90s Nostalgia from around the world

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I am doing this presentation at work on the 90s (don't ask). It's kind of silly, and I'm thinking the 90s is a bit recent for nostalgia and makes me feel old but I need to do it for a group of people from around the world.

I know 90s trivia, celebrities, important events, tv shows and music from UK and US pretty well, but I'd like a list of stuff from other countries that I might include that people will remember from other countries. I am particularly interested in Latin America, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Russia because there will be people from these countries - I want to impress them with my knowledge of their countries!

Anyone got a list? Educate me!

[Saddle Bronc 124]

From Canada (citizenship country for myself, but not Pras):

1. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney tries to force Meech Lake accord (which would give Quebec effectively rights, but not responsibilities, of independent nation) on other 9 provinces--rejected by Manitoba (due to minority MLA Elijah Harper) and Newfoundland (Premier Clyde Wells)
   
2. Mulroney forces party MP's to vote his way for Gouge-and-Shaft-Tax (GST); those who vote with conscience (I specifically remember two MP's from Alberta, Alex Kindy and David Kilgour) are ejected--thus railroading it in House of Commons (as his party is government by virtue of being majority). Later railroads it through Senate by stuffing the upper house
   
3. Tories go from being government to TWO parliamentary seats
   
4. US-Canada free-trade-pact expanded to NAFTA
   

From India (our birth nation, her citizenship):

1. Ayodhya issue flames forward, resulting in fall of a rickety coalition government; later, mosque at Ayodhya destroyed by Hindu militants
   
2. Rajiv Gandhi murdered during election campaign (he would have won the election, results later reveal)
   
3. Narasimha Rao changes India's economic policy direction
   
4. Hindu fanatic BJP voted in as largest party thrice; once fails to form government due to no-confidence vote
   
5. India explodes five nuclear devices (two before and one after BillyBubba makes issue out of it); Pakistan, in response, explodes six
   

[Bjumanja 0]

Right now, I can only think of October 3rd, 1990. It was the reunification of Germany.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

1. From Latin America - Ricky Martin, Salma Hayek, and those 2 old guys that turned the Macarana into the most played song at wedding receptions. On the political side - can't forget Pinochet.

2. From Russia - Boris Yeltsin was as much a celebrity as he was a politician.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records Yeltsin holds the world record for being the most hospitalized political figure.

Yeltsin's height is 6' 1½".

On September 30 1994, while visiting Ireland, Yeltsin failed to come out from the plane for an official meeting with the Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds. The official explanation was that he had overslept but it is thought that Yeltsin was too drunk to get off the plane.

A band from Springfield, Missouri is named Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Ian Anderson wrote a song about Yeltsin called Boris Dancing.

The French vodka brand Boris Jelzin Vodka (German transliteration) is named after Boris Yeltsin.

Boris Yeltsin is the name of a foosball shot that is scored by banking the ball off a side wall and into the opponent's goal.[citation needed]

Edited January 24, 2007 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Some more nostalgia from Canada:

• Mulroney investigated by RCMP (which botched it badly--he was guilty of this, and even more serious crimes) for kickbacks in Air Canada's Airbus deal; later, Chretien awarded him (as inaptly as awarding Trudeau who had made an obscene gesture against the entire nation in 1982--while still in office as PM) with Order Of Canada
  
• Airport ratings (Canada only) first published by Globe And Mail Magazine in 1990, and repeated annually--CONSISTENTLY rating Pearson with ZERO stars (on a 1-4 rating) or "crashing semi"
  

More from India:

• Tawdry actress Jayalalitha elected as Tamil Nadu chief minister (due to victory of AIADMK) for first time; started water disputes with neighbouring Karnataka (in whose territory she was born), lined roads with cutouts of herself, forces AIADMK members to sit ON FLOOR during meetings, and stand up when she enters (tense not wrong here, as she was re-elected CM in 2002, and tossed out again in 2005--and still does these); also (as coalition partner of BJP in 1998) blackmailed government till finally Vajpayee called for parliament dissolution--afterwards she lost state election, and Vajpayee git larger part of new coalition (which included regional rival DMK, and minor regional parties MDMK and PMK)
  
• Vajpayee signed deal with Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif to start Delhi-Lahore bus service (due to overload on twice-daily Shamjautha express; no more trains could be introduced as the track-section was already saturated)
  
• first car COMPLETELY designed in India, Tata Indica, introduced in market; attempt at introduction into Europe/UK as "City Rover" failed (still not sure if it was Tata or Rover who botched this deal)