December 31 across the 1990s: the news was dominated by Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, de…, TRL was counting down the most-requested videos on MTV, and 26 episodes were airing across the dial. Here's the full picture, year by year.
In the News
The headlines that defined December 31 across the 1990s.
Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze S…
Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (born 1891)
All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five…
All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.
Czechoslovakia is peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet …
Czechoslovakia is peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet Divorce, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Geo…
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (born 1939)
This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Isla…
This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC−11:00 to UTC+13:00 and UTC−10:00 to UTC+14:00, respectively.
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies…
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.
The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime…
The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.
What Was On TV
Before DVR, before streaming — if you missed it, you missed it. Here's what had everyone talking the next morning.
Vanessa Marcil (host), Billy Joel, Candlebox, Toad the Wet Sprocket · Antipasti Preferiti - Favorite Appetizers + 5 more
7 episodes aired on December 31, 1994: "Vanessa Marcil (host), Billy Joel, Candlebox, Toad the Wet Sprocket", "Antipasti Preferiti - Favorite Appetizers", "1994 NFL Playoffs Wild Card round (1)", "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1995", and 3 more.
1995 NFL Playoffs Wild Card games · Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1996 + 1 more
3 episodes aired on December 31, 1995: "1995 NFL Playoffs Wild Card games", "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1996", "Jumpin' at the Boneyard".
1996-12-31 · Ep. #7944 + 4 more
6 episodes aired on December 31, 1996: "1996-12-31", "Ep. #7944", "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1997", "Cracking the Ice Age", and 2 more.
Ep. #2704 · Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1998 + 4 more
6 episodes aired on December 31, 1997: "Ep. #2704", "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1998", "Where's the Beach", "This Is What Happens When You Don't Watch PBS", and 2 more.
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1999 · Stupid Human Tricks, Nathan Lane, St. Luke's Bottle Band + 1 more
3 episodes aired on December 31, 1998: "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1999", "Stupid Human Tricks, Nathan Lane, St. Luke's Bottle Band", "Episode 500".
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.
TLC's "No Scrubs" 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.
Korn's "Freak On A Leash" 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.
Limp Bizkit's "Nookie" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Sugar Ray's "Every Morning" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
*NSYNC's "I Drive Myself Crazy" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
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.
Music
From chart-toppers to birthdays to passings — what the music world was up to on December 31 across the decade.
Floyd Cramer, American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1933)…
Floyd Cramer, American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1933)
Sports
Athletes, events, and moments from December 31 across the 1990s.
George Allen, American football player and coach (born 1918)
George Allen, American football player and coach (born 1918)
Djené, Togolese footballer
Djené, Togolese footballer
Woody Strode, American football player, wrestler, and actor (born 1914)
Woody Strode, American football player, wrestler, and actor (born 1914)
Edmond Sumner, American basketball player
Edmond Sumner, American basketball player
J. J. Arcega-Whiteside, Spanish-American football player
J. J. Arcega-Whiteside, Spanish-American football player
Ludovic Blas, French footballer
Ludovic Blas, French footballer · Cameron Carter-Vickers, English-American soccer player · Bright Osayi-Samuel, Nigerian footballer
Calvin Bassey, Italian-Nigerian footballer
Calvin Bassey, Italian-Nigerian footballer · Leif Davis, English footballer
Full Events Archive
Highlights
Giovanni Michelucci
Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (born 1891)
Read more →George Allen (American football coach)
George Allen, American football player and coach (born 1918)
Read more →Ciao Italia
"Antipasti Preferiti - Favorite Appetizers" (Season 6, Episode 8) aired on 1994-12-31.
Read more →From politics to pop culture — the 90s news cycle never slept:
Vasily Lazarev
Vasily Lazarev, Russian physician, colonel, and astronaut (born 1928)
Giovanni Michelucci
Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (born 1891)
Soviet Union
All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.
Dennis Everberg
Dennis Everberg, Swedish ice hockey player
Czechoslovakia is peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet Divorce, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (born 1939)
Big Bertha, Irish cattle and twice Guinness World Record holder (oldest cow, cow with most offspring) (born 1945)
This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC−11:00 to UTC+13:00 and UTC−10:00 to UTC+14:00, respectively.
The First Chechen War: The Russian Ground Forces begin a New Year's storming of Grozny.
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.
The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.
The U.S. government hands control of the Panama Canal (as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties.
Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking ends after seven days with the release of 190 survivors at Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan.
Elliot Richardson, American lawyer and politician, 69th United States Attorney General (born 1920)
Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Indian Muslim scholar and author (born 1914)
Whether you were a Blockbuster music shopper or a MTV devotee, these names mattered:
The 90s produced legends. Here's who was in the spotlight:
George Allen (American football coach)
George Allen, American football player and coach (born 1918)
Woody Strode
Woody Strode, American football player, wrestler, and actor (born 1914)
Edmond Sumner
Edmond Sumner, American basketball player
J. J. Arcega-Whiteside
J. J. Arcega-Whiteside, Spanish-American football player
Before streaming, before binge watching — these titles had us glued to the set:
Ciao Italia
"Antipasti Preferiti - Favorite Appetizers" (Season 6, Episode 8) aired on 1994-12-31.
NFL Primetime
"1994 NFL Playoffs Wild Card round (1)" (Season 1994, Episode 18) aired on 1994-12-31.
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1995" (Season 1994, Episode 1) aired on 1994-12-31.
Monday Night Football
"Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (NFC Wild Card)" (Season 2017, Episode ?) aired on 1994-12-31.
"Vanessa Marcil (host), Billy Joel, Candlebox, Toad the Wet Sprocket" (Season 1994, Episode 50) aired on 1994-12-31.
"1994 Alamo Bowl: Washington State Cougars vs. Baylor Bears" (Season 1994, Episode 1) aired on 1994-12-31.
"1995 NFL Playoffs Wild Card games" (Season 1995, Episode 19) aired on 1995-12-31.
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1996" (Season 1995, Episode 1) aired on 1995-12-31.
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1997" (Season 1996, Episode 1) aired on 1996-12-31.
"Tom Arnold, Kamarr, Joe Queenan" (Season 1996, Episode 210) aired on 1996-12-31.
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1998" (Season 1997, Episode 1) aired on 1997-12-31.
"This Is What Happens When You Don't Watch PBS" (Season 2, Episode 10) aired on 1997-12-31.
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 1999" (Season 1998, Episode 1) aired on 1998-12-31.
"Stupid Human Tricks, Nathan Lane, St. Luke's Bottle Band" (Season 1998, Episode 209) aired on 1998-12-31.
The MTV countdown was everything. These videos owned TRL:
The #1 most requested video on TRL on this date in 1999
#2 on TRL — TLC, "No Scrubs"
#3 on TRL — Ricky Martin, "Livin' la Vida Loca"
#4 on TRL — Korn, "Freak On A Leash"
#5 on TRL — Eminem, "My Name Is"
#6 on TRL — Limp Bizkit, "Nookie"
#7 on TRL — Britney Spears, "...Baby One More Time"
#8 on TRL — Sugar Ray, "Every Morning"
#9 on TRL — *NSYNC, "I Drive Myself Crazy"
#10 on TRL — Destiny's Child, "Bills, Bills, Bills"
By Year
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