1995 Annual History Facts

1995 Annual History Facts

  • Politics: While visiting Washington DC, Russian President Boris Yeltsin was found on Pennsylvania Avenue, drunk, in his underwear, and trying to hail a cab to find pizza.
  • Religion/Politics: The Chinese government kidnapped a 6-year-old Tibetan boy called the Panchen Lama and replaced him with a Han Chinese “Fake Panchen”. The Panchen Lama is in charge of choosing the next Dalai Lama, and the real Panchen Lama has never been heard from since.
  • The Top Song was One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
  • The Big Movies included Toy Story, Batman Forever, and Apollo 13
  • The price of a postage stamp in 1995: 32 cents
    Apple Macintosh Computer: $2,099.00
  • The World Population was ~ 5,662,000,000
  • US Life Expectancy: Males: 72.5 years, Females: 78.9 years
  • Tipped-over vending machines killed 37 Americans between 1978 and 1995
  • The Macarena is a Spanish dance song by Los del Río that was a genuine hit through 1997. It’s probably second only to Chubby Checker’s The Twist when it comes to dance hits.
  • And… The first reported Chupacabra sighting was in Puerto Rico in 1995

World Series Champions

Atlanta Braves

Superbowl Champions

San Fransisco 49ers

National Basketball Association Champions

Houston Rockets

NHL Stanley Cup Champions

New Jersey Devils

US Open Golf

Corey Pavin

US Open Tennis (Men Ladies)

Pete Sampras/Steffi Graf

Wimbledon (Men/Women)

Pete Sampras/Steffi Graf

NCAA Football Champions

Nebraska

NCAA Basketball Champions

UCLA

Bowl Games

Orange Bowl: January 1, 1995 – Nebraska over Miami (Florida)
Rose Bowl: January 2, 1995 – Penn State over Oregon
Sugar Bowl: January 2, 1995 – Florida State over Florida

Kentucky Derby

Thunder Gulch

Westminster Kennel Best in Show Dog

Gaelforce Postscript

Time Magazine’s Man of the Year

Newt Gingrich

Miss America

Heather Whitestone (Birmingham, AL)

Miss USA

Chelsi Smith (Texas)/ Shanna Moakler (New York)

Fashion Icons and Movie Stars

Gillian Anderson, Pamela Anderson, Rosanna Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Kim Basinger, Lisa Bonet, Sandra Bullock, Naomi Campbell, Tia Carrere, Julie Christie, Cindy Crawford, Jamie Lee Curtis, Maryam D’Abo, Catherine Deneuve, Cameron Diaz, Linda Evangelista, Angie Everhart, Sherilyn Fenn, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah, Teri Hatcher, Goldie Hawn, Eva Herzigova, Elizabeth Hurley, Iman, Kathy Ireland, Nastassja Kinski, Elle Macpherson, Valeria Mazza, Kylie Minogue, Demi Moore, Kate Moss, Heather Locklear, Vanessa Paradis, Daniela Pestova, Michelle Pfeiffer, Princess Caroline, Princess Diana, Victoria Principal, Charlotte Rampling, Debbie Rochon, Rebecca Romijn, Winona Ryder, Sade, Laura San Giacomo, Greta Scacchi, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour, Alicia Silverstone, Victoria Silvstedt, Sharon Stone, Niki Taylor, Kathleen Turner, Uma Thurman, Kim Wilde, Catherine Zeta-Jones

“The Quotes”

“Houston, we have a problem.”
– Tom Hanks, in Apollo 13
(paraphrased from the actual quote – “Houston, we’ve had a problem here”)

“No Soup For You!”
The Soup Nazi on TV’s Seinfeld. The location was based on a real place and character, found at Al Yeganeh’s Soup Kitchen in New York.

“If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit!”
– Defense Attorney Johnnie Cochran at O.J. Simpsons murder trial

Thomas Grasso’s last meal before his execution was 24 mussels, 24 clams, a double cheeseburger, six ribs, two strawberry milkshakes, half a pumpkin pie, strawberries, and a can of Spaghetti-Os. His final statement was, “I did not get my Spaghetti-Os. I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.”

1995 Pop Culture History

In 1975, Leonard Nimoy published his autobiography I Am Not Spock. In 1995, he published a second volume: I AM Spock.

Newsweek published an article scoffing of the future of the internet. It laughed at the idea that people would get news, learn, or buy airline tickets online. It is still available on their website. An unrelated story, Robert Metcalfe predicted in 1995 that the internet would collapse in 1996, and “eat his words” if it did not. 1997, he blended a printed copy of that speech with liquid and drank the mixture.

Upon receiving a Nobel Prize in economic sciences, Robert Lucas was only awarded half the prize money. His ex-wife had placed a clause in their divorce settlement in 1988 stating she would receive half the prize if he won the prize in the following seven years. He won in 1995.

Robert Metcalfe predicted in 1995 that the internet would collapse in 1996, and “eat his words” if it did not. 1997 he blended a printed copy of that speech with liquid and drank the mixture.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened in Cleveland, Ohio.

Jewel’s debut album, Pieces of You, was initially a commercial failure. Two years later, her first single, Who Will Save Your Soul, finally received airplay, and the album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200. It was certified 12X platinum and is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.

When looking through the manuscripts of Carl Koller at the Library of Congress, a German historian found a small envelope of cocaine with the note: “Remainder of the first dose with which I made my initial cocaine experiment in 1884”.

Windows 95 was the second most installed computer software in 1995; the videogame DOOM was the first.

During the 1995 OJ Simpson trial, the ABC, NBC, and CBS networks nightly news broadcasts gave more air time to the details of that case than to the Bosnian War and the Oklahoma City bombing combined. So many people (100 million) were watching/listening to the O.J. Simpson verdict that long-distance calls declined by 58%, trading on the New York Stock Exchange decreased by 41%, water usage decreased, and there was an estimated $480 million in lost productivity due to work stopping

Dolly (the clone), the Sheep, was born on July 5th and lived for seven years.

The longest-running legal battle for a domain name is believed to be the fight for PETA.org. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sued People Eating Tasty Animals to obtain the name; the case spanned from 1995 to 2001. Michael Doughney’s website was meant to be a parody, but he lost the domain and had to pay PETA $28,671 in legal costs.

The X Games were first broadcast on ESPN.

The longest pop song written is 69 minutes long, by Chris Butler (best known as the leader of The Waitresses) named The Devil Glitch.

New Mexico state senator Duncan Scott introduced an amendment requiring psychologists to wear a wizard’s hat when they testify in court. The amendment “passed with a unanimous Senate vote” but was removed from its bill before consideration by the state house, so it never became law.

There is a Windows 95 video guide with Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Hammer was purchased for $30,802,500 by Bill Gates, and three years later, he released a digital version of the historic diary for all the world to see.

According to the 1995 census, most American Indians preferred the term “Indian” over “Native American” when referring to them.

The pilot episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog was nominated for “Best Animated Short Film” at the 1995 Academy Awards.

AuctionWeb began in San Jose, California, by Pierre Omidyar on September 3, 1995. The company officially changed the name of its service to eBay in September 1997.

Disney’s Pocahontas was originally supposed to feature a talking business named Redfeather, voiced by John Candy. After Candy’s death, Redfeather was dropped from the film, and it was decided the animals shouldn’t speak.

Casper was the first feature film to have a fully CGI character in a leading role.

A1995 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine featured a policeman from the 2020s describing the ’99 New York Yankees as one of the best teams ever in baseball. The Yankees won the World Series that year.

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn action figures made action figures cool again, even for disillusioned comic book geeks.

Netscape programmer Brendan Eich created JavaScript. It was first released under LiveScript and included with Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September ’95. It was officially renamed JavaScript on December 4.

When he landed back on Earth on March 22, cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returned with the record for space flight – 437 days.

The lowest PGA score of 63 played by Michael Bradley and Brad Flaxon,

Cost of a Superbowl ad in 1995: $1,150,000

These years use the same calendars: 2017, 2006, 1995, 1989, 1978, 1967, 1961, 1950, 1939, 1933, and 1922.

RIP, Scandals, Sad and Odd News

Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols killed 168 people in a domestic terror attack in Oklahoma City, including 19 children.

A shirt that featured Margaret from Dennis the Menace saying, “Someday a woman will be PRESIDENT!” was pulled from shelves when one Walmart shopper said it offended “family values.” It was restocked four months later due to women’s groups threatening to boycott Walmart.

Tokyo subway sarin attack took place, in which 12 died, and over 4000 were injured (many permanently). Aum Shinrikyo, a doomsday cult, perpetrated the attack.

At age four, Iqbal Masih was sold into bondage by his debt-ridden family and escaped when he was 10, after which he went to school and helped 3,000 other Pakistani children escape bonded labor. A symbol of child labor in the developing world, he was shot and killed in 1995, at age 12.

The ‘Marvin Gardens’ space in the Monopoly board game is misspelled. It’s based on Marven Gardens in New Jersey. Parker Brothers apologized to the community in 1995.

Convicted killer Daniel Luther Heiss discovered that the key pictured on his prisoners’ information handbook was the master key for the whole prison. Fellow inmate Shane Baker, a trained jeweler, replicated it, and both escaped.

On June 29, 1995, a department store in Seoul, Korea, collapsed, killing 500 people. During construction, the owner insisted on adding an unauthorized 6th floor with a swimming pool. When his engineers protested, they were fired.

The Chinese government kidnapped 6-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, recently named the Panchen Lama, and replaced him with their “fake Panchen.” At the time, Nyima was the youngest political prisoner in the world. He and his extended family have not been heard from since.

The 1995 Chicago Heat Wave killed 739 people, more than the great fire of 1871.

Washington NBA team, the “Bullets,” changed their name to the “Wizards” because of the notoriously high murder rate in Washington, DC at the time. It became official with the 1997 season.

McArthur Wheeler robbed two Pittsburgh banks with lemon juice on his face. Since lemon juice makes for invisible ink, he thought it would render his face invisible on camera. He was caught that night.

From 1995 to 2000, the McDonald’s Monopoly grand prize winner was an insider (Jerome Jacobson) and his cohorts. Jerome helped produce the game pieces.

Drew Barrymore table danced for David Letterman on his talk show, and, with her back to the audience, flashed David by lifting up her shirt.

Patrick Combs deposited one of those fake “winning lottery checks” for $95,093.35. His bank took the deposit, and after several weeks, he took out the cash. The whole story can be found at his website.

As a guest on Larry King Live, Marlon Brando kissed a surprised Larry on the mouth.

The Yakuza, Japan’s largest organized crime syndicate, reputedly provided food, water, blankets, diapers, etc., during the 1995 and 2011 Japanese Earthquakes and at a much faster response time than even the Japanese Government.

In 2013, 1200 women died in the US due to complications from pregnancy or birth. In 1995, that number was 460.

The closest the world came to full-scale nuclear war was not during the Cuban Missile Crisis or even during the Cold War, but instead, it was when a scientific rocket in Norway was mistaken as an American ICBM in 1995.

Cindy Crawford and her husband, Richard Gere, took out a full-page ad in the London Times to proclaim their heterosexuality. The 1994 marriage ended in 1995, still straight, they say.

Mississippi didn’t ratify the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery) until March 16, 1995.

Celebrity Paralyzed By a Horse: Christopher Reeve. Christopher starred in the film Above Suspicion, playing a quadriplegic character. It premiered six days before his horse riding accident.

Rock Musician Heart FailureDeath: Jerry Garcia

Queen of Tejano Pop Star Murder: Selena, was killed by the ex-president of her fan club.

Mysterious Olympian Skater Death: Sergi Grinkov, the 2-time Gold Medalist, died while practicing with his partner (and wife) Ekaterina Gordeeva

Firsts and the Biggest Christmas Gifts

Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, Sega Nomad, 32X add-on for the Sega Genesis, Atari Jaguar CD add-on, Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, Bandai’s Apple Pippin, Barbie as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Barbie as Maria in the Sound of Music, Barbie and Ken Star Trek giftset

Birds & Blooms began publication

George Magazine (1995-2001)

This Old House began publication

Fast Company began publication

Starbuck’s Frappuccino was released in 1995.

The George Forman Lean Mean Grilling Machine was released.

People have been meeting online via Match.com since 1995.

The Habits

The First X (EXtreme) Games took place in July 1995 in Rhode Island.

The girls were all listening to Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill album.

Watching the film Babe, about a happy little pig, with your family

Reading The Rainmaker by John Grisham

United States 1995 Census

Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, Sega Nomad, 32X add-on for the Sega Genesis, Atari Jaguar CD add-on, Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, Bandai’s Apple Pippin, Barbie as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Barbie as Maria in the Sound of Music, Barbie and Ken Star Trek giftset

1995/96 Biggest Television Shows

(according to Nielsen TV Research)
1. E.R. (NBC)
2. Seinfeld (NBC)
3. Friends (NBC)
4. Caroline In The City (NBC)
5. Monday Night Football (ABC)
6. The Single Guy (NBC)
7. Home Improvement (ABC)
8. Boston Common (FOX)
9. 60 Minutes (CBS)
10. NYPD Blue (ABC)

Popular Music Artists

The Biggest Pop Artists of 1995 include
Alanis Morissette, Backstreet Boys, Blues Traveler, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Coolio, Dave Matthews Band, Faith Evans, Green Day, Hootie & the Blowfish, Janet Jackson, K-Ci & JoJo, Live, LL Cool J, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Melissa Etheridge, Method Man, Michael Jackson, Monica, Montell Jordan, Notorious B.I.G., Pearl Jam, R. Kelly, Real McCoy, Seal, Shaggy, Shania Twain, Soul For Soul, TLC, 2Pac, Vanessa Williams, Xscape

(Data is compiled from charts including Billboard’s Pop, Rock, Airplay, R&B/Dance, and Singles Charts. The Hot 100 is the primary chart used for this list.)

Number One Hits of 1995

December 17, 1994 – January 27, 1995: Ini Kamoze – Here Comes The Hotstepper

January 28, 1995 – February 24, 1995: TLC – Creep

February 25, 1995 – April 14, 1995: Madonna – Take A Bow

April 15, 1995 – June 2, 1995: Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It

June 3, 1995 – July 7, 1995: Bryan Adams – Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman

July 8, 1995 – August 25, 1995: TLC – Waterfalls

August 26, 1995 – September 1, 1995: Seal – Kiss From A Rose

September 2, 1995 – September 8, 1995: Michael Jackson – You Are Not Alone

September 9, 1995 – September 29, 1995: Coolio featuring L.V. – Gangsta’s Paradise

September 30, 1995 – November 24, 1995: Mariah Carey – Fantasy

November 25, 1995 – December 1, 1995: Whitney Houston – Exhale (Shoop Shoop)

December 2, 1995 – March 22, 1996: Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men – One Sweet Day

Popular Movies

(according to boxofficemojo)
1. Toy Story
2. Batman Forever
3. Apollo 13
4. Pocahontas
5. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
6. GoldenEye
7. Jumanji
8. Casper
9. Seven
10. Die Hard: With A Vengeance

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Apollo 13, Babe, Bad Boys, Batman Forever, Braveheart, The Bridges of Madison County, Casper, Congo, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, Father of the Bride Part II, Get Shorty, Ghost in the Shell, GoldenEye, Grumpier Old Men, Highlander 3: The Final Dimension, Jumanji, Mortal Comabat, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Pocahontas, Seven, Toy Story, Waterworld, While You Were Sleeping

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