1994

[Star Attraction]

The Eurovision Song Contest came from Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland.

• Seven new countries entered for the first time (the largest number since the first contest in 1956): Estonia, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Russia, Poland.
• Ireland won with "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" sung by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, scoring a record breaking 226 points.
• The UK's entry "We Will Be Free (lonely Symphony)" sung by Frances Ruffelle, finished 10th with 63 points.
• Newcomers Lithuania finished last with nul points: "Lopšinė mylimai" - Ovidijus Vyšniauskas.
• However this Contest is perhaps best remembered for its interval act: Riverdance, which subsequently became a highly successful, full-length musical worldwide.
• For the first time ever, voting was done by satellite links instead of telephone, therefore for the first time viewers were able to see each country's spokesperson during voting.

This was the last year of Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game (shown on BBC1 during the autumn).

The 1994 Winter Olympics (officially called XVII Olympic Winter Games) took place in Lillehammer, Norway from 12 to 27 February 1994

• This was the first year the Winter Olympics took place in a different year to the Summer Olympics.
• Also it was the first and only time to-date that the Winter Olympics took place just two years after the previous Winter Olympics.
• 67 countries took part and there were 61 events.

The 15th FIFA World Cup took place in the USA from 17 June to 17 July 1994.

• After reaching the semi-finals in 1990, England failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup!
• Scotland failed to qualify for the first time since 1970.
• The Republic of Ireland qualified, and reached second round against Netherlands before elimination (Netherlands 2 - 0 Rep of Ireland).
• Brazil won the 0-0 final against Italy, on penalties, on 17 July 1994. This was Brazil's 4th win to-date.

UK number one singles included:

• D:Ream - "Things Can Only Get Better"
• Manchester United Football Squad - "Come On You Reds"
• Wet Wet Wet - "Love Is All Around"
• Pato Banton - "Baby Come Back"
• East 17 - "Stay Another Day"

Any more memories of 1994 (news, sport, etc) air them here.

[Roxxy]

Re: 1994

The Rwandan Genocide begins on 7th April, after the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi die in a plane crash over Kigali. The killing lasts all year and claims the lives of over 1.5 million people, mainly Tutsi's who are murdered by the rival Hutu tribe. It is the worst genocide since Pol Pot's Cambodia.
Apartheid ends in South Africa with the nation's first free elections since British rule, sweeping away the white minority government and installing Nelson Mandela as President. The nation also adopts a new flag.
Labour leader John Smith died on 12th May, aged 59- he was replaced by Margaret Beckett as acting leader.
A junior doctor working in a Manchester hospital died of a heart attack after working a 3-day shift without a break, causing a huge scandal about the long hours hospital medics had to work and a reform of their shift-lengths. It also inspired the black medical satire 'Cardiac Arrest', which launched actress Helen baxendale to stardom.
Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna was killed in a horrific crash on 1st May during the San Marino Grand Prix, aged only 34. Driver Roland Ratzenburger is also killed during a qualifying heat for the event.
'Estonia' disaster- the Estonian car ferry sinks in the Baltic on 28th September in heavy seas due to a fault with her bow door mechanism- 852 people die, the worst peacetime sea disaster since the 'Dona Paz' in the Philippines in '87.
North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung dies, and is succeeded by his son Kim Jong-Il.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established on New Year's Day.
The Northridge Earthquake in California- hitting the San Fernando Valley on 17th January at a 6.7 magnitude, the quake kills 72 people and leaves over 20,000 homeless.
The Fred West murder investigations begin in Gloucester- after the arrest of Fred and Rosemary West on 28th February, police begin excavations of their Victorian semi-detached home of 25 Cromwell St., searching for the remains of over a dozen women and girls who disappeared from the late 1960's up to 1987, including two of their own daughters.
Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton signed the Kremlin Accords, in which each side agrees to no longer target each other's nuclear missiles at each other's countries, and for Russian nuclear weapons to be removed from Ukraine.
During the Bosnian War, a Serb artillery shell lands in Markale market place on 6th February, killing 68 civilians and wounding 200.
Women priests are first ordained into the Church of England.
Silvio Berlusconi wins the Italian general election on 27th March- he is to remain in power for the following 17 years.
Vladimir Meciar wins the Slovakian general election on 1st October.
Finland votes to join the EU.
China Airlines disaster- a Chinese Airbus 300 crash-lands at Japan's Nagoya Airport on 26th April, killing 264 people.
Pittsburgh air crash on 8th September- a Boeing 737 comes down whilst attempting to land at Pittsburgh International, killing all 132 on board.
The Channel Tunnel officially opened on 6th May.
American basketball star O.J.Simpson is arrested after a dramatic car chase on suspicion of murdering his wife and her lover- he is later aquitted.
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashes into the planet Jupiter in July after disintegrating.
The Magellan space-probe is lost whilst attempting to land on Venus.
The Provisional IRA announce a complete ceasefire.
Kurt Kobain, frontman of the grunge-rock band Nirvana, is found dead at his home on 8th April after shooting himself.
Other famous deaths include Richard Nixon, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, Sir Matt Busby, cricket commentator Brian Johnston, singer Harry Nillson, Telly savalas, Brian Redhead, John Candy, Merlina Mercouri, Derek Jarman, Peter Cushing, George Peppard, Erich Honeker, John Osborne and Fanny Craddock.