360The 1990s: the World Wide Web goes public
The World Wide Web opened to the public, and by the decade's end millions were online. Saudi Arabia issued its Basic Law of Governance in 1992 and established the Shura Council. The Soviet Union dissolved, Nelson Mandela became South Africa's president, Dolly the sheep was cloned, and the euro was launched.
In 1991, the first website went online at CERN, and in 1993 CERN made the Web's technology free for everyone to use. Browsers, email and search engines followed, and by 1999 hundreds of millions of people were online.
In 1992, King Fahd issued the Basic Law of Governance, which set out the Kingdom's system of government, along with the Shura Council Law. The Shura Council, a consultative assembly that reviews laws and policies, began its work in 1993.
On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison. In 1994, South Africa held its first elections open to all races, and Mandela became president.
In December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 independent countries, ending the Cold War era.
Science advanced quickly. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990, and the Human Genome Project began to map all human genes. In 1996, scientists in Scotland cloned Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
On 1 January 1999, the euro was introduced as the currency of 11 European countries, with notes and coins following in 2002.
- 1990
- Mandela freed; Hubble launched
- 1991
- First website; Soviet Union dissolves
- 1992
- Saudi Basic Law of Governance
- 1996
- Dolly the sheep cloned
- 1999
- Euro introduced
Sources: Britannica · CERN · Saudipedia · Nelson Mandela Foundation.