1994 After many years the English Channel Tunnel is opened joining England to France for the first time, this year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Allied landings in France and the beginning of the end of the Second World War. Tensions start over Inspection of Nuclear Plants in North Korea. Rover in the UK is purchased by BMW. In the US the First Genetically Engineered Tomatoes become available and the use and sale of GM Foods is approved.

Cost of Living 1994

How Much things cost in 1994
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 2.61%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 3834
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 8.50%
Average Cost of new house $119,050.00
Average Income per year $37,070.00
Average Monthly Rent $533.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.09
Movie Ticket $4.08
Average cost of new car $12,350.00
Loaf of Bread $1.59
Dozen Eggs 86 cents



What Events Happened in 1994

• Intermittent Civil War in Rwanda between Majority Hutus and minority Tutsis after assassination of President estimates of 1/2 million people killed in civil wars
• ANC triumphs in first Multiracial elections Nelson Mandella becomes president of South Africa
• Channel Tunnel opened between England and France
• Serbia continues attacks on Bosnia
• Haiti invaded by US democracy restored
• In France celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Allied landings (the start of the ending of the second world war)
• First Genetically Engineered Tomatoes Available use of GM Foods in US approved
• Northridge Earthquake, magnitude 6.7, hits the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles
• German luxury car manufacturer BMW announces the purchase of Rover from British Aerospace
• OJ Simpson flees police in his white ford bronco
• PLO leader Yasser Arafat returns to Palestine after 27 years in exile
• North Korea Tensions over inspections of Nuclear Plants
• Estonian Ferry Estonia sinks in the Baltic sea off the coast of Finland over 900 dead
• Russian President Boris Yeltsin orders tanks and troops into the rebel region of Chechnya to restore order
• The New UK Lottery Introduced with an estimated jackpot of £7m
• Frederick West serial killer together with his wife Rosemary West, was responsible for the murder of at least twelve young women
• Tornado outbreak occurs in Southeastern United States
• The journal Nature reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus Afarensis skull
• Ayrton Senna of Brazil, age 34, is tragically killed during the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy
• Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty ending state of war that has existed between the nations since 1948.
• The Irish Republican Army announces a "complete cessation of military operations"
• The United Nations Peace Keeping Force Withdraws From Somalia following attacks by militia
• The Whitewater scandal investigation begins
• Tonya Harding wins the national Figure Skating championship title but is stripped of her title following an attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan.
• The North American Free Trade Agreement ( Making The Largest Trading Bloc of Countries In The World ) United States, Canada and Mexico.
• Norwegian voters Vote No To Joining The European Union
• A New Outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Zaire which continues in 1995 (highest case fatality rates of any human pathogenic virus, roughly 90%.)
• Violent wildfires destroy 286,000 acres in Montana.
• Eurostar rail service carrying passengers between London, Paris and Brussels is launched
• Brazil Wins 1994 World Cup in United States
• The Winter Olympic Games are held in Lillehammer, Norway

Popular Culture 1994

• Lisa Marie Presley marries Michael Jackson
• Kurt Cobain commits suicide

Popular Films

• Forrest Gump
  
• The Lion King (Disney)
  
• True Lies
  
• The Santa Clause
  
• The Flintstones
  
• Dumb & Dumber
  
• Clear and Present Danger
  
• Speed
  
• The Mask
  
• Pulp Fiction
  
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
  
• Miracle on 34th Street
  
• Muriels Wedding
  
• Star Trek: Generations
  

Popular Musicians

• Bryan Adams
  
• Rod Stewart
  
• Sting
  
• Sheryl Crow with "All I Wanna Do"
  
• Bon Jovi
  
• Erasure
  
• Aerosmith
  
• Janet Jackson
  
• Pearl Jam
  
• Phil Collins
  
• Snoop Doggy Dogg
  
• Alice in Chains
  
• Boys II Men with "On Bended Knees" and "I'll Make Love To You"
  
• Rolling Stones
  
• Blind Melon
  
• Celine Dion with "Power of Love"
  
• Beastie Boys

Popular TV Programs

• Law & Order
  
• America's Funniest Home Videos
  
• Rugrats
  
• The Jerry Springer Show
  
• The Ren & Stimpy Show
  
• Absolutely Fabulous
  
• Beavis and Butt-head
  
• Frasier
  
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
  
• NYPD Blue
  
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  
• The Late Show with David Letterman
  
• The X-Files

Technology 1994

• Worlds First Satellite Digital Television Service Launched
• Netscape Navigator released quickly becoming market leader for browsing the web
• Java programming language first released from Sun Microsystems
• Scientists in Southern England estimate the oldest Europeans at 500,000 years old
• The Channel Tunnel, which took 15,000 workers over seven years to complete, and is 31 miles long joining France and England opens
• The European Fighter Aircraft "Eurofighter" has makes its inaugural test flight after 10 years in development