BBC News | Themes | Goodbyes The BBC's Richard Anthony Baker remembers Frank Sinatra Riding into the sunlight Linda McCartney became a renowned photographer and animal rights activist The death of Linda McCartney also received widespread coverage and the tributes were warm and unstinting in praise of her courage in the face of the cancer which killed her at 56. Her husband, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, memorably described how - in her final moments - he told her to imagine the two of them riding on horseback through sunlit bluebell woods. If Lady Linda became best known through her husband, then the reverse was true of Sonny Bono , who died in a skiing accident in January, bringing to an end a career which started in music with his wife Cher and ended in politics, in the US Congress. Almost up with Ol' Blue Eyes in legendary status was the 'First Lady of Country', Tammy Wynette , who died after a long history of health problems at the age of 55.

Silver screen now dulled If the title 'First Lady of the Jungle' had been available in the 1930s, then there was no doubt that it would have belonged to Maureen O'Sullivan , who played Jane to Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan - the role for which she will always be remembered despite starring in films as diverse as Anna Karenina and A Day At The Races. The King of the Cowboys rode off into the sunset Among other film greats to pass away in 1998 were King of the Cowboys Roy Rogers and the Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry . On the other side of the camera, film enthusiasts all over the world mourned Japan's Akira Kurosawa . He was the director responsible for masterpieces such as Rashomon, the Seven Samurai - the model for the Magnificent Seven - Ran and Kagemusha. The man who created Batman and worked as a consultant on the recent films, Bob Kane , died aged 83 in November. Final chords As well as Frank Sinatra and Sonny Bono, the world of music lost names such as jazz musician Benny Green and classical composers Alfred Schnittke and Sir Michael Tippett .

The last-named was one of the finest musicians in the United Kingdom and 1998 seemed to hit hard the ranks of entertainers from the British Isles. Widely differing in their music but also among those who played their final tunes were popular singer Dorothy Squires , aged 83, and rock drummer Cozy Powell , whose death in a car crash was unfortunately heard by his girlfriend as he spoke to her on her mobile phone. Comic talent Among those no longer with us are the very English comedians, satirists and all-round wits Frank Muir , a veteran of TV's Call My Bluff, and John Wells , the writer of Private Eye's "Dear Bill" letters - supposedly from Mrs Thatcher's husband, Denis. British comedy also lost writer Johnny Speight who created the TV series Till Death Us Do Part and its notoriously bigoted main character, Alf Garnett. One of the programme's actresses, comedy veteran Patricia Hayes , also parted company with the world, as did comedienne Betty Marsden , star of radio's Round the Horne.

'Father Ted' Dermot Morgan died suddenly at 45 Well-loved in the UK although from the Irish Republic was Father Ted star Dermot Morgan who died in March aged 45, at the peak of his career. Remembering Dermot Morgan The BBC's Leo Enright on the untimely death of the 'Father Ted' star More serious members of the British acting profession to make their final exit in 1998 included post-war screen and stage idol Michael Denison ; Joan Hickson , TV's quintessential Miss Marple, Agatha Christie's elderly female detective; and playwright Francis Durbridge , creator of detectives such as Paul Temple. And if all the above could have been gathered together for a single show, then there is no doubt who would have been the producer - Lord Grade , the TV, film and theatrical impresario who died in November at the age of 91. A poetic legacy In the field of literature, the name of Ted Hughes stands out. The Poet Laureate died at the end of October, aged 68, and went to his grave to the sound of his own poems read by Nobel literature prize-winner Seamus Heaney.

The poetic legacy of Ted Hughes The BBC's Nick Higham on the death of poet laureate Ted Hughes Less acclaimed by the critics, perhaps, but not by the adoring general reading public was Catherine Cookson , famous for her romantic novels set in her native north-east England. Coming from the type of humble beginnings characteristic of many of her heroines, she sold more than 100 million books. Shepard was the first American in space Another who achieved the highest status in their chosen profession was astronaut Alan Shepard . He was the first American in space and the fifth man to walk on the moon. Newspaper legends British newspapers lost three giants of their industry in 1998. In May, the Mirror Group's Hugh Cudlipp , described as "the greatest exponent of the tabloid art", died aged 84. He had set the standard with the left-wing Sunday and Daily Mirror in the 1950s and 1960s. The following month saw the death of Associated Newspapers' Sir David English , who turned the Daily Mail into the top middle-class, centre-right paper of recent years. Known as a perfectionist, he was a legend to those who worked for him.

Less than three months later, Sir David was followed by his long-time proprietor, Lord Rothermere , one of the last great British press barons. One of the BBC's own radio pioneers, Frank Gillard , a veteran war correspondent and later senior executive, died in October. A brief, bright star Florence Griffith-Joyner's death came as a shock to the athletic world Among those on the roll from the world of sport who died in 1998, the name of Florence Griffith-Joyner reigns supreme. A triple gold-medal winner at the 1988 Olympics, Flo-Jo as she was known, was as famous for her vivid racing outfits and fluorescent fingernails as for her speed. Rumours of drug-taking, fuelled by her sudden retirement after Seoul, resurfaced at her death - though this was found to have been caused by an epileptic seizure and subsequent suffocation . As dominant in her own sport in her own time was Helen Wills Moody , a winner of eight Wimbledon titles as well as seven in the US and four in France in the 1920s and 30s.

Sportsmen who would no longer grace their art included former Yorkshire and England wicket-keeper David Bairstow and Justin Fashanu , the first professional football player in the UK to admit being a homosexual. Both committed suicide - Fashanu because he believed he faced prosecution in the US on charges of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. Few tears shed Away from the spheres of entertainment, media and sport, a number of important politicians and business people breathed their last. Held by his own troops, Pol Pot died in a jungle camp Of these, the name of Pol Pot ranks alone in infamy. He will be remembered as the man who turned Cambodia into the killing fields , a dictator responsible for the deaths of millions of his countrymen and unrepentant to the end. Another leader of his country who will not be remembered with universal fondness is Nigeria's General Sani Abacha , who died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 54. His death led to hopes that Nigeria would return to democratic rule .

'A nation in agony' The BBC's Hilary Andersson on Nigeria after the death of Moshood Abiola One consequence of this would have been the release of the jailed opposition leader, Chief Moshood Abiola , but a heart attack one day before his freedom would have been realised put an end to that prospect. His funeral sparked chaotic scenes but fears that the death was not natural proved unfounded . Other former leaders of their countries to pass away included Constantine Karamanlis , who was president as Greece restored democracy in 1974, and Todor Zhivkov , who ruled communist Bulgaria for 35 years until 1989. One potential future leader was Russia's Galina Starovoitova , murdered for her reformist views. She was much-mourned by people who had pinned their hopes on her determination to stamp out the courruption endemic in their country. Controversial figures The US saw the deaths of several historically important political figures. One was James Earl Ray , jailed for killing black civil rights leader Martin Luther King in 1968. He died still protesting his innocence and with a number of questions still hanging over his conviction.

Wallace stood for segregation - but changed his stance late in life Inextricably linked to the issue of civil rights in America was George Wallace , who declared on becoming Democrat governor of Alabama in 1963: "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." He was shot in 1972 and failed in several attempts to run for office. He later recanted and apologised to blacks for his earlier policies. A segregationist who turned to racial harmony The BBC's Rageh Omaar reports on Governor George Wallace The Republican side lost Barry Goldwater , who was seen as the father of modern American conservatism . Although trounced by Lyndon Johnson in the 1963 presidential campaign, his views were widely believed to have paved the way for the Reagan years in the 1980s. Rivers of blood Powell provoked outrage, but was a key figure on the Tory right The UK too lost a similarly controversial figure from the right, who is also best known for his views on race. Enoch Powell died, aged 85, in February.

His "Rivers of Blood" speech on immigration in 1968 led to his sacking from the shadow cabinet and ultimately to his resignation from the Conservative Party. But his influence never evaporated completely and Baroness Thatcher was one of many politicians to pay tribute on Mr Powell's death, describing his speeches as " an unforgettable experience ". Other British politicians who died in 1998 included the country's first minister for sport, Labour's Denis Howell , long-time Labour MP and former minister Joan Lestor and the party's veteran peer and radical Methodist campaigner Lord Soper . From the other side of the political divide, Tory euro-sceptic Nicholas Budgen passed away. The British business community is no longer the domain of Tiny Rowland , a buccaneer who made his millions in the mines of Africa. Also connected with mining was Sir Ian MacGregor , the chairman of the UK National Coal Board during the miners' strike of 1984-85. More stylishly, 1998 saw the last trip of Ferdinand Porsche , creator of the famous marque.

A lasting influence McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain spread globally But if you look among the ranks of those who died in 1998 for the person who had the most influence on the 20th century and for a name that will live on, perhaps you should look no further than an American man who died in July, aged 89. Along with his late brother Maurice, Richard McDonald founded the ubiquitous fast-food restaurants which carry their name all over the world and will continue to do so into the next millennium. 1998 | Familypedia | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit May 8 – CBS telecasts The Wizard of Oz for the last time. Beginning in 1999, The Wizard of Oz will be shown on cable, and in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 it will be telecast by the WB Television Network in addition to its cable showings. May 11 India conducts 3 underground nuclear tests in Pokhran , including 1 thermonuclear device. The first euro coins are minted in Pessac , France.

Because the final specifications for the coins were not finished in 1998, they will have to be melted and minted again in 1999. May 13 – 14 – Riots directed against Chinese Indonesians break out in Indonesia. Indonesian natives destroy and burn Chinese Indonesian-owned properties and kill and rape more than 1,000 Chinese Indonesians. May 19 – The Galaxy IV communications satellite fails, leaving 80–90% of the world's pagers without service. May 21 – Suharto resigns, after 32 years as President of Indonesia and his 7th consecutive re-election by the Indonesian Parliament (MPR). Suharto's hand-picked Vice President, B. J. Habibie , becomes Indonesia's third president. May 26 – Bear Grylls , 23, becomes the youngest British climber to scale Mount Everest .

[2] May 28 – Nuclear testing : In response to a series of Indian nuclear tests, Pakistan explodes 5 nuclear devices of its own in the Chaghai hills of Baluchistan, codenamed Chagai-I , prompting the United States, Japan and other nations to impose economic sanctions . Pakistan celebrates Youm-e-Takbir annually. 1998���99 Edmonton Oilers season : Wikis (The Full Wiki) 31 March 2 – Data sent from the Galileo probe indicates that Jupiter 's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice. March 2 – Natascha Kampusch is abducted by Wolfgang Priklopil (she will remain in his captivity until August 2006). March 4 – Gay rights : Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services : The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex. March 5 – NASA announces that the Clementine probe orbiting the Moon has found enough water in polar craters to support a human colony and rocket fueling station. April 6 – Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of hitting India .

April 7 – Citicorp and Travelers Group announce plans to merge, creating the largest financial-services conglomerate in the world, Citigroup . April 8 – Iraq disarmament crisis : UNSCOM reports to the UN Security Council that Iraq's declaration on its biological weapons program is incomplete and inadequate. April 8 – April 1998 Birmingham tornado : An F5 tornado strikes the western portion of the Birmingham, Alabama area, killing 32 people. April 10 – Good Friday : 18 hours after the end of the talks deadline, the Belfast Agreement is signed between the Irish and British governments and most Northern Ireland political parties, with the notable exception of the Democratic Unionist Party . April 16 – An F3 tornado passes through downtown Nashville, Tennessee , the first significant tornado in 11 years to directly hit a major city. An F5 tornado travels through rural portions south of Nashville (see 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak ). May 9 – Dana International , a transsexual singer from Israel , wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 in Birmingham , UK. May 11 – India conducts 3 underground nuclear tests in Pokhran , including 1 thermonuclear device.

May 11 – The first euro coins are minted in Pessac , France. Because the final specifications for the coins were not finished in 1998, they will have to be melted and minted again in 1999. May 13 – India carries out 2 more nuclear tests at Pokhran . The United States and Japan impose economic sanctions on India. May 13 – 14 – Riots directed against Chinese Indonesians break out in Indonesia. Indonesian natives destroy and burn Chinese Indonesian-owned properties and kill and rape more than 1,000 Chinese Indonesians. May 15 – Iraq disarmament crisis : UNSCOM learns that an Iraqi delegation has travelled to Bucharest , to meet with scientists who can provide the country with missile guidance systems. May 18 – United States v. Microsoft : The United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states file an antitrust case against Microsoft . May 19 – The Galaxy IV communications satellite fails, leaving 80–90% of the world's pagers without service.

May 21 – Suharto resigns, after 32 years as President of Indonesia and his 7th consecutive re-election by the Indonesian Parliament (MPR). Suharto's hand-picked Vice President, B. J. Habibie , becomes Indonesia's third president. May 21 – September 30 – Expo '98 is held in Lisbon , Portugal , with the title "Oceans, an Heritage for the Future". UNESCO had previously declared 1998 to be the International Year of the Oceans due to the Expo, which 12 million people attend. July 10 – The DNA -identified remains of United States Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie arrive home to his family in St. Louis, Missouri , after being in the Tomb of the Unknowns since 1984 . July 10 – Catholic priests' sex abuse scandal : The Diocese of Dallas agrees to pay $23.4 million to 9 former altar boys who claimed they were sexually abused by former priest Rudolph Kos.

July 17 – At a conference in Rome, 120 countries vote to create a permanent International Criminal Court to prosecute individuals for genocide , crimes against humanity , war crimes , and the crime of aggression . July 17 – In Saint Petersburg , Nicholas II of Russia and his family are buried in St. Catherine Chapel, 80 years after he and his family were killed by Bolsheviks . July 17 – A tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake destroys 10 villages in Papua New Guinea , killing an estimated 1,500, leaving 2,000 more unaccounted for and thousands more homeless. August 16 – Silk-Miller police murders : Australian police officers are murdered in Moorabbin, Victoria . August 19 – Monica Lewinsky scandal : On the day of his 52nd birthday, U.S. President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky . He also admits before the nation that night in a nationally televised address that he "misled people" about his sexual affair with Lewinsky.

August 19 – 1998 Russian financial crisis : Russia defaults on the state short-term bonds, and devalues the ruble. The ruble loses 70% of its value against U.S. dollar in the next 6 months. Several of the largest Russians banks collapse, and millions of people lose their savings. September 2 – A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airliner ( Swissair Flight 111 ) crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia , after taking off from New York City en-route to Geneva ; all 229 people on board are killed. September 2 – A United Nations court finds Jean-Paul Akayesu , the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda , guilty of 9 counts of genocide , marking the first time that the 1948 law banning genocide is enforced. September 3 – In Somalia , the southern port of Kismayo is declared the capital of independent Jubaland under Muhamed Said Hersi. September 4 – Google , Inc. is founded in Menlo Park, California , by Stanford University Ph.D. candidates Larry Page and Sergey Brin . [5] September 8 – Mark McGwire of the St.

Louis Cardinals hit his 62nd Home Run of the season in the 4th inning off Steve Trachsel of the Chicago Cubs to surpass the Single Season Home Run Record set by Roger Maris in 1961. September 9 – The United Nations General Assembly elects Didier Opertiri of Uruguay as president for its 53rd session. September 14 – The GSPC is formed in Algeria , splitting off from the GIA over its policy of massacring civilians. October 1 – Sky Digital Satellite Television launches in the UK. October 3 – In Australia, John Howard 's coalition government is re-elected for a second term. October 6 – College student Matthew Shepard is brutally tortured near Laramie, Wyoming because he is gay . He dies October 12 , and is mourned around the world, becoming a symbol of gay-bashing victims and sparking public reflection on homophobia in the United States. October 7 – Oslo's Fornebu Airport closes. October 7 – The United States Congress passes the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act , which gives copyright holders 20 more years of copyright privilege on work they control.

This effectively freezes the public domain to works created before 1923 in the United States. October 27 – Germany: New Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his liberal SPD – Green coalition takes office. October 28 – An Air China jetliner is hijacked by disgruntled pilot Yuan Bin and flown to Taiwan . After landing the plane safely, Yuan Bin is arrested. October 29 – Apartheid : In South Africa , the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presents its report, which condemns both sides for committing atrocities. October 29 – STS-95 : The Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off with 77-year-old John Glenn on board, making him the 2nd oldest person to go into space. (He became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962). October 29 – While en route from Adana to Ankara , a Turkish Airlines flight with a crew of 6 and 33 passengers is hijacked by a Kurdish militant, who orders the pilot to fly to Switzerland . The plane instead lands in Ankara after the pilot tricks the hijacker into thinking that he was landing in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia to refuel.

October 29 – Hurricane Mitch makes landfall in Central America, killing an estimated 18,000 people. October 29 – In Gothenburg , Sweden , 2 arsonists burn down a local Macedonian Society disco, killing 63 and injuring 200, most of them children of refugees. November 5 – Lewinsky scandal : As part of the impeachment inquiry, House Judiciary Committee chairman Henry Hyde sends a list of 81 questions to U.S. President Bill Clinton . November 5 – The journal Nature publishes a genetic study showing compelling evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered his slave Sally Hemings ' son Eston Hemings Jefferson. November 7 – John Glenn returns to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery . November 9 – In the largest civil settlement in United States history, a federal judge approves a US$1.03 billion settlement requiring dozens of brokerage houses (including Merrill Lynch , Goldman Sachs , and Salomon Smith Barney ) to pay investors who claim they were cheated in a widespread price-fixing scheme on the NASDAQ . November 12 – Daimler-Benz completes a merger with Chrysler Corporation to form Daimler-Chrysler .

November 13 – Theglobe.com goes public, opening up 1000% and setting a stock market record for highest rising IPO in history. This became one of the first and most widely publicized IPOs of the internet boom. November 13 – 14 – Iraq disarmament crisis : U.S. President Bill Clinton orders airstrikes on Iraq , then calls them off at the last minute when Iraq promises once again to "unconditionally" cooperate with UNSCOM. 31 December 1 – Exxon announces a US$73.7 billion deal to buy Mobil , thus creating Exxon-Mobil , the second-largest company on the planet by revenue. December 5 – D.C. United defeats Vasco da Gama 2–1 on aggregate to win the Interamerican Cup (one of the greatest triumphs in the history of U.S. club soccer). December 6 – Hugo Chávez Frías, former member of the Venezuelan military and politician, is elected President of Venezuela . December 8 – Tadjena massacre in Algeria : 81 villagers are killed. December 11 – Iraq disarmament crisis : Iraq announces that United Nations weapons inspections will no longer take place on Friday, the Muslim day of rest.

Iraq also refuses to provide test data from the production of missiles and engines. December 19 – Lewinsky scandal : Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives . (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.) December 21 – Iraq disarmament crisis : UN Security Council members France, Germany and Russia call for sanctions to end against Iraq . The 3 Security Council members also call for UNSCOM to either be disbanded or for its role to be recast. The U.S. says it will veto any such proposal. December 26 – Iraq disarmament crisis : Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern "no-fly zones". December 26 – Six sailors die and 5 yachts are lost in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race , the biggest disaster in the race's history 1998 : I Want To Learn The Living History Of All The Classics Story & Experience I Want To Learn The Living History Of All The Classics 1998 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was acommon year that started on a Thursday.

In theGregorian calendar, it was the 1998th year of theCommon Era, or of Anno Domini; the 998th year of the 2nd millennium; the 98th year of the 20th century; and the 9th of the1990s. The year 1998 was designated: International Year of the Ocean byUNESCO.[1] [edit]Events [edit]January January 2 – Russiabegins to circulate newrubles to stem inflationand promote confidence. January 4 – Wilaya of Relizane massacres of 4 January 1998 inAlgeria: Over 170 are killed in 3 remote villages. January 4–January 10 – A massivewinter storm, partly caused by El Niño, strikes New England, southern Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, resulting in widespread power failures, severe damage to forests, and numerous deaths. January 6 – The Lunar Prospectorspacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently shadowed craters near the Moon's poles.

January 8 Ramzi Yousef is sentenced to life in prison for planning the firstWorld Trade Center bombing. Cosmologists announce that theuniverse's expansion rate is increasing. January 11 – Over 100 people are killed in the Sidi-Hamed massacrein Algeria. January 12 – Nineteen Europeannations agree to forbid human cloning. January 14 – Researchers inDallas, Texas present findings about an enzyme that slows aging and cell death (apoptosis). January 17 – Paula Jones accuses U.S. President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment. January 20 – Nepalese police intercept a shipment of 272 human Skulls in Kathmandu. January 22 – Suspected "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynskipleads guilty, and accepts a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. January 25 – The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide attack Sri Lanka's Temple of the Tooth, killing 8 people, injuring 25 others. January 26 – Lewinsky scandal: On American television, President Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.

January 28 Ford Motor Company announces the buyout of Volvo Cars for $6.45 billion. Gunmen hold at least 400 children and teachers hostage for several hours, at an elementary school in Manila, Philippines. New rubles Lunar Prospector [edit]February February – Iraq disarmament crisis: The United States Senatepasses Resolution 71, urging U.S. President Bill Clinton to "take all necessary and appropriate actions to respond to the threat posed byIraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." February 2 – The Standard & Poor's 500 index closes above 1,000 for the first time, rising 20.99 points, or 2.14%, closing at 1,001.27. February 3 – Cavalese cable car disaster: a United States Militarypilot causes the deaths of 20 people near Trento, Italy, when his low-flying plane severs the cable of a cable-car. February 4 – An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in northeastAfghanistan kills more than 5,000 people.

February 6 – The French prefect Claude Erignac is assassinated in the streets of Ajaccio, Corse. February 7–February 22 – The 1998 Winter Olympics are held in Nagano, Japan. February 9 – Eduard Shevardnadze, the Georgian head of state, survives an assassination attempt in Tbilisi. February 10 Voters in Maine repeal a gay rights law passed in 1997, becoming the firstU.S. state to abandon such a law. The first xm Florida El Niño Outbreak: Tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42. Osama bin Laden publishes a fatwa, declaring jihad against all Jews andCrusaders. February 24 – A man tries to hijack a Turkish Airlines passenger plane, claiming that he has a bomb in his teddy bear; passengers disapprove and apprehend him. February 28 – Serbian police begin to wipe out terrorist gangs in Kosovo. [edit]March March 2 Data sent from the Galileo probe indicates that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice.

Natascha Kampusch is abducted by Wolfgang Priklopil (she will remain in his captivity until August 2006). March 4 – Gay rights: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex. March 5 NASA announces that the Clementine probe orbiting the Moon has found enough water in polar craters to support a human colony and rocket fueling station. NASA announces the choice of United States Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins as commander of a future Space Shuttle Columbia mission to launch an X-ray telescope, making Collins the first woman to command aspace shuttle mission. March 10 – United States troops stationed in the Persian Gulf begin to receive the first anthrax vaccine. March 11 – Danish parliamentary election, 1998: Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen is unexpectedly re-elected. March 14 – An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hits southeastern Iran.

March 23 – The 70th Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California with the film Titanic winning a record 11 Oscars. March 24 – Jonesboro massacre: 2 young boys (aged 11 and 13 years) fire upon students at Westside Middle School while hidden in woodlands near the school. 4 students and 1 teacher are killed, and 10 are injured. March 26 – Oued Bouaicha massacre in Algeria: 52 people are killed with axes and knives, 32 of them babies under the age of 2. March 27 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States. [edit]April Ukrainian serial killer Anatoly Onoprienko is sentenced to death for 52 murders. The MS Elation sets sail. April 5 – In Japan, the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge linking Shikoku with >Honshūand costing about US$3.8 billion, opens to traffic, becoming the largestsuspension bridge in the world.

April 6 – Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of hitting India. April 7 – Citicorp and Travelers Group announce plans to merge, creating the largest financial-services conglomerate in the world, Citigroup. April 8 Iraq disarmament crisis: UNSCOM reports to the UN Security Council that Iraq's declaration on its biological weapons program is incomplete and inadequate. April 1998 Birmingham tornado: An F5 tornado strikes the western portion of the Birmingham, Alabama area, killing 32 people. April 10 – Good Friday: 18 hours after the end of the talks deadline, theBelfast Agreement is signed between the Irish and British governments and most Northern Ireland political parties, with the notable exception of theDemocratic Unionist Party. April 16 – An F3 tornado passes through downtown Nashville, Tennessee, the first significant tornado in 11 years to directly hit a major city. An F5 tornado travels through rural portions south of Nashville (see 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak). April 22 – The Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney Worldopens to the public for the first time.

April 25 – A waste reservoir at the Los Frailes mine in Andalusia, Spainruptures, discharging heavy metal waste into the Guadiamar River. The pollution threatens the sensitive ecosystem and endangered species ofDoñana National Park, Spain's largest nature reserve, but is diverted into theGuadalquivir River. Up to 100 km² of farmland are ruined by the spill. [1] [edit]May May 1 – The Socialist Party of Malaysia is founded. May 9 – Dana International, a transsexual singer from Israel, wins theEurovision Song Contest 1998 in Birmingham, UK. May 11 India conducts 3 underground nuclear tests in Pokhran, including 1thermonuclear device. The first euro coins are minted in Pessac, France. Because the final specifications for the coins were not finished in 1998, they will have to be melted and minted again in 1999. May 13 – India carries out 2 more nuclear tests at Pokhran. The United States and Japan impose economic sanctions on India. May 13–May 14 – Riots directed against Chinese Indonesians break out in Indonesia.

Indonesian natives destroy and burn Chinese Indonesian-owned properties and kill and rape more than 1,000 Chinese Indonesians. May 15 – Iraq disarmament crisis: UNSCOM learns that an Iraqi delegation has travelled to Bucharest, to meet with scientists who can provide the country with missile guidance systems. May 16 – James and Charles Hobbs are born. May 18 – United States v. Microsoft: The United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states file an antitrust case against Microsoft. May 19 – The Galaxy IV communications satellite fails, leaving 80–90% of the world's pagers without service. May 21 – Suharto resigns, after 32 years as President of Indonesia and his 7th consecutive re-election by the Indonesian Parliament (MPR). Suharto's hand-picked Vice President, B. J. Habibie, becomes Indonesia's third president. May 21–September 30 – Expo '98 is held in Lisbon, Portugal, with the title "Oceans, an Heritage for the Future".

UNESCO had previously declared 1998 to be the International Year of the Oceans due to the Expo, which 12 million people attend. May 22 – Murray Gleeson is appointed Chief Justice of Australia, succeedingSir Gerard Brennan. May 26 – Bear Grylls, 23, becomes the youngest British climber to scaleMount Everest.[4] May 27 – Oklahoma City bombing: Michael Fortier is sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about the terrorist plot. May 28 – Canadian-born American actor and comedian Phil Hartman is murdered by his wife at the age of 49.[5] Nuclear testing: In response to a series of Indian nuclear tests, Pakistan explodes 5 nuclear devices of its own in the Chaghai hills of Baluchistan, prompting the United States, Japan and other nations to impose economic sanctions. May 30 Nuclear testing: Pakistan conducts 1 more nuclear explosion following its first test. A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hits northern Afghanistan, killing up to 5,000. [edit]June The CIH virus is discovered in Taiwan.

California voters approve Proposition 227, abolishing the state's bilingual education program. June 3 – Eschede train disaster: An InterCityExpress high speed train derails between Hannover and Hamburg, Germany, causing 101 deaths. June 4 – Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in theOklahoma City bombing. June 5 – A strike begins at the General Motors Corporation parts factory inFlint, Michigan, quickly spreading to 5 other assembly plants and lasting 7 weeks. June 7 – Former Brigadier-General >Ansumane Mané seizes control over military barracks in Bissau, marking the beginning of the Guinea-Bissau Civil War (1998–1999). June 8 – Actor Charlton Heston becomes president of the National Rifle Association June 25 Clinton v. City of New York: The United States Supreme Court rules that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 is unconstitutional. Microsoft releases Windows 98 (First Edition). June 30 – Philippine Vice President Joseph Estrada was sworn in as the 13th President of The Philippines.

[edit]July July – The Yangtze River experiences massive flooding as the government of the People's Republic of China sends in the Army for flood relief efforts. July 5 – Japan launches a probe to Mars, joining the United States and Russia as an outer space-exploring nation. July 6 – The new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok opens, while the historic Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport closes. July 10 The DNA-identified remains of United States Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie arrive home to his family in St. Louis, Missouri, after being in the Tomb of the Unknowns since 1984. Catholic priests' sex abuse scandal: The Diocese of Dallas agrees to pay $23.4 million to 9 former altar boys who claimed they were sexually abused by former priest Rudolph Kos. July 12 – France beats Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup final, with the first two goals scored by Zinedine Zidane. July 17 At a conference in Rome, 120 countries vote to create a permanentInternational Criminal Court to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

In Saint Petersburg, Nicholas II of Russia and his family are buried in St. Catherine Chapel, 80 years after he and his family were killed byBolsheviks. A tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake destroys 10 villages inPapua New Guinea, killing an estimated 1,500, leaving 2,000 more unaccounted for and thousands more homeless. Biologists report in the journal Science how they sequenced the genomeof the bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum. July 24 – Russell Eugene Weston Jr. bursts into the United States Capitoland opens fire, killing 2 police officers. He is later ruled incompetent to stand trial. July 25 The United States Navy commissions the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and puts her into service. Wakayama Arsenic poison case: 63 are sickened and 4 killed by arsenicin a festival in the town in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan; Masumi Hayashi is arrested for murder.

July 28 – Monica Lewinsky scandal: Ex-White House intern Monica Lewinskyreceives transactional immunity, in exchange for her grand jury testimony concerning her relationship with U.S. President Bill Clinton. July 31 – The United Kingdom bans the importation of land mines. [edit]August Aug.7: Nairobi Embassy bombing. August 2 – Second Congo War begins. 3,900,000 people are killed before it ends in 2003, making it the bloodiest war, to date, since World War II. August 5 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq officially suspends all cooperation with UNSCOM teams. August 7 Yangtze River Floods: In China the Yangtze River breaks through the main bank; before this, from August 1–5, periphery levees collapsed consecutively in Jiayu County Baizhou Bay. The death toll exceeds 12,000, with many thousands more injured. 1998 U.S.

embassy bombings: The bombings of the United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi,Kenya kill 224 people and injure over 4,500; they are linked to terroristOsama Bin Laden, an exile of Saudi Arabia. August 15 – Omagh bombing: The Real IRA detonates a car bomb in Omagh,County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, killing 29 and injuring over 200 (the greatest loss of life in a single incident of The Troubles). August 16 – Silk-Miller police murders: Australian police officers are murdered in Moorabbin, Victoria. August 19 Monica Lewinsky scandal: On the day of his 52nd birthday, U.S. President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He also admits before the nation that night in a nationally televised address that he "misled people" about his sexual affair with Lewinsky. 1998 Russian financial crisis: Russia defaults on the state short-term bonds, and devalues the ruble. The ruble loses 70% of its value against U.S.

dollar in the next 6 months. Several of the largest Russians banks collapse, and millions of people lose their savings. August 20 The Supreme Court of Canada rules Quebec cannot legally secede fromCanada without the federal government's approval. 1998 U.S. embassy bombings: The United States military launches cruise missile attacks against alleged Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in Sudan in retaliation for the August 7bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum is destroyed in the attack. August 24 – The first RFID human implantation is tested in the United Kingdom. August 26 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Scott Ritter resigns from UNSCOM, sharply criticizing the Clinton administration and the U.N. Security Council for not being vigorous enough about insisting that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction be destroyed. Ritter tells reporters that "Iraq is not disarming," "Iraq retains the capability to launch a chemical strike." August 31 – North Korea reportedly launches Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1, their first satellite. Although North Korea reports that it reached stable orbit, NORADhas never been able to confirm this assertion.

[edit]September Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Henry Hudson searches for Swissair Flight 111debris September 2 A McDonnell Douglas MD-11airliner (Swissair Flight 111) crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, after taking off from New York City en-route toGeneva; all 229 people on board are killed. A United Nations court findsJean-Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of a small town inRwanda, guilty of 9 counts ofgenocide, marking the first time that the 1948 law banning genocide is enforced. September 3 – In Somalia, the southern port of Kismayo is declared the capital of independent Jubaland under Muhamed Said Hersi. September 4 – Google, Inc. is founded in Menlo Park, California, by Stanford University >Ph.D. candidates Larry Page and Sergey Brin.[6] September 9 – The United Nations General Assembly elects Didier Opertiri ofUruguay as president for its 53rd session. September 14 – The GSPC is formed in Algeria, splitting off from the GIA over its policy of massacring civilians.

September 15 – Telecommunications companies MCI Communications andWorldCom complete their $37 billion merger to form MCI WorldCom. September 25–September 28 – Major creditors of Long-Term Capital Management, a Greenwich, Connecticut-ba sed hedge fund, after days of tough bargaining and some informal mediation by Federal Reserve officials, agree on terms of a re-capitalization. September 27 – In Germany, SPD's Gerhard Schröder defeats 4-term CDUChancellor Helmut Kohl. September 29 – Iraq disarmament crisis: The U.S. Congress passes the "Iraq Liberation Act", which states that the United States wants to remove Saddam Hussein from power and replace the government with a democratic institution. [edit]October October 1 – Sky Digital Satellite Television launches in the UK. October 3 – In Australia, John Howard's coalition government is re-elected for a second term. October 7 Oslo's Fornebu Airport closes. The United States Congress passes the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which gives copyright holders 20 more years of copyright privilege on work they control. This effectively freezes the public domain to works created before 1923 in the United States.

October 8 Japan and South Korea sign "A New Japan-Republic of Korea Partnership towards the Twenty-first Century". October 12 – The Congress of the United States passes the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. October 14 – Eric Robert Rudolph is charged with 4 bombings (including the1996 Olympic bombing) in Atlanta, Georgia. October 15 – American Airlines becomes the first airline to offer electronic ticketing in all 44 countries it serves. October 16 – British police place General Augusto Pinochet under house arrest during his medical treatment in the UK. October 17 – A pipeline explosion in Jesse, Nigeria results in 1,082 deaths. October 27 – Germany: New Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his liberalSPD–Green coalition takes office. October 28 – An Air China jetliner is hijacked by disgruntled pilot Yuan Bin and flown to Taiwan. After landing the plane safely, Yuan Bin is arrested. October 29 Apartheid: In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionpresents its report, which condemns both sides for committing atrocities.

STS-95: The Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off with 77-year-old John Glenn on board, making him the 2nd oldest person to go into space. (He became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962). While en route from Adana to Ankara, a Turkish Airlines flight with a crew of 6 and 33 passengers is hijacked by a Kurdish militant, who orders the pilot to fly to Switzerland. The plane instead lands in Ankara after the pilot tricks the hijacker into thinking that he was landing in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia to refuel. Hurricane Mitch makes landfall in Central America, killing an estimated 18,000 people. In Gothenburg, Sweden, 2 arsonists burn down a local Macedonian Society disco, killing 63 and injuring 200, most of them children of refugees. October 31 – Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it will no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors. [edit]November Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected Governor of Minnesota. Edmonton, Canada and Wonju, South Korea are declared as sister cities.

November 5 Lewinsky scandal: As part of the impeachment inquiry, House Judiciary Committee chairman Henry Hyde sends a list of 81 questions to U.S. President Bill Clinton. The journal Nature publishes a genetic study showing compelling evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered his slave Sally Hemings' son Eston Hemings Jefferson. Myra Hindley loses her second appeal in 11 months against her whole life tariff. November 7 – John Glenn returns to Earth aboard the Space ShuttleDiscovery. November 9 In the largest civil settlement in United States history, a federal judge approves a US$1.03 billion settlement requiring dozens of brokerage houses (including Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and Salomon Smith Barney) to pay investors who claim they were cheated in a widespread price-fixing scheme on the NASDAQ. The United Kingdom formally abolishes the death penalty. November 12 – Daimler-Benz completes a merger with Chrysler Corporationto form Daimler-Chrysler. November 13 – Theglobe.com goes public, opening up 1000% and setting a stock market record for highest rising IPO in history. This became one of the first and most widely publicized IPOs of the Internet boom.

November 13–November 14 – Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President Bill Clinton orders airstrikes on Iraq, then calls them off at the last minute whenIraq promises once again to "unconditionally" cooperate with UNSCOM. November 19 – Lewinsky scandal: The United State House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee begins impeachment hearings against U.S. President Bill Clinton. November 20 A court in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan declares accused terroristOsama bin Laden "a man without a sin" in regard to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. Galina Starovoitova, Russian legislator and democracy advocate, is assassinated in Saint Petersburg, Russia. At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the first component for theInternational Space Station (Zarya, or sunrise,) is launched. November 23–November 26 – Iraq disarmament crisis: According toUNSCOM, Iraq once again ends cooperation with the United Nations inspectors, alternately intimidating and withholding information from them. November 24 – America Online announces it will acquire Netscape Communications in a stock-for-stock transaction worth US$4.2 billion.

November 26 Tony Blair becomes the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the Dáil Éireann, the Republic of Ireland's parliament. Japan and China sign the Japan-China Joint Declaration On Building a Partnership of Friendship and Cooperation for Peace and Development. November 30 – Deutsche Bank announces a US$10 billion deal to buyBankers Trust, thus creating the largest financial institution in the world. [edit]December December 2 – Exxon announces a US$73.7 billion deal to buy Mobil, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the second-largest company on the planet by revenue. December 5 – D.C. United defeats Vasco da Gama 2–1 on aggregate to win the Interamerican Cup (one of the greatest triumphs in the history of U.S. club soccer). December 6 – Hugo Chávez Frías, former member of the Venezuelan military and politician, is elected President of Venezuela. December 8 – Tadjena massacre in Algeria: 81 villagers are killed. December 11 – Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq announces that United Nations weapons inspections will no longer take place on Friday, the Muslim day of rest.

Iraq also refuses to provide test data from the production of missiles and engines. December 16–December 19 – Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President Bill Clinton orders and airstrikes on Iraq. UNSCOM withdraws all weapons inspectors from Iraq. December 17 – Claudia Benton, of West University Place, Texas, is murdered in her house by Angel Maturino Resendiz (his third victim in his third incident). December 19 Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadanannounces that Iraq will no longer cooperate and declares that UNSCOM's "mission is over." Lewinsky scandal: Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives. (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.) December 21 – Iraq disarmament crisis: UN Security Council members France, Germany and Russia call for sanctions to end against Iraq. The 3 Security Council members also call for UNSCOM to either be disbanded or for its role to be recast. The U.S. says it will veto any such proposal. December 26 Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern "no-fly zones".

Six sailors die and 5 yachts are lost in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, the biggest disaster in the race's history December 29 – Khmer Rouge leaders apologize for the genocide in Cambodiathat claimed over 1 million in the 1970s. December 31 – The first leap second since June 30, 1997 occurs. In theeurozone, the currency rates of this day are fixed permanently. [edit]Date unknown The fourth generation of VW's Passat automobile goes on sale in North America. Ibrahim Hanna, the last native speaker of Mlahsô, dies in Qamishli, Syria, making the language effectively extinct. In that same year, the last native speaker of related Bijil Neo-Aramaic dies in Jerusalem. Karolyn Nunnallee, whose daughter died 10 years earlier in the Carrollton bus collision, is elected president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

[edit]Births April 9 – Elle Fanning, American actress April 24 – Ryan Newman, American actress July 8 – Jaden Smith, American actor July 22 – Madison Pettis, American actress [edit]Deaths Buffalo Bob Smith, American children's television host (b. 1917) Jorge Russek, Mexican actor (b. 1932) [edit]August August 1 – Eva Bartok, Hungarian actress (b. 1927) August 2 – Shari Lewis, American ventriloquist (b.1933) August 3 – Alfred Schnittke, Russian-born composer (b. 1934) August 4 – Yuri Artyukhin, cosmonaut (b. 1930) August 5 – Todor Zivkov, former president of Bulgaria (b. 1911) August 6 – André Weil, French mathematician (b.1906) August 9 – Frankie Ruiz, Puerto Rican singer (b. 1958) August 13 – Julien Green, French-born American writer (b. 1900) August 24 – E. G.

Marshall, American actor (b. 1910) August 25 – >Lewis F. Powell, Jr., American Justice of the Supreme Court (b.1907) August 26 – Frederick Reines, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b.1918) [edit]September 1998 - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Top awards and nominations received by Sex and the City Did you know ... in 1998 , a study proposed to relocate Jordanhill railway station , a station currently located in Glasgow , Scotland near the Jordanhill Campus of the University of Strathclyde and the Jordanhill School that opened in 1887 ? the Ukrainian Marines were from May 1996 until 1998 part of the Ukrainian National Guard, but were transferred to the Navy in 1998 ?

during the 1998 Guinea-Bissau Civil War , as many as 100 refugees an hour passed through the border checkpoint of Mpack , Senegal , which has a population of 518? Estela Ruiz claims to have seen and spoken with the Blessed Virgin Mary in South Phoenix, Arizona continually from 1988 to 1998 ? Tetsuya Ota won a lawsuit against race organizers of the now infamous 1998 JGTC race at Fuji Speedway , despite signing a pledge not to seek compensation? 1998 by topic Subject: Archaeology – Architecture – Art – Aviation – Film – Home video – Literature ( Poetry ) – Meteorology – Music ( Country , Metal ) – Rail transport – Radio – Science – Spaceflight – Sports – Television – Video gaming Countries: 1998 ( MCMXCVIII ) was a common year that started on a Thursday .

In the Gregorian calendar , it was the 1998th year of the Common Era , or of Anno Domini ; the 998th year of the 2nd millennium ; the 98th year of the 20th century ; and the 9th of the 1990s . Contents: The year 1998 was designated: International Year of the Ocean by UNESCO . [1] Events January 4 – January 10 – A massive winter storm , partly caused by El Niño , strikes New England , southern Ontario , Quebec , and New Brunswick , resulting in widespread power failures, severe damage to forests, and numerous deaths. January 6 – The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon , and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently shadowed craters near the Moon's poles. January 20 – Nepalese police intercept a shipment of 272 human Skulls in Kathmandu . January 22 – Suspected " Unabomber " Theodore Kaczynski pleads guilty, and accepts a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

January 28 – Ford Motor Company announces the buyout of Volvo Cars for $6.45 billion. January 28 – Gunmen hold at least 400 children and teachers hostage for several hours, at an elementary school in Manila , Philippines . February 28 February – Iraq disarmament crisis : The United States Senate passes Resolution 71, urging U.S. President Bill Clinton to "take all necessary and appropriate actions to respond to the threat posed by Iraq 's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." February 2 – The Standard & Poor's 500 index closes above 1,000 for the first time, rising 20.99 points, or 2.14%, closing at 1,001.27. February 19 – Larry Wayne Harris of the Aryan Nations and William Leavitt are arrested in Henderson, New York , for possession of military grade anthrax . February 20 – Iraq disarmament crisis : Iraqi President Saddam Hussein negotiates a deal with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan , allowing weapons inspectors to return to Baghdad , preventing military action by the United States and Britain .

February 28 – Serbian police begin to wipe out terrorist gangs in Kosovo . March 31 March 2 – Data sent from the Galileo probe indicates that Jupiter 's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice. March 2 – Natascha Kampusch is abducted by Wolfgang Priklopil (she will remain in his captivity until August 2006). March 4 – Gay rights : Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services : The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex. March 5 – NASA announces that the Clementine probe orbiting the Moon has found enough water in polar craters to support a human colony and rocket fueling station. March 23 – The 70th Academy Awards , hosted by Billy Crystal , are held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California with the film Titanic winning a record 11 Oscars. March 24 – Jonesboro massacre : 2 young boys (aged 11 and 13 years) fire upon students at Westside Middle School while hidden in woodlands near the school.

4 students and 1 teacher are killed, and 10 are injured. March 26 – Oued Bouaicha massacre in Algeria : 52 people are killed with axes and knives, 32 of them babies under the age of 2. March 27 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence , the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States. April April 6 – Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of hitting India . April 7 – Citicorp and Travelers Group announce plans to merge, creating the largest financial-services conglomerate in the world, Citigroup . April 8 – Iraq disarmament crisis : UNSCOM reports to the UN Security Council that Iraq's declaration on its biological weapons program is incomplete and inadequate. April 8 – April 1998 Birmingham tornado : An F5 tornado strikes the western portion of the Birmingham, Alabama area, killing 32 people. April 10 – Good Friday : 18 hours after the end of the talks deadline, the Belfast Agreement is signed between the Irish and British governments and most Northern Ireland political parties, with the notable exception of the Democratic Unionist Party .

April 16 – An F3 tornado passes through downtown Nashville, Tennessee , the first significant tornado in 11 years to directly hit a major city. An F5 tornado travels through rural portions south of Nashville (see 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak ). April 22 – The Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World opens to the public for the first time. April 25 – A waste reservoir at the Los Frailes mine in Andalusia , Spain ruptures, discharging heavy metal waste into the Guadiamar River. The pollution threatens the sensitive ecosystem and endangered species of Doñana National Park , Spain 's largest nature reserve, but is diverted into the Guadalquivir River . Up to 100 km² of farmland are ruined by the spill. [1] May May 9 – Dana International , a transsexual singer from Israel , wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 in Birmingham , UK. May 11 – India conducts 3 underground nuclear tests in Pokhran , including 1 thermonuclear device. May 11 – The first euro coins are minted in Pessac , France.

Because the final specifications for the coins were not finished in 1998, they will have to be melted and minted again in 1999. May 13 – India carries out 2 more nuclear tests at Pokhran . The United States and Japan impose economic sanctions on India. May 13 – 14 – Riots directed against Chinese Indonesians break out in Indonesia. Indonesian natives destroy and burn Chinese Indonesian-owned properties and kill and rape more than 1,000 Chinese Indonesians. May 15 – Iraq disarmament crisis : UNSCOM learns that an Iraqi delegation has travelled to Bucharest , to meet with scientists who can provide the country with missile guidance systems. May 18 – United States v. Microsoft : The United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states file an antitrust case against Microsoft . May 19 – The Galaxy IV communications satellite fails, leaving 80–90% of the world's pagers without service. May 21 – Suharto resigns, after 32 years as President of Indonesia and his 7th consecutive re-election by the Indonesian Parliament (MPR).

Suharto's hand-picked Vice President, B. J. Habibie , becomes Indonesia's third president. May 21 – September 30 – Expo '98 is held in Lisbon , Portugal , with the title "Oceans, an Heritage for the Future". UNESCO had previously declared 1998 to be the International Year of the Oceans due to the Expo, which 12 million people attend. July 10 – The DNA -identified remains of United States Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie arrive home to his family in St. Louis, Missouri , after being in the Tomb of the Unknowns since 1984 . July 10 – Catholic priests' sex abuse scandal : The Diocese of Dallas agrees to pay $23.4 million to 9 former altar boys who claimed they were sexually abused by former priest Rudolph Kos. July 17 – At a conference in Rome, 120 countries vote to create a permanent International Criminal Court to prosecute individuals for genocide , crimes against humanity , war crimes , and the crime of aggression . July 17 – In Saint Petersburg , Nicholas II of Russia and his family are buried in St.

Catherine Chapel, 80 years after he and his family were killed by Bolsheviks . July 17 – A tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake destroys 10 villages in Papua New Guinea , killing an estimated 1,500, leaving 2,000 more unaccounted for and thousands more homeless. August 16 – Silk-Miller police murders : Australian police officers are murdered in Moorabbin, Victoria . August 19 – Monica Lewinsky scandal : On the day of his 52nd birthday, U.S. President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky . He also admits before the nation that night in a nationally televised address that he "misled people" about his sexual affair with Lewinsky. August 19 – 1998 Russian financial crisis : Russia defaults on the state short-term bonds, and devalues the ruble. The ruble loses 70% of its value against U.S. dollar in the next 6 months. Several of the largest Russians banks collapse, and millions of people lose their savings.

30 Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Henry Hudson searches for Swissair Flight 111 debris September 2 – A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airliner ( Swissair Flight 111 ) crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia , after taking off from New York City en-route to Geneva ; all 229 people on board are killed. September 2 – A United Nations court finds Jean-Paul Akayesu , the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda , guilty of 9 counts of genocide , marking the first time that the 1948 law banning genocide is enforced. September 3 – In Somalia , the southern port of Kismayo is declared the capital of independent Jubaland under Muhamed Said Hersi. September 9 – The United Nations General Assembly elects Didier Opertiri of Uruguay as president for its 53rd session. September 14 – The GSPC is formed in Algeria , splitting off from the GIA over its policy of massacring civilians. October 1 – Sky Digital Satellite Television launches in the UK. October 3 – In Australia, John Howard 's coalition government is re-elected for a second term.

October 6 – College student Matthew Shepard is beaten and tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming . He dies October 12 , becoming a symbol of gay-bashing victims and sparking public reflection on homophobia in the U.S. October 7 – Oslo's Fornebu Airport closes. October 7 – The United States Congress passes the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act , which gives copyright holders 20 more years of copyright privilege on work they control. This effectively freezes the public domain to works created before 1923 in the United States. October 27 – Germany: New Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his liberal SPD – Green coalition takes office. October 28 – An Air China jetliner is hijacked by disgruntled pilot Yuan Bin and flown to Taiwan . After landing the plane safely, Yuan Bin is arrested. October 29 – Apartheid : In South Africa , the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presents its report, which condemns both sides for committing atrocities. October 29 – STS-95 : The Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off with 77-year-old John Glenn on board, making him the 2nd oldest person to go into space.

(He became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962). October 29 – While en route from Adana to Ankara , a Turkish Airlines flight with a crew of 6 and 33 passengers is hijacked by a Kurdish militant, who orders the pilot to fly to Switzerland . The plane instead lands in Ankara after the pilot tricks the hijacker into thinking that he was landing in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia to refuel. October 29 – Hurricane Mitch makes landfall in Central America, killing an estimated 18,000 people. October 29 – In Gothenburg , Sweden , 2 arsonists burn down a local Macedonian Society disco, killing 63 and injuring 200, most of them children of refugees. November 5 – Lewinsky scandal : As part of the impeachment inquiry, House Judiciary Committee chairman Henry Hyde sends a list of 81 questions to U.S. President Bill Clinton . November 5 – The journal Nature publishes a genetic study showing compelling evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered his slave Sally Hemings ' son Eston Hemings Jefferson. November 7 – John Glenn returns to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery .

November 9 – In the largest civil settlement in United States history, a federal judge approves a US$1.03 billion settlement requiring dozens of brokerage houses (including Merrill Lynch , Goldman Sachs , and Salomon Smith Barney ) to pay investors who claim they were cheated in a widespread price-fixing scheme on the NASDAQ . November 12 – Daimler-Benz completes a merger with Chrysler Corporation to form Daimler-Chrysler . November 13 – Theglobe.com goes public, opening up 1000% and setting a stock market record for highest rising IPO in history. This became one of the first and most widely publicized IPOs of the internet boom. November 13 – 14 – Iraq disarmament crisis : U.S. President Bill Clinton orders airstrikes on Iraq , then calls them off at the last minute when Iraq promises once again to "unconditionally" cooperate with UNSCOM. December 19 – Lewinsky scandal : President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives . (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.) December 21 – Iraq disarmament crisis : UN Security Council members France, Germany and Russia call for sanctions to end against Iraq .

The 3 Security Council members also call for UNSCOM to either be disbanded or for its role to be recast. The U.S. says it will veto any such proposal. December 26 – Iraq disarmament crisis : Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern "no-fly zones". December 26 – Six sailors die and 5 yachts are lost in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race , the biggest disaster in the race's history 1998 : definition of 1998 and synonyms of 1998 (English) May 11 India conducts 3 underground nuclear tests in Pokhran , including 1 thermonuclear device. The first euro coins are minted in Pessac , France. Because the final specifications for the coins were not finished in 1998, they will have to be melted and minted again in 1999. May 13 – 14 – Riots directed against Chinese Indonesians break out in Indonesia. Indonesian natives destroy and burn Chinese Indonesian-owned properties and kill and rape more than 1,000 Chinese Indonesians.

May 19 – The Galaxy IV communications satellite fails, leaving 80–90% of the world's pagers without service. May 21 – Suharto resigns, after 32 years as President of Indonesia and his 7th consecutive re-election by the Indonesian Parliament (MPR). Suharto's hand-picked Vice President, B. J. Habibie , becomes Indonesia's third president. May 26 – Bear Grylls , 23, becomes the youngest British climber to scale Mount Everest . [2] May 28 – Nuclear testing : In response to a series of Indian nuclear tests, Pakistan explodes 5 nuclear devices of its own in the Chaghai hills of Baluchistan, codenamed Chagai-I , prompting the United States, Japan and other nations to impose economic sanctions . Pakistan celebrates Youm-e-Takbir annually.

Question: Which year of the 20th century saw the deaths of Linda McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Catherine Cookson and Justin Fashanu?
Answer: 1998