and the declarations of independence that followed.
By December, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and the other Soviet republics had moved decisively towards independence. On 25 December, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as Soviet president, and on 26 December 1991 the Soviet Union was formally dissolved.
The original newspapers capture the uncertainty and drama of those months: tanks in Moscow during the August coup, republics declaring independence and, finally, the Soviet flag coming down over the Kremlin.
Read the original coverage in a 1991 newspaper and see how the end of the Soviet Union appeared in the headlines at the time.
1991 in culture
1991 was a big year for music, film and gaming. Nirvana's Nevermind helped push grunge into the mainstream, while Terminator 2: Judgment Day became the year's highest-grossing film. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System launched in North America and Europe, Bryan Adams spent a record 16 consecutive weeks at number one in the UK, and Freddie Mercury's death brought the AIDS crisis back onto front pages around the world.
Born in 1991?
If you were born in 1991, you turn 35 in 2026, making this a milestone birthday. You were born into a world of Gulf War headlines, the breakup of the Soviet Union, grunge and a rapidly changing culture — the same year the World Wide Web began moving into public use.
Whether you're celebrating your own 35th birthday or looking for a gift for someone born in 1991, bring the year back to life through the headlines that shaped it. Find a 1991 birthday newspaper featuring the front page from the exact day you were born.
Frequently asked questions about 1991
What is 1991 known for?
1991 is known for the Gulf War, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the emergence of the World Wide Web and major cultural changes including the rise of grunge. Operation Desert Storm took place in January and February, while the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist on 26 December. The year also saw the release of Nirvana's Nevermind and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
What things were popular in 1991?
Popular things in 1991 included grunge music, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Nirvana's Nevermind became a landmark album, while the SNES and Sega's Sonic franchise helped define the rapidly growing video-game market.
What was the biggest movie of 1991?
The biggest movie of 1991 was Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was the year's highest-grossing film worldwide.Directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong, it became a landmark in blockbuster filmmaking and visual effects.
Was 1991 an important year?
Yes, 1991 was one of the most consequential years of the late 20th century. The Gulf War reshaped geopolitics in the Middle East, the Soviet Union dissolved after decades of Cold War rivalry, and the World Wide Web began its transition towards public use. Together, these events helped define the political and technological world that followed.
How many years ago was 1991?
1991 was 35 years ago in 2026.
Relive 1991 through the headlines
Explore original 1991 newspaper front pages and see how the year's biggest stories appeared at the time — from the Gulf War and the Moscow coup to the death of Freddie Mercury and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
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