 Iraq.
14/8/2003, Across the N.E. USA and Canada, nine States (Ontario, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vermont) lost power when one power station became overloaded and shut down, creating a domino effect across the outdated electricity distribution system.
17/4/2003, John Paul Getty, oil magnate, died aged 84.
29/1/2002, US President Bush denounced the ‘Axis of Evil’ – the states of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
23/12/2001, The ‘shoe bomber’, Richard Reid, attempted to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, by setting off explosives hidden in his shoe, but was overpowered by the other passengers.
7/10/2001. Following the September 11, 2001 attack on the USA, missile attacks began on Afghanistan, prior to US invasion. President George Bush announced the start of Operation Enduring Freedom, to root out Al Quaeda
4/10/2001, The first anthrax attack occurred on a US government office, sent through the post. More anthrax arrived in the post on 9/10/2001.
20/9/2001, President Bush declared a ‘War on Terror’.
17/9/2001. The US Stock market re-opened after the 9-11 attacks.
See also Islam and Middle East for events following ‘9-11’ attacks
11/9/2001, The World Trade Centre in New York was hit by two planes, bringing both its twin towers down. A third plane hit the Pentagon in Washington, and a fourth crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside after failing to reach perhaps Camp David or the White House. Casualties were approximately 5,000. All four planes had been hijacked by Muslim extremist suicide squads, but on the fourth plane, passengers retook control from the hijackers. Osama Bin Laden, head of the Al-Quaeda terrorist organisation, and based in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, was swiftly blamed.
Click here for image from Financial Times, UK, September 11 2001. Interesting symbolism relating to the NY attacks a few hours later.
6/8/2001, President Bush was warned that Osama Bin Laden was planning a strike against the US and that this might involve hijacking of aircraft.
11/6/2001, In the US, Timothy McVeigh was executed for the Oklahoma City bombing.
16/11/2000, Bill Clinton became the first US President to visit Vietnam.
8/11/2000, (1) In the controversial US Presidential Elections, Republican George W Bush defeated Democrat Vice President Al Gore but the final result was delayed for over a month because of a disputed vote count in Florida.
(2) Hillary Rodham Clinton was elected to the US Senate
24/7/2000, A concert planned for Central Park, New York, was cancelled due to the threat of West Nile virus, carried by mosquitoes and birds. The virus had been detected in new York in 1999 and appeared to have persisted over-winter.
11/1/2000, US President Clinton established three new National Parks in the USA.
30/11/1999, In Seattle, a large-scale protest by the anti-globalisation movement caught the authorities unaware and forced the cancellation on a WTO meeting.
4/1999, President Clinton considered housing Kosovan refugees at Guantanamo bay, but the idea was scrapped.
20/4/1999, US teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold took two submachine guns to Columbine High School, for an attack planned for Hitler’s birthday. 15 children were killed or injured before the two killed themselves.
22/3/1999, Jack Kevorkian, pro-euthanasia doctor, went on trial for murder in Pontiac, Michigan. He was later convicted of second-degree murder.
8/3/1999. Monica Lewisnky arrived in Britain for a book-signing tour, beginning at Harrods.
12/2/1999, President Clinton was acquitted at his impeachment trial.
7/1/1999, The impeachment trial of US President Bill Clinton began in Washington DC
19/11/1998, The US Senate began impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair. President Clinton was impeached on 19/12/1998.
5/10/1998, The US Congressional Committee debated whether to impeach president Clinton overt the Monica Lewinsky affair, over allegations he had abused power and tampered with witnesses.
17/8/1998, President Bill Clinton gave ev