Ah, the 1990s — the decade of Tamagotchis, boy bands, and dial-up internet. If you’re a fellow ’90s kid or simply love reminiscing about the days when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ruled the airwaves, you’re in the right place. Welcome to our latest post, a delightful blast from the past filled with ’90s facts, trivia, and memories that will transport you back to a time when scrunchies and flannel shirts were the height of fashion.
As we dive headfirst into this treasure trove of facts about the ’90s, prepare to be reminded of some of the most iconic moments in ’90s pop culture. Whether it’s unforgettable TV shows like Friends and The X-Files or ’90s music hits that made the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls household names, we’ll cover it all. And speaking of ’90s fashion trends, who could forget the explosion of plaid, mom jeans, and overalls? As we take a trip down memory lane, you’ll find yourself recalling your own wardrobe choices — for better or worse!
This isn’t just about random ’90s trivia, though; it’s also a celebration of the unique cultural zeitgeist that defined the decade. As you read through our compilation of ’90s facts, you’ll be reminded of the innovative technological advancements, unforgettable world events, and quirky pop culture moments that made the 1990s so memorable. But more importantly, we’re inviting you to embark on a journey of 1990s nostalgia. You can reminisce about your favorite childhood memories, laugh at the absurdity of long-forgotten trends, and perhaps even learn something new about the decade that brought us Beanie Babies and Furbies.
Whether you were born in the era or wish you were, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy. Let’s get ready to take a wild ride through the decade that gave us Y2K and the Macarena — it’s time to get nostalgic, ’90s-style!
#1
In the final years of VHS tape popularity, the movie Aladdin sold an impressive $1,230,000,000 worth of VHS tapes, becoming the best-selling VHS tape.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, amazon.com
#2
The Spice Girls’ nicknames were not created by the group but rather by a magazine editor and his team while working on an article about the band. Scary Spice mentioned that the writer of the feature, published in the UK’s Top of the Pops magazine, couldn’t be bothered to recall their actual names, so they assigned nicknames to each member instead.
Image source: mtv.com, Ric Di Olive
#3
“Ice Ice Baby” was first released as the B-side to Vanilla Ice’s cover of “Play That Funky Music”. Vanilla Ice gained worldwide recognition when a DJ in Florida mistakenly played “Ice Ice Baby” instead of “Play That Funky Music” and the audience responded positively to the song.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, Vanilla Ice
#4
In 1992, the holiday season saw the Super Soaker rise to fame as the top-selling toy, with over two million units sold in just a year. With its impressive 50-foot water-shooting range, children all over the United States fell in love with it.
Image source: andscape.com
#5
In a survey made in the ’90s, it was discovered that a higher number of children could recognize Mario than Mickey Mouse. Keep in mind, during the 1990s, Mario appeared everywhere, from cereal boxes to animated TV shows.
Image source: books.google.com
#6
In the 90s Michael Jackson attempted to buy Marvel Comics because he wanted to play Spider-Man.
Image source: mtv.com
#7
In the late 1990s, Tamagotchis could be seen everywhere. Taking care of these virtual pets became quite trendy. Over 76 million Tamagotchis were sold globally in the late 90s.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#8
In 1993, the final episode of Cheers became the most-viewed TV episode of the decade. The show, which ran for 11 seasons, received an impressive 48 Emmy awards and was nominated a record-setting 117 times. The series finale attracted a massive audience of 93 million people, establishing it as the most popular television episode of the 1990s as viewers said goodbye to their beloved characters.
Image source: latimes.com
#9
The Game Boy, Nintendo’s first portable gaming system, allowed us to enjoy our favorite games on the go. Launched in 1989, the Game Boy faced competition from various other devices but outperformed them all by a significant margin. In fact, an impressive one million units were sold within the first two weeks of its release in the United States.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#10
The Nokia phone was the top choice for many people. Released in 1999, the Nokia 3210 became the first cell phone for many millennials. In the initial years of its release, the Nokia 3210 model sold over 150 million units.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#11
Tetris has the unique distinction of being the first game ever played in space. This achievement is attributed to Russian astronaut Aleksandr A. Serebrov, who took his Game Boy on a 1993 mission to the Mir space station. Serebrov had permission to bring just one game, and he decided on the iconic puzzle game.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#12
Kurt Cobain got the idea for the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when Kathleen Hanna, the lead singer of Bikini Kill, wrote “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on his apartment wall using a Sharpie marker.
Image source: biography.com
#13
In 2002, VH1 crowned “Macarena” as the ultimate one-hit wonder — mainly because the catchy song seemed to follow you everywhere. At the peak of its fame, even the former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, couldn’t resist joining in on the fun, showing off his Macarena moves at a public gathering in the Hamptons.
Image source: kaffe100
#14
In 1995, a staggering 95 million Americans watched the outcome of the high-profile court case involving former NFL player O.J. Simpson. The case revolved around the tragic deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Ultimately, Simpson was found not guilty of the murder charges, even though many people had doubts.
Image source: nytimes.com, nara.getarchive.net
#15
The Sony PlayStation, also known as the PS1, was PlayStation’s inaugural home gaming console. Launched in 1995, it quickly gained worldwide popularity, with over 70 million units sold by January 2000. In the new decade, the PlayStation 2 continued the legacy, eventually selling an impressive 155 million units.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#16
Lite-Brite was the best-selling game in 1991. The toy initially became popular in the 1960s but experienced its highest popularity in the 1990s, when new and enjoyable editions, such as Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony, were introduced.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#17
James Cameron initially opposed including “My Heart Will Go On” in Titanic because he felt the movie didn’t require a pop song. Surprisingly, Céline Dion also had no interest in singing the song and disliked it, but her husband convinced her to give it a try. Ultimately, Cameron changed his mind after hearing a demo that she recorded.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, amazon.com
#18
Napster, a popular music-sharing program, became a widespread phenomenon in the late 1990s. Within two years of its release, it had amassed an impressive 26.4 million users.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#19
eBay made its debut in 1995, and it was originally known as AuctionWeb.
Image source: britannica.com
#20
Women were not allowed to wear pants on the U.S. Senate floor until 1993 after Senators Barbara Mikulski and Carol Moseley Braun defiantly staged and led a protest by wearing pantsuits on the floor which lead to rule change.
Image source: washingtonpost.com
#21
In 1999 the National Security Agency (NSA) considered Furbies a potential global danger and prohibited people from carrying them. CBS News reported that the ban aimed to prevent the Chinese government from secretly installing listening devices into the Furbies during production.
Image source: cbsnews.com
#22
Forbes magazine reported that in 1999, Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates had a net worth of $90 billion, making him the world’s wealthiest individual. This accomplishment is remarkable, especially since Microsoft had only existed for just over 20 years at that time.
Image source: stats.areppim.com, ABC News (Australia)
#23
DOOM, released in 1993, surpassed Windows 95 in 1995 as the most frequently installed computer software. Recognized as one of the most significant video games in history, DOOM is often seen as the origin of first-person shooter games.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, iPhantom3D
#24
Tupac Shakur played a significant role in the flourishing rap and hip-hop scene during the 1990s. Tragically, his life was cut short at the age of 25.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#25
The first openly gay teenage character on television appeared in 1992, portrayed by Ryan Phillippe in the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live.” A few years later, Wilson Cruz made history by playing the first openly gay teen character on a primetime network TV show, “My So-Called Life.”
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#26
The Taco Bell Chihuahua may have had a male voice, but the character was played by a female dog named Gidget. Gidget was a canine actor who also appeared as Bruiser in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.
Image source: seattletimes.com
#27
When you think of Microsoft Office, you likely associate it with your PC. However, it was first released in 1989 for Apple Macintosh computers. The Windows version didn’t come out until October 1990.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#28
To compete with Mountain Dew, The Coca-Cola Company created Surge. Interestingly, during the development of this drink, it was referred to by employees as the “Mountain Dew Killer.”
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#29
Pagers are now seen as an outdated technology, but during the peak years, it was approximately used by 61 million people. Nowadays, the only ones you’ll find using this old-fashioned gadget are professionals in the healthcare field.
Image source: spok.com
#30
The Backstreet Boys were the top-selling artist in 1999. During the late ’90s and early ’00s, they ruled the music charts, and their widely loved Millennium album was a big hit. It played on almost every radio station, outperforming all other albums that year, with sales exceeding 9,446,000.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, Backstreet Boys
#31
Alicia Silverstone landed the part of Cher in the movie Clueless because Amy Heckerling, the film’s writer-director, was interested in casting the young actress who appeared in Aerosmith’s music videos. Heckerling first saw Alicia Silverstone in the Aerosmith music video for “Cryin'”.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#32
Initially, the main romantic storyline in Friends was intended to focus on Monica and Joey. However, after observing the chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, the show’s writers shifted their attention to Ross and Rachel’s relationship instead.
Image source: today.com, amazon.com
#33
In 1995, Princess Diana sparked a craze for a particular Dior bag she received as a gift from France’s First Lady, Bernadette Chirac. Initially called the Chou Chou, this bag gained immense popularity due to Diana, leading Dior to change its name to Lady Dior as a tribute to Diana’s role in making the bag a fashion sensation.
Image source: vogue.fr
#34
In the 1990s, the Power Rangers TV show was filmed in New Zealand. However, due to its violent content, it was banned in the country until 2011.
Image source: nzherald.co.nz, amazon.com
#35
In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched. As per the Space Telescope Science Institute, it could lock onto an object with incredible precision, not deviating more than the width of a human hair seen from a mile away.
Image source: nasa.gov
#36
Y2K scare is commonly used to refer to a computer programming issue that was expected to cause major infrastructure issues as the year changed from 1999 to 2000. The total cost of the work done in preparation for Y2K likely surpassed US$300 billion.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#37
Gas prices during the 1990s hovered around $1.30 a gallon, which seems like a steal compared to today’s prices.
Tt’s essential to remember that the cost of living was generally lower back then too. In 1995, the average person spent around $32,264; in 2016, that figure jumped to $57,311.
Image source: cnbc.com
#38
In 1999, the Barbie Dream House became the top-selling toy. Barbie, which first appeared in the United States in 1959, has allowed children nationwide to explore their imaginations with the iconic doll. During the ’90s, kids could provide Barbie with a beautiful house and buy various home accessories to enhance her living space.
Image source: pinupmagazine.org
#39
In the 1990s, the minimum wage for non-tipped jobs in the United States stood at $4.25.
In 1995, the average family income amounted to $40,611, while in 2016, it reached $72,707, with the national minimum wage established at $7.25.
Image source: ncsl.org
#40
One of the most recognizable fashion trends of the 1990s was the slap bracelet, invented by high school shop teacher Stuart Anders. The design featured flexible stainless steel spring bands wrapped in fabric, making them easy to wear. At the peak of their popularity, these bracelets generated approximately $8 million daily.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, etsy.com
#41
The title of Oasis’ song “Wonderwall” was inspired by George Harrison’s first solo album, Wonderwall Music.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#42
AOL Instant Messenger, which started in 1997, was a hugely popular messaging service that gained 53 million users in under a decade. Although it was eventually discontinued, it remained active until December 2017, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most iconic messaging apps of the early Internet era.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#43
The Ford Taurus, a four-door sedan, was the top-selling car in the ’90s. Around 35,000 units were sold annually during the decade, but sales began to decline in 2005.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#44
Fruit Roll-Ups first appeared in grocery stores in 1983 and quickly became a favorite snack for kids and adults in the 1990s. For a brief period, these sweet and tangy treats even included temporary tongue tattoos, which were quite popular. However, Fruit Roll-Ups’ sales declined after a 2011 lawsuit criticized the product’s packaging for suggesting that the snack contained real fruit and was healthy, which wasn’t the case.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#45
The ThighMaster was an immensely popular product in the 1990s. Equally, if not more famous, was the mood ring, which claimed to predict one’s mood through color changes and became a staple in pop culture. Interestingly, both of these wildly successful fads were created by the same individual, Josh Reynolds. He initially marketed mood rings as “portable biofeedback aids” and managed to amass a fortune from these two highly sought-after inventions.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#46
During the middle and late 1990s, MTV faced a decline in ratings. After the departure of Jenny McCarthy, their most popular star, MTV executives aimed to develop a show that would attract a younger audience, leading to the creation of TRL.
Image source: wikipedia.org
#47
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a highly regarded novel today, often considered a classic piece of literature. When it first came out in 1988, though, the Brazilian author’s work was close to being a failure. After being translated into English and released in the United States in 1993, it gained immense popularity and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for over 300 weeks. By 2002, it had become the top-selling book ever written in Portuguese.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, amazon.com
#48
Emma Bunton, also known as Baby Spice, was not part of the initial Spice Girls lineup. She joined the group in 1994, taking the place of Michelle Stephenson, who chose to leave.
Image source: people.com
#49
The producers of Friends considered numerous actors for the various parts, except for the character of Ross. They had David Schwimmer in mind for the role from the beginning. David had previously worked with the show’s creators on a pilot the year before, and they chose him when casting for Friends.
Image source: AmunAmir
#50
The movie “Drive Me Crazy” was named after the Britney Spears song with the same title. The film, based on the book “How I Created My Perfect Prom Date”, initially had the working title “Next to You”. However, the name was changed when Britney’s song was included in the soundtrack to capitalize on her fame. The lead actress, Melissa Joan Hart, was unhappy with the name change and attempted to challenge the studio’s decision. She believed that Britney’s popularity would be short-lived and soon forgotten.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#51
In 1995, Selena Pérez attracted a record-breaking crowd of over 66,000 people at her concert at the Houston Astrodome. Interestingly, she broke her own record, which she had established just a year earlier.
Image source: houstonpress.com
#52
The song “Closing Time” by Semisonic is about the experience of childbirth rather than signaling the end of the night at a bar.
Image source: americansongwriter.com
#53
In 1999, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was released and quickly became a fan favorite. Stephen Chbosky, the book’s author, found inspiration for its unique format from an anonymous letter he once wrote to a professor who led a seminar at USC.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, amazon.com
#54
In 1990, NC-17 was introduced in the movie ratings. The first movie to receive this rating was Henry & June.
Image source: history.com
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