01|In Seville, Spain, more than 400,000 people march in silent protest against the murders of a Popular Party councillor and his wife. Alberto Jimenez-Becerril and Ascension Garcia Ortiz were murdered on January 30 by the Basque terrorist group E.T.A.|
01|The men's final of the Australian Open tennis tournament is won in Melbourne by Petr Korda of the Czech Republic. Korda beats Chilean Marcelo Rios in three sets to take his first ever Grand Slam title.|
02|In Canberra, Australia, 152 delegates meet for the opening of the Constitutional Convention. The convention, scheduled to last for two weeks, will decide whether the country will become a republic, independent of the British monarchy, and set out ways in which such a republic might be implemented.|
02|At least 104 people are feared dead in the Philippines after a DC-9 jet, travelling from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, crashes in southern Mindanao.|
02|Thousands of people riot on the islands of Java and Sulawesi in Indonesia. Shops and houses are attacked by angry protesters demonstrating against rising food and fuel prices. Riot police fire warning shots to disperse youths in Unjungpadang, Sulawesi, and 29 people are arrested in Pasuruan in eastern Java. (See also January 30.)|
03|In Texas, U.S.A., Karla Faye Tucker becomes the first woman to be executed in the state since the American Civil War (1861-1865). Tucker, aged 38, was convicted of the murders of Jerry Lynn Dean and Deborah Thornton in 1983. She turned to Christianity during her 13 years on Death Row. Widespread protests were held against the decision to execute her. Tucker is put to death by lethal injection.|
03|In Cavalese, Italy, a cable car plummets 75 metres to the ground when the tail fin of a U.S. military aircraft slices through the wires of the cable car system. All 20 passengers in the car are killed. The EA-6B Prowler jet, stationed at the U.S. base in Aviano, is attached to the NATO mission in Bosnia. The pilot and crew are unhurt as the pilot makes an emergency landing at the airfield. Two separate inquiries are launched to uncover the cause of the accident.|
04|Sri Lanka celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its independence with a ceremony in its capital, Colombo, attended by Charles, Prince of Wales. The event is overshadowed by continuing violence around the capital between government troops and the Tamil Tigers, in which 15 people are injured. (See also January 25.)|
04|More than 4,000 people are feared dead as an earthquake devastates the northern province of Takhar, in Afghanistan. The quake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, makes 15,000 people homeless. Extremely cold weather and poor communications are hampering rescue efforts.|
04|Bosnia's parliament fails to meet the internationally imposed deadline to agree on a new flag for their divided country. Carlos Westendorp, representing the international community, steps in to end the dispute between rival Serb, Muslim, and Croat factions. Westendorp chooses a yellow triangle with a line of white stars on a blue background.|
04|In Armenia, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan resigns, prompting fears that the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, an area in neighbouring Azerbaijan, may intensify. In 1923, the Soviet government gave Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Until the late 1980's, the majority of people in Nagorno-Karabakh were Armenians. In 1988, they demanded the region become part of Armenia. The issue has never been resolved, in spite of a war that claimed more than 25,000 lives. It is thought that the departure of the moderate Ter-Petrosyan will make way for hardliners who refuse to compromise over this issue.|
05|German unemployment levels reach their highest total since World War II (1939-1945). The figure is put at 4.82 million people, and sparks off a spate of protests throughout the country. The new statistics are seen as a threat to Chancellor Helmut Kohl's chance of victory in the general elections scheduled to be held in September.|
05|In Washington, U.S.A., the United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair announces that American entertainer Bob Hope is to receive an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. Hope, aged 94, will receive the award in recognition of his 60-year-long career on stage and screen, and for his services in entertaining the Allied troops during World War II (1939-1945).|
06|In the United Kingdom, a special service is held Manchester Cathedral in remembrance of those who were killed in the Munich air disaster on February 6, 1958. The crash claimed the lives of eight Manchester United football team players and 15 other passengers. The commemoration of its fortieth anniversary is attended by players, officials of the game, and thousands of fans.|
06|The three hot-air balloonists aboard Breitling Orbiter 2 break a second world record, in spite of failing in their attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The team sets a new record for the longest nonstop unrefuelled flight. On February 3, the team broke the world record for the longest time spent in the air by a balloon.|
06|In Colombo, Sri Lanka, nine people are killed and at least 15 are injured when a suicide bomber detonates a device at a checkpoint in the commercial district of Slave Island. Five air force members are killed, as well as the bomber and her three accomplices.|
06|In Ajaccio, Corsica, Claude Erignac, the regional prefect of Corsica, and the highest representative of the French government on the island, is shot dead. Erignac is the first government official to be killed on the island in 30 years.|
06|American Carl Wilson, founder of the Beach Boys and lead guitarist for the group, dies at the age of 51, in Los Angeles. Wilson formed the band in 1961 and sang lead vocals on one of their biggest hits, "Good Vibrations". He had been suffering from lung cancer for more than a year.|
07|Thousands of people demonstrate in the town of Passau, Germany, against the meeting of an extreme-right nationalist party. Their protest ends in violence as police fail to break up clashes between the demonstrators and nationalist NPD supporters. Thirty-seven arrests are made and two dangerous weapons are seized by police.|
07|Imelda Marcos announces she will be a candidate for the presidency of the Philippines in the May elections. Marcos, widow of Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, pledges to use the Marcos wealth to bail the Philippines out of its financial crisis, and vows to "bring back dignity, decency and leadership" to the country. The supreme court recently upheld a 12-year prison term against Marcos for corruption. Electoral success would enable her to arrange a presidential pardon.|
07|The team aboard the Breitling Orbiter hot-air balloon end their record-breaking journey as they land in a village north of the capital Yangon, Burma, after 10 days in the air. (See Februry 6.)|
08|More than 1,000 anti-Nazi demonstrators march in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on the first anniversary of the death of Frank Boettcher. Boettcher was attacked and fatally wounded by a group of neo-Nazi youths. The protesters break windows and throw rocks as they march, but police prevent the outbreak of anti-Nazi violence.|
08|Enoch Powell, one of the most outspoken British politicians this century, dies at the age of 85 at a hospital in London. Tributes to him are paid by United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and a former prime minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher. Powell is remembered as a controversial and dedicated politician.|
09|Charles, Prince of Wales, becomes the first member of the British Royal Family to visit the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. He has an audience with King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, and will spend four days in the country. Bhutan was recently condemned in an Amnesty International report, and civil rights activists hope that Prince Charles will attempt to address human rights issues with the king.|
09|In the province of Batna, eastern Algeria, a bomb explodes injuring at least 37 people. The bombing coincides with the second day of a visit by European diplomats who are attempting to initiate talks that will end the massacres that began six years ago.|
09|The president of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, escapes unhurt from an assassination attempt in the capital, Tbilisi. Anti-tank grenades and guns are fired at his presidential motorcade, killing one of his bodyguards and injuring two others. An attacker is also killed in the assault.|
10|In Sierra Leone, fighting continues between the ECOMOG peacekeeping force and the military junta which overthrew the elected government in May, 1997. Hundreds of civilians seek shelter in the centre of the capital, Freetown, in an attempt to escape fighting on the outskirts of the city. It is reported that at least 12 civilians have been killed in the conflict.|
10|The El Nino weather phenomenon is blamed for 13 deaths in Mexico as flash floods and mudslides wreak havoc throughout Latin America.|
11|At least 67 Bolivians die in incidents blamed on the El Nino weather pattern.|
11|Michael Owen becomes England's youngest international football player this century with his debut against Chile in a friendly match played at Wembley, London. Owen, aged 18 years and 59 days, is praised by team manager Glen Hoddle for his game. England lose the match 2-0.|
11|At least fifty people are feared drowned in a river 80 kilometres north of Freetown as they flee the battle raging in Sierra Leone's capital. It is thought that up to 7,000 more refugees may be attempting to flee the city by boat as Nigerian forces continue their attempt to oust the ruling military junta (see also February 10).|
11|In Turkey, all of the country's 79 casinos are permanently closed by order of the government. The ban was approved by parliament in August 1997, in an attempt to combat criminal activity. Many oppose the ban, believing it will deprive Turkey of millions of dollars of tourist revenue, and that illegal gambling will replace the casinos.|
12|General Al-Zubeir Mohammed Saleh, vice-president of Sudan, is killed in a plane crash which also claims the lives of at least two other senior government officials. The crash, thought to have been caused by bad weather, is regarded as a major setback in bringing the Sudanese civil war to an end.|
12|In Cuba, Fidel Castro's government announces its intention to release more than 200 prisoners, many of them political detainees. The decision follows the Pope's visit to the country in January, during which he appealed to Castro for clemency. (See also January 21).|
12|The original lyrics to Elton John's record-breaking tribute song to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997", raises 442,500 U.S. dollars at an auction in Los Angeles. It is bought by the Lund Foundation, a nonprofit group established by Walt Disney's daughter, Sharon Lund. The money raised by the sale is to go to the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles.|
13|It is announced that NASA aircraft using radar imaging, have discovered ancient temple sites in western Cambodia, near the Angkor Wat group of temples. Angkor flourished from the early 800's to the 1400's. However, it is thought that the new discovery predates other finds in the area by as much as 300 years.|
13|The military junta that has occupied Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, for nine months is overpowered by Nigerian peacekeeping forces and deposed. The ECOMOG troops take control of more than 90 per cent of the capital, claiming victory in a battle that has cost many hundreds of lives since it began in early February, 1998. (See also February 10 and 11.)|
14|In India, more than 50 people are killed and 32 others are injured as a series of bombs explode in Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu state. The attack coincides with the end of election campaigning for seats in the federal parliament's lower house, the Lok Sabha. Polling is due to begin on February 16.|
14|Hundreds of people riot on the island of Java in Indonesia as protests continue against rising food prices. The rioters target shops run by the country's minority Chinese citizens, who they blame for the rise in food costs brought about by the worsening economic crisis in Indonesia. Three people are killed in the protests, and more than 150 arrests are made. The riots come after President Suharto's order on February 12 to his armed forces to take "firm action without hesitation" against those found breaking the law. (See also February 2, January 30).|
14|The Museum of New Zealand is opened in Wellington, New Zealand, in front of tens of thousands of well-wishers. The museum, which has taken 5 years to build, houses the country's treasures and has been nicknamed Te Papa (Our Place).|
14|In Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, two petroleum-carrying tanker trains collide and spill their contents. Hours later, more than 120 people, most of whom were collecting the spilled fuel, die as a burning cigarette ignites the petrol. Many more are injured in the country's worst disaster for more than a decade.|
15|In Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides wins reelection to the post of president. He defeats his nearest opponent, George Iacovou, and will now take responsibility for heading talks on the possibility of reunifying Cyprus and gaining EU membership for the island.|
15|In Gateshead, United Kingdom, a steel sculpture weighing 200 metric tons and standing 20 metres high is erected. The "Angel of the North" sculpture was designed by Antony Gormley to last for at least 100 years. It has a wingspan of 52.5 metres, and will turn a rich brown colour as the metal is oxidized. It is the United Kingdom's biggest sculpture.|
16|In Taipei, Taiwan, at least 202 people are feared dead as an airliner crashes at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. The jet, returning from Bali in Indonesia, is thought to have got into difficulty because of poor visibility, and comes down short of the runway before crashing into a row of houses.|
16|The forestry minister for Indonesia announces that 895 bush fires have been recorded on the island of Borneo, and the numbers are rapidly growing. Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo's announcement raises fears that the smog that blanketed much of southeast Asia in 1997 may return. The government send in fire-fighting aircraft in an attempt to extinguish the spreading flames.|
16|A baby boy conceived in 1990 is born in a Los Angeles hospital, becoming the oldest-known frozen embryo to be successfully carried to full-term. Billy, a twin to his eight-year-old brother, developed from an embryo that was frozen more than seven years ago, before being successfully thawed and implanted into his mother's womb. Billy's parents underwent treatment for infertility in 1990.|
17|In Tehran, Iran, a team of American wrestlers become the first U.S. athletes to compete in the country since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Their presence at the Takhti Cup wrestling competition is seen as an attempt to improve Iranian-American relations.|
17|The Australian government announces its intention to preserve a 40-year-old Antarctic hut, situated at the Mawson Station base 3,400 miles from Australia. The hut has a "Sistine ceiling" made up of hundreds of pin-up photographs, and is a legacy of the all-male expeditions once made to the Antarctic.|
18|Kenneth Kaunda, former president of Zambia, is charged with misprision of treason, as are his security chief Moyse Kaulungombe and 90 others suspected of complicity in the attempted coup of October 1997. The charge means that Kaunda is suspected of deliberately concealing his knowledge of a treasonable act, and holds a penalty of up to life imprisonment. Kaunda's hearing will be heard on February 27.|
18|Prisoners riot in the Mondelo Prison in Barranquilla, Colombia, resulting in the deaths of two inmates and a large number of injuries. The uprising begins with a disagreement between rival prison gangs, and ends with battles between inmates and guards armed with guns and knives. Chronic overcrowding in Colombian prisons is blamed for this latest breach of security, which comes only two weeks after a similar clash in Cucuta claimed six lives.|
19|Four United Nations military observers are kidnapped in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Their abductors demand the release of seven people charged with the recent assassination attempt on President Eduard Shevardnadze (see February 9).|
19|In Las Vegas, U.S.A., two men are arrested on suspicion that they are in possession of a form of anthrax which they intend to use in terrorist attacks. Larry Wayne Harris and William Leavitt are apprehended in their car, which is found to contain up to ten bags marked "biological". Harris is known to have links with white supremacist groups in the U.S.|
19|In New York, bidding begins for 40,000 items which once belonged to the late Duke and Duchess of Windsor as the contents of their Paris home, now owned by Mohammed al Fayed, go up for auction. The auction is expected to attract fierce bidding, and its proceeds will go to the Dodi Fayed International Charitable Foundation, established after the death of Dodi Fayed and Diana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997.|
20|The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, arrives in Baghdad, Iraq, for a last-ditch attempt to avert the outbreak of fighting in the Gulf. Annan meets with Tariq Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister, to plan a peaceful solution to the current crisis, which was generated by Saddam Hussein's refusal to allow UN inspectors to investigate his weapons sites.|
20|Archbishop Keith Rayner, head of the Anglican Church in Australia, symbolically washes the feet of two Aborigine bishops in apology for the actions of his church. He also formally apologises to Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders for the loss of their "stolen generation". This refers to the children who were taken from indigenous families and forcibly assimilated into white society by the church and other authorities until as recently as the 1960's.|
20|In Algiers, capital of Algeria, three bombs explode within 24 hours, killing two people and injuring more than 40. The bombing attacks are blamed on Muslim rebel factions, and defy the widespread military offensive launched by the government.|
21|In Tasmania, the last of 33 sperm whales stranded on a beach in the northwestern region of the country dies. Rescuers were unable to help the whales because extreme bad weather prevented them reaching the animals.|
21|A bomb is safely detonated at the headquarters of the ruling Spanish Popular Party in Santander, northern Spain. The bomb, which is detonated in a controlled explosion, is believed to have been planted by the Basque separatist group E.T.A.|
21|In the United Kingdom, scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, announce to the Independent newspaper that dyslexia, a condition which affects reading ability, is hereditary. Their research into the condition reveals that almost all those dyslexics studied have three common genes, thus linking the condition with genetic makeup. It is thought that between five and ten per cent of children suffer from dyslexia-related problems.|
22|In the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India, Atal Behari Vajpayee begins a "fast unto death" in protest against the expulsion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. Vajpayee, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the elections, begins his fast a day after his party's expulsion at the order of the state governor. The elections in India, which have been marred by widespread violence, are due to finish on March 7.|
22|Walter Salles receives the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin film festival as his work "Central do Brasil" (Central Station) is named best film. It is the first Latin American film to win a top award at a European festival for more than 15 years. The film also wins the best actress award for Fernanda Montenegro's performance.|
23|In Nagano, Japan, the 18th Winter Olympic Games are officially concluded with the handing over of the Olympic flag to the mayor of Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City, U.S.A., will host the 2002 Games. Germany emerged as overall winners in Nagano, with a total of 29 medals, 12 of them gold.|
23|In South Africa, the case brought against P. W. Botha by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission begins. Botha, charged with failing to appear before the Commission, makes a statement to the court near George, a town near his home, condemning the charges brought against him. He claims he made a private agreement with Archbishop Desmond Tutu that he would not have to appear before the Commission in person. The case is adjourned until mid-April. |
23|Indian Test cricketer Raman Lamba dies after spending three days in a coma in a hospital in Dhaka. He suffered severe brain injury after being struck on the head by a ball whilst fielding at short leg during a game in Dhaka on February 20. He was 38 years old.|
23|More than 35 people die as a series of tornadoes devastate the area in and around Orlando in Florida, U.S.A. At least 12 twisters hit the area during the storms, which have been attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon, leaving hundreds homeless and more than 250 people injured. The storms, which saw winds reaching up to 400 kilometres per hour, are the worst tornado disaster in Florida's history.|
24|In London, the Court of Appeal overturns a conviction against a Somalian seaman made more than 45 years ago. Mahmood Hussein Mattan was sentenced to death for the murder of Lily Volpert in 1952, and hanged six weeks later. His name is cleared after the court hears evidence that the key witness in the trial was unreliable. Mattan is the first person in the United Kingdom to have their conviction quashed after being executed.|
24|Princess Margaret, sister of the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II, suffers a stroke whilst on holiday on the island of Mustique in the Caribbean. It is understood that the attack is relatively mild, and that the Princess is expected to make a full recovery.|
25|A terrorist is overpowered by passengers of the plane he is hijacking in Diyarbakir, Turkey. The man takes over the flight from Adana to Ankara, and orders to pilot to continue to Iran, but stops in Diyarbakir to free 21 of the 62 passengers on board. Claiming to be carrying a bomb inside a teddy bear, he refuses to surrender but is eventually held by three passengers until security forces arrive.|
25|The Grammy Awards are announced at a ceremony in New York. The winners, selected by the American music industry, include Elton John, who is awarded the best male vocal prize for "Candle in the Wind, 1997", and Bob Dylan, who receives two Grammys. The late Sir Georg Solti is posthumously awarded his record-breaking thirty-first Grammy.|
25|The El Nino weather phenomenon causes further disruption as storms sweep across California, U.S.A., killing more than 10 people and destroying hundreds of homes. Torrential rains sweep away roads and create mudslides that bury houses and vehicles in Orange County and Santa Maria. Thousands are evacuated from their homes, and railway routes and schools are closed.|
25|Kim Dae Jung is sworn in as president of South Korea at a ceremony in Seoul attended by more than 40,000 spectators, among them the superstar Michael Jackson. His inauguration marks the swing of power to the opposition for the first time in 50 years. (See also December 18, 1997).|
25|Three United Nations observers who were taken hostage earlier this month are released after President Eduard Shevardnadze agrees to talks with the kidnappers' representatives. The kidnappers, having already released one of the hostages earlier in the week, agree to free the officials unharmed prior to a meeting to be held in Tbilisi. (See also February 19).|
26|In Texas, U.S.A., celebrity Oprah Winfrey wins the court case brought against her by Texan cattlemen. Winfrey was sued under Texas's controversial food defamation laws. Her opponents claimed damages of almost 11 million U.S. dollars because her disparaging remarks about American beef allegedly sent beef prices to a 10-year low (see also January 20).|
26|In northern regions of South America the last total solar eclipse this century is watched as the sun is blocked out at midday. The phenomenon is visible from northern Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and northern areas of the Caribbean and casts a 150-kilometre-wide shadow, during the four minutes of total darkness it imposes.|
27|An investigation into the cause of the collision of a U.S. air force jet into a cable-car in the Dolomites mountains, Italy, reveals that pilot error was to blame. The pilot, Captain Richard Ashby, is expected to face a court-martial. (See also February 3).|
27|The Neustadt International Prize for Literature for 1998 is awarded to Nuruddin Farah of Somalia. The 40,000-U.S-dollars prize is awarded by World Literature Today, a journal produced by the University of Oklahoma.|
27|Archaelogists open a 2,600-year-old basalt sarcophagus at the Abu Sir necropolis, west of Cairo, Egypt. The tomb, which has lain undisturbed since it was sealed, contains the mummified body of Iufaa, a Pharaonic priest. It is hoped that the tomb will provide unique insights into the burial practices and religious beliefs during the Persian period of Egyptian history.|
28|In a remote valley north of Cusco, Peru, a mudslide caused by El Nino rainstorms sweeps away more than 50 labourers who are working on the construction of a canal in the Aobamba valley. The mudslide and floods that followed it are thought to have killed all the labourers, and also cut off electrical supplies and rail links.|
28|More than 1,000 supporters of the National Front march through Marseilles, France, in a demonstration against the government. Their action is a protest against the decision to annul the election of the nationalist party's only Assembly deputy.|
