Question

Wasn’t there a near-earth asteroid around 1995?

The asteroid you are referring to is 1995 CR. Its discovery did catch many astronomers off-guard, and well as cause some public alarm. For the first time, modern society was forced to address the possibility of cataclysmic natural disaster from space. Prior to 1995, most astronomers and astrophysicists believed that a large incoming object would be detected long before its arrival. 1995 CR proved that this was not the case. It was first noticed on February 3, 1995, and crossed the Earth’s path two and a half weeks later. By galactic distances, it was a very near miss, 0.05 Astronomical Units (one AU is equal to the distance from the Earth to the Sun). The object was approximately 1 to 2 miles in diameter, and though the consequences of impact would depend on its composition, the collision would surely have had global effects. Fortunately, no collision occurred and the world continued quietly on with very few people fully cognizant of how narrowly the planet escaped disaster.
March 11, 2002