Winners of 1991

Boris Yeltsin, the comeback kid of Russian politics, deftly toppled the Kremlin and inherited the nuclear button . . . The Teamsters said goodbye to the Mafia. Against all odds, the most corrupt U.S. labor union elected an underdog reformer as president -- Watch out, wiseguys . . . Sam Skinner moved up from Transportation Secretary to displace arrogant-to-the-end John Sununu. Skinner was just what George Bush needed -- a crisis manager who flies coach class . . . Wal-Mart isn't just a discount store anymore. Sam Walton's brainchild surpassed Sears in 1991 as the largest U.S. retailer . . . Nirvana found its place in alternative-rock heaven. The hit single Smells Like Teen Spirit has become an anthem for apathetic kids . . . Aung San Suu Kyi couldn't pick up her Nobel Peace Prize this year because the regime in Burma (also known as Myanmar) holds her under house arrest, but she provides a beacon of democratic hope to people caught in one of the world's worst remaining tyrannies . . . Luke Perry and Jason Priestly are the lucky residents of Beverly Hills, 90210, the coolest ZIP code on earth. For fans of these sensitive heartthrobs, swooning is still in style . . . Ties were big sellers this year. For folks too strapped for a fashion overhaul, flashy neckwear was an easy way to spruce up a dull outfit . . . Air kissing, once mocked, is the way to greet people at social gatherings these days, now that the three-strain flu and everything else is going around. Direct eye contact, however, is still permitted.

. . . AND LOSERS

Donald Trump's jet is gone, his yacht repossessed, his casinos are ailing, but he still has plenty of financial advice. Anybody care to listen? . . . The art market collapsed after its 1980s hysteria. Old masters still fetch a fortune, but the products of hustlers like Julian Schnabel have fallen off the wall . . . L.A. Gear, the trendy sneaker outfit that not long ago talked of whipping Reebok and Nike, has proved that when it comes to athletic shoes, fashion is fleeting . . . Louisiana voters were spared the ex-Klansman and instead got the twice-indicted womanizing gambler. Some choice . . . Clark Clifford, former Defense Secretary and bank executive, claimed ignorance about the B.C.C.I. scandal, but investigators were more than a little skeptical . . . Germany found that reunions can be angst ridden and downright divisive -- not to mention expensive . . . But that didn't mean anyone wanted Erich Honecker back, except for some character in the Chechen-Ingush region of Russia who invited the former East German boss to settle down there.

. . . AND FOILED COMEBACKS

Christopher Columbus, hero of 1492, came under attack as a ruthless invader. A bad year, all in all, for dead white males . . . And some live ones: Mark Spitz and Bjorn Borg hoped to relive their heydays but found it takes more than high self-esteem to be a world-class athlete . . . The 1970s were the years that taste forgot. Why celebrate platform shoes and Partridge Family LPs? Keep them in the attic where they belong.