February 16 - Gulf War: U.S. and U.K. war planes bomb the suburbs of Baghdad, injuring at least 11 civilians and killing three others.
February 22 - Gulf War: Iraq accepts a Russian proposed cease fire agreement. The US rejected the agreement, but said that retreating Iraqi forces would not be attacked if they left Kuwait within 24 hours.
February 23 - Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabia border and enter Kuwait, thus starting the ground-phase of the war.
February 27 - Gulf War: Kuwait is liberated, and a ceasefire is declared, after 100 hours of ground fighting. Iraq accepts the terms of the ceasefire, which call for the country to disarm.
March-April - Iraqi forces suppress rebellions in the southern and northern parts of the country, creating a humanitarian disaster on the borders of Turkey and Iran
April 3 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The U.N. Security Council passes the Cease Fire Agreement, Resolution 687. The resolution called for the destruction, or removal of all of Iraq's chemical and biological weapons, all stocks of agents and components, all research, development, support and manufacturing facilities for ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150km and production facilities, and end its support for international terrorism. Iraq accepts the terms of the resolution on April 6.
April 18 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq declares some of its chemical weapons and materials to the UN, as required by Resolution 687, and claims that it does not have biological weapons program.
June 23-28 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.N. inspection teams attempt to intercept Iraqi vehicles carrying nuclear related equipment. Iraqi soldiers fire warning shots in the air to prevent inspectors from approaching the vehicles.
August 20 - Estonia declares its independence from the Soviet Union
August 21 - Latvia declares its independence from the Soviet Union
September 21-30 - Iraq disarmament crisis: IAEA inspectors discover files on Iraq's hiden nuclear weapons program. Iraqi officials confiscate documents from UN weapons inspectors, and refuse to allow them to leave the site without turning over other documents. A four-day standoff ensues. Iraq permits the team to leave with the documents after a statement from the UN Security Council threatens enforcement actions.
October 11 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The U.N. Security Council passes Resolution 715, which demands that Iraq "accept unconditionally the inspectors and all other personnel designated by the Special Commission". Iraq rejects the resolution, calling it "unlawful".
In Los Angeles, Rodney King is severely beaten by policer officers after leading them in a high speed chace and resisting arrest. The beating was captured on video tape by observers, and portions of the tape is played repeatedly on US television.
Suspected serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested. Dahmer is eventually sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms. (Dahmer would later be killed by a prison inmate two years into his sentence.)
Exhumation of US President Zachary Taylor to discover whether or not his death was caused by arsenic poisoning, instead of acute gastrointestinal illness. No trace of arsenic is found.
