April 21 across the 1990s: the news was dominated by The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dicta…, TRL was counting down the most-requested videos on MTV, and 53 episodes were airing across the dial. Here's the full picture, year by year.
In the News
The headlines that defined April 21 across the 1990s.
The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis García Meza…
The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis García Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.
Diosdado Macapagal, Filipino lawyer and politician, 9th President of the Philipp…
Diosdado Macapagal, Filipino lawyer and politician, 9th President of the Philippines (born 1910)
What Was On TV
Before DVR, before streaming — if you missed it, you missed it. Here's what had everyone talking the next morning.
Dave Thomas · The Dragon Lady and the Blue Pearl + 6 more
8 episodes aired on April 21, 1994: "Dave Thomas", "The Dragon Lady and the Blue Pearl", "Girls Unda-Hoodz", "First Impressions", and 4 more.
LL Cool J · Luke Tarsitano + 4 more
6 episodes aired on April 21, 1995: "LL Cool J", "Luke Tarsitano", "Simon's Choice", "Nothing Personal", and 2 more.
The Weed · Coda + 3 more
5 episodes aired on April 21, 1996: "The Weed", "Coda", "The Particle Board", "I Enjoy Being a Dick", and 1 more.
The Wedding · Ulysses + 13 more
15 episodes aired on April 21, 1997: "The Wedding", "Ulysses", "Innocent", "Monday, April 21, 1997", and 11 more.
The Son Also Mooches · Imposter + 9 more
11 episodes aired on April 21, 1998: "The Son Also Mooches", "Imposter", "Something About an Ex-Goddess", "The Good Doctor", and 7 more.
TRL Countdown — 1999
Total Request Live was the center of the pop universe. Teens were burning up the phone lines to vote, and the countdown from Times Square was the most-watched 30 minutes on MTV.
The reigning #1 — retired from the countdown after an extended run at the top.
Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Blink-182's "What's My Age Again?" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Santana's "Smooth" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Smash Mouth's "All Star" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Backstreet Boys's "I Want It That Way" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Savage Garden's "I Want You" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Eminem's "My Name Is" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Music
From chart-toppers to birthdays to passings — what the music world was up to on April 21 across the decade.
Choi Hyun-suk, South Korean rapper
Choi Hyun-suk, South Korean rapper
Sports
Athletes, events, and moments from April 21 across the 1990s.
Isco, Spanish footballer
Isco, Spanish footballer · Joc Pederson, American baseball player
Ludwig Augustinsson, Swedish footballer
Ludwig Augustinsson, Swedish footballer
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spanish footballer
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spanish footballer
Jarrett Allen, American basketball player
Jarrett Allen, American basketball player
Full Events Archive
Highlights
All My Children
"Thursday April 21 1994" (Season 1994, Episode 79) aired on 1994-04-21.
Read more →The world was watching. Here's what dominated the headlines:
Erté
Erté, Russian-French illustrator (born 1892)
Väinö Linna
Väinö Linna, Finnish author (born 1920)
La Paz
The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis García Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.
Arianne Hartono
Arianne Hartono, Dutch tennis player
Diosdado Macapagal, Filipino lawyer and politician, 9th President of the Philippines (born 1910)
The decade's soundtrack was electric. These artists were making waves:
On the field and off it, athletes were making history:
Isco
Isco, Spanish footballer
Joc Pederson
Joc Pederson, American baseball player
Ludwig Augustinsson
Ludwig Augustinsson, Swedish footballer
Mikel Oyarzabal
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spanish footballer
Must-see TV was a real thing — and this is what filled the airwaves:
All My Children
"Thursday April 21 1994" (Season 1994, Episode 79) aired on 1994-04-21.
Legends of the Hidden Temple
"The Dragon Lady and the Blue Pearl" (Season 1, Episode 35) aired on 1994-04-21.
The Sinbad Show
"Girls Unda-Hoodz" (Season 1, Episode 24) aired on 1994-04-21.
Herman's Head
"First Impressions" (Season 3, Episode 22) aired on 1994-04-21.
"Ellen DeGeneres, Raquel Welch, Candlebox" (Season 1994, Episode 61) aired on 1994-04-21.
"Nothing Personal" (Season 3, Episode 18) aired on 1995-04-21.
"Kevin Kline, Sponge" (Season 1995, Episode 66) aired on 1995-04-21.
"The Particle Board" (Season 2, Episode 9) aired on 1996-04-21.
"The Disappearance of Helle Crafts" (Season 1, Episode 1) aired on 1996-04-21.
"Monday April 21 1997" (Season 25, Episode 80) aired on 1997-04-21.
"Tom Wopat & John Schneider" (Season 1997, Episode 52) aired on 1997-04-21.
"Martin Mull, Alicia Witt, Mary J. Blige" (Season 1997, Episode 60) aired on 1997-04-21.
"Something About an Ex-Goddess" (Season 2, Episode 10) aired on 1998-04-21.
"Loni Anderson" (Season 1998, Episode 52) aired on 1998-04-21.
"Claire Danes, George Miller, Matthew Ryan" (Season 1998, Episode 59) aired on 1998-04-21.
Total Request Live had teenagers calling in around the clock. Here's what was charting:
The #1 most requested video on TRL on this date in 1999
#2 on TRL — Destiny's Child, "Bills, Bills, Bills"
#3 on TRL — Blink-182, "What's My Age Again?"
#4 on TRL — Santana, "Smooth"
#5 on TRL — Smash Mouth, "All Star"
#6 on TRL — Jennifer Lopez, "If You Had My Love"
#7 on TRL — Ricky Martin, "Livin' la Vida Loca"
#8 on TRL — Backstreet Boys, "I Want It That Way"
#9 on TRL — Savage Garden, "I Want You"
#10 on TRL — Eminem, "My Name Is"
By Year
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