At the start of the '90s, few used the Internet regularly, or could imagine the words "sex scandal" paired with "Oval Office. "It was a time of transformation, as technology began changing lives at a breakneck pace.
Long Island evolved and diversified, both in its economy and its demographics. A sustained economic boom brought the good life back within reach.
It was an era of what Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan called "irrational exuberance" as the economy expanded for its longest stretch in history. In 1999, the Dow topped 10,000 for the first time.
The Yankees began dominating baseball. New manager Joe Torre and a core of talented young players - Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera - led the team to World Series titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
The Cold War finally ended, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the celebrated crumbling of the Berlin Wall. Meanwhile the defense industry left Long Island for good, as Grumman Aerospace merged with Northrop Corp. of Los Angeles in 1994.
At the start of the 1990s, whites made up 84 percent of Long Islanders; by decade's end, that figure had fallen to 76 percent. Adjustment to the new diversity wasn't always smooth.
Along with the rest of the nation, Long Islanders were mesmerized by the scandal unfolding in the White House, as President Bill Clinton faced impeachment after lying about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Long Island had a made-for-tabloids scandal all its own, when Amy Fisher, then 17, shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of her lover, Joey Buttafuoco. Fisher, notoriously dubbed the Long Island Lolita, served seven years in prison for the shooting.
In 1996, catastrophe blazed out of the night sky when TWA Flight 800 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches. The explosion and crash, which many Long Islanders watched in horror from their windows, killed all 230 people aboard. Long Islanders rallied to aid in the massive recovery.
As attention turned to the eve of the millennium, anxiety over Y2K highlighted the nation's growing dependence on technology. Yet, despite that unease, there were few reasons to think the good times would end anytime soon.
-- Melanie Lefkowitz
THE DECADE
- Despite the loss of Grumman jobs, the Island enjoyed an extended period of prosperity, as did the nation. As a plus, the Giants and the Yankees took turns thrilling fans.
- The Giants edged the Buffalo Bills to win Super Bowl XXV in 1991.
- Grumman's last F-14 fighter plane was delivered in July 1992.
- Death camps run by Serbs in Bosnia were exposed in August 1992.
- A Newsday series in June 1994 revealed police abuse of disability pensions.
- The Yankees' winning tradition continued with a World Series victory in 1999.
NEWSDAY HIGHLIGHT
The series “Long Island: Our Story” offered a yearlong look at LI history.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
