March 28, 2024

1991: What Else Happened?

April 1, 2016

Northern Express founders Bob Downes and George Foster had big news in 1991. In addition to their day jobs, the friends had decided to invest their respective life savings (about $2,000 each) in a new venture, called Northern Express Weekly. So what else was going on as 1991 — and 25 years of Express — began? Here’s a look back.

• The U.S. president was George Herbert Walker Bush and the vice president was Dan Quayle.

• The mayor of Traverse City was James F. "Jim" Tompkins Jr. and the mayor of Petoskey was Herbert H. Carlson.

• Operation Desert Storm began in January 1991 in the Persian Gulf as part of the Gulf War; the Gulf War, which began in mid-1990, was considered over by the end of February 1991, although associated military operations in that region would continue for several years.

• The Dennos Museum opened its doors on the Northwestern Michigan College campus, aiming to “engage, entertain and enlighten” its visitors.

• The SNES, or Super Nintendo Entertainment System, was released in the U.S. in August, the first “Sonic the Hedgehog” game hit stores and “Street Fighter II” was released to video arcades.

• The New York Giants won Super Bowl XXV, defeating the Buffalo Bills by only one point.

• The Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City was just getting started, with JCPenney and Target opening in the fall of 1991 and the rest of the mall prepping for its grand opening in early 1992, when it would become the biggest Michigan shopping mall north of Saginaw.

• The first licensed Starbucks Coffee outlet opened at Seattle’s Sea-Tac International Airport.

• Construction was completed on The Lilac Tree Hotel on Mackinac Island, making it the first hotel built there in more than 75 years.

• Boris Yeltsin was elected president of the Russian Federation.

• Blissfest celebrated its 10-year anniversary

• The U.S. Department of Justice announced Exxon had agreed to pay $1 billion to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

• The Comedy Central channel launched on TV.

• The tall ship Manitou, a replica of an 1800s coasting cargo schooner, arrived to stay in Grand Traverse Bay.

• Bowers Harbor Vineyards planted their first grapevines on Old Mission Peninsula and Chateau Grand Traverse launched their Traverse Bay Winery brand.

• Actor Jeff Daniels, a Chelsea, Mich., native, founded The Purple Rose Theater Company in his hometown to support emerging talent and original American theater productions.

• The Traverse City Cherry Festival queen was Mitzie McKay and the fest’s special guest was the Phoenix Suns’ Dan Majerle. Majerle is now retired from basketball and is coaching the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

• Interlochen held their centennial celebration in honor of founder Joe Maddy’s 100th birthday and presented concerts by David Sanborn, The Judds, Julio Iglesias, Wayne Newton, Itzhak Perlman and Kenny Rogers.

• On Oct. 3, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton announced he would seek the 1992 Democratic nomination for president.

• The Northern Michigan Railroad Club started the Festival of Trains in Traverse City, an event that would become an annual holiday favorite.

• On Dec. 26, the Cold War ended when Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union subsequently dissolved.

BORN IN 1991

• Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran

• Actress Shailene Woodley (Divergent movie series)

• Rapper/singer Azealia Banks

• Swedish DJ Alesso

• Canadian hockey player Brayden McNabb

• Rapper Tyler the Creator

• Actress Jamie Lynn Spears (Britney Spears’ sister)

• Actor Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner movie series)

• Professional rugby player Manu Tuilagi

• Country singer Hunter Hayes

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