February 24 – The U.S. Postal Service unveils two possible designs for an Elvis Presley stamp for fans to vote on. One design is of a "young" 1950s Elvis, and the other is of a much "older" 1970s Elvis. The "young" Elvis wins the vote, and is issued the following January.
March
March 3 – Turkey's worst mine disaster kills 263 people in Zonguldak.
March 10 – Prince wins the lifetime achievement award during the Soul Train Awards.
April 1 – Billy Idol, on trial for punching a woman in the face, pleads no contest. Idol is fined and ordered to make public service announcements against alcohol and drug use.
April 29 – LAPD Police Officers are acquitted of using force in the beating of Rodney King, with subsequent riots leading to 53 deaths.
April 29 - NBA player Michael Jordan scores 56 points in a playoff game against the Miami Heat in what is considered one of the greatest games of his career.
April 30 – In Los Angeles, California, Madonna's bustier is stolen from a display in Fredrick's Of Hollywood. A $1,000 reward is offered for its return.
May
May – The 1st EJCF was held in Basel. It is a great success and will be held every three years (the next time was in 1995).
November 15 – Megan Jasper of Sub Pop creates the grunge speak hoax, tricking The New York Times into printing an article on a supposed slang used in the Seattle grunge scene.
December 21 – A plane on a Dutch DC-10 Martinair MP495 flight, crashes at Faro Airport in Portugal, killing 56 people.
December 22 – In Tripoli, Libya a Boeing 727 Libyan Airlines plane and an MiG 23 aircraft collide, killing 157 people.
December 22 – Dr. Martin Almada discovers the Archives of Terror, which detail tortures and killings committed by Latin American dictatorships.
December 29 – Brazil's President Fernando Collor de Mello is found guilty on charges of stealing more than $32 million from the government, banning him from holding any elected office for 8 years.
Culture
Johnny Carson retires from his job as host of the "Tonight Show", Jay Leno takes his place.
The first in R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series published.