| In
1990: Operation
Desert Shield begins in the Persian Gulf, as the United
States sends troops to Saudi Arabia after Iraq annexes
Kuwait. Yellow ribbons become an American symbol of troop
support.
East and West Germany are united as one country for the
first time since World War II.
The Cold War further thaws during a Conference of
Security and Cooperation in Europe; NATO and Warsaw Pact
forces are reduced.
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for 1990 Grammy Winners.
The Communist party relinquishes its monopoly on power in
Yugoslavia, and ethnic tensions increase.Soviet leaders
agree to a multiparty government, ending decades of
Communist monopoly. However, the Soviet Parliament,
surrounded by a failing economy, votes Mikhail Gorbachev
near dictatorial powers.
Sammy Davis, Jr. dies at age 65.
Approximately 70% of Americans live in cities.
The movie Dances With Wolves, directed by and starring
Kevin Costner, wins Best Picture at the Oscars. Ghost,
with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, and Hamlet, featuring
Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, are other Hollywood releases.
Nelson Mandela is released from a South African prison
after serving 27 years for his opposition to apartheid.
Space shuttle Discovery is launched from Cape Canaveral,
Florida, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope.
Syrian troops enter Beirut to intervene in Lebanon's
civil war.
Japan's Akihito formally assumes the Chrysanthemum
Throne.
Former priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide becomes Haiti's
first democratically elected president.
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