April 4 across the 1990s: the news was dominated by The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial H…, 61 episodes were airing across the dial, and the music world had stories to tell. Here's the full picture, year by year.
In the News
The headlines that defined April 4 across the 1990s.
The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial Hong Kong during the …
The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial Hong Kong during the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress.
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter c…
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their airplane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania.
Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendez…
Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-83. However, th…
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-83. However, the mission is later cut short due to a fuel cell problem.
What Was On TV
Before DVR, before streaming — if you missed it, you missed it. Here's what had everyone talking the next morning.

Ep. #7256 · The Toon That Ate Hollywood + 5 more
7 episodes aired on April 4, 1994: "Ep. #7256", "The Toon That Ate Hollywood", "The Medal of Sir Edmund Hillary", "Part 2 of 2", and 3 more.

Phil Hartman · Ep. #7500 + 10 more
12 episodes aired on April 4, 1995: "Phil Hartman", "Ep. #7500", "The Love Life and Times of Joe and Helen", "Smoking", and 8 more.

Jon Stewart (guest host), Robert Rodriguez · The One Where Old Yeller Dies + 6 more
8 episodes aired on April 4, 1996: "Jon Stewart (guest host), Robert Rodriguez", "The One Where Old Yeller Dies", "Southern Double-Cross", "The Enforcers", and 4 more.

Friday, April 4, 1997 · Code Blue + 9 more
11 episodes aired on April 4, 1997: "Friday, April 4, 1997", "Code Blue", "Security Guy", "Meeting Dad's Girlfriend", and 7 more.

Love Hurts / One for Mall & Mall for One / The Brain / Plain As the Nose on Your Face · Frittata Fantastiche – Fantastic Frittatas + 14 more
16 episodes aired on April 4, 1998: "Love Hurts / One for Mall & Mall for One / The Brain / Plain As the Nose on Your Face", "Frittata Fantastiche – Fantastic Frittatas", "Daylight Savings Time PSA", "Playa/ Mya featuring Sisqo/ Cece Winans", and 12 more.
Music
From chart-toppers to birthdays to passings — what the music world was up to on April 4 across the decade.

Arthur Russell, American singer-songwriter and cellist (born 1951)…
Arthur Russell, American singer-songwriter and cellist (born 1951)
Austin Mahone, American singer-songwriter and actor
Austin Mahone, American singer-songwriter and actor
Sports
Athletes, events, and moments from April 4 across the 1990s.
Martín Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
Martín Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player · Edmund Adamkiewicz, German footballer (born 1920)
Jack Hamilton, Australian footballer (born 1928)
Jack Hamilton, Australian footballer (born 1928)
Samir Carruthers, English footballer
Samir Carruthers, English footballer · David Soria, Spanish footballer · Frank Kaminsky, American basketball player

Early Wynn, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1920)
Early Wynn, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1920)
Full Events Archive
Highlights
John Heinz
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their airplane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania.
Read more →
Arthur Russell
Arthur Russell, American singer-songwriter and cellist (born 1951)
Read more →The world was watching. Here's what dominated the headlines:
Flag of Hong Kong
The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial Hong Kong during the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress.
John Heinz
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their airplane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania.

1991 Sacramento hostage crisis
Forty-one people are taken hostage inside a Good Guys! Electronics store in Sacramento, California. Three of the hostage takers and three hostages are killed.
Asia Muhammad
Asia Muhammad, American tennis player
Elizabeth Booker Houston American lawyer, public health professional, stand‑up comedian, and political commentator.
Alfred Mosher Butts, American game designer, invented Scrabble (born 1899)
Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-83. However, the mission is later cut short due to a fuel cell problem.
Alparslan Türkeş, Turkish colonel and politician, 39th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1917)
The decade's soundtrack was electric. These artists were making waves:

Arthur Russell
Arthur Russell, American singer-songwriter and cellist (born 1951)
Austin Mahone
Austin Mahone, American singer-songwriter and actor
On the field and off it, athletes were making history:
Martín Pérez (baseball)
Martín Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player

David Soria
David Soria, Spanish footballer
Frank Kaminsky
Frank Kaminsky, American basketball player

Early Wynn
Early Wynn, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1920)
Must-see TV was a real thing — and this is what filled the airwaves:

Days of Our Lives
"Ep. #7256" (Season 1994, Episode 37) aired on 1994-04-04.

All My Children
"Monday April 4 1994" (Season 1994, Episode 66) aired on 1994-04-04.

Bonkers
"The Toon That Ate Hollywood" (Season 4, Episode 5) aired on 1994-04-04.

Legends of the Hidden Temple
"The Medal of Sir Edmund Hillary" (Season 1, Episode 30) aired on 1994-04-04.
"Bob Uecker, Cheap Trick, Michael McKean" (Season 1994, Episode 53) aired on 1994-04-04.
"The Love Life and Times of Joe and Helen" (Season 6, Episode 21) aired on 1995-04-04.
"Reversal of Fortune: The Last Act / Lucky Charm / Handle with Care" (Season 1, Episode 10) aired on 1995-04-04.
"John Dillinger: Public Enemy No. 1" (Season 1995, Episode 15) aired on 1995-04-04.
"Dolly Parton, Dave Chappelle, Rebecca Lobo, The Ashton Family" (Season 1995, Episode 53) aired on 1995-04-04.
"Jon Stewart (guest host), Robert Rodriguez" (Season 1996, Episode 37) aired on 1996-04-04.
"Bill Maher, Michael Lomanaco, Jackson Browne" (Season 1996, Episode 55) aired on 1996-04-04.
"Friday April 04 1997" (Season 25, Episode 69) aired on 1997-04-04.
"Meeting Dad's Girlfriend" (Season 1, Episode 20) aired on 1997-04-04.
"John Cusack, Liv Tyler, David Bowie" (Season 1997, Episode 54) aired on 1997-04-04.
"Love Hurts / One for Mall & Mall for One / The Brain / Plain As the Nose on Your Face" (Season 1, Episode 8) aired on 1998-04-04.
"Frittata Fantastiche – Fantastic Frittatas" (Season 9, Episode 13) aired on 1998-04-04.
"Playa/ Mya featuring Sisqo/ Cece Winans" (Season 27, Episode 21) aired on 1998-04-04.
"Mice on Ice" (Season 1, Episode 10) aired on 1998-04-04.
"Life in the Balance" (Season 6, Episode 16) aired on 1998-04-04.
"Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 1998" (Season 1998, Episode 1) aired on 1998-04-04.
"The Newsroom" (Season 1, Episode 8) aired on 1998-04-04.
"Steve Buscemi / Third Eye Blind" (Season 23, Episode 17) aired on 1998-04-04.
The digital revolution was just getting started:
KLM Cityhopper Flight 433
Three people are killed when KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 crashes at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Wikipedia →By Year
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