The world in
What happened in 1991?
34 events across 9 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Singing RevolutionThe Singing Revolution refers to the events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of the Cold War. The term originated from spontaneous mass patriotic singing demonstrations on the nights of 10–11 June 1988 at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, and was coined a week later in an article by Estonian artist Heinz Valk. The Soviet Union had annexed the Baltics around 1940 and subsequently suppressed local languages, religions, and culture, carried out large-scale deportations and political repression.
Belovezh AccordsOn 8 December 1991, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Agreement on the Creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (the Belovezh Accords). The document declared that the Soviet Union had effectively ceased to exist and established the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U. Ivanov / Ю. Иванов / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Cold WarAfter World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
- Creation of the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a global information system that operates over the Internet. It was created by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN between 1989 and 1993. It enables access to documents and other resources via hyperlinks, fundamentally changing how people share and access information.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Croatian War of IndependenceFought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995, the war followed Croatia’s declaration of independence from the SFRY. Forces loyal to the Croatian government battled the Serb‑controlled Yugoslav People’s Army and local Serb forces. The conflict formed a key part of Yugoslavia’s breakup.
Danube Delta inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage SiteIn 1991, the Danube Delta was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Romania and Ukraine, it spans over 3,400 square kilometres and is Europe's second largest and best preserved delta, hosting over 300 bird species and 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: European Space Agency / Attribution ↗
Battle of VukovarFrom August to November 1991, the Yugoslav People's Army and Serb paramilitaries besieged the eastern Croatian city of Vukovar for 87 days. Before the war, Vukovar was a prosperous Baroque town with a predominantly Croat and Serb population. Amid Yugoslavia's breakup, the Serbian and Croatian leaders pursued nationalist politics, leading to an armed insurrection by Croatian Serbs backed by Serbia. The Yugoslav People's Army intervened, and conflict erupted in Slavonia in May; by August it launched a full-scale offensive on Croatian-held areas including Vukovar.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Central Intelligence Agency / Public domain ↗
Signing of the START I TreatyThe Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) was signed by the United States and the Soviet Union on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994. It limited each party to 6,000 deployed nuclear warheads and a total of 1,600 intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers, becoming a key arms control milestone in the late Cold War.
Siege of DubrovnikIn October 1991, the Yugoslav People's Army began advancing into the area around Dubrovnik, capturing most of the coast between the Pelješac and Prevlaka peninsulas by late October while imposing a naval blockade. On 6 December, shelling of the Old Town peaked, drawing international condemnation and accelerating Croatia's international recognition. By May 1992, the JNA withdrew toward Bosnia and handed equipment to the Army of Republika Srpska, ending the siege.
- Signing of the Brioni Agreement
On 7 July 1991, under the auspices of the European Community, Slovenia, Croatia and Yugoslavia signed the Brioni Agreement on the Brijuni Islands. The agreement secured Yugoslavia's recognition of Slovenia's independence but failed to quell the ongoing conflict in Croatia, effectively redirecting the Yugoslav People's Army's focus to the Croatian front.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the Paris Peace Accords on Cambodia
On 23 October 1991, the Comprehensive Cambodian Peace Agreements were signed in Paris, marking the official end of the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. The accords were signed by nineteen countries and led to the deployment of the first UN peacekeeping mission since the Cold War, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Establishment of Belovezhskaya Pushcha National ParkBelovezhskaya Pushcha National Park was established on 11 August 1932 in the Brest and Grodno regions of western Belarus, covering 1,501 square kilometres adjacent to the Polish border. It forms the Belarusian part of the Białowieża Forest, Europe's last primeval lowland forest, and has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.
Establishment of Kenozyorsky National ParkOn 28 December 1991, Kenozyorsky National Park was established in the Kargopolsky and Plesetsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Centered on Lake Kenozero, it aimed to protect the natural and cultural landscapes of the Russian North.
Establishment of Fertő-Hanság National ParkFertő-Hanság National Park in north-west Hungary was established in 1991, opening alongside Austria's Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park in the same year. The park covers about 236 km² and includes Lake Neusiedl, Central Europe's third largest lake.
West Asia
Gulf War breaks outIn 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, prompting a US-led coalition to intervene. After securing UN authorization, the coalition launched aerial and ground operations in 1991, forcing Iraq to withdraw.
Outbreak of the First Nagorno-Karabakh WarIn February 1988, armed conflict broke out in the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous enclave in southwestern Azerbaijan between the majority ethnic Armenians, backed by Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The conflict was triggered by the enclave's parliament voting for union with Armenia and a referendum favoring independence, while Azerbaijan sought to curb separatism. Amid the Soviet dissolution, the initially peaceful movement escalated into protracted, undeclared mountain warfare.
- Founding of al-Aqsa University
Al-Aqsa University was established in the Gaza Strip, initially as a teachers' institute. It is the oldest public higher education institution in the Gaza Strip, now serving about 26,000 students and employing 1,400 staff.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
1991 Iraqi uprisingsIn March–April 1991, Shia and Kurdish rebels in Iraq launched ethnic and religious uprisings against Saddam Hussein's regime. The revolts were fueled by the perception of the regime's vulnerability after defeats in the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War. The largely uncoordinated insurrection was crushed, but Kurds later established an autonomous region and the uprisings prompted the establishment of no-fly zones by coalition forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
South Lebanon conflict eruptsThe South Lebanon conflict erupted in 1985, with Israel and its allied South Lebanon Army fighting Hezbollah-led forces in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon. Seen as an extension of the Lebanese Civil War, the conflict persisted until Israel's withdrawal in 2000.
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Founding of the American University of ArmeniaIn 1991, the American University of Armenia was founded in Yerevan, becoming the first U.S.-accredited institution in the former Soviet Union.
- Outbreak of the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War
Between 1991 and 1992, armed conflict erupted between Georgian government forces and ethnic Georgian militias on one side, and South Ossetian separatists, along with Russian and North Ossetian volunteers, on the other, as South Ossetia sought independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Sub-Saharan Africa
Inscription of Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve as World Heritage SiteTsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, located near the western coast of Madagascar, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990, recognized for its unique geography, preserved mangrove forests, and wild bird and lemur populations.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: My father (who approves of its use) / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Establishment of Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkIn 1991, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established in southwestern Uganda, protecting part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Situated on the edge of the Albertine Rift near the DRC border, it is known for its montane and lowland forests. It was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Establishment of Rwenzori Mountains National ParkIn 1991, the Ugandan government established Rwenzori Mountains National Park in the Rwenzori Mountains, covering an area of nearly 1,000 km². The park features Africa's third highest peak and is renowned for its many waterfalls, lakes, glaciers, and rich plant life.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Manuel Werner , Germany (Wikipedia-Kontakt: de:Benutzer:Werner, Deutschland ) / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗
Establishment of Ranomafana National ParkRanomafana National Park was established on 31 May 1991 as Madagascar's fourth national park, located in the southeastern part of the country. Its creation followed the rediscovery of the greater bamboo lemur and the discovery of the golden bamboo lemur. The park covers an area of 416 km² and is part of the Atsinanana rainforests, which were inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2007.
South Asia
Nanyang Technological University foundingNanyang Technological University, a public research university in Singapore, was founded in 1981. Its campus predecessor was Nanyang University, established in 1955. It is the second oldest autonomous university in the country.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Singaporean / Copyrighted free use ↗
Outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese WarIn December 1978, Vietnam launched a large-scale invasion of Cambodia, toppling the Khmer Rouge regime, which marked the outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Border clashes had occurred in preceding years. The war was part of the Third Indochina War and intertwined with the Sino-Soviet split in the Cold War.
Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage SiteThe Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Located in western Thailand near the Myanmar border, the site comprises the adjacent Thung Yai Naresuan and Huai Kha Khaeng sanctuaries, covering over 600,000 hectares—the largest wildlife sanctuary area in Thailand and Southeast Asia. The sanctuaries protect almost all forest types of continental Southeast Asia and host a highly diverse fauna: 77% of the region's large mammals, 50% of its large birds, and 33% of its land vertebrates.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Altaileopard / CC0 ↗
Central & South America
Founding of the Catholic University of the Most Immaculate ConceptionThe Catholic University of the Most Immaculate Conception, a private Catholic university in Concepción, Chile, was founded on 10 July 1991 by the Archbishopric of Concepción.
Central Asian steppe
Dissolution of the Soviet UnionOn 25 December 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned; the following day, the Supreme Soviet adopted a declaration formally dissolving the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist as a sovereign state, and the republics gained independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Yuriy Kuydin / Юрий Куйдин / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
East Asia
- Launch of Reform and Opening-up
After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in December 1978, China began implementing a policy centered on economic reform, known as 'reform and opening-up'. Proposed under Deng Xiaoping's leadership, it aimed to introduce market mechanisms and expand foreign economic exchanges.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North Africa
Outbreak of the Western Sahara WarIn 1975, after Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania took over administration under the Madrid Accords, leading to armed conflict with the Polisario Front. Morocco organized the Green March, with tens of thousands of citizens and around 20,000 troops entering Western Sahara, meeting resistance from the Polisario Front. Fighting was minor at first but evolved into a prolonged guerrilla war. The Polisario Front fought both Morocco and Mauritania, seeking independence. Mauritania withdrew in 1979, but the war persisted until a 1991 ceasefire.
Oceania
Establishment of Nattai National ParkNattai National Park was established in 1991 in New South Wales, Australia. Located about 150 km southwest of Sydney, it primarily protects the Nattai River valley with its sandstone cliffs and dry sclerophyll forests.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Stephan Ridgway from Sydney, Australia / CC BY 2.0 ↗
Around 1991
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains