19942004

1994–2004 denotes the ten-year span from 1994 through 2004, a period marked by rapid globalization, technological diffusion, and significant geopolitical realignments in the aftermath of the Cold War.

In politics, the decade saw the culmination of South Africa's transition with Nelson Mandela's election in 1994, the ongoing Balkans conflicts, and the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, the largest single expansion to date. The period also experienced the Rwandan genocide in 1994 and its enduring regional consequences.

Economically and technologically, the era witnessed rapid Internet growth, the rise and bursting of the dot-com bubble, and the expansion of mobile communications. Global trade and outsourcing increased, and many economies integrated more deeply into global supply chains.

Culturally and security-wise, the period saw the proliferation of digital media and the early rise of social networking, with the launch of Facebook in 2004. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led to the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003) and a broad shift in international security policy. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami also triggered one of the largest humanitarian responses in memory.

The decade's legacy includes lasting changes to international institutions, a new global security landscape, and the central role of information technology in politics, economy, and daily life, which continued to shape events into the next decade.