1990s

The internet took hold, the National Lottery was launched (1994), 24-hour shopping and Sunday trading.

Population

1991
Population of Britain = 58 million

Population from 1991

Homes and household goods

Mobile phones, dishwashers, personal computers, mobile phones, widescreen TVs, DVDs and digital cameras.

Virtually 100% of homes had a washing machine

Mobile phones became smaller, cheaper and more popular.

Computers

1990
The World Wide Web/Internet protocol (HTTP) and WWW language (HTML) created by Tim Berners-Lee.

1991
World Wide Web first available to the public

1991
Three million computers connected to the Internet

1993
The pentium processor invented

1994
Sony Playstation launched

1996
Ten million computers connected to the Internet

1998
130 million web users in the world

Music

Britpop
This was the general name given in the 1990s to a new wave of successful British bands who made a big impact in the United States and Europe, as well as in England. The most successful have been Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Massive Attack and The Spice Girls.

Fashion

1991 Puffa jackets
1992 Showing your pants
1993 Body piercing
1994 Wonder bra
1995 Slogan t-shirts
1996 Stack trainers
1997 Body Art
1998 Sarongs

Transport

Britain drew closer to Europe when the Channel Tunnel rail service began in 1995.

Inventions since the 1930s | Timeline from the end of the war

Population from 1991 | Money | Websites

Life in the 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s