The Year 1991 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historic events from the year 1991. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainment trivia, and much more.

1. In 1991, George H. W. Bush was the president of the United States, and Dan Quayle was the nation’s vice president.
2. The U.S. unemployment rate averaged 5.6%, inflation was 4.2%, and the average retail price for a gallon of gas was $1.14, down from $1.16 the year before.
3. The median household income in the United States was $30,126, up from $29,943 in 1990. The average price for a new house was $147,200, and the average monthly rent was $495.00.
4. On January 12, Congress voted to authorize the Persian Gulf War.
5. On January 16, United Nations coalition forces “launched an assault against the Iraqi military occupying Kuwait. This attack occurred more than six months after Iraq and Saddam Hussein occupied and repeatedly refused to leave Kuwait.”
6. On January 18, Eastern Air Lines, a major U.S. air carrier founded in 1926, folded its wings. AirwaysMag.com points out that “Deregulation resulted in the creation of new airlines, including low-cost carriers that had cheaper operating costs than those of Eastern.” Another factor that contributed to Eastern’s demise was the increase in oil prices before the Gulf War.
7. On January 26, large amounts of crude oil were released into the Persian Gulf. Stanford.edu reports that “in a last-ditch attempt to prevent U.S. forces from landing on the beaches of Kuwait, Iraqi forces intentionally dumped oil into the Persian Gulf. They released oil from eight oil tankers, a refinery, two terminals, and a tank field.”
8. On February 4, Alex Trebek became the first TV personality to host three game shows at the same time—Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration, and To Tell the Truth.
9. On February 14, the psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs was released. (At the 64th Academy Awards in 1992—which honored the best films of 1991—The Silence of the Lambs won the Big Five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing.)
10. On February 28, President Bush announced that a ceasefire had been reached in the five-week Gulf War and declared that Kuwait was free and that the Iraqi Army had been defeated.
11. On March 25, at the 63rd Academy Awards, Dances with Wolves won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) won an Oscar for Best Director. Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Kathy Bates (Misery) won an Oscar for Best Actress.
12. On April 12, the Department of Defense announced that 31 military bases would be closing.
13. On April 22, Johnny Carson announced that he would retire in 1992 as the host of The Tonight Show.
14. On May 2, the domain Microsoft.com came online.
15. On June 6, NBC announced that Jay Leno would succeed Johnny Carson as the host of The Tonight Show.
16. On July 18, in the famous Ghostbusters ruling, “the New York Appellate Court ruled that a person can break their real estate purchase contract if they discover that they have unwittingly bought a haunted house.”
17. On July 27, TV Guide magazine published its 2,000th issue.
18. In August, Wayne Gregori of San Francisco was the first netizen to install Internet access in a cafe.
19. On August 23, the World Wide Web (WWW) was made available to everyone around the world. The Freedom Consulting Group explains that the web was “envisioned, designed, and deployed by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland.”
20. On August 25, at the 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Cheers (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and L.A. Law (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Burt Reynolds (Evening Shade) won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and Kirstie Alley (Cheers) won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
21. On September 30, The Jerry Springer Show, a syndicated tabloid talk show, debuted. Known for its controversial topics, the show was “condemned by many political and community leaders as ‘trash TV,’ and there were allegations that parts of the program were staged. Despite such criticisms, it proved popular with television viewers.”
22. On October 21, the Oakland Hills firestorm killed 25 people, injured 150, burned over 3,000 homes, and caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damage.
23. On November 1, The Carol Burnett Show, featuring Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Bernadette Peters, and Jim Nabors, premiered on CBS.
24. On December 4, Pan American World Airways ceased operations. Five years earlier, the air carrier began to drastically reduce their routes and services because of financial distress.
25. On December 5, the New York Daily News filed for bankruptcy protection.
26. On December 17, the 6,000th episode of the soap One Life to Live was broadcast on ABC.
27. On December 26, Chuck Noll retired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers after 23 years on the job.
28. By the end of 1991, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved. Fourteen countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, had declared their independence from the Soviet’s hammer and sickle flag. History.com explains that “On Christmas Day 1991, the Soviet flag flew over the Kremlin in Moscow for the last time. The once-mighty Soviet Union had fallen, largely due to the great number of radical reforms that Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev had implemented during his six years as the leader of the USSR.”
29. In 1991, salsa sales surpassed ketchup sales for the first time, and Bounty coined the slogan “quicker picker-upper” in its marketing campaign for paper towels.
30. The world’s largest Burger King opened in Budapest, Hungary. The restaurant had 15,000 square feet and featured “ceilings and walls bathed in neon lighting and decorated with photographs of pop stars like Madonna, the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, and the late Jim Morrison of the Doors.”
31. Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC.
32. 60 Minutes was the most popular TV show, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the highest-grossing film, and A Thousand Acres was the best-selling book.
33. Popular music artists and groups were Amy Grant, Bryan Adams, Color Me Badd, Extreme, Freddie Jackson, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Phil Perry, Whitney Houston, and Vanessa Williams.
34. Here are some sports facts from 1991: The New York Giants were the Super Bowl champs, the Minnesota Twins won the World Series, and the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched the Stanley Cup. In addition, the Baltimore Orioles played their last home game at Memorial Stadium on September 11. On April 6, 1992, the Orioles began playing at Oriole Park.
35. In 1991 as well, the words "3D printer," "Arnold Palmer," "autofill," "brain freeze," "carjacking," "cybercrime," "go bag," "SIM card," "superjumbo," and "viatical settlement" all appeared in print for the first time.
36. Apples (McIntosh): 89 cents a pound
37. Beef (London broil): $2.39 per pound
38. Cereal (Cheerios): $1.99 for a 10-ounce box
39. Cheese (Borden’s, singles): $2.99 for a one-pound package
40. Coffee: $1.39 for an 11.5-ounce can
41. Flour (Gold Medal): 59 cents for a five-pound bag
42. Frozen dinners (Banquet): 99 cents for a 10-ounce package
43. Juice (Minute Maid, orange): $1.69 for a 64-ounce carton
44. Pasta (Ronzoni, assorted varieties): Two one-pound boxes for 99 cents
45. Potatoes: $1.99 for a five-pound bag
46. Soda (Pepsi-Cola): 89 cents for a two-liter bottle
47. Sugar (Domino, granulated): 99 cents for a five-pound bag
48. Tea (Tetley): $1.99 for a 100-count box
49. Tomatoes (canned): $1.99 for three 12-ounce cans
50. Yogurt: $1.99 for five six-ounce cups

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/1991-trivia-fun-facts-and-history/
2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1991
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_in_the_United_States
4. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1991
5. https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-the-soviet-union
6. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-history-1991.html
7. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices
8. https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/
9. https://www.delish.com/food/news/g3983/best-food-from-90s/

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor