What happened in 1991
400 entries recorded for 1991, listed by date. That was 35 years ago.
1991 at a glance
- Years ago
- 35 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1990s
- Generation born
- Millennials (Generation Y)
- Entries here
- 400
- Breakdown
- 109 historical events · 289 births · 2 deaths
January
- January 2
Sharon Pratt
Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as the mayor of Washington, D.C., becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position.
- January 5
Embassy of the United States, Mogadishu
The embassy of the United States to Somalia was evacuated by helicopter airlift days after violence enveloped Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War.
- January 5
Tskhinvali
Georgian troops attacked Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, beginning the First South Ossetia War.
- January 5
Georgia (country)
Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, Georgia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.
- January 5
Somali Civil War
Somali Civil War: The United States Embassy to Somalia in Mogadishu is evacuated by helicopter airlift days after the outbreak of violence in Mogadishu.
- January 7
Roger Lafontant
Roger Lafontant, former leader of the Tonton Macoute in Haiti under François Duvalier, attempts a coup d'état, which ends in his arrest.
- January 7
Caster Semenya
Caster Semenya, South African sprinter
- January 7
Michael Walters
Michael Walters, Australian footballer
- January 7
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard, Belgian footballer
- January 7
Tucker Barnhart
Tucker Barnhart, American baseball player
- January 8
Richardson, Texas
Jeremy Wade Delle committed suicide in his high-school class in Richardson, Texas, an event that inspired the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy".
- January 8
Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood, Australian cricketer
- January 8
Greg Smith (basketball, born 1991)
Greg Smith, American basketball player
- January 8
Stefan Savić
Stefan Savić, Montenegrin footballer
- January 8
Stefan Johansen
Stefan Johansen, Norwegian footballer
- January 9
Geneva Peace Conference (1991)
Representatives from the United States and Iraq met at the Geneva Peace Conference to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
- January 9
Iraq
Representatives from the United States and Iraq meet at the Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
- January 9
Ruby Soho (wrestler)
Ruby Soho, American wrestler
- January 10
Chad Townsend
Chad Townsend, Australian rugby league player
- January 11
Andrea Bertolacci
Andrea Bertolacci, Italian footballer
- January 12
Gulf War
Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of American military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
- January 12
Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- January 13
January Events
Soviet Union troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, killing 14 people and wounding around 1,000 others.
- January 13
Rob Kiernan
Rob Kiernan, English-Irish footballer
- January 13
Kyle Clifford
Kyle Clifford, Canadian ice hockey player
- January 15
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.
- January 15
Victoria Cross for Australia
The Victoria Cross for Australia was instituted, making Australia the first Commonwealth realm with a separate Victoria Cross award in its honours system.
- January 15
United Nations
The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
- January 15
Darya Klishina
Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
- January 15
Mitch Garver
Mitch Garver, American baseball player
- January 15
Nicolai Jørgensen
Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer
- January 15
Marc Bartra
Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
- January 15
James Mitchell (basketball)
James Mitchell, Australian basketball player
- January 15
Matt Duffy
Matt Duffy, American baseball player
- January 16
Iraq
Coalition Forces go to war with Iraq, beginning the Gulf War.
- January 16
Matt Duchene
Matt Duchene, Canadian ice hockey player
- January 17
Harald V
Crown Prince Harald of Norway becomes King Harald V, following the death of his father, King Olav V.
- January 17
Gulf War
Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning as aircraft strike positions across Iraq, it is also the first major combat sortie for the F-117. LCDR Scott Speicher's F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-81 is shot down by a Mig-25 and is the first American casualty of the War.
- January 17
Willa Fitzgerald
Willa Fitzgerald, American actress
- January 17
Trevor Bauer
Trevor Bauer, American baseball player
- January 17
Esapekka Lappi
Esapekka Lappi, Finnish rally driver
- January 19
Gulf War
Gulf War: Iraq fires a second Scud missile into Israel, causing 15 injuries.
- January 19
Petra Martić
Petra Martić, Croatian tennis player
- January 19
Erin Sanders
Erin Sanders, American actress
- January 20
Sudan
Sudan's government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.
- January 20
Ciara Hanna
Ciara Hanna, American actress and model
- January 20
Tom Cairney
Tom Cairney, Scottish footballer
- January 20
Jumpol Adulkittiporn
Jumpol Adulkittiporn, Thai actor
- January 20
Polona Hercog
Polona Hercog, Slovenian tennis player
- January 22
Stefan Kolb
Stefan Kolb, German footballer
- January 23
Steve Birnbaum
Steve Birnbaum, American soccer player
- January 24
Zhan Beleniuk
Zhan Beleniuk, Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler
- January 24
Tatiana Kashirina
Tatiana Kashirina, Russian weightlifter
- January 24
Zack Kassian
Zack Kassian, Canadian ice hockey player
- January 25
Ariana DeBose
Ariana DeBose, American actress, singer, and dancer
- January 25
Ahmed Hegazi
Ahmed Hegazi, Egyptian footballer
- January 26
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.
- January 26
Somali Rebellion
Somali Rebellion: Factions led by the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his rebel group, the United Somali Congress, ousted President Siad Barre.
- January 27
Julio Teherán
Julio Teherán, Colombian baseball player
- January 27
Christian Bickel
Christian Bickel, German footballer
- January 28
Carl Klingberg
Carl Klingberg, Swedish ice hockey player
- January 29
Battle of Khafji
The first major ground engagement of the Gulf War began with the Iraqi invasion of Khafji, Saudi Arabia, recaptured three days later by Coalition forces.
- January 29
Gulf War
Gulf War: The Battle of Khafji, the first major ground engagement of the war, as well as its deadliest, begins between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
- January 30
Videogamedunkey
Jason Gastrow, American YouTuber
- January 30
Stefan Elliott
Stefan Elliott, Canadian ice hockey player
February
- February 1
1991 Los Angeles runway collision
A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
- February 1
1991 Hindu Kush earthquake
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes the Hindu Kush region, killing at least 848 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and present-day Tajikistan.
- February 1
Blake Austin
Blake Austin, Australian rugby league player
- February 1
Kyle Palmieri
Kyle Palmieri, American ice hockey player
- February 5
Nabil Bahoui
Nabil Bahoui, Swedish footballer
- February 5
Gerald Tusha
Gerald Tusha, Albanian footballer
- February 6
Eva Wacanno
Eva Wacanno, Dutch tennis player
- February 6
Aleksandar Katai
Aleksandar Katai, Serbian footballer
- February 6
Fei Yu
Fei Yu, Chinese footballer
- February 6
Tobias Eisenbauer
Tobias Eisenbauer, Austrian ice dancer
- February 6
Ida Njåtun
Ida Njåtun, Norwegian speed skater
- February 7
Haiti
Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is sworn in.
- February 7
The Troubles
The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army shelled 10 Downing Street with mortars in a failed attempt to assassinate British prime minister John Major.
- February 7
Gabbie Hanna
Gabbie Hanna, American Internet personality and singer-songwriter
- February 8
Nam Woo-hyun
Nam Woo-hyun, South Korean singer
- February 9
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Voters in Lithuania vote for independence from the Soviet Union.
- February 12
Patrick Herrmann
Patrick Herrmann, German footballer
- February 12
Kane Richardson
Kane Richardson, Australian cricketer
- February 13
Gulf War
Gulf War: The United States Air Force dropped two laser-guided "smart bombs" on an air-raid shelter in Baghdad, Iraq, which was believed to be a military command site, killing at least 408 civilians.
- February 13
Eliaquim Mangala
Eliaquim Mangala, French footballer
- February 13
Luke Voit
Luke Voit, American baseball player
- February 13
Vianney (singer)
Vianney, French singer
- February 14
Karol G
Karol G, Colombian singer and songwriter
- February 14
List of Estonia women's international footballers
Daniela Mona Lambin, Estonian footballer
- February 15
Visegrád Group
The Visegrád Group, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
- February 15
Rich Swann
Rich Swann, American wrestler
- February 15
Ángel Sepúlveda
Ángel Sepúlveda, Mexican footballer
- February 16
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan Contras leader Enrique Bermúdez is assassinated in Managua.
- February 16
Sergio Canales
Sergio Canales, Spanish footballer
- February 17
Ryan International Airlines Flight 590
Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 crashes during takeoff from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, killing both pilots, the aircraft's only occupants.
- February 17
Jeremy Allen White
Jeremy Allen White, American actor
- February 17
Bonnie Wright
Bonnie Wright, English actress, filmmaker, and activist
- February 17
Phil Pressey
Phil Pressey, American basketball player and coach
- February 17
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- February 18
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London.
- February 18
Sebastian Neumann
Sebastian Neumann, German footballer
- February 19
Adreian Payne
Adreian Payne, American basketball player (died 2022)
- February 19
Trevor Bayne
Trevor Bayne, American race car driver
- February 19
Christoph Kramer
Christoph Kramer, German footballer
- February 20
Tirana
In the Albanian capital Tirana, a gigantic statue of Albania's long-time leader, Enver Hoxha, is brought down by mobs of angry protesters.
- February 20
Angelique van der Meet
Angelique van der Meet, Dutch tennis player
- February 20
Hidilyn Diaz
Hidilyn Diaz, Filipino weightlifter
- February 20
Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney, Irish novelist
- February 21
Devon Travis
Devon Travis, American baseball player
- February 21
Solar (singer)
Solar, South Korean singer, songwriter and actress
- February 21
Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez, Algerian footballer
- February 21
Ji So-yun
Ji So-yun, South Korean footballer
- February 21
Joe Alwyn
Joe Alwyn, English actor
- February 22
Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack, American football player
- February 23
Thailand
In Thailand, General Sunthorn Kongsompong leads a bloodless coup d'état, deposing Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan.
- February 24
Gulf War
Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian border and enter Iraq, thus beginning the ground phase of the war.
- February 24
Madison Hubbell
Madison Hubbell, American ice dancer
- February 24
Tim Erixon
Tim Erixon, American-Swedish ice hockey player
- February 24
Semih Kaya
Semih Kaya, Turkish footballer
- February 24
Christian Kabasele
Christian Kabasele, Congolese-born Belgian footballer
- February 24
O'Shea Jackson Jr.
O'Shea Jackson Jr., American actor and rapper
- February 25
Warsaw Pact
Disbandment of the Warsaw Pact at a meeting of its members in Budapest.
- February 26
CL (rapper)
Lee Chae-rin, South Korean singer
- February 26
Kevin Plawecki
Kevin Plawecki, American baseball player
- February 27
Gulf War
Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated".
- February 27
Azeem Rafiq
Azeem Rafiq, Pakistani cricketer
- February 28
Ronalds Ķēniņš
Ronalds Ķēniņš, Latvian ice hockey player
March
- March 1
1991 Iraqi uprisings
Uprisings against Saddam Hussein begin in Iraq, leading to the deaths of more than 25,000 people, mostly civilians.
- March 1
Joe Mantiply
Joe Mantiply, American baseball player
- March 2
Kuwait Democratic Forum
Establishment of Kuwait Democratic Forum, center-left political organization in Kuwait.
- March 2
Rumaila oil field
Battle at Rumaila oil field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War.
- March 2
Nick Franklin
Nick Franklin, American baseball player
- March 3
Amateur film
An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.
- March 3
United Airlines Flight 585
United Airlines Flight 585 crashes on its final approach to Colorado Springs killing everyone on board.
- March 3
Park Cho-rong
Park Cho-rong, South Korean singer-songwriter and actress
- March 3
Anri Sakaguchi
Anri Sakaguchi, Japanese actress
- March 5
Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 109
Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 109 crashes in Venezuela, killing 45.
- March 5
Daniil Trifonov
Daniil Trifonov, Russian pianist and composer
- March 5
Ramiro Funes Mori
Ramiro Funes Mori, Argentine footballer
- March 6
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler, the Creator, American rapper
- March 6
John Jenkins (basketball)
John Jenkins, American basketball player
- March 7
Ian Clark (basketball)
Ian Clark, American basketball player
- March 8
Yoon Ji-sung
Yoon Ji-sung, South Korean singer and actor
- March 9
Jooyoung
Jooyoung, South Korean singer-songwriter
- March 10
1991 Salvadoran legislative election
1991 Salvadoran legislative election: The Nationalist Republican Alliance wins 39 of the 84 seats in the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.
- March 10
Kenshi Yonezu
Kenshi Yonezu, Japanese singer-songwriter and illustrator
- March 13
Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson, American basketball player
- March 13
Daniel Greig
Daniel Greig, Australian speed skater
- March 14
Escondida
Escondida, one of the most productive copper mines in the world, was officially inaugurated.
- March 14
Emir Bekrić
Emir Bekrić, Serbian hurdler
- March 15
Cold War
Cold War: The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany comes into effect, granting full sovereignty to the Federal Republic of Germany.
- March 15
Trayce Thompson
Trayce Thompson, American baseball player
- March 15
Xavier Henry
Xavier Henry, American basketball player
- March 16
Chris Boswell
Chris Boswell, American football player
- March 16
Admir Mehmedi
Admir Mehmedi, Swiss footballer
- March 16
Reggie Bullock
Reggie Bullock, American basketball player
- March 17
Thomas Robinson (basketball)
Thomas Robinson, American-Lebanese basketball player
- March 17
Sergey Kalinin (ice hockey)
Sergey Kalinin, Russian ice hockey player
- March 17
Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson, American football player
- March 18
Solomon Hill (basketball)
Solomon Hill, American basketball player
- March 18
Travis Frederick
Travis Frederick, American football player
- March 18
Leury García
Leury García, Dominican baseball player
- March 19
Aleksandr Kokorin
Aleksandr Kokorin, Russian footballer
- March 20
Nick Leddy
Nick Leddy, American ice hockey player
- March 20
Michał Kucharczyk
Michał Kucharczyk, Polish footballer
- March 20
Mattia Destro
Mattia Destro, Italian footballer
- March 23
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began with the invasion of the Revolutionary United Front, in an attempt to overthrow President Joseph Saidu Momoh.
- March 23
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front, with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia, invades Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow Joseph Saidu Momoh, sparking the 11-year Sierra Leone Civil War.
- March 23
Erik Haula
Erik Haula, Finnish ice hockey player
- March 23
Facundo Campazzo
Facundo Campazzo, Argentine basketball player
- March 24
Dalila Jakupović
Dalila Jakupovic, Slovenian tennis player
- March 24
Nick Browne (cricketer)
Nick Browne, English cricketer
- March 25
Scott Malone
Scott Malone, English footballer
- March 26
Argentina
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
- March 26
Singapore Airlines Flight 117
Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked by four Pakistani terrorists and diverted to Changi Airport.
- March 26
Matt Davidson (baseball)
Matt Davidson, American baseball player
- March 26
Ramy Youssef
Ramy Youssef, American actor and comedian
- March 27
London on da Track
London on da Track, American record producer
- March 28
Jordan McRae
Jordan McRae, American basketball player
- March 28
Lisa-Maria Moser
Lisa-Maria Moser, Austrian tennis player
- March 28
Derek Carr
Derek Carr, American football player
- March 28
Marie-Philip Poulin
Marie-Philip Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
- March 28
Ondřej Palát
Ondřej Palát, Czech ice hockey player
- March 28
Christian Walker
Christian Walker, American baseball player
- March 28
Hoya (singer)
Hoya, South Korean singer and dancer
- March 29
Irene (singer)
Irene, South Korean idol, actress and television host
- March 29
N'Golo Kanté
N'Golo Kanté, French footballer
- March 30
NF (rapper)
NF, American rapper
- March 31
1991 Georgian independence referendum
Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
- March 31
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact formally disbands.
April
- April 1
Duván Zapata
Duván Zapata, Colombian footballer
- April 2
Rita Johnston
Rita Johnston becomes the first female Premier of a Canadian province when she succeeds William Vander Zalm (who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia.
- April 2
Quavo
Quavo, American rapper
- April 3
Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko, American actress and singer
- April 4
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.
- April 4
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.
- April 4
Justin O'Neill
Justin O'Neill, Australian rugby league player
- April 4
Yui Koike
Yui Koike, Japanese singer and actress
- April 4
Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears, American actress and singer
- April 4
Martín Pérez (baseball)
Martín Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
- April 4
Asia Muhammad
Asia Muhammad, American tennis player
- April 4
Marlon Stöckinger
Marlon Stöckinger, Filipino race car driver
- April 5
Atlantic Southeast Airlines
An ASA EMB 120 crashes in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 aboard, including Sen. John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter.
- April 5
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on STS-37 to deploy the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.
- April 7
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie, English singer-songwriter
- April 7
Luka Milivojević
Luka Milivojević, Serbian footballer
- April 9
Georgia (country)
Georgia declares independence from the Soviet Union.
- April 9
Gai Assulin
Gai Assulin, Israeli footballer
- April 10
South Atlantic tropical cyclone
A rare tropical storm develops in the South Atlantic Ocean near Angola, the first to be documented by satellites.
- April 10
Moby Prince disaster
Italian ferry MS Moby Prince collides with an oil tanker in dense fog off Livorno, Italy, killing 140.
- April 11
Thiago Alcântara
Thiago Alcântara, Spanish footballer
- April 11
Brennan Poole
Brennan Poole, American racing driver
- April 11
Cédric Bakambu
Cédric Bakambu, Congolese footballer
- April 12
Oliver Norwood
Oliver Norwood, English-born Northern Irish international footballer
- April 12
Jazz Richards
Jazz Richards, Welsh international footballer
- April 12
Magnus Pääjärvi
Magnus Pääjärvi, Swedish ice hockey player
- April 12
Lionel Carole
Lionel Carole, French professional footballer
- April 13
Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon, American football player
- April 14
Georgia (country)
The Republic of Georgia introduces the post of President following its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
- April 15
Daiki Arioka
Daiki Arioka, Japanese idol, singer, and actor
- April 15
Javier Fernández (figure skater)
Javier Fernández López, Spanish figure skater
- April 16
Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado, American baseball player
- April 16
Kim Kyung-jung
Kim Kyung-jung, South Korean footballer
- April 19
Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk, Canadian basketball player
- April 20
Luke Kuechly
Luke Kuechly, American football player
- April 21
Frank Dillane
Frank Dillane, British actor
- April 22
Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Danni Wyatt, English cricketer
- April 23
Britt Baker
Britt Baker, American professional wrestler
- April 23
Kyle Juszczyk
Kyle Juszczyk, American football player
- April 23
Paul Vaughan (rugby league)
Paul Vaughan, Australian-Italian rugby league player
- April 23
Nathan Baker
Nathan Baker, English footballer
- April 23
Caleb Johnson
Caleb Johnson, American singer-songwriter
- April 24
Batuhan Karadeniz
Batuhan Karadeniz, Turkish footballer
- April 24
Sigrid Agren
Sigrid Agren, French-Swedish model
- April 24
Morgan Ciprès
Morgan Ciprès, French figure skater
- April 25
Alex Shibutani
Alex Shibutani, American ice dancer
- April 25
Jordan Poyer
Jordan Poyer, American football player
- April 26
1991 Great Plains tornado outbreak
Fifty-five tornadoes break out in the central United States. Before the outbreak's end, Andover, Kansas, would record the year's only F5 tornado.
- April 26
Peter Handscomb
Peter Handscomb, Australian cricketer
- April 26
Isaac Liu
Isaac Liu, New Zealand rugby league player
- April 27
Lara Gut-Behrami
Lara Gut, Swiss skier
- April 28
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-39, the first unclassified shuttle mission for the United States Department of Defense.
- April 29
1991 Bangladesh cyclone
A powerful tropical cyclone struck Chittagong, Bangladesh, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving up to 10 million homeless across the region.
- April 29
1991 Racha earthquake
The 7.0 Mw Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), killing 270 people.
- April 29
Adam Smith (footballer, born 1991)
Adam Smith, English footballer
- April 29
Jung Hye-sung
Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress
- April 29
Misaki Doi
Misaki Doi, Japanese tennis player
- April 30
Chris Kreider
Chris Kreider, American ice hockey player
- April 30
Travis Scott
Travis Scott, American rapper and producer
May
- May 1
Angolan Civil War
Angolan Civil War: The MPLA and UNITA agree to the Bicesse Accords, which are formally signed on May 31 in Lisbon.
- May 1
Major League Baseball
In Major League Baseball, Rickey Henderson broke the record for stolen bases on the same night that Nolan Ryan broke his own record for no-hitters.
- May 1
Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman, American baseball player
- May 2
Jonathan Villar
Jonathan Villar, Dominican baseball player
- May 2
Jeong Jin-woon
Jeong Jinwoon, South Korean actor and singer
- May 3
Samuel Seo
Samuel Seo, South Korean musician
- May 4
Brianne Jenner
Brianne Jenner, Canadian women's ice hockey player
- May 5
1991 Washington, D.C., riot
Riots broke out in Washington, D.C., after a rookie police officer shot a Salvadoran man in the chest.
- May 5
Raúl Jiménez
Raúl Jiménez, Mexican footballer
- May 6
Time (magazine)
Time magazine published the article "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power" by Richard Behar criticizing the Church of Scientology, leading to years of legal conflict.
- May 7
Bright Sparklers fireworks disaster
A fire and explosion at a fireworks factory in Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, killed 26 people.
- May 9
Majlinda Kelmendi
Majlinda Kelmendi, Kosovar judoka
- May 15
Édith Cresson
Édith Cresson becomes France's first female Prime Minister.
- May 16
Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom addresses a joint session of the United States Congress. She is the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
- May 16
Ashley Wagner
Ashley Wagner, American figure skater
- May 16
Grigor Dimitrov
Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgarian tennis player
- May 16
Joey Graceffa
Joey Graceffa, American internet celebrity
- May 17
Johanna Konta
Johanna Konta, Australian-English tennis player
- May 17
Adil Omar
Adil Omar, Pakistani rapper and music producer
- May 17
Abigail Raye
Abigail Raye, Canadian field hockey player
- May 18
Somalia
Northern Somalia declares independence from the rest of Somalia as the Republic of Somaliland.
- May 19
Croatia
Croatians vote for independence in a referendum.
- May 19
Breakup of Yugoslavia
Breakup of Yugoslavia: With the local Serb population boycotting the referendum, Croatians voted in favour of independence from Yugoslavia.
- May 19
Jordan Pruitt
Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter
- May 20
Bastian Baker
Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer
- May 20
Emre Çolak
Emre Çolak, Turkish footballer
- May 21
Rajiv Gandhi
Former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
- May 21
Prime Minister of India
Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated by a female suicide bomber near Madras.
- May 21
Guilherme (footballer, born May 1991)
Guilherme, Brazilian footballer
- May 22
Joel Obi
Joel Obi, Nigerian footballer
- May 22
Suho
Suho, South Korean singer and actor
- May 23
Aeroflot Flight 8556
Aeroflot Flight 8556 crashes at Pulkovo Airport, killing 13.
- May 24
Israel
Israel conducts Operation Solomon, evacuating Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
- May 24
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces began Operation Solomon, a covert operation to bring thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel (evacuees pictured).
- May 24
Aled Davies (field athlete)
Aled Davies, Welsh discus thrower
- May 24
Cody Eakin
Cody Eakin, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 26
Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia becomes the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era.
- May 26
Lauda Air Flight 004
Lauda Air Flight 004 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes in the Phu Toei National Park in the Suphan Buri province of Thailand, killing all 223 people on board.
- May 26
Ah Young
Ah Young, South Korean singer and actress
- May 27
Sébastien Dewaest
Sebastien Dewaest, Belgian footballer
- May 28
Addis Ababa
The capital city of Addis Ababa falls to the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, ending both the Derg regime in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Civil War.
- May 28
Danielle Lao
Danielle Lao, American tennis player
- May 29
Yaime Pérez
Yaime Perez, Cuban discus thrower
- May 29
Tan Zhongyi
Tan Zhongyi, Women's World Chess Champion, 2017–2018
- May 30
Jonathan Fox (swimmer)
Jonathan Fox, English swimmer
- May 31
Bicesse Accords
Bicesse Accords in Angola lay out a transition to multi-party democracy under the supervision of the United Nations' UNAVEM II peacekeeping mission.
- May 31
Azealia Banks
Azealia Banks, American singer-songwriter and rapper
June
- June 1
Tyrone Roberts
Tyrone Roberts, Australian rugby league player
- June 1
Zazie Beetz
Zazie Beetz, German-American actress
- June 3
Mount Unzen
Mount Unzen erupts in Kyūshū, Japan, killing 43 people, all of them either researchers or journalists.
- June 3
Yordano Ventura
Yordano Ventura, Dominican baseball player (died 2017)
- June 4
Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes, New Zealand-English cricketer
- June 4
Matt McIlwrick
Matt McIlwrick, New Zealand rugby league player
- June 4
Rajiv van La Parra
Rajiv van La Parra, Dutch footballer
- June 4
Lorenzo Insigne
Lorenzo Insigne, Italian footballer
- June 5
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-40, the fifth spacelab mission.
- June 5
Ninja (gamer)
Ninja, American professional gamer
- June 5
Sören Bertram
Sören Bertram, German footballer
- June 6
Stan Getz
Stan Getz, American saxophonist and jazz innovator (born 1927)
- June 7
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo erupts, generating an ash column 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) high.
- June 7
Fetty Wap
Fetty Wap, American rapper, singer, and songwriter
- June 7
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajkowski, American model and actress
- June 7
Rasmus Vestergaard Madsen
Rasmus Vestergaard Madsen, Danish politician
- June 9
Aaron M. Johnson
Aaron M. Johnson, American jazz saxophonist
- June 10
Kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard
Eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped in South Lake Tahoe, California; she remained a captive until 2009.
- June 10
Alexa Knierim
Alexa Scimeca Knierim, American figure skater
- June 11
Kyle Troup
Kyle Troup, American bowler
- June 11
Daniel Howell
Daniel Howell, English Youtuber
- June 12
Sri Lankan Tamils
More than 150 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were massacred by members of the military in the village of Kokkadichcholai.
- June 12
1991 Kokkadichcholai massacre
Kokkadichcholai massacre: The Sri Lankan Army massacres 152 minority Tamil civilians in the village of Kokkadichcholai near the Eastern Province town of Batticaloa.
- June 12
1991 Russian presidential election
In modern Russia's first democratic election, Boris Yeltsin is elected as the President of Russia.
- June 12
Avisaíl García
Avisaíl García, Venezuelan baseball player
- June 13
Will Claye
Will Claye, American jumper
- June 13
Kang Si-ra
Kang Si-ra, South Korean singer
- June 13
Ryan Mason
Ryan Mason, English footballer
- June 14
Jesy Nelson
Jesy Nelson, English singer
- June 14
Kostas Manolas
Kostas Manolas, Greek footballer
- June 15
Mount Pinatubo
In the Philippines, Mount Pinatubo erupts in the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, killing over 800 people.
- June 15
1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo
An eruption of Mount Pinatubo (pictured) in the Philippines deposited large amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere, enough to briefly lower global temperatures by about 0.5 °C (0.9 °F).
- June 15
Jessie Ennis
Jessie Ennis, American actress, director, and writer
- June 16
Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry, English singer-songwriter
- June 16
Matt Moylan
Matt Moylan, Australian rugby league player
- June 16
Siya Kolisi
Siya Kolisi, South African rugby player
- June 17
Apartheid
Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
- June 17
Daniel Tupou
Daniel Tupou, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
- June 19
Southern Group of Forces
The last Soviet army units in Hungary are withdrawn.
- June 20
Bundestag
The German Bundestag votes to move seat of government from the former West German capital of Bonn to the present capital of Berlin.
- June 20
Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegalese footballer
- June 20
Rick ten Voorde
Rick ten Voorde, Dutch footballer
- June 21
Min (South Korean singer)
Lee Min-young, South Korean singer-songwriter, actress, and entertainer
- June 21
Gaël Kakuta
Gaël Kakuta, French footballer
- June 22
Hugo Mallo
Hugo Mallo, Spanish footballer
- June 23
Sonic the Hedgehog
The first instalment of the video-game series Sonic the Hedgehog was released in North America.
- June 23
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
Sonic the Hedgehog is released in North America on the Sega Genesis platform, beginning the popular video game franchise.
- June 23
Katie Armiger
Katie Armiger, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- June 24
Aidan Sezer
Aidan Sezer, Australian rugby league player
- June 24
Yasmin Paige
Yasmin Paige, English actress
- June 25
Breakup of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia begins when Slovenia and Croatia declare their independence from Yugoslavia.
- June 26
Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav Wars: The Yugoslav People's Army begins the Ten-Day War in Slovenia.
- June 26
Diego Falcinelli
Diego Falcinelli, Italian footballer
- June 26
Dustin Martin
Dustin Martin, Australian rules footballer
- June 26
Houssem Chemali
Houssem Chemali, French footballer
- June 27
Slovenia
Two days after it had declared independence, Slovenia is invaded by Yugoslav troops, tanks, and aircraft, starting the Ten-Day War.
- June 27
Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence: As the Yugoslav Army moved into Osijek, Croatia, a civilian attempted to halt them by placing his car in the path of a tank, becoming a symbol of Croatian resistance in the war.
- June 27
Oliver Stark
Oliver Stark, British actor
- June 28
Kang Min-hyuk
Kang Min-hyuk, South Korean singer, drummer, and actor
- June 28
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne, Belgian footballer
- June 28
Seohyun
Seohyun, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress
- June 29
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard, American basketball player
- June 29
Tajja Isen
Tajja Isen, Canadian actress and writer
- June 29
Suk Hyun-jun
Suk Hyun-jun, South Korean footballer
- June 29
Addison Timlin
Addison Timlin, American actress
- June 30
Jaimin Rajani
Jaimin Rajani, Indian singer-songwriter
July
- July 1
Cold War
Cold War: The Warsaw Pact is officially dissolved at a meeting in Prague.
- July 1
Radiolinja
The Finnish operator Radiolinja is launched as the world's first GSM network.
- July 1
Lucas Vázquez
Lucas Vázquez, Spanish footballer
- July 1
Michael Wacha
Michael Wacha, American baseball player
- July 3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russian tennis player
- July 3
Alison Howie
Alison Howie, Scottish field hockey player
- July 5
Jason Dolley
Jason Dolley, American actor, musician and Twitch streamer
- July 7
Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav Wars: The signing of the Brioni Agreement ended the Ten-Day War between SFR Yugoslavia and Slovenia.
- July 7
Alesso
Alesso, Swedish DJ, record producer and musician
- July 8
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk, Dutch footballer
- July 9
Mitchel Musso
Mitchel Musso, American actor and singer
- July 10
Daishōmaru Shōgo
Daishōmaru Shōgo, Japanese sumo wrestler
- July 11
Jeddah
Shortly after taking off from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 caught fire and crashed, killing all 261 people on board.
- July 11
Nigeria Airways Flight 2120
Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board.
- July 12
Pablo Carreño Busta
Pablo Carreño Busta, Spanish tennis player
- July 13
Tyler Skaggs
Tyler Skaggs, American baseball player (died 2019)
- July 14
Constance Stokes
Constance Stokes, Australian painter (born 1906)
- July 15
Danilo (footballer, born July 1991)
Danilo, Brazilian footballer
- July 15
Evgeny Tishchenko
Evgeny Tishchenko, Russian boxer
- July 15
Derrick Favors
Derrick Favors, American basketball player
- July 15
Nuria Párrizas Díaz
Nuria Párrizas Díaz, Spanish tennis player
- July 16
Nate Schmidt
Nate Schmidt, American ice hockey player
- July 16
Dylan Grimes
Dylan Grimes, Australian Rules footballer
- July 16
Alexandra Shipp
Alexandra Shipp, American actress and singer
- July 17
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- July 18
Eugenio Suárez
Eugenio Suárez, Venezuelan baseball player
- July 18
Mandy Rose
Mandy Rose, American wrestler and television personality
- July 19
Eray İşcan
Eray İşcan, Turkish footballer
- July 20
Ryan James (rugby league)
Ryan James, Australian rugby league player
- July 20
Philipp Reiter
Philipp Reiter, German mountaineer and runner
- July 20
Chiyoshōma Fujio
Chiyoshōma Fujio, Mongolian sumo wrestler
- July 20
Dwight Powell
Dwight Powell, Canadian basketball player
- July 20
Alec Burks
Alec Burks, American basketball player
- July 20
Andrew Shaw (ice hockey)
Andrew Shaw, Canadian ice hockey player
- July 20
Tawan Vihokratana
Tawan Vihokratana, Thai actor, host, and model
- July 20
Kira Dixon
Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015
- July 22
Serial killer
American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after police discovered human remains in his apartment.
- July 23
Dmitry Orlov (ice hockey)
Dmitry Orlov, Russian ice hockey player
Questions about 1991
What happened in 1991?
This site records 400 entries for 1991, including Sharon Pratt on January 2. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1991?
35 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1991 turns 35 this year.
Which century is 1991 in?
1991 falls in the 20th century, in the 1990s.
Which generation was born in 1991?
Millennials (Generation Y) (1981–1996). Came of age around the year 2000 and the rise of the internet.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.