A Look Back At 1990
Once again, as The Times does each year, we are asking our readers to name the most important news stories which shaped their lives during the past 12 months.
Look through the list of news stories below and select the top 10 national and international stories and, separately, the top 10 regional stories for 1990. Write a ``1'' by your choice for the top national and international story, ``2'' for your second choice, and so on through 10. Do the same on regional stories. If there's a news story you feel should be on the list but is not, feel free to write it in.
Clip your ballot and send it to: Top Ten Stories, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. The Times will publish the results of readers' voting on Sunday, Dec. 30.
NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL
Manuel Noriega. Ousted Panamanian leader surrenders to U.S. forces.
Avianca crash. Colombian jetliner, out of fuel, crashes on Long Island, New York, killing 73.
Stuart case. Boston salesman implicated in wife's slaying commits suicide.
South Africa. Reforms accelerated; Nelson Mandela freed and tours U.S.
Baseball lockout. Spring training delayed.
Nicaragua. Violeta Barrios de Chamorro wins presidency; contras lay down arms.
Greyhound strike. 6,300 bus drivers go on strike.
Joseph Hazelwood. Exxon Valdez oil-spill captain acquitted of most serious charges.
Nightclub arson. Fire in illegal New York City club kills 87.
Iran-contra scandal. John Poindexter convicted of conspiracy; Oliver North's conviction set aside, under review.
Soviet reform, turmoil. Soviet Union approves end of Communist Party's monopoly of power; republics seek greater independence.
Lebanon hostages. Two U.S. hostages freed; six more still held.
Shuttle. Shuttle grounded until NASA finds hydrogen leaks; Hubble Space Telescope defects.
Michael Milken. Junk bond pioneer pleads guilty in Wall Street fraud case.
East Europe. Democratic elections and further steps toward market economies.
Superpower amity. Mikhail Gorbachev and President Bush take steps toward cutting arms; Gorbachev wins Nobel Peace Prize.
Iran quake. Earthquake kills an estimated 50,000 in northwest Iran.
Imelda Marcos. Exiled Philippine first lady acquitted of fraud charges.
Mecca tragedy. About 1,400 pilgrims killed in tunnel stampede in Saudi holy city.
Savings and loan. Scandal of failed S&Ls touches presidential son Neil Bush; Charles Keating charged; Senate's ``Keating 5'' face hearings.
Pete Rose. Ex-manager of Cincinnati Reds imprisoned for tax evasion.
Persian Gulf crisis. Iraq overruns Kuwait; Bush orders U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia; U.N. Security Council orders economic embargo.
Liberia. Rebels mount attacks in Liberia that topple Samuel Doe; Doe slain.
Illinois tornadoes. Twisters kill 27 and damage 300 homes near Chicago.
Marion Barry. Washington's mayor convicted for cocaine possession.
German Unity. Germanys reunify; conservatives triumph in all-German elections.
Palestinian uprising. Intifada rages on; Israeli forces kill 19 Palestinians at Jerusalem's Temple Mount.
Brennan-Souter. Liberal stalwart retires from Supreme Court, replaced by New Hampshire jurist.
Big-city crime. Murder rates hit new highs in some cities.
Donald Trump. Entrepreneur founders on big debts, marital woes.
Lebanon. Christian Gen. Michel Aoun routed; militias withdraw from Beirut.
Budget crisis. After three months of delays, Congress and president agree to new taxes, breaking Bush pledge.
Chunnel. Workers tunneling under English Channel achieve link-up.
U.S. economy. Economy slumps; business failures rise; layoffs hit many.
U.S. elections. Voters strengthen Democrats' hold on Congress, reject environmental initiatives.
Gene therapy. First cancer therapy using genetically altered live cells is approved.
Leonard Bernstein. Symbol of classical music dies.
Margaret Thatcher. British prime minister resigns after a dozen years in office, is succeeded by John Major.
Global environment. World governments debate limits on global warming, atmospheric ozone loss.
AIDS. Epidemic rages unabated worldwide but levels off in United States.
Illegal drugs. U.S., other nations press struggle against illegal drug use; violence grows in Colombia.
California drought. Fourth year of drought grips biggest state.
REGIONAL
Ravages of nature. Floods in January and November; snowstorms, avalanches and drought.
The economy. Booming economy turns to recession at year's end.
Growth. Lawmakers pass landmark land-use law; voters trounce environmentalist initiative.
Elections. Rep. Jolene Unsoeld wins; GOP keeps Senate; defeats for John Spellman, Chief Justice Keith Callow.
Unfloating Bridge. Old I-90 bridge breaks up and sinks, companion span crippled.
1990 Legislature. Lawmakers pass 5 cent-a-gallon increase in state's gas tax, $507 million supplemental budget.
Sex predators. Lawmakers pass tough law; prominent court cases.
Boeing. Record sales; 777 introduced, purchase of Longacres, sabotage trial.
Persian Gulf. Troops and reserves called up; Bellevue hostage released.
Goodwill Games. Athletes and media from around world converge on Seattle.
Shootings at Trident submarine base.
Timber. Spotted-owl controversy, timber-supply cutbacks, log-export ban passes Congress.
Booth Gardner. Gardner ascends to chairmanship of governors; criticizes Sen. Brock Adams; climbs Mount Rainier and becomes grandpa.
Teachers. Teacher walk-outs, marches. Mukilteo strike longest in nation.
The dams. Calls for removal of two dams on the Olympic Peninsula's Elwha River.
Nordstrom. Overtime pay ruling.
Flag-burning. Court decision triggers scuffles in streets.
Sinking. Aleutian Enterprise sinking, hearings.
The Puyallups. Settlement checks claimed.
Hanford. Exploding tank hazards; tank leak; Dose Reconstruction Report; Department of Energy ``Tiger Team'' visit; complaints of Indian exposure.
The Market. Controversy over ownership of Pike Place Market.
Rainier crash. Rodeo cowboys and pilot die when plane crashes on Mount Rainier.
1990 Census. New House seat likely; preparations under way for redistricting.
Evergreen College. President and board leader quit.
Branch campuses. UW to open satellite sites.
Chernobyl victim. Soviet helicopter pilot treated in Seattle, subsequent death.
Twin Peaks. Television show draws attention to North Bend.
Mount St. Helens. 10th anniversary; new steam eruption, quakes.
Horizon Air. Plane's window pops out; passenger partially sucked out.
UW turmoil. Law-school students protest; medical school dean replaced; Gerberding apology for racial comment; Lude retirement.
Supremacists. Seattle gay-bar bombing plot.
Wolf pups discovered.
Hardship. Tacoma widow found in home without heat, water.
The digs. Controversy over archaeological dig at Clovis site near Wenatchee.
Pageant. Miss Washington residency controversy.
Bob Wilmott. Death of Strand Helpers director.
Ski mishap. White Pass chairlift accident.
Tony Baruso. Ex-boss of cannery-workers union arrested.
Protected. Salmon-endangered species requests.
Pipeline. Puget Sound oil pipeline proposal.
The tunnel. Seattle bus tunnel opens.
Dioxin. Pulp mills dioxin pollution.
Bainbridge Island. New developments in slayings.
Internment. Japanese internee checks.
Honors. UW profs win Nobel award, National Book Award.
Water. Yakima water-rights ruling.
Charles Corliss. Manhunt for suspect in three slayings.
McChord bombings.
Stena Lines problems.
Alar scare. Apple industry files lawsuit against ``60 Minutes'' in Alar chemical scare.
KING-TV. The Bullitt family puts Seattle station up for sale.
Shannon Potter. Pierce County girl slain; area resident charged with murder.