What happened in December 1990?
The top front-page story of each day in December 1990, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Dec 1🌍 Poles Buy Stock – Poles lined up to purchase shares in the first five state-run companies sold to individual shareholders post-Communism.
- Dec 2🚀 Shuttle Astronomy Mission – The newly repaired space shuttle Columbia is set to launch on a long-delayed astronomy mission, marking a significant event for NASA.
- Dec 3🚀 Shuttle Columbia Launches – Seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia began a 10-day astronomy mission after launching into orbit early this morning.
- Dec 4🦄 Ice Age Horses Found – Fossil evidence suggests horses thrived in North America during the last Ice Age, challenging previous assumptions about their history.
- Dec 5🔭 Biggest Telescope Test – The Keck Telescope in Hawaii, set to be the world's largest, successfully completed its first observation of a distant galaxy.
- Dec 6🌍 Bangladesh Picks Leader – Opposition parties nominated the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to head a caretaker government after President H. M. Ershad's resignation.
- Dec 7🔬 AIDS Virus Research – A pharmaceutical company reported a new anti-viral compound successfully prevented the reproduction of the AIDS virus in laboratory tests.
- Dec 8🔬 First Class from Space – Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia taught a science lesson to 41 middle school students, marking the first class conducted from space.
- Dec 9🌍 Revolution Brings Hope – Bangladesh's capital is alive with new hopes after a revolution ends years of tragedy and disaster.
- Dec 10🌨️ Heavy Snow Disrupts Europe – Storms dumped heavy snow across Western Europe, disrupting services in France, Spain, and Switzerland, with fatalities reported in Britain.
- Dec 11🚀 Shuttle Ends Trip – The space shuttle Columbia completed a troubled nine-day astronomy mission with a smooth landing at the desert airstrip.
- Dec 12🚀 Shuttle Lands Safely – Columbia, NASA's oldest shuttle, returned from its 10th mission in good condition, though issues with lint and plumbing remain unresolved.
- Dec 13📈 Bush Approves Loans – President Bush approved up to $1 billion in loans to the Soviet Union to help ease anticipated winter food shortages.
- Dec 14🔬 Gene-Treated Girl's Progress – A 4-year-old girl, the first to receive gene therapy for a hereditary disease, shows promising early results, raising hopes for future treatments.
- Dec 15🔬 New Drug Class Approved – FDA advisory committee recommends approval of two new infection-fighting drugs, potentially transforming cancer treatment.
- Dec 16🌍 European Federation Initiated – The European Community formally began the process of creating a unified political federation with common policies and a single currency.
- Dec 17🌍 Free Trade Zone Issues – Brazil's free-trade zone faces challenges as factories produce electronics amid environmental concerns in the Amazon.
- Dec 18🌍 Haitians Elect Aristide – Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a populist priest, was overwhelmingly elected President in Haiti's first democratic elections.
- Dec 19🚀 Soviet Space Contest Hoax – The Soviet press agency Tass declared an American sweepstakes for a Soyuz space trip to be a hoax, denying its legitimacy.
- Dec 20🏦 New Stock Exchange Opened – Communist authorities opened a new securities exchange in Shanghai, aiming to restore the city's role as a financial capital for Asia.
- Dec 21🕊️ U.N. Resolution Adopted – The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution protecting Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories and supporting a Middle East peace conference.
- Dec 22🏀 Jordan's 33 Lift Bulls – Michael Jordan scored 33 points, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 114-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Dec 23🇵🇱 Walesa Sworn In – Lech Walesa, founder of the Solidarity movement, was sworn in as Poland's President, marking a significant moment in the country's history.
- Dec 24🌍 Slovenes Vote Independence – Slovenes voted overwhelmingly for independence from Yugoslavia, marking a significant step in the country's disintegration.
- Dec 25🔭 Largest Telescope Site – Eight European nations have chosen a mountain in Chile as the site for the world's largest telescope.
- Dec 26🌧️ Gales and Rain Sweep Britain – Severe gales and heavy rain hit Britain, causing power outages and road closures. The royal family faced the weather during a church service.
- Dec 27♟️ Kasparov Retains Title – Gary Kasparov clinched the World Chess Championship for another three years by drawing the 22nd game against Anatoly Karpov.
- Dec 28🌍 Ukrainian Independence Talks – Igor Yukhnovsky discusses Ukraine's push for independence, likening it to natural forces affecting the Soviet Union.
- Dec 29🏦 Barclays Acquires French Bank – The French Government approved Barclays Bank's acquisition of L'Europeenne de Banque for 1.5 billion francs ($300 million).
- Dec 30📺 HDTV Launches in Japan – High-definition television (HDTV) began regular transmissions in Japan, marking a significant technological advancement in video broadcasting.
- Dec 31🏆 Magic's Skiles Sets Record – Scott Skiles set an NBA record with 30 assists in Orlando's 155-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Happy Birthday! 1990 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1990 in real headlines. See the 1990 book →
Born in December? Pick the day
Every birthday in December has its own On This Day in Headlines book: