1991

1991

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Clockwise, from top left: A destroyed Serbian T-55 tank during theCroatian War of Independence,the beginning of theYugoslav Wars;theeruption of Mount Pinatuboin thePhilippines,the second-most powerful eruption of the 20th century;Lauda Air Flight 004crashes, killing all 223 on board;Boris Yeltsinwaves the newRussian flagafter the1991 Soviet coup d'etat attempt;theUnited Statesand soon-to-bedissolvedSoviet Unionsign theSTART Itreaty; a flooded village inBangladeshafter acyclone killed 138,866 people;the MVMoby Prince,whichcollides with an oil tankerinItaly,causing a disastrous fire and 140 deaths;USAFaircraft fly over burned-outKuwaiti oil fieldstowards the end of theGulf War.

This article is about the year 1991. For other uses, see1991 (disambiguation).

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century 20th century 21st century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Years:	1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994

1991 in variouscalendars

Gregorian calendar	1991 MCMXCI
Ab urbe condita	2744
Armenian calendar	1440 ԹՎ ՌՆԽ
Assyrian calendar	6741
Baháʼí calendar	147–148
Balinese saka calendar	1912–1913
Bengali calendar	1398
Berber calendar	2941
British Regnal year	39Eliz. 2– 40Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar	2535
Burmese calendar	1353
Byzantine calendar	7499–7500
Chinese calendar	Canh ngọNăm (MetalHorse) 4688 or 4481 — to — Năm Tân Mùi (MetalGoat) 4689 or 4482
Coptic calendar	1707–1708
Discordian calendar	3157
Ethiopian calendar	1983–1984
Hebrew calendar	5751–5752
Hindu calendars
-Vikram Samvat	2047–2048
-Shaka Samvat	1912–1913
-Kali Yuga	5091–5092
Holocene calendar	11991
Igbo calendar	991–992
Iranian calendar	1369–1370
Islamic calendar	1411–1412
Japanese calendar	Heisei3 ( bình thành ３ năm )
Javanese calendar	1923–1924
Juche calendar	80
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4324
Minguo calendar	ROC80 Dân quốc 80 năm
Nanakshahi calendar	523
Thai solar calendar	2534
Tibetan calendar	Dương kim mã năm (male Iron-Horse) 2117 or 1736 or 964 — to — Âm kim dương năm (female Iron-Goat) 2118 or 1737 or 965
Unix time	662688000 – 694223999

1991(MCMXCI) was acommon year starting on Tuesdayof theGregorian calendar,the 1991st year of theCommon Era(CE) andAnno Domini(AD) designations, the 991st year of the2nd millennium,the 91st year of the20th century,and the 2nd year of the1990sdecade.

It was the final year of theCold War,which had begun in1947.During the year, theSoviet Unioncollapsed,leavingfifteen sovereign republicsand theCISin its place. In July 1991,Indiaabandoned its policies ofdirigism,license rajandautarkyand began extensiveliberalisationto its economy. This increasedGDPbut also increasedincome inequalityover the next two decades.AUN-authorizedcoalition forcefrom 34 nations fought againstIraq,which hadinvadedandannexedKuwaitin the previous year,1990.The conflict would be called theGulf Warand would mark the beginning of a since-constant American military presence in the Middle East. The clash betweenSerbiaand the otherYugoslavrepublics would lead into the beginning of theYugoslav Wars,which ran through the rest of the decade.

In the context of theapartheid,the year after the liberation of political prisonerNelson Mandela,the Parliament of South Africarepeals the Population Registration Act, 1950,overturning the racial classification of the population, a key component of apartheid.

The year 1991 saw the rise of a ten-year-longboost of the US domestic economywith theDow Jones Industrial Averageremarkably closing in April at above 3,000 for the first time.This situation would only be cut short by theDot-com bubbleof 2000–2002.

In August, theWorld Wide Web,originally conceived during the previous year, was released outsideCERNto other research institutions starting in January 1991 and publicly announced in August, also establishing the first website ever, "info.cern.ch". This step was a key factor that lead to the mid-1990s public breakthrough of the internet, which would eventually accelerate the already ongoingglobalizationaround the globe.

In terms ofpopular culture,during this yearalternative rocksaw a new height of popularity when some of the earliest music exponents of the virtually unknowngrungesound were released, including the influentialNevermindalbum by Seattle-based bandNirvanain September 1991.It was also in 1991 thathip-hop musicreached an unprecedented mainstream level of success.Electronic music derivative formswere also starting to gain momentum and would define, alone with the previous scenes, the sound for most of the decade.

Events

January

• January 1–Czechoslovakiabecomes the secondEastern Europeancountry to abandon itscommand economy.
• January 5–Georgiantroops attackTskhinvali,the capital ofSouth Ossetia,starting the1991–92 South Ossetia War.
• January 7–1991 Haitian coup d'état:An attempted coup by theTonton Macoute,a paramilitary force under former dictatorJean-Claude Duvalier,is thwarted in Haiti.On July 30, he is convicted by a jury of attempting to overthrow the country's firstdemocratically elected government.
• January 9
  • Gulf War:U.S. Secretary of StateJames Bakermeets withIraqi Foreign MinisterTariq Azizbut fails to produce a plan for the withdrawal ofIraqi troops from Kuwait.
  • InSebokeng,South Africa,gunmen open fire on mourners attending the funeral of anAfrican National Congressleader, killing 45 people.
• January 12– Gulf War: The102ndU.S. Congresspasses aresolutionauthorizing the use ofmilitary forceto expelIraqi forcesfromKuwait.
• January 13–Singing Revolution:Sovietforces stormVilniusto stopLithuanian independence,killing 14 civiliansand injuring 702 more. InLatvia,aseries of confrontationsbetween theLatvian governmentand theSoviet governmenttake place inRiga.Lithuania formally declares independence on February 16 while voters inEstoniaandLatviavote for independence on March 3.
• January 15
  • Gulf War: TheUNdeadline for the withdrawal ofIraqi forcesfromoccupied Kuwaitexpires, preparing the way for the start ofOperation Desert Storm.
  • Prime Minister of Cape VerdePedro Piresresigns followinghis party's loss in theCape Verdean parliamentary election,the first evermultiparty electionin anAfrican nation.Later on February 17,António Mascarenhas Monteirowins thecountry's first multiparty presidential electionsince 1975.
• January 16– Gulf War:Operation Desert Stormbegins with air strikes againstIraq.
• January 17
  • Gulf War: Iraq fires eightScudmissiles into Israel.Iraqi attackscontinue with 15 people injured inTel Avivon January 19 and 96 people injured inRamat Ganon January 22.
  • Harald V of Norwaybecomes theking of Norwayafter the death of his father,Olav V.
• January 18–Eastern Air Linesshuts down after 62 years of operations, citing financial problems. Later on December 4,Pan American World Airwaysceases its operations.
• January 22– Gulf War: TheBritish ArmySASpatrol,Bravo Two Zero,is deployed in Iraq.
• January 24– Thegovernment of Papua New Guineasigns a peace agreement withseparatist leadersfromBougainville Island,endingfightingthat had gone on since1988.
• January 26–PresidentSiad Barreis overthrown andSomaliaenters acivil war.Three days later,Ali Mahdi Muhammadis inaugurated as the next president.
• January 29
  • InSouth Africa,Nelson Mandelaof theAfrican National CongressandMangosuthu Butheleziof theInkatha Freedom Partyagree to end violence between the two organizations.
  • Gulf War: The first major ground engagement of the war, theBattle of Khafji,begins. The battle lasts until February 1.

February

• February 1
  • USAir Flight 1493collides with aSkyWest AirlinesFairchild MetrolineratLos Angeles International Airport,killing 34 people.
  • A 6.4mbHindu Kush earthquakecauses severe damage innortheast Afghanistan,leaving 848 dead and 200 injured.
• February 7
  • 1991 Haitian coup d'état:Haiti's first democratically elected president,Jean-Bertrand Aristide,is sworn in.He isousted on September 30and laterreinstated in 1994.In response to the coup and in an effort to encourage the coup leaders torestore democracy,theU.S.expandstrade sanctions on Haitito include all goods except food and medicine on October 29.
  • TheProvisional Irish Republican Armylaunches amortar attack on 10 Downing Streetduring acabinet meeting.
  • Gulf War: Ground troops cross theSaudi Arabian borderand enter Kuwait, thus starting the ground phase of the war.
• February 11– TheUnrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization(UNPO) is formed inThe Hague,Netherlands.
• February 13– Gulf War: Two laser-guided "smart bombs"destroy an underground bunker in Baghdad,killing hundreds of Iraqis.US military intelligenceclaims it was a military facility while Iraqi officials identify it as abomb shelter.
• February 15– TheVisegrád Group,establishing cooperation to move towardfree-market systems,is established by the leaders ofCzechoslovakia,Hungary,andPoland.
• February 18– TheProvisional Irish Republican Armyexplodesbombs in the early morning,at bothPaddington stationandVictoria station,in London.
• February 20–President of AlbaniaRamiz Aliadismisses the government ofPrime MinisterAdil Çarçaniand appointsFatos Nanoas the next prime minister in an effort to stempro-democracy protests.
• February 22– Gulf War:Iraq accepts a Soviet-proposedcease fire agreement. The U.S. rejects the agreement, instead saying that retreating Iraqi forces will not be attacked if they leave Kuwait within 24 hours.
• February 23– InThailand,GeneralSunthorn Kongsompongdeposes Prime MinisterChatichai Choonhavanin abloodless coup d'état.
• February 25– Gulf War: Part of an IraqiScud missilehits an American military barracks inDhahran,Saudi Arabia, killing 29 U.S. soldiers and injuring 99 more. It is the single-most devastating attack on U.S. forces during the war.
• February 26– Gulf War: OnBaghdad radio,Iraqi leaderSaddam Husseinannounces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers setfire to Kuwaiti oil fieldsas they retreat; the fire lasts until November 7.
• February 27
  • Gulf War:U.S. PresidentBushdeclares victory over Iraq and orders a cease-fire. U.S. troopsbegin to leavethePersian Gulfon March 10.
  • In theBangladeshi general election,theBangladesh Nationalist Partywins 139 of 300 seats in theJatiyo Sangshad,leading BNP leaderKhaleda Ziato become thepresidenton March 19.

March

• March 3
  • Thefirst presidential electionin thehistory of São Tomé and Príncipeis won byMiguel Trovoada.
  • A video captures the beating of motoristRodney KingbyLos Angelespolice officers. FourLos Angeles police officersare indicted on March 15 for the beating.
• March 6–Prime Minister of IndiaChandra Shekharresigns following a dispute with former Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi,whose support had kept him in power.
• March 9–Massive demonstrationsare held againstSlobodan MiloševićinBelgrade;two people are killed andtanksare deployed in the streets.
• March 10– Salvadoran Civil War: In theSalvadoran legislative election,theNationalist Republican Alliancewins 39 of the 48 seats in thelegislative assembly.
• March 13
  • TheU.S. Department of Justiceannounces thatExxonhas agreed to pay $1 billion for the clean-up of theExxon Valdez oil spillinAlaska.
  • TheAcid Rain Treaty of 1991is signed between theAmericanandCanadian governments.
• March 14
  • Gulf War:Emir of KuwaitJaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahreturns toKuwaitafter seven months of exile inSaudi Arabia.
  • The Troubles:After 16 years in prison for allegedly bombing apublic housein aProvisional IRAattack, the "Birmingham Six"are freed when a court determines that the police fabricated evidence.
• March 15
  • Germanyformally regains complete independence after the fourpost-World War IIoccupying powers(France,theU.K.,theU.S.,and theU.S.S.R.) relinquish all remaining rights to the country.
  • TheU.S. and Albaniaresume diplomatic relations for the first timesince 1939.
• March 17
  • Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Ina national referendum,77% of voters in theSoviet Unionvote in favor of keeping the 15Soviet republicstogether; six Union Republics effectively boycott the referendum.
  • In theFinnish parliamentary election,theCentre Partywins 55 of 200 seats in theparliament,ending 25 years of dominance by theSocial Democratic Party of Finland.
• March 23– TheSierra Leone Civil Warbegins when theRevolutionary United Frontattempts a coup against theSierra Leone government.
• March 24– TheBeninese presidential election,Benin's first presidential electionsince 1970,is won byNicéphore Soglo.
• March 26
  • InMali,military officers led byAmadou Toumani TouréarrestPresidentMoussa Traoréand suspend theconstitution.
  • Argentina,Brazil,UruguayandParaguaysign theTreaty of Asunción,establishingMercosur.
• March 31
  • Albaniaholds itsfirst multi-party electionssince1923.The socialist rulingParty of Labour of Albaniawon a landslide victory with 169 of the 250 seats in theparliament.
  • Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Georgia votes for independencefrom theSoviet Unionwhile on April 9, theSupreme Councildeclares the independentRepublic of Georgia.

April

• April 2–Government-imposed pricesincrease double or triple the cost ofconsumer goods in the Soviet Union.
• April 3–Iraq disarmament crisis:TheUN Security CouncilpassesResolution 687,which calls for the destruction or removal of all ofIraq's chemical and biological weaponsand a complete ban ofballistic missileswith a range greater than 150 km. It also calls for an end to Iraq'ssupport for international terrorism;it is accepted by Iraq three days later.
• April 4
  • U.S. SenatorJohn Heinzand six other people are killed when ahelicopter collides with their planeoverMerion,Pennsylvania.
  • Forty peopleare taken hostageinSacramento,California; six gunmen and hostages are killed.
• April 5
  • FormerU.S. SenatorJohn Towerand 22 others are killed inan airplane crashinBrunswick,Georgia.
  • Space ShuttleAtlantisleaves an observatory in Earth's orbit to studygamma raysbefore returningon April 11.It is followed bySpace ShuttleDiscovery,which studies instruments related to theStrategic Defense InitiativefromApril 29 to May 6.Space ShuttleColumbiacarries theSpacelabinto orbiton June 5.
• April 9– The firstSoviet troopsleavePoland.
• April 10
  • ASouth Atlantic tropical cyclonedevelops in theSouthern Hemisphereoff the coast ofAngola,the first of its kind to be documented byweather satellites.
  • The Italian ferryMoby Princecollides with an oil tanker in dense fog offLivorno,Italy,resulting in 140 deaths with one survivor.
• April 12– TheWarsaw Stock Exchangeopens inPoland.
• April 14– In theNetherlands,thieves steal 20 paintings worth $500 million from theVan Gogh MuseuminAmsterdam;they are found in an abandoned car near the museum less than an hour later.
• April 15
  • TheEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development(EBRD) is inaugurated.
  • End of Apartheid: TheEuropean Economic Communityliftseconomic sanctionsonSouth Africa.
• April 16–18–General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionMikhail Gorbachevbegins the first ever visit of aSoviet leader to Japan,but fails to resolve thetwo countries' disputeover ownership of theKuril Islands.
• April 17– TheDow Jones Industrial Averagecloses above 3,000 for the first time in history, at 3,004.46.
• April 18– Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq declares some of itschemical weaponsand materials to the UN, as required byResolution 687,and claims that it does not have abiological weaponsprogram.
• April 19–George Careyis enthroned asArchbishop of Canterbury,the spiritual leader of the worldwideAnglican Communion.
• April 22
  • A 7.7M_wLimon earthquakestrikesCosta RicaandPanamawith a maximum Mercalli intensity, causing between 47 and 87 deaths and up to 759 injuries.
  • InTaiwan,theTemporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellionare abolished, having been in effect for 43 years.
• April 23–Prime Minister of IcelandSteingrímur Hermannssonresigns followingan inconclusive parliamentary election;he is succeeded byDavíð Oddssonon April 30.
• April 26
  • A series of55 tornadoesbreak out in thecentral U.S.,killing 21. The most notable tornado strikesAndover,Kansas.
  • Esko Ahoat the age of 36 becomes the youngest-everPrime Minister of Finland.
• April 29
  • Atropical cyclonehitsBangladesh,killing an estimated 138,000 people.
  • A 7.0M_wearthquakeinRacha,Georgia,kills 270 people and leaves 100,000 others homeless.
• April 29–30– InLesotho,a bloodless coup ousts military rulerJustin Lekhanya,with Chairman of the Military CouncilElias Phisoana Ramaemareplacing him two days later.

May

• May 1– Angolan Civil War: TheMPLAandUNITAagree to theBicesse Accords,which are formally signed on May 31 inLisbon.
• May 6– In theU.S.,Timemagazine publishes "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power,"an article highly critical of theScientologymovement.
• May 12–Nepalholds its first multipartylegislative electionsince1959.
• May 15–Édith Cressonbecomes France's first femaleprime minister.
• May 16–Elizabeth IIbecomes the firstBritish monarchto address theU.S. Congressduring a 13-day royal visit inWashington, D.C.
• May 18–Somalilandsecedes fromSomalia;its independence isnot recognisedby theinternational community.
• May 19– Dissolution of Yugoslavia: In theCroatian independence referendum,voters in theSocialist Republic of Croatiavote to leaveSFR Yugoslavia.
• May 21
  • AtSriperumbudur,India, a suicide bomber fromLTTEattacks a political meeting,killing former Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhiand at least 14 others.
  • Ethiopian Civil War:Mengistu Haile Mariam,president of thePeople's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,fleesEthiopiatoZimbabwe,effectively bringing theEthiopian Civil Warto an end.
• May 22– ActingPrime Minister of South KoreaRo Jai-bongresigns in the wake of rioting following the beating to death of a student by police on April 26. He is succeeded byChung Won-shiktwo days later.
• May 24– Following authorisation byIsraeli Prime MinisterYitzhak Shamir,Operation Solomoncommences to airlift most of the remainingBeta Israelcommunity fromEthiopiato Israel.
• May 25– TheSurinamese general electionis won by the military-backedNew Front for Democracy and Development.
• May 26–Lauda Air Boeing 767 crashesnearBangkok,Thailand,killing all 223 people on board.
• May 28– Ethiopian Civil War: The forces of theEthiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Frontseize the capitalAddis Ababa.

June

Mount Pinatubo

• June 3–Mount UnzeninJapanerupts, killing 46 people as a result ofpyroclastic flow.
• June 4
  • Fatos Nanoresigns asPrime Minister of Albaniafollowing a nationwide strike.President of AlbaniaRamiz AliaappointsYlli Bufias his successor.
  • A largesolar flaretriggers an anomalously largeauroraas far south asPennsylvania.
• June 5
  • President of AlgeriaChadli BendjediddismissesPrime MinisterMouloud Hamrouchefollowing 11 days of protests against the government and replaces him withSid Ahmed Ghozali.
  • End of Apartheid:South Africarepeals the last legal foundations ofapartheid.
• June 7– Approximately200,000 people attend a paradeof 8,800 returning Persian Gulf War troops inWashington, D.C.
• June 9– A major collapse at theEmaswati CollieryinSwazilandtraps 26 miners 65 meters below the surface; they are rescued 30 hours later.
• June 12
  • Boris Yeltsinis electedPresidentof theRussian SFSR;he officially begins his term on July 10.
  • Sri Lankan Civil War:Sri Lankan Armysoldierskill 152 civiliansinKokkadichcholai.
  • TheParty of Labour of Albaniais dissolved and succeeded by theSocialist Party of Albania,marking the end ofcommunist rule in Albania.
• June 15
  • In the Philippines,Mount Pinatuboerupts in thesecond largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century;the final death toll exceeds 800. This eruption caused a global cooling of the world by around 0.4°C.
  • TheIndian general electionsend; theIndian National Congresswins the most seats but fails to secure a majority. Six days later, Congress leaderP. V. Narasimha RaobecomesPrime Minister of India.
• June 16–Father's Day Bank Massacre:Foursecurity guardsare shot to death during abank robberyat the United Bank Tower inDenver,Colorado,United States. The person subsequently charged with the crime was acquitted, and the case remains unsolved.
• June 17
  • End of Apartheid: TheSouth African Parliamentrepeals thePopulation Registration Act,which had requiredracial classificationof all South Africans at birth.
  • President of TurkeyTurgut ÖzalappointsMesut YılmazasPrime MinisterfollowingYıldırım Akbulut's resignation. Yılmaz forms a new government on June 23, which lasts until November when it is replaced by the government ofSüleyman Demirel.
• June 20
  • InWest Germany,theBundestagvotes to movethe capital fromBonntoBerlin.
  • Themurder of Harry Collinson,the planning officer for Derwentside District Council, took place in 1991 at Butsfield, County Durham, England.
• June 23–28– Iraq disarmament crisis: UN 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.
• June 25– Dissolution of Yugoslavia:CroatiaandSloveniadeclare their independence fromYugoslavia.
• June 28– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Comeconis dissolved inMoscow,Russia.

July

• July 1
  • In theU.S.,telephone services go down inWashington, D.C.,Pittsburgh,Los Angeles,andSan Franciscoas a result of a software bug, affecting nearly twelve million customers.
  • TheWarsaw Pactis officially dissolved inPrague,Czechoslovakia.
  • The world's firstGSMtelephone call is made inFinland.
• July 7– Dissolution of Yugoslavia: TheBrioni Agreementends theTen-Day WarinSlovenia.
• July 4–President of ColombiaCésar Gavirialifts the country's 7-year-longstate of emergency.The Constituent Assembly of Colombia proclaimed a new constitution on July 4, 1991.President César Gaviria lifted the state of siege on July 7, 1991.
• July 9
  • End of Apartheid: TheInternational Olympic Committeereadmits South Africato theOlympics.The next day,U.S. President Bushterminates1986-enactedU.S. sanctionsonSouth Africa.
  • Iran–Contra affair:Alan Fiersagrees to plead guilty to two charges of lying to theU.S. Congress.Later on September 16,D.C. JudgeGerhard Gesellissues a ruling clearingCol.Oliver Northof all charges.
• July 11
  • Asolar eclipse of record totalityoccurs in the Northern hemisphere. It is seen by 20 million people inHawaii,Mexico,andColombia.
  • Nigeria Airways Flight 2120,aDouglas DC-8operated by Canadian airlineNolisair,catches fire and crashes soon after takeoff fromJeddah,Saudi Arabia,killing all 261 people on board.
• July 15–Chemical BankandManufacturers Hanover Corporationamalgamate, becoming thelargest bank mergerin history.
• July 16–Soviet PresidentGorbachevarrives inLondonto ask for aid from the leaders of theG7.
• July 18– The governments ofMauritaniaandSenegalsign a treaty ending theMauritania–Senegal Border War,which had been fought since1989.
• July 22–U.S. boxerMike Tysonis arrested and charged with the rape ofMiss Black AmericacontestantDesiree Washingtonthree days earlier, inIndianapolis,Indiana.
• July 24–Finance Minister of IndiaManmohan Singhannounces a new industrial policy, marking the start ofeconomic liberalisation in India.
• July 25– British astronomers announce they have found what appears to be anextrasolar planet.
• July 29– InNew York City,a grand jury indictsBank of Credit and Commerce Internationalof the largest bank fraud in history, accusing the bank of defrauding depositors of US$5 billion.
• July 31
  • U.S. President BushandSoviet President GorbachevsignSTART IinMoscow,Soviet Union.
  • Singing Revolution:Soviet Special Purpose Police Unit(OMON) forces kill sevenLithuaniancustoms officials inMedininkai,the deadliest of theSoviet OMON assaults on Lithuanian border posts.

August

"August 1991" redirects here. For the film, seeAugust 1991 (film).

TheWarsaw radio mastafter its collapse onAugust 8.

August 19:The coup attempt in Moscow.

• August 1–Israelagrees to participate in theMadrid Conference of 1991,which opens on October 30.
• August 4– The cruise linerMTS Oceanossinks off thecoast of South Africa,leading to the rescue of all 571 passengers on board bySAAFhelicopters.
• August 6–Tim Berners-Leeannounces theWorld Wide Webproject and software on the alt.hypertext newsgroup. The first website, "info.cern.ch", is created.
• August 7– Former Iranianprime ministerShapour Bakhtiaris assassinated in the Parisian suburb ofSuresnes.
• August 8– TheWarsaw radio mast,the tallest structure in the world at the time, collapses.
• August 17– The remains of thePrussian KingFrederick the Greatare re-interred inPotsdam,Germany.
• August 17–20–Hurricane BobhitsNorth CarolinaandNew England,killing 17 people and causing US$1.5 billion in damage.
• August 19– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Soviet PresidentMikhail Gorbachevis put underhouse arrestwhile vacationing inCrimeaduringan attempted coup.Led byVice PresidentGennady Yanayevand seven others, the coup collapses in less than 72 hours and is protested by over 100,000 people outside theparliament building.He returns toMoscowthree days later and arrests the coup leaders.
• August 20– Singing Revolution:Estoniadeclares independence from the Soviet Union, followed byLatviathe next day.

Restored flag of Russia.

• August 22– Singing Revolution:Icelandbecomes the first nation to recognize the independence of theBaltic states.It is followed by theU.S.on September 2 and theSoviet Unionon September 6.
• August 23– Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Russia restores thewhite-blue-red tricolouras itsnational flag.
• August 24– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Ukrainedeclares independence, followed byBelarusthe next day, from the Soviet Union.
• August 25
  • Dissolution of Yugoslavia:Serbian forces begin an attackon theCroatiantown ofVukovar.
  • Linus Torvaldsposts messages to theUsenetnewsgroup comp.os.minix, regarding the new operating system kernel he had developed, calledLinux.
  • Michael Schumacher,regarded as one of the greatestFormula One drivers in history,makes hisFormula Onedebut at theBelgian Grand Prix.
• August 29– Lebanon Hostage Crisis:MaronitegeneralMichel AounleavesLebanonvia a French ship into exile.
• August 30– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Moldovadeclares independence from the Soviet Union, followed byAzerbaijan.
• August 31– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:KyrgyzstanandUzbekistandeclare their independence;Tajikistanfollows suit onSeptember 9.

September

Map of the three Baltic states, in their flag colours.

• September 3– InHamlet,North Carolina,a grease fire breaks outat the Imperial Foods chicken processing plant, killing 25 people.
• September 4–Sverdlovsk's name is restored to itspre-communist–era nameYekaterinburg.Two days later,Leningradis renamedSt. Petersburg.
• September 5– Dissolution of the Soviet Union: TheCongress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Unionself-dissolves, being replaced bySupreme Soviet of the Soviet UnionandState Council of the Soviet Union.
• September 8– Dissolution of Yugoslavia: TheRepublic of Macedoniabecomes independent, beginning aname disputewithGreece.
• September 11
  • Lebanon Hostage Crisis:Israelreleases51 Arab prisonersand the bodies of nine guerrillas, paving the way for the release of the lastwestern hostages in Lebanon.
  • TheSoviet Unionannounces plans to withdrawmilitary and economic aidtoCuba.
• September 15– In theSwedish general election,theSocial Democratssuffer their worst election results in 60 years, leading to the resignation ofPrime MinisterIngvar Carlsson.
• September 17–North Korea,South Korea,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,theMarshall Islands,andMicronesiajoin theUN.
• September 19–Ötzi the Icemanis found in theAlps.
• September 21– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Armeniadeclares independence from the Soviet Union. Nearly a month later on October 27,Turkmenistandeclares its independence.Kazakhstanfollows suit onDecember 16.
• September 21–30– Iraq disarmament crisis:IAEAinspectors discover files onIraq's hidden nuclear weapons program.Iraqi officials refuse to let them leave with the documents, prompting a standoff that continues until theUN Security Councilthreatens enforcement actions on Iraq.
• September 22– TheHuntington Librarymakes theDead Sea Scrollsavailable to the public for the first time.
• September 24– Lebanon Hostage Crisis: Lebanese kidnappers releaseJackie Mannafter more than two years of captivity.
• September 25– Salvadoran Civil War: Representatives of theFarabundo Martí National Liberation Frontreach an agreement withPresident of El SalvadorAlfredo Cristiani,setting the stage for the end of the war.
• September 27– U.S PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushannounces unilateral reductions in short-range nuclear weapons and calls off 24-hour alerts for long-range bombers. TheSoviet Unionresponds with similar unilateral reductions on October 5.
• September 29– Salvadoran Civil War: An army colonel of theAtlácatl Battalionis found guilty of the1989 murders of six Jesuits.

October

• October 1– Dissolution of Yugoslavia: Forces of theYugoslav People's Armysurround Dubrovnik,beginning theSiege of Dubrovnik,which lasts until May 31, 1992.
• October 3–Speaker of the U.S. House of RepresentativesTom Foleyannounces theclosure of the House Bankby the end of the year after revelations that House members have written numerous bad checks.
• October 4–Carl BildtsucceedsIngvar CarlssonasPrime Minister of Sweden.
• October 6–President Gorbachevcondemnsantisemitism in the Soviet Unionin a statement read on the 50th anniversary of theBabi Yar massacres,which saw the death of35,000 JewsinUkraineduringWWII.
• October 7– Dissolution of Yugoslavia: TheYugoslav Air Forcebombs the office ofCroatian PresidentFranjo Tuđman,causing theCroatian Parliamentto cut all remaining ties with Yugoslavia the next day.
• October 11
  • In theRussian SFSR,theKGBis replaced by theSVR,with the KGB officially ending operations on November 6.
  • Iraq disarmament crisis: TheUN Security CouncilpassesResolution 715,demanding that Iraq "accept unconditionally the inspectors and all other personnel designated by theSpecial Commission."Iraq rejects the resolution, calling it "unlawful".
• October 12–Askar Akayevis confirmed as the firstpresident of Kyrgyzstanin an uncontested poll.
• October 13– In theBulgarian parliamentary election,theUnion of Democratic Forcesdefeats theBulgarian Socialist Party,leaving no remainingCommunist governmentsinEastern Europe.
• October 15
  • Clarence Thomasis confirmed as the newU.S. Supreme Court JusticefollowingThurgood Marshall's retirement.
  • The leaders of theBaltic States,Arnold RüütelofEstonia,Anatolijs GorbunovsofLatviaand theVytautas LandsbergisofLithuania,signed theOSCEFinal Act inHelsinki,Finland.
• October 18– TheSoviet Unionrestores itsdiplomatic relationswithIsrael,which had been suspended since the1967 Six-Day War.
• October 20
  • TheHarare Declarationis signed inHarare,Zimbabwe,laying down theCommonwealth of Nations membership criteria.
  • Alarge suburban firestormcentered inOakland Hills,California,kills 25 people and injures 150 others.
  • A 6.8M_wearthquake strikesUttarkashi,India,killing at least 768 people and destroying thousands of homes.
• October 21– Lebanon Hostage Crisis: Jesse Turner, a mathematics professor who has been held hostage for more than four years, is released.
• October 23– InParis,theVietnam-backed government of thestate of Cambodiasigns an agreement with theKhmer Rougeto endthe civil warand bring the Khmer Rouge into power despite its role in theCambodian genocide.The deal ends theCambodian–Vietnamese Warand results in the creation of theUN Transitional Authority in Cambodia.
• October 27– The firstfree parliamentary electionsinPolandsince1928are held.
• October 28–November 4– The1991 Perfect Stormstrikes thenortheastern U.S. coastandAtlantic Canada,causing over US$200 million of damage and resulting in 12 direct fatalities.
• October 29–NASA'sGalileo spacecraftmakes its closest approach to951 Gaspra,becoming the first probe to visit anasteroid.
• October 31–November 3– TheHalloween blizzardhits theU.S. Upper Midwest,killing 22 people and causing US$100 million in damage.

November

Symbol ofVukovar;Croatian War of Independence

• November 4–5– End of Apartheid: TheAfrican National Congressleads ageneral strike,demanding representation inthe governmentand an end to thevalue-added tax.
• November 5
  • Tropical Storm Thelmacauses flash floods in thePhilippinecity ofOrmoc,killing more than 4,900 people.
  • ChinaandVietnamrestorediplomatic relationsafter a 13-year rift which followed the1979 Sino-Vietnamese War.
• November 6– TheCPSUand its republic-level division, theCommunist Party of the Russian SFSR,are banned in theRussian SFSRbypresidential decree.
• November 7– The first report oncarbon nanotubesis published bySumio IijimainNature.
• November 9– The BritishJETfusion reactor generates 1.5 MW output power.
• November 14
  • AmericanandBritish authoritiesannounce indictments against twoLibyan intelligence officialsin connection with the downing of thePan Am Flight 103.
  • Cambodian PrinceNorodom Sihanoukreturns toPhnom Penhafter 13 years of exile.
  • Lebanon Hostage Crisis: Kidnappers inLebanonsetAnglican ChurchenvoysTerry WaiteandThomas Sutherlandfree.
• November 18
  • Dissolution of Yugoslavia: The forces of theYugoslav People's Army(JNA) andSerb paramilitariestake theCroatiantown ofVukovarafter the 87-dayBattle of Vukovar.Theykill more than 260 Croatian prisoners of war.
  • AnAzerbaijaniMil Mi-8helicopter carrying a 19-member peacekeeping mission team isshot downbyArmenian military forcesinKhojavend district,Azerbaijan.
• November 21– TheUN Security Council recommendsEgypt's deputy prime ministerBoutros Boutros-Ghalito be the nextSecretary-General of the UN.
• November 23– Members of theCommunist Party of Great Britainvote to dissolve the party and found the think-tankDemocratic Leftin its place.
• November 24–Queenlead singerFreddie MercurydiesinLondonfromAIDSinduced pneumonia. In an unrelated incident,KissdrummerEric Carrdies fromheart cancer.
• November 26– TheNational Assembly of Azerbaijanabolishesthe autonomous status of theNagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblastand renames several cities to theirAzerinames.
• November 27– Dissolution of Yugoslavia: TheUN Security Councilunanimously adopts a resolution opening the way to the establishment ofpeacekeeping operationsin Yugoslavia.

December

December 8:The signing of the agreement effectively ending the Soviet regime's existence and the founding of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

• December 1– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Ukrainiansvote overwhelmingly forindependence from the Soviet Unionin areferendum.
• December 4
  • Lebanon Hostage Crisis: JournalistTerry A. Andersonis released after seven years of captivity as a hostage inBeirut– the last and longest-held American hostage inLebanon.
  • John Leonard Orr,one of the most prolific serial arsonists of the 20th century, is arrested inCalifornia.
• December 8– Dissolution of the Soviet Union: In theBiałowieża ForestNature Reserve in Belarus, the leaders ofRussia,Belarus,andUkrainesignan agreementofficially ending theSoviet Unionand establishing theCommonwealth of Independent States(CIS) in its place.
• December 11– Dissolution of Yugoslavia:Croatianforceskill 18 Serbs and one Hungarianin the village ofPaulin Dvor,Croatia.
• December 12
  • The government ofNigeriamoves the capital fromLagostoAbuja.
  • Ukrainebecomes the firstpost-Soviet republictodecriminalize homosexuality.
• December 15– TheEgyptianferrySalem Expresssinks in theRed Sea,killing more than 450 people.
• December 16– TheUN General AssemblyadoptsUN General Assembly Resolution 46/86,repealing aprevious resolutionadopted in 1975 which had ruled thatZionismis a form ofracism.
• December 19
  • Paul KeatingdefeatsBob Hawkein aLabor Partyleadership ballotand consequently becomes thePrime Minister of Australia;he is sworn in the following day.
  • Skarnsund Bridgeopens in Norway, becoming the world's longestcable-stayed bridgefor two years with a span of 530 metres (1,739 ft).
• December 21– TheNorth Atlantic Cooperation Council(NAC-C) meets for the first time.
• December 22– Armed opposition groups launch amilitary coupagainstPresident of GeorgiaZviad Gamsakhurdia.
• December 24– Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Russian SFSRPresidentBoris Yeltsinsends a letter toUN Secretary-GeneralJavier Pérez de Cuéllar,declaring thatRussiawill be the succeeding country to the collapsing Soviet Union in theUnited Nations.
• December 25
  • Dissolution of the Soviet Union:Mikhail Gorbachevresigns aspresident of the Soviet Union,from which most republics have already seceded, anticipating the dissolving of the69-year-old state.
  • TheRussian SFSRofficially renames itself theRussian Federation.
• December 26– Dissolution of the Soviet Union: TheSupreme Sovietmeets for the last time, formally dissolves theSoviet Union,and adjournssine die,ending theCold War.All remaining Soviet institutions eventually cease operation onDecember 31.

Births and deaths

Main pages:Category:1991 birthsandDeaths in 1991

Nobel Prizes

• Chemistry–Richard R. Ernst
• Economics–Ronald Coase
• Literature–Nadine Gordimer
• Peace–Aung San Suu Kyi
• Physics–Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
• Physiology or Medicine–Erwin Neher,Bert Sakmann