The 1990s were a very important and influential decade in U.S. history. Many things are the way they are now because of this decade. However, three events stand out as the most salient. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal, and the dot-com boom are three of the most impactful events of the 1990s, shaping politics, international relations, technology, and society, leaving a lasting impact on the United States. The Soviet Union was a communist state that stretched across eastern Europe and northern Asia. Tensions were high between the Soviet Union and the United States because of their communist beliefs. In late December 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and was replaced by 15 independent countries. The failure of a coup against then-Soviet leader Gorbachev ultimately led to the collapse. The communist regime began to crumble and by December 31st, 1991, all Soviet …show more content…
During this time, the Internet and the World Wide Web became very popular. Many internet start-ups such as Google, Amazon, and Yahoo were founded. These start-ups were very successful, attracting attention from investors and stock brokers. These investors made so much money that the dot-com boom was part of the largest economic expansion since World War II. The NASDAQ composite index reached an all-time high, with extremely high valuations for many tech companies. Unfortunately, just after the year 2000, many of the companies started to fail and go bankrupt. The stock market took a big hit and lost lots of money. This marked the end of the dot-com boom. Although it rose and fell within a short period, it significantly impacts us today. The dot-com boom led to many successful tech companies that are still around today. It also allowed us to change the way we see technology and investments, reshaping the digital