On This Date 20 Years Ago

It was 20 years ago today at the Winter Olympics in Lilihammer, that the dual between "good vs evil" took place in the female figure skating event. Nancy Kerrigan took the silver medal while Tanya Harding finished in 8th place, after a controversial shoe lace incident. But a star was born, as the Ukranian teenager, Oksana Baiul,  won the gold. 

The Super Soaker

In the early nineties, a recreational pressurized  water gun toy became a phenomenon. Developed by the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineer, Lonnie Johnson, in 1982, the product first went on sale in 1989. It became the biggest selling toy in 1991 and 1992. The toy appealed not only to children but also teenagers. In later years, new models of the toy emerged.

ON THIS DAY 20 YEARS AGO: Dan Jansen Wins Gold

 20 years ago today at the Winter Olympics in Lilihammer, Dan Jansen won the gold in the 1000-m speed skating race. This triumph happened after Jansen went through many trials and tribulations in his personal and skating career. He fell twice in the 500-m and 1000-m races in the 1988 Winter Olympics after just hearing that his sister had passed away. He failed to medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics. His win was so inspirational at this time that he got a personal call phone from President Bill Clinton

Fashions of the Early Nineties

Some of the fashions of the time included flat top haircuts, plaid dress shirts, Doc Marten shoes, ripped jeans, Looney Tunes dress shirts, and baggy shirts

Grunge Takeover

And then it happened.... Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was played on MTV and overnight glam rock with all its excesses and flamboyancy had taken a back seat to music that was more conscience, real, and substantial. What was "cool" now was "uncool" and vice versa. Arena rock was ousted by "Unplugged". Musicians, rather than taking on the persona of being bigger than life stars, were now rather expressing their vulnerabilities and looking like people who might be your friends. Image finally lost to substance...Well maybe? Yes, Nirvana and other alternative bands went on to dominate the music, fashion, and pop culture scene for the next 4 years. However, hair bands like Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses still had chart hits during this time. But, music and society in large had changed. As a sign of the times, I recall that 1992 was the last summer that the Sunset Blvd scene in LA would be dominated by pedestrians and bar hoppers being comprised of  long haired emulators of the metal scene. Now plad and looking plain had been making its long awaited comeback.

Magic Johnson Announces He Has The HIV VIRUS

In Nov of 1991, Ervin "Magic Johnson", announced that he had contracted the HIV Virus. He admitted to contracted the virus through multiple sexual partners while he was a player. The news took the world by shock as some predicted that Magic would not be around in five years. However, Magic still determined to play basketball, came back to take MVP honors in the NBA Allstar game in February 1992, in what featured a resounding last minute three-pointer by him. He later went on to play for the Dreamteam in the 1992 Summer Olympics and came back to have a further stint in the NBA. He helped bring awareness to what was a deadly disease at the time, and proved that you can survive and function while living with the HIV virus.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr1alYEIZ4c

Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam

In the early nineties Pearl Jam, with frontman Eddie Vedder, were the most popular rock band. Formed in Seattle and a key band in the Grunge movement that was the rage at this time. However, soon Pearl Jam grew animosity to their own erupting popularity. They boycotted Ticketmaster for adding service charges to their tickets and were hesitant to shoot videos for songs. This song "Black" never had a music video. Not the formula for success??? Pearl Jam, initially labelled as a grunge band, has had success throughout the years in the post grunge era and has recently released a new CD. Check out the song "Sirens"

Beauty and the Beast

The Disney animation movie, "Beauty and the Beast" was released in late 1991. It is one of the classic movies that was released in the "Disney Renaissance" period- at time between 1989 to 1999 when Disney returned to making animated movies based on well-known characters and stories from the past. The story is based on the traditional French fairy tale.

Boys II Men

In the early nineties, the group Boys II Men, unleashed many of there powerful ballads and accapellas. They were one of the biggest artists of the nineties and are among one of the biggest R and B bands of all time. There first single was "Motown Philly, released in 1991. This was followed by a string of songs, some which rank among the longest chart toppers, such as "End of the Road" and "One Sweet Day".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHzkICG47LU