Stephen Hendry, aged 21 years and 106 days, became the youngest-ever World Snooker Champion on April 29, 1990, defeating Jimmy White 18–12 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.
The 1990 Embassy World Snooker Championship, a ranking event organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), ran from April 13th to 29th. The total prize fund was £620,800, with the winner receiving £120,000. This marked the fourteenth consecutive year the championship was held at the Crucible, having begun there in 1977.
Defending champion Steve Davis, who had won the 1989 final 18–3 against John Parrott, reached the semi-finals before being defeated 14–16 by White. Parrott, meanwhile, overcame Davis in the other semi-final, 16–11, to set up the final clash with Hendry.
Hendry established a commanding lead, winning the first day of the final 9–7 and extending it to 13–7 by winning the first four frames on the second day. White mounted a partial recovery, but Hendry ultimately secured victory with breaks of 81 and 71, finishing the match 18–12.
Throughout the tournament, a total of 18 century breaks were recorded. John Parrott achieved the highest break of the championship with a score of 140. The event featured 288 breaks in the 50s, 166 in the 60s, 94 in the 70s, 46 in the 80s, 15 in the 90s and 40 century breaks overall.
Qualifying rounds for the 1990 championship were held between January 22nd and 27th, 1990, preceding the main tournament at the Crucible. The 1990 World Championship was the tenth and final ranking event of the 1989–90 snooker season.
