A level student Stephen Lawrence was murdered by a group of white men while waiting for a bus in Eltham, South-East London. The failure to capture his killers provoked his parents to begin a campaign to shame the authorities into finding the culprits. To date no-one has been convicted, but through Stephen's death the racial attitudes of Britain's organisations were re-evaluated.
Paul Ince became the first black Captain of the England football team.
Toni Morrison was the first black American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She was also only the third woman to do so in 27 years. Morrison wrote six novels noted for their depictions of black America.
Politicians F.W. De Klerk & Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in ending apartheid.
The first all-British world heavyweight title fight took place. Lennox Lewis, holder of the WBC title, defeated Frank Bruno at Cardiff Arms Park.
Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson is banned from international competition for life after testing positive for banned substances for the second time.
1993 saw the cementing of a new style of UK music that evolved out of the rave scene. Using pitched up funk breaks, rap hooks and ragga samples it was to be called jungle. Early pioneers were Fabio, Grooverider, Hype and Randall. Jumpin' Jack Frost and Bryan Gee's V Recordings gives Roni Size and DJ Krust their first release.
New York’s Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). It unleashed producer RZA and MCs GZA, ODB, Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah on the world. Heavily influenced by martial arts films, the Clan’s hardcore style was an instant hit.
When Snoop Doggy Dog releases Doggy Style on Death Row Records, it becomes the first ever debut album to enter the US charts at No.1.
Dizzie Gillespie, the American jazz trumpeter, died aged 76. Known as the "king of bebop", alongside Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker, he helped build bebop, injecting it with his own Cuban flavours.
Legendary jazz musician Sun Ra died. Born Herman Blount he quickly gained an international following with his ensemble, the Arkestra. The music, outrageous costumes and on-stage antics reflected his claim that he was an angel from the planet Saturn. Along with Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor, he is considered a founder of free jazz.
