The year 1994 became one of resilience and recovery for Southern California, jolted on the morning of Jan. 17 by the magnitude-6.7 Northridge earthquake. It was one of several events that defined a tumultuous year that, at times, seemed to border on the surreal.
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Take a look back at the events that shaped 1994.
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On Jan. 6, 1994, the worlds of crime and sports collided when Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan (left) was attacked at an ice rink. The former husband of skating rival Tonya Harding later pleaded guilty for his role in the assault. Harding, a U.S. champion, was banned from the sport.
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On the morning of Jan. 17, 1994, a magnitude-6.7 earthquake centered northwest of Los Angeles resulted in death and destruction across Southern California. It was the first quake to occur directly under an urban area in the United States since the 1933 Long Beacj earthquake. Fifty-seven people died in the Northridge earthquake.
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On Jan. 25, 1994, President Bill Clinton called for health care reform and a ban on assault weapons in his first State of the Union address. Clitnon signed the federal assault weapons ban later that year.
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On Jan. 30, 1994, Buffalo lost its fourth consecutive Super Bowl, a one-side 30-13 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in Atlanta.
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The Winter Olympics begin in Lillehammer, Norway.
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In a storybook ending, speed skater Dan Jansen of the U.S. won gold in his final race, the 1,000 meters at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
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Grammy winning pop star Justin Bieber was born on March 4, 1994 in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
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Director Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Courtesy of Mark Seliger / Steven Kasher Gallery, New York
On April 5, 1994, Nivana frontman Kurt Cobain was found death in his Washington home.
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On April 22, 1994, former President and California Sen. Richard Nixon died at age 81. Nixon's burial site is at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California.
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The former first lady of the United States died on May 19, 1994 at age 64. This photo shows a LIFE magazine cover from September 1, 1961 displayed at the Jacqueline Kennedy exhibit Nov. 12, 2004 at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois.
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The animated film "The Lion King" premiered June 15, 1994 in movie theaters. Three years later, the hit musical made its Broadway debut.
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Aerial video from June 17, 1994 shows a white Ford Bronco in which then-fugitive OJ Simpson was traveling with friend and former teammate Al Cowlings. The two led a televised low-speed pursuit on Southern California freeways to Simpson's home in West LA five days after the killings of the NFL star's former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman.
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The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon, beat the New York Knicks the win the 1994 NBA Championship.
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The United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, using several venues, including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the July 17, 1994 final in which Brazil defeated Italy on penalties. In this July 10, 1994 photo, Bulgaria is playing Germany in a quarterfinal at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, New York.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as US Supreme Court Justices on Aug. 10, 1994. Nominated by President Bill Clinton, she was confirmed by a Senate vote of 97-3.
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On Oct. 14, 1994, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff was born in San Rafael, California.
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On Nov. 5, 1994, former California governor and U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced he has Alzheimer's disease. Reagan is pictured here in October 1990 with wife Nancy and future tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
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On Nov. 8, 1994, then-Georgia Rep. Newt Gingrich and the Republican Party take control of the House and Senate during historic mid-term elections.
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Future U.S. President George W. Bush is elected govenor of Texas. Bush is pictured here in July 1990 with former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent. Bush was the Texas Rangers' managing general partner at the time.
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On Nov. 30, 1994, the NFL announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the league's 30th franchise.
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Both the Rams and Raiders played their final games -- at least for a while -- in Southern California. The Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders went to Oakland the next year. In this Dec. 24, 1994 photo, fans support the Los Angeles Rams during a game against the Washington Redskins at Anaheim Stadium. The Redskins won 24-21. The fans wore shirts stating that they will continue to support the Rams, even though the Christmas Eve loss was the last game the team played in Anaheim.
