American Decades

Important Events in Lifestyles and Social Trends, 1990–1999

A poll shows that football is the nation's favorite sport, with 35 percent of Americans counting themselves as fans. Baseball remains a distant second at 16 percent.
"Politically correct," or "PC," gains wide usage in an effort to rid the English language of racism and sexism. For example, "enslaved person" becomes PC for "slave" because it emphasizes the personhood of the oppressed. "Differently abled" becomes the politically correct term for "disabled." "Humankind" replaces "mankind" and "longer-living" is the PC term for "old."
On January 1, Maryland becomes the first state to ban the sale of cheap handguns known as "Saturday night specials."
On March 22, the first edition of Microsoft Windows 3.0 is shipped to consumers.
On March 27, a government report states that Americans spend more than $30 billion each year on weight loss products and programs that officials consider to be...

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