MUSIC
– The members of Mookie Blaylock, which later became the iconic grunge band, Pearl Jam, play their first show as a band in Seattle, Washington.
– Milli Vanilli have their Grammy for Best New Artist revoked after they admit to lip synching their music.
– Madonna ends her controversial tour in France. Her music video for “Justify My Love” is also banned from MTV.
– Jimi Hendrix’s Fender Stratocaster, on which he performed his unforgettable version of the “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, is auctioned off in London for $295,000.
TV
– THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR, starring future, box office movie star, Will Smith, premieres on September 10.
– AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS charms audiences with goofy, homemade antics. It will continue to give Americans an outlet for their silliest moments well into 2009.
– BEVERLY HILLS, 90210, gets its debut. Old cast members like Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty will later find themselves back at West Beverly, when the series is revived in 2008.
– Future comedic greats Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider all join the cast of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.
MOVIES
– HOME ALONE becomes the highest-grossing movie of the year and introduces the world to Macaulay Culkin.
– The year was full of memorable sequels, including LOOK WHO’S TALKING TOO, GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH and the excellent BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III.
– ARACHNOPHOBIA opens, giving moviegoers a new fear of spiders.
– Johnny Depp turns in one of the best performances of his career as a sensitive, misunderstood person with scissors as hands in EDWARD SCISSORHANDS.
OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS:
– The Hubble Telescope is launched into outer space, becoming one of the largest of its kind to be carried into orbit.
– The first television show airs in HDTV, which will later become the standard everywhere.
– The public mourns the sudden passing of beloved puppeteer, Jim Henson, who was also the creator of THE MUPPETS and FRAGGLE ROCK.
– Emma Watson and Kristen Stewart are born.