1995 History Events: What Happened in 1995

The 1990s were a period of great prosperity for much of the world, and in the middle of that decade, in 1995, the world witnessed developments that would transform people’s lives forever. The federal government of the United States stopped subsidising the Internet in 1995, and it was totally privatised. For the first time in history, after privatisation, businesses such as Prodigy and America Online (AOL) provided easy Internet access to the general population. 1995 is a watershed year for this development since no one could have predicted how profoundly it would alter the world at the time.

The OJ Simpson murder trial began in January 1995 with opening remarks. OJ Simpson, a former NFL star, was charged with the murders of Nicole Brown-Simpson, his ex-wife, and Ron Goldman, Nicole’s friend. The “trial of the century” was dubbed “a cultural phenomenon.” It received a lot of media attention, and there was a lot of conjecture about Mr. Simpson’s guilt or innocence, especially after the crimes he committed after the trial ended with a “not guilty” conviction.

On April 19, 1995, the Oklahoma City bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was one of the most tragic dramatic events of 1995. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, two anti-government militants, were responsible for the domestic bombing. Approximately 168 people perished and at least 680 were injured as a result of the incident. The bombing destroyed one-third of the building, which had to be dismantled. Approximately 324 structures within a 16-block radius sustained additional damage. At the site of the bombing, which was formerly the Federal Building, the Oklahoma City National Memorial currently stands in remembrance of the victims. This must be one of the most significant historical events from 1995.

The most notable murder case of 1995 was the death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a Tejano music sensation who sang in both Spanish and English. Yolanda Saldvar, the president of Selena’s fan club, assassinated her after being challenged about the theft of $60,000 from the organisation. This tragic occurrence depressed renowned musicians around the nation. The then-governor of Texas, George W. Bush, designated Selena’s birthdate as Selena Day, mostly in Texas. This death remains a significant part of the popular culture history of 1995. She is the inspiration for the famous American actress and singer Selena Gomez.

Other technological advancements include the release of Windows 95 and the announcement of WinPlay3, the first real-time MP3 player software. The DVD (digital video disc) is introduced in September 1995, signalling the end of the VHS tape format (video home system).

Toy Story was released in 1995, according to Pixar. It was not only the first full-length computer animated feature picture to be released in theatres, but it also launched a long-running movie franchise. This was also the year when Star Trek: Voyager premiered on television and Mel Gibson’s Braveheart hit theatres, reigniting interest in Scottish culture and the possibility of independence from the United Kingdom.

Continue reading to discover more about the events of 1995.

Event
(January 17, 1995) The saka-Kbe (Hanshin) metropolitan region was devastated by a severe earthquake, killing an estimated 6,400 people and causing significant damage.
Advertisements (February 03, 1995) Eileen Collins, an American astronaut, became the first woman to pilot the Discovery space shuttle.
(February 21, 1995) Steve Fossett, an American businessman and explorer, was the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon. It was the first of several aviation records he would set.
(March 02, 1995) The top quark, the sixth and most massive particle, was discovered by researchers at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois.
(March 16, 1995) The Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery, was ratified by Mississippi 130 years after it was adopted to the United States Constitution; nevertheless, Mississippi's ratification was not made official until 2013, when the state notified the United States Archivist.
Advertisements (March 20, 1995) On this day in 1995, top leaders of AUM Shinrikyo (Japanese: "AUM Supreme Truth"), a Japanese Buddhist cult formed in 1987 by Asahara Shoko, sprayed nerve gas into a Tokyo subway, killing 12 people and wounding tens of thousands more.
(April 19, 1995) A truck bomb nearly demolished the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring more than 500 others in what was the greatest act of terrorism in US history at the time.
(April 25, 1995) Ginger Rogers, an American dancer and actress who co-starred in ten iconic Hollywood musicals with Fred Astaire, died at the age of 83.
(May 23, 1995) The Java programming language is released in its first edition.
Advertisements (August 24, 1995) In North America, Microsoft Windows 95 was made available to the general public. photo source: wikipedia.org
(September 24, 1995) Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle feature in the British miniseries Pride and Prejudice, which received very high acclaim upon its TV debut. photo source: wikimedia.org
(October 06, 1995) 51 Pegasi b, the first planet to orbit another sun, is discovered. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 04, 1995) Yitzhak Rabin, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 with Shimon Peres and Ysir Araft, was assassinated by a Jewish extremist while attending a peace demonstration on this day in 1995. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 13, 1995) Mozambique joins the Commonwealth of Nations for the first time, despite never having been a part of the former British Empire. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (November 21, 1995) The Dayton Agreement is signed near Dayton, Ohio, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, putting an end to a three-and-a-half-year conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 22, 1995) Toy Story, Pixar's first feature-length film developed entirely using computer-generated graphics, was released and became a critical and economic success. photo source: wikimedia.org