Highlights
The world was watching. Here's what dominated the headlines:
Poll tax riots
Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
Lyra McKee
Lyra McKee, Irish journalist (died 2019)
1991 Georgian independence referendum
Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
USS Missouri (BB-63)
The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.
Theofylaktos Papakonstantinou, Greek columnist, political and social analyst and historian (born 1905)
The Macao Basic Law is adopted by the Eighth National People's Congress of China to take effect December 20, 1999. Resumption by China of the Exercise of Sovereignty over Macao
Selena is murdered by her fan club president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas.
TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
The decade's soundtrack was electric. These artists were making waves:
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact formally disbands.
Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish, Lithuanian-American songwriter (born 1900)
Selena
Selena, American singer-songwriter (born 1971)
Jeffrey Lee Pierce
Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1958)
On the field and off it, athletes were making history:
George Iloka
George Iloka, American football player
Milan Milanović
Milan Milanović, Serbian footballer
Rodney Sneijder
Rodney Sneijder, Dutch footballer
Mikael Ishak
Mikael Ishak, Swedish footballer
Must-see TV was a real thing — and this is what filled the airwaves:
Days of Our Lives
"Ep. #7254" (Season 1994, Episode 35) aired on 1994-03-31.
All My Children
"Thurs Mar 31 1994" (Season 1994, Episode 64) aired on 1994-03-31.
Legends of the Hidden Temple
"The Mask of Shaka Zulu" (Season 1, Episode 29) aired on 1994-03-31.
The Simpsons
"Bart Gets an Elephant" (Season 5, Episode 17) aired on 1994-03-31.
"Madonna, Counting Crows" (Season 1994, Episode 51) aired on 1994-03-31.
"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" (Season 1, Episode 5) aired on 1997-03-31.
"Bryant Gumbel, Kadeem Hardison, Bandbaz Brothers" (Season 1997, Episode 50) aired on 1997-03-31.
"Retribution (2): In Memoriam" (Season 4, Episode 4) aired on 1998-03-31.
"Something About Disowning Your Father and Flying to Paris Blues" (Season 2, Episode 7) aired on 1998-03-31.
"Jody Watley" (Season 1998, Episode 44) aired on 1998-03-31.
"Don Rickles, Mimi Rogers, Steve Miller" (Season 1998, Episode 49) aired on 1998-03-31.
The digital revolution was just getting started:
Total Request Live had teenagers calling in around the clock. Here's what was charting:
The #1 most requested video on TRL on this date in 1999
#2 on TRL — Smash Mouth, "All Star"
#3 on TRL — Jennifer Lopez, "If You Had My Love"
#4 on TRL — Blink-182, "What's My Age Again?"
#5 on TRL — Destiny's Child, "Bills, Bills, Bills"
#6 on TRL — Ricky Martin, "Livin' la Vida Loca"
#7 on TRL — Will Smith, "Wild Wild West"
#8 on TRL — Backstreet Boys, "I Want It That Way"
#9 on TRL — Savage Garden, "I Want You"
#10 on TRL — Eminem, "My Name Is"
By Year
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