1992 CE

The 1992 Los Angeles riots erupt after the Rodney King verdict, killing 63 people and causing widespread unrest; Hurricane Andrew devastates Florida and the Bahamas; the 1992 Summer Olympics are held in Barcelona; the Bosnian War begins as Yugoslavia breaks apart; the 1992 famine in Somalia causes mass starvation during the Somali Civil War; the Algerian Civil War begins after disputed elections; the 1992 United States presidential election brings Bill Clinton to power; the Tajikistani Civil War erupts following the collapse of the Soviet Union; and the Khojaly massacre occurs during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

In the 1990s, the 20th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • January 6 – The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is proclaimed by the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.source
  • January 9 – Bosnian Serbs declare their own republic within Bosnia and Herzegovina, in protest at the decision by Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats to seek recognition by the European Communities.source
  • January 15 – The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia begins to break up; Slovenia and Croatia gain independence and international recognition in some Western countries.source
  • January 16 – El Salvador officials and rebel leaders sign the Chapultepec Peace Accords in Mexico City, ending the 12-year Salvadoran Civil War that claimed at least 75,000 lives.source
  • 28 January – The blue and yellow flag of Ukraine was officially restored by the Verkhovna Rada.Ukrainesource
  • February 3 – South African State President F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, African National Congress leader, are jointly awarded the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.source
  • February 7 – The Maastricht Treaty is signed, founding the European Union.source
  • 2 March – Kazakhstan becomes a member of the United Nations.Kazakhstansource
  • April 5 – The Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (without the presence of Serb political delegates) proclaims independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.source
  • April 6 – The Republic of Ilirida is proclaimed by Albanian Macedonian activists in Struga, Republic of Macedonia.source
  • April 7 – The United States recognizes the independence of Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European Communities also recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina.source
  • April 7 - The United States and the European Community recognize the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Bosnia and Herzegovinasource
  • 7 April – The government issues a proclamation for a referendum to be held.Eritreasource
  • April 9 – In the United Kingdom general election the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom John Major narrowly retains power.source
  • April 27 – Betty Boothroyd becomes the first woman elected Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.source
  • April 28 – The two remaining constituent republics of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – Serbia and Montenegro – form a new state, named the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (which in 2003 becomes Serbia and Montenegro), bringing to an end the official state union of Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Bosniaks and Macedonians that has existed since 1918 (with the exception of a brief occupation period during World War II).source
  • May 13 – Falun Gong is introduced by Li Hongzhi in China.source
  • May 15 – The Collective Security Treaty Organization is established by six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States (effective April 20, 1994).source
  • 24 May – Burkinabe parliamentary election, 1992Burkina Fasosource
  • 8th - Jerry Rawlings Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) accepts oaths to be sworn by government officials.Ghanasource
  • June 18 – Ireland votes for the Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland to accept the Maastricht Treaty with a popular vote of over 69%.source
  • June 23 – The Israeli legislative election is won by the Israeli Labor Party under the leadership of Yitzhak Rabin, ousting a Likud government.source
  • July 19 – The Cabinet of Israel approves a freeze on new Israeli settlement in the occupied territories, a move expected to reinvigorate the Middle East Peace Process.source
  • July 31 – Georgia becomes the 179th member of the United Nations after seceding from the Soviet Union the previous year.source
  • August 24 – China and South Korea establish diplomatic relations.source
  • August 27 - abolition of the People's Republic of Angola and creation of the Republic of AngolaAngolasource
  • October 4 – The government of Mozambique signs the Rome General Peace Accords with leaders of RENAMO, ending the 16-year-old Mozambican Civil War.source
  • October 25 – Lithuania holds a referendum on its first constitution after declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.source
  • October 28 – Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein threatens to dissolve the Landtag of Liechtenstein and dismiss the government over disagreements regarding a referendum on Liechtenstein's accession to the European Economic Area.source
  • November 3 – In the 1992 United States presidential election, Democratic Arkansas governor Bill Clinton defeats Republican president George H. W. Bush and Independent Ross Perot.source
  • November 25 – In a national referendum related to abortion, voters in Ireland reject the proposed Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992 but approve the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland and the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.source
  • December 21 – In Yugoslavia, President of Serbia Slobodan Milošević defeats Milan Panić in the Serbian presidential election.source
  • December 29 – Brazil's president Fernando Collor de Mello is found guilty on charges that he stole more than $32 million from the government, preventing him from holding any elected office for eight years. Collor resigns the presidency hours before the sentence to be passed by the Supreme Federal Court.source
  • The African Forum for Reconstruction was founded.Gabonsource

Conflict & Security

  • January 6 – 1991–92 Georgian coup d'état: President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup.source
  • 7 January – A European Community Monitor Mission helicopter is downed by the Yugoslav Air Force near Novi Marof, killing five.Croatiasource
  • January 26 – In Mauritania, security forces open fire on violent extremist opponents of President of Mauritania Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, allegedly killing at least four people.source
  • January 27 – First Nagorno-Karabakh War: in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, fighting between Armenians and Azeris leaves at least 60 people dead.source
  • February 4 – In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez leads an unsuccessful coup attempt against President of Venezuela Carlos Andrés Pérez.source
  • February 9 – Algerian Civil War: The government of Algeria declares a state of emergency and begins a crackdown on the Islamic Salvation Front.source
  • 9 February – Algerian Civil War: State of emergency announced by the government.Algeriasource
  • February 14 – Ukraine and four other nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States reject Russia's proposal to maintain unified armed forces. Ukraine, Moldova and Azerbaijan announce they will go ahead with plans to create their own military forces.source
  • February 16 – In Lebanon, Israeli helicopter gunships assassinate Abbas al-Musawi, the leader of Hezbollah, and his son, in retaliation for a February 14 raid that killed three Israeli soldiers.source
  • February 18 – Iraq disarmament crisis: The Executive Chairman of UNSCOM details Iraq's refusal to abide by UN Security Council disarmament resolutions.source
  • February 21 – The United Nations Security Council approves Resolution 743 to send a UNPROFOR peacekeeping force to Yugoslavia.source
  • February 25–26 – 613 Azerbaijani civilians are massacred in Khojaly.source
  • March 1 – The first victims of the Bosnian War are a Serb bridegroom's father and an Orthodox priest in a Sarajevo shooting. In the Bosnian independence referendum, held from February 29 to March 1 and boycotted by Bosnian Serbs, the majority of the Bosniak and Bosnian Croat communities have voted for Bosnia-Herzegovina's independence.source
  • March 2 – In Dubăsari, Moldova, escalating tensions turn into open hostilities and the beginning of the Transnistria War.source
  • March 31 - The United Nations issue United Nations Security Council Resolution 748, implementing sanctions (including an arms embargo, but not an oil embargo) on Libya due to the country's refusal to abide by Resolution 731 from January.Libyasource
  • April 5 – Bosnian War: Serb troops, following a mass rebellion of Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Bosnian declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, besiege the city of Sarajevo.source
  • April 16 – President of Afghanistan Mohammad Najibullah is ousted and detained by Muslim rebels moving towards Kabul, setting the stage for the civil war in Afghanistan (1992–96).source
  • April 29 – Los Angeles riots: The acquittal of four policemen in the Rodney King beating criminal trial triggers massive rioting in Los Angeles. The riots will last for six days resulting in 63 deaths and over $1 billion in damages before order is restored by the military.source
  • 29 April – A series of attacks on civilians occur in the villages of Alanchipothana, Karapola, Madurangala and Muthugal in the eastern Polonnaruwa District, killing 157.Sri Lankasource
  • April 29–May 4 – In Simi Valley, California, a jury acquits four LAPD police officers accused of excessive force in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King, causing the 1992 Los Angeles riots and leading to 53 deaths and $1 billion in damage.United Statessource
  • Serb troops, following a mass rebellion of Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Bosnian declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, besiege the city of Sarajevo.Bosnia and Herzegovinasource
  • May 8-9 - The Armenian Armed Forces capture the city of Shushi, marking the first significant military victory by Armenians.Armeniasource
  • May 16–17 – Bosnian War: U.N. peacekeepers withdraw from Sarajevo.source
  • May 17 – Protests begin in Bangkok, Thailand, against the government of General Suchinda Kraprayoon, sparking a bloody crackdown.source
  • August 18 – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom John Major announces the creation of Iraqi no-fly zones (→ Operation Southern Watch).source
  • August 24 – Concordia University massacre: Valery Fabrikant murders four colleagues and seriously wounds another in a shooting at Concordia University, in Montreal, Quebec.source
  • August 29 – In Rostock, Germany, tens of thousands rally to protest neo-Nazi attacks on refugees and immigrants begun on August 22.source
  • September 7 – In Ciskei, members of the Ciskei Defence Force loyal to dictator Oupa Gqozo open fire into a crowd of anti-Gqozo protestors organized by the African National Congress, killing at least 28 people and wounding nearly 200.source
  • October 2 – A riot breaks out in the Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo, Brazil, resulting in the Carandiru massacre.source
  • October 30 - November 1: Halloween Massacre, also known as the Three Day War.Angolasource
  • November 8 – More than 350,000 people rally in Berlin to protest right-wing violence against immigrants; stones and eggs are thrown at President of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker and Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl.source
  • December 3 – UN Security Council Resolution 794 is unanimously passed, approving a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States to form UNITAF, tasked with ensuring that humanitarian aid gets distributed and establishing peace in Somalia.source
  • Some North Korean students in Moscow attempted a failed coup d'état.North Koreasource

Exploration & Expansion

  • January 19 – Paramount Leader of China Deng Xiaoping speaks in Shenzhen during his southern tour, a move that would return China on its right-wing march towards free market economics.source
  • 19 January - The news embargo is lifted on George Bush's visit.South Koreasource
  • 22 February – Nawaz Sharif introduces yellow-cab taxi scheme.Pakistansource
  • February 28 – Ownership of the port town of Walvis Bay is transferred from South Africa to Namibia.source
  • 12 April – The 42nd Vuelta a Colombia ends in Bogotá. Fabio Parra of Seguros Amaya wins.Colombiasource
  • 20 April – Seville Expo '92, a six-month universal exhibition, opens in Seville.Spainsource
  • 15 December – The Sentosa Causeway is officially opened. It is a road link that connects Sentosa with mainland Singapore.Singaporesource
  • 1992 Argentina rugby union tour of EuropeArgentinasource
  • Mexico at the 1992 Summer Paralympics.Mexicosource
  • New Zealand Trotting Cup: Blossom LadyNew Zealandsource

Religion & Belief

  • January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.source
  • 1 January - Iván Balliu, footballerSpainsource
  • 13 January – Croatia is officially recognized by the Holy See.Croatiasource
  • March 31 – The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act of Singapore comes into force.source
  • 1 May – The National Council of Social Service is formed to coordinate Voluntary Welfare Organisations in Singapore.Singaporesource
  • ?? August — FORD split into two factions, FORD-Asili and FORD-KenyaKenyasource
  • October 3 – After performing a song protesting against alleged Catholic Church child sexual abuse, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor rips up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on the US television programme Saturday Night Live, causing huge controversy.source
  • October 11 – The Catechism of the Catholic Church is promulgated by Pope John Paul II with his apostolic constitution, Fidei depositum.source
  • October 12 – In the Dominican Republic, Pope John Paul II celebrates the 500th anniversary of the meeting of two cultures.source
  • October 31 – Pope John Paul II issues an apology and lifts the 1633 edict of the Inquisition against Galileo Galilei.source
  • 31 October – the Catholic Church rehabilitates the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei, convicted in 1633.Italysource
  • November 11 – The Church of England votes to allow women to become priests.source
  • 12 December – At a Council of Ministers meeting in Edinburgh, it is decided that Luxembourg City will remain one of the three seats of the European Union.Luxembourgsource
  • Date unknown - The Scientology Task Force of the Hamburg Interior Authority is formed.Germanysource
  • Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Sultan Azlan ShahMalaysiasource

Economy & Finance

  • 25 March – Eurocypria Airlines Limited, a charter airline owned by the government of Cyprus, was founded.Cyprussource
  • 30 March - Act No. 22 of 1992 - Labour Code (consolidation) is adopted.Hungarysource
  • 1 April – Tradewinds is rebranded to SilkAir as part of an overhaul, first announced on 12 March.Singaporesource
  • May 1 – Lithuania introduces a new temporary currency, the talonas.source
  • June 20 – Estonia adopts the kroon as currency, becoming the first former Soviet Republic to replace the Soviet rouble.source
  • 20 June – The Soviet ruble was replaced with kroon.Estoniasource
  • June 25 – The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is founded.source
  • 23 July - North Korea snubs China by not sending a congratulatory message on the Communist Party's anniversary.South Koreasource
  • 10 August – P&TLuxembourg is created as a government-owned corporation.Luxembourgsource
  • August 12 – Canada, Mexico and the United States announce that a deal has been reached on the North American Free Trade Agreement; this will be formally signed on December 17.source
  • September 16 – Black Wednesday: The pound sterling and the Italian lira are forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.source
  • IMPAR, an insurance company, established in PraiaCape Verdesource
  • 1992 Uruguayan privatisation referendum on 13th December 1992, which resulted in a majority voting in favor of privatizationUruguaysource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • 1 January – Radio Luxembourg shuts down its English language terrestrial signal on 208 MW.Luxembourgsource
  • 12 January – Lahore-Islamabad motorway project launched.Pakistansource
  • 18 March - In a radio broadcast from Kabul, Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah indicated his readiness to step down. UN envoy Benon Sevan reportedly influenced Najibullah's decision to make this statement.Afghanistansource
  • April 6 – Windows 3.1 is released to manufacturers by Microsoft.source
  • 9 April – The garden exhibition Floriade 1992 opensNetherlandssource
  • April 30 – Brčko bridge massacre: around 100 Croat and Bosniak civilians are blown up while crossing the bridge across the Sava in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.source
  • 5 October – The opening of Central Signal Station of Taiwan Railways Administration in Shizi Township, Pingtung County.Taiwansource
  • 24 December - Duna TV channel is launched.Hungarysource
  • The Old Boots sculpture in Cartagena is demolished for the construction of the Heredia Bridge.Colombiasource
  • Work starts on the Basra Water Canal and the Haditha Dam Reservoir Projects.Iraqsource

Science & Discovery

  • January 9 – First confirmed detection of exoplanets with announcement of the discovery of several terrestrial-mass planets orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12, by radio astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail working in the United States.source
  • March 22 – STS-45: Space Shuttle Atlantis takes off from Cape Canaveral carrying instruments designed to study global warming.source
  • 26 April – Pakistan's Alam Channa enters Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest man in the world.Pakistansource
  • May 7 – STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour makes its maiden flight, as a replacement for Space Shuttle Challenger.source
  • May 9 – The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is adopted in New York.source
  • 25–29 May - International conference on interaction of computational methods and measurements in hydraulics and hydrologyHungarysource
  • June 3–14 – The Earth Summit is held in Rio de Janeiro.source
  • July 10 – The Giotto spacecraft flies past Comet 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup, gathering measurements about the comet.source
  • July 26 – Iraq agrees to allow UN weapons inspectors to search the Iraqi Agricultural Ministry building in Baghdad. When inspectors arrive on July 28 and 29, they find nothing and voice suspicions that Iraqi records have been removed.source
  • 16 October – A new Act of Parliament re-establishes the former Order of Merit of the Polish People's Republic under the new name Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Order Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej).Polandsource
  • 30 December – Radio Luxembourg shuts down its English language satellite signal, putting an end to its English coverage.Luxembourgsource
  • Argentina at the 1992 Summer ParalympicsArgentinasource
  • United States-Hong Kong Policy Act is formulated.Hong Kongsource
  • Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1992.Switzerlandsource
  • On 30th June, 1992, a total solar eclipse in Uruguay ( for about 5m21s)Uruguaysource

Health & Medicine

  • 3 January – Singapore bans the sale of chewing gum in a bid to prevent disruption to MRT services and reduce gum litter-related issues. This came after two incidents where MRT doors were unable to close fully due to gum. In 2004, the ban is partially lifted for gums with medicinal value.Singaporesource
  • 13 January – Ulaanbaatar was reorganized from six districts to nine districts.Mongoliasource
  • 29 January – New South Wales Premier Nick Greiner calls for a controversial sex education book, funded by the Federal Government, to be destroyed.Australiasource
  • 18 March – Antonio Molina, singer (born 1928)Spainsource
  • April 20 – The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at Wembley Stadium, London, is televised live to over one billion people and raises millions of dollars for AIDS research.source
  • May 25 – In PepsiCo's promotion Number Fever, the winning number "349" is announced with a million-peso prize; however, an error causes more than 600,000 winners; several violent incidents followed. By following year, about 22,000 people filed more than five thousand lawsuits against Pepsi, outnumbering those against former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos. In 2006, a court would rule in favor of Pepsi.Philippinessource
  • July 16 – At the 1992 Democratic National Convention, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton accepts his party's presidential nomination on behalf of the "forgotten middle class".source
  • 10 August - The Ulster Defence Association is proscribed by the Government of the United Kingdom.Northern Irelandsource
  • October 23 – Emperor of Japan Akihito begins the first imperial visit to China, telling a Beijing audience he feels deep sorrow for the suffering of the Chinese people during World War II.source
  • Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 was in effect starting October 9. This strengthened the role of Executive Order 12711, which was signed by George H. W. Bush in 1990.Chinasource
  • Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,552,200.New Zealandsource

Crime & Justice

  • 26 March – The Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee set up mock trials known as Gono Adalat (People's Court) led by Jahanara Imam in Dhaka and 'sentenced' persons they accused of being war criminals.Bangladeshsource
  • April 9 – A jury in Miami, Florida, convicts former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega of assisting Colombia's cocaine cartel.source
  • May 23 – Capaci bombing: A Mafia bomb on the autostrada in Sicily kills five people, including Italian anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone.source
  • 24 May – Murder of Helena Rapp: 18-year-old Palestinian Fuad Muhammad Abdulhadi Amrin stabbed to death 15-year-old Israeli Helena Rapp. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.Palestinesource
  • 3 June – Local municipal officials belonging to the Patriotic Union María Mercedes Méndez, William Ocampo Castaño, Rosa Peña Rodríguez, and Ernesto Sarralde and their driver, Armando Sandovaz, are targeted and killed in El Castillo, Meta.Colombiasource
  • 14 June – France's Jean-Philippe Dojwa wins the 1992 Tour de Luxembourg.Luxembourgsource
  • July 10 – In Miami, former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega is sentenced to 40 years in prison for participating in the illegal drug trade and racketeering.source
  • July 19 – Via D'Amelio bombing: A car bomb placed by the Sicilian Mafia (with the collaboration of Italian intelligence) kills judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his police escort.source
  • July 22 – Near Medellín, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escapes from his luxury prison, fearing extradition to the United States.source
  • 25 to August, athletes participated in the Barcelona OlympicsNigeriasource
  • September 1 – In Beijing, police arrest Shen Tong for his role in organizing the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.source
  • September 12 – In Peru, police arrest Abimael Guzmán, the leader of the Shining Path guerilla movement, who has evaded capture for 12 years.source
  • September 28 – Law enforcement officials in the United States, Colombia and Italy announce that they have arrested more than 165 people on money laundering charges related to cocaine trafficking.source
  • October 7 – In Peru, Shining Path leader Abimael Guzmán is convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison.source
  • 15 November: A dentist named Ricardo Barreda murders his wife, two daughters, and mother-in-law.Argentinasource
  • December 22 – The Archives of Terror are discovered by Martín Almada in Asunción, detailing the fates of thousands of Latin Americans who have been secretly kidnapped, tortured and killed by the security services of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay in Operation Condor.source
  • 31 December - Ministry of Justice announces large-scale amnesty for political prisoners and criminals.South Koreasource
  • Charles Wade, an American lobbyist, receives a $575,000 (USD) bribe to lobby the American government to remove sanctions against Libya. Wade would plead guilty to conspiring to violate the sanctions in 1995.Libyasource

Disasters & Accidents

  • January 7 – 1992 European Community Monitor Mission helicopter downing: A Yugoslav Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 attacks two Italian Army Agusta-Bell AB-206L LongRanger helicopters carrying observers from the European Community Monitor Mission. One crashes, killing five people on board. The other helicopter crash-lands, but its occupants survive.source
  • January 20 – Air Inter Flight 148, an Airbus A320-111, crashes in the Vosges Mountains near Barr, France, while circling to land at Strasbourg, France, killing 87 of the 96 people on board. Facing tough competition from French high-speed TGV trains, Air Inter had encouraged its pilots to fly at high speeds at low altitudes, and had not installed ground proximity warning systems on its airliners because such systems generated too many nuisance alarms during high-speed, low-altitude flight.source
  • January 21 - The United Nations issue United Nations Security Council Resolution 731, demanding that Libya hand over suspects in the bombings of Pan Am Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772.Libyasource
  • March 25 – The International Atomic Energy Agency orders Iraq to destroy an industrial complex at Al Atheer that is being used to manufacture nuclear weapons.source
  • March 28 – The Shot (Duke–Kentucky): In what Sports Illustrated deemed the greatest college basketball game of all time, Christian Laettner sinks an overtime buzzer-beater to advance Duke to their fifth straight Final Four.source
  • 7 April – The plane carrying Palestinian president Yasser Arafat and 12 others crashes during sandstorm in Libya.Palestinesource
  • May 9 – The Westray Mine in Plymouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, explodes, killing all 26 miners working the night shift.source
  • July 31 – China General Aviation Flight 7552 bound for Xiamen crashes soon after taking off from Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport, killing 108 of the 116 people on board.source
  • July 31 – Thai Airways International Flight 311, an Airbus A310-300, crashes into a mountain north of Kathmandu, Nepal killing all 113 people on board.source
  • 31 July – Thai Airways International Flight 311Thailandsource
  • September 26 - 1992 Nigerian Air Force C-130 crash occurs crashes just after take-off from Lagos killing all 158 on boardNigeriasource
  • September 28 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 crashes into a mountain while on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. All 167 occupants on board were killed. The crash of PIA Flight 268 occurred just 2 months after Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashed into a mountain near Kathmandu under similar circumstances, killing all 113 occupants on board.source
  • 28 September – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268, an Airbus A300B4-203, crashes into the southern slope of the Chure Hills on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 167 passengers and crew.Pakistansource
  • October 4 – Israeli cargo plane El Al Flight 1862 crashes into residential buildings in Amsterdam's Bijlmermeer, Netherlands, after taking off from Schiphol Airport and losing two engines, killing all 4 people on board and 39 on the ground.source
  • 4 October – El Al Flight 1862, a cargo aircraft, crashed in the Bijlmermeer neighbourhoodNetherlandssource
  • October 21 – 150,000 coal miners march in London to protest government plans to close coal mines and reduce the number of miners.source
  • November 14 – In poor conditions caused by Cyclone Forrest, Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crashes near Nha Trang, killing 30.source
  • November 18 – Russian president Boris Yeltsin releases the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of Korean Air Flight 007, which was shot down by the Soviets in 1983.source
  • November 24 – In China, China Southern Airlines Flight 3943, a China Southern Airlines domestic flight, crashes, killing all 141 people on board.source
  • December 6 – Demolition of Babri Masjid: Extremist Hindu activists in India demolish Babri Masjid – a 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya which has been used as a temple since 1949 – leading to widespread communal violence, including the Bombay riots, in all killing over 1,500 people.source
  • 7 December – There were a series of violence against the Bengali Hindus in protest against the demolition of Babri Masjid and violence against Muslims in India. the Dhakeshwari temple was attacked. The Bholanath Giri Ashram in Dhaka was attacked and looted. Hindu-owned jewellery shops were looted in old Dhaka. Hindu houses in Rayerbazar were set on fire.Bangladeshsource
  • The municipalities of São Filipe and Mosteiros were formed from the former municipality of FogoCape Verdesource

Climate & Environment

  • March 13 – The 6.7 Mw Erzincan earthquake affects eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing 498–652 and injuring around 2,000.source
  • 13 March – The 6.7 Mw Erzincan earthquake shook area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing 498–652 and injuring 2,000.Turkeysource
  • March 22 – In French regional elections, the conservative Rally for the Republic and the centre-right Union for French Democracy win in a landslide, capturing 20 of 22 metropolitan regional presidencies.source
  • Early March – The country begins to experience one of the worst post-war power crises, where blackouts, caused by power shortages, affects Metro Manila and southern Luzon and worsens by end of May; with the capital experiencing almost 60 blackouts since March 1.Philippinessource
  • April 13 – The 5.3 Mw Roermond earthquake affects the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong).source
  • 13 April – The 1992 Roermond earthquake had a moment magnitude of 5.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong).Netherlandssource
  • 6 May: A powerful F4 tornado strikes the small village of Estación López in Buenos Aires Province. Ninety percent of the village's structures are destroyed, as vehicles are tossed hundreds of meters, along with four fatalities. It stands as one of the strongest tornadoes recorded in Argentina and the Southern Hemisphere.Argentinasource
  • June 8 – The first World Oceans Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.source
  • July 6–29 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq refuses a UN inspection team access to the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. UNSCOM claims that it has reliable information that the site contains archives related to illegal weapons activities. UN inspectors stage a 17-day "sit-in" outside of the building, but leave when their safety is threatened by Iraqi soldiers.source
  • September 2 – The 7.7 Mw Nicaragua earthquake affects the west coast of Nicaragua. With a Ms–Mw disparity of half a unit, this tsunami earthquake triggers a tsunami that causes most of the damage and casualties, with at least 116 killed. Average runup heights are 3 - 8 m.source
  • 8 September – 1992 India–Pakistan floods, almost 1,000 people die and 3 million are evacuated due to flooding in Punjab province caused by torrential rains swelling the Indus river and its tributaries, a thousand more are also killed in the Kashmir region.Pakistansource
  • October 12 – The 5.8 Mb Cairo earthquake affects the city with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 545 dead and 6,512 injured.source
  • 12 October – The Seville Expo '92 closes after receiving more than 41 million visitors.Spainsource
  • 18 October – 1992 Murindó earthquake.Colombiasource
  • November 13 – A report by the World Meteorological Organization reports an unprecedented level of ozone depletion in both the Arctic and Antarctic.source
  • December 12 – The 7.8 Mw Flores earthquake affects the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe) leaving at least 2,500 dead. A destructive tsunami with wave heights of 25 m follows.source
  • Sultan of Kelantan: Sultan Ismail PetraMalaysiasource

Culture & Society

  • February 6 – The Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II commemorates 40 years since the accession of Elizabeth II as Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.source
  • February 8 – The opening ceremony for the 1992 Winter Olympics is held in Albertville, France.source
  • March 18 – White South Africans vote in favour of political reforms which will end the apartheid regime and create a power-sharing multi-racial government.source
  • 9 May - Michelle McLean, Miss Namibia, is crowned Miss Universe at Bangkok, Thailand. Is the first and only time that Namibia wins the contest.Namibiasource
  • May 10 – Sweden wins the Ice Hockey World Championships in Czechoslovakia defeating Finland, 5–2, in the final game in Prague.source
  • June 10–26 – Sweden hosts the UEFA Euro 1992 football tournament, which is won by Denmark.source
  • June 26 – Denmark beats Germany 2–0 in the final to win the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden.source
  • July 25–August 9 – The 1992 Summer Olympics are held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.source
  • July 25 to August 9 – Uruguay at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, SpainUruguaysource
  • 1st - Republic day celebrations held across the country.Ghanasource
  • 8 August – The first edition of the Kazakhstan Cup concludes when Kairat defeats Fosfor at the final.Kazakhstansource
  • October 19 – The Chinese Communist Party promotes several market-oriented reformers to the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, signaling a defeat for hard-line ideologues.source
  • The University of Buea becomes a full-fledged university.Cameroonsource
  • The country competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.Gabonsource
  • Wikki Tourists F.C. football club establishedNigeriasource
  • United Arab Emirates at the 1992 Summer OlympicsUnited Arab Emiratessource

Births

Deaths

  • March 9 – Menachem Begin, 78, Israeli politician, prime minister (1977–1983), Nobel Prize recipient (1978), heart attack.source
  • March 23 – Friedrich Hayek, 92, Austrian economist, Nobel Prize recipient (1974).source
  • April 6 – Isaac Asimov, 72, Russian-American science fiction author (Foundation, Galactic Empire, Robot), heart failure.source
  • April 10 – First Nagorno-Karabakh War: Maraga massacre – At least 43 Armenian civilians are killed as their village of Maraga, Azerbaijan, is captured and destroyed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.source
  • April 16 – Andy Russell, 72, American singer, complications from a stroke.source
  • April 21 – The death of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia results in a succession dispute between Nicholas Romanov, Prince of Russia and Vladimir's daughter Maria for the leadership of the Imperial Family of Russia.source
  • April 23 – Satyajit Ray, 70, Indian filmmaker, heart failure.source
  • May 5 – Armand Césari Stadium disaster in Bastia on Corsica: 18 people are killed and 2,300 are injured when one of the terraces collapses before a football match between SC Bastia and Olympique de Marseille.source
  • 29 June – Mohamed Boudiaf, politician (born 1919)Algeriasource
  • August 5 – Robert Muldoon, 70, New Zealand politician, prime minister (1975–1984).source
  • August 12 – John Cage, 79, American composer, stroke.source
  • August 24–28 – Hurricane Andrew hits south Florida and Louisiana and dissipates over the Tennessee valley when it merges with a storm system; 23 are killed.source
  • September 12 – Anthony Perkins, 60, American actor (Psycho, Friendly Persuasion, The Black Hole), AIDS.source
  • October 8 – Willy Brandt, 78, German politician, Chancellor (1969–1974), and Nobel Prize recipient (1971), colon cancer.source
  • November 7 – Alexander Dubček, 70, Slovak politician, traffic accident.source
  • December 28 – Actress Daniella Perez is murdered in Rio de Janeiro, after being stabbed 18 times with scissors by actor Guilherme de Pádua and his then-wife Paula Thomaz. The crime shocked Brazil, due to both the victim and the murderer being romantic partners in the telenovela De Corpo e Alma, which aired on TV Globo.source
  • Faeq Hassan, painter .(b.1914)Iraqsource
  • 5000 people are killed and 75000 displaced in ethnic conflict in the Rift Valley ProvinceKenyasource
  • Major-general Abdul Rahman Mamudu, military Governor of Gongola State (born 1937)Nigeriasource