It was a decade of technology, scientific advancement, war, peace and economic prosperity. And while it is difficult to create a complete perspective on how these years shaped the future, certain events and trends influenced great change and their impact is still evident today.
During the 1990s, a decrease in computer costs led to explosive growth of the Internet and household use of computers.
"I remember when my family got our first computer," second-year education student Jamie Harrison said. "I had to hook it up because my parents didn't know how."
People adapted quickly to the new technology. In the early nineties, there were 15 million e-mail accounts worldwide. By the end of the decade, 569 million e-mail accounts existed. E-mail was quickly adopted as a new form of communication. Information became readily available from the over 2.1 billion Web sites existing by 2000.
The widespread use of computers also led to an unforgettable public dilemma. The year 2000 problem, Y2K, created panic. Since computer programs stored years in only double digits, it was possible that 2000 would be translated as "00" and would be interpreted as the year 1900.
People feared computer programs would misread date comparisons and produce erroneous results. Systems using this "date logic" could fail. Some thought the world would come to an end and prepared for the worst while others took a more laid-back approach.
"I thought Y2K was a joke. I thought it was funny the whole world was going crazy, but I do remember my dad having to reprogram a bunch of computers at work," second-year music student Casey Smith said. In the 1990s, the prevalence of technology provided a new medium for information and communication, but the scare of losing it all was a stark warning that dependence can be dangerous.
Scientific advancement in the '90s surpassed expectations. In 1990 the Human Genome Project announced its goals to determine the 3 billion base pairs in the human genome and also to identify all the genes.
The $3 billion project was estimated to take 15 years, but by 2000 a preliminary draft was already finished. Understanding the genome provides a better picture for doctors and biotechnicians to find cures for cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.
Blurring the distinction between scientific limits and humanity, society was forced to debate the implications of cloning when on Feb. 27, 1997 scientists announced the birth of an ewe named Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. Science fiction became reality and the effects were hard to determine.
A doctor was quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying, "The potential of gene technology is beyond the comprehension of most people today." Society was forced to handle an innovation many could not wrap their minds around. Cloning paved the way for genetic engineering in human children, especially genetic screening for hereditary diseases and genetic compatibility for stem cell transplantation in siblings, according to en.wikipedia.org.
In the early nineties, politically, the times seem to parallel today's concerns. The United States was at war with Saddam Hussein for the first time. The Gulf War began when the Iraqis invaded Kuwait. Iraq became dangerously close to the valuable Hama oil fields in Saudi Arabia. "No Blood For Oil" became a protest slogan of this war.
The effects of this war remain evident today. A United Nations Special Commission on weapons was established which monitored Iraq's adherence to restrictions involving weapons of mass destruction. There was a "sharp revival in Islamic extremism" (en.wikipedia.org). The Gulf War helped set a tone between the United States and Iraq. Threats to America could not be tolerated. Tensions continue.
During apartheid in South Africa, non-whites were excluded from national government and trains, buses and hospitals were segregated.
Apartheid laws were banned in 1990 and in 1994 Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president of South Africa and a commission was established to rewrite the constitution. The importance of free elections and the ability to vote were revered and brought to light in this conflict.
Genocide in Rwanda killed 937,000 people during this time. Ethnic tensions increased until President Habyarimana instituted genocidal pogroms. Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, many dismembered by machetes. Largely, the world ignored this problem. Apathy toward African strife caused President Clinton to publicly apologize to Rwanda, and many celebrities and activists continue years later to campaign for more aid for Africans. These killings weighed heavily on the social conscience. Politically, people faced the challenge to protect human rights.
The presidency itself was also under scrutiny. Bill Clinton's sex scandal with intern Monica Lewinsky and the impeachment trial that ensued left the American public uneasy and divided. Some felt private acts did not affect Clinton's ability to run the country. Others were disgusted by his lies. The media exposure is hard to forget.
"I thought (the scandal) was ridiculous. It was shoved down your throat," Smith said. Morals, deceit and invasion of privacy were hotly contested. Americans looked to the Constitution to deal with the misdeeds of their leader.
Economically, life was good. Professor of history Gil Troy at McGill University characterized the '90s as "the era when Yuppies reigned and greed was good" and "an era of great wealth, and even greater consumption, as the gap between rich and poor has bulged" (giltroy.com).
The stock market boom led to economic prosperity. "Irrational exuberance" was the phrase coined by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan. Some interpreted this as a warning the market might be overvalued, particularly the dot-com companies.
Encapsulating a decade in terms of trends and events provides a small description of life at that time. Retrospect provides answers and reflection encourages revelation. But it remains to be seen how future generations will interpret these times.
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