frozen water in soil in permanently shadowed
craters near the Moon’s poles. (Feb. 10) The first
XML specification for creating markup languages
is released. (Mar. 2) Data from the Galileo space
probe indicates that Jupiter’s moon Europa has a
liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice. (May 7)
Apple Computer unveils its iMac computer.
(Jun. 25) Microsoft releases the first edition of
Windows 98. (Oct. 29) Astronaut John Glenn,
seventy-seven-years-old, takes off with the space
shuttleDiscover yas the oldest person to go into
space.
Environment and health: (Jan. 1) California bans
smoking in all bars and restaurants.(Jan. 14) Re-
searchers in Dallas, Texas, present findings about
an enzyme that slows aging and cell death.
(Mar. 27) The Food and Drug Administration
approves Viagra, the first pill to be approved for
the treatment of male impotence in the United
States.
Arts and literature:The Street Lawyerby John Grisham
is the year’s best-selling fiction book, whileThe
Nine Steps to Financial Freedomby Suze Orman
leads in sales of nonfiction books. (Mar. 1)Art,a
play by Yasmina Reza, opens on Broadway. Reza
will later win a Tony Award and the New York
Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play of 1998.
Popular culture:(Mar. 23) At the Academy Awards
ceremony, the filmTitanicwins a record eleven
Oscars, including Best Picture honors. (May 8)
The Japanese video game franchise Pokémon is
unveiled for American audiences at the Elec-
tronic Entertainment Expo in Atlanta. Pokémon
is released for sale on September 30 and will enjoy
immense popularity among American children.
(May 14) Millions of American television viewers
tune in to see the last episode ofSeinfeld.
Sports:(Jan. 25) The Denver Broncos become the
first American Football Conference (AFC) team
to win the Super Bowl in fourteen years when they
defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl
XXXII. (Feb. 7-22) The 1998 Winter Olympics
are held in Nagano, Japan. (Feb. 15) After many
unsuccessful tries, race car driver Dale Earnhardt
finally wins the Daytona 500. (Jun. 14) Michael
Jordan plays his last game for the Chicago Bulls,
as the team wins its sixth National Basketball Asso-
ciation title in eight years by defeating the Utah
Jazz, 87-86. (Sept. 8) A home run duel between St.
Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire and
Chicago Cubs right-fielder Sammy Sosa ends
when McGwire hits his sixty-second home run,
breaking the single-season home run record for-
merly held by Roger Maris. (Oct. 21) The New
York Yankees cap a terrific year by sweeping the
San Diego Padres to win the World Series in four
games. The Yankees won 114 games in the regular
season and eleven in the postseason—the most
victories of any team in the history of Major
League Baseball.
Crime:(Jan. 22) Suspected Unabomber Theodore
Kaczynski pleads guilty and accepts a sentence of
life without the possibility of parole. (Feb. 3)
Karla Faye Tucker, a convicted murderer, is exe-
cuted in Texas—the first woman to be executed
in the United States since 1984 and the first to be
executed in Texas since the Civil War.1999
International events:(Feb. 2) Hugo Chávez be-
comes president of Venezuela. (May 17) Ehud
Barak is elected prime minister of Israel. (Dec. 31)
As stipulated in the Torrijos-Carter Treaty of
1977, the United States hands over complete ad-
ministration of the Panama Canal to the Panama-
nian government. Panama acquires the canal
without any debts, in good condition, with a $1 bil-
lion investment program aimed at maintaining
first-class service.
Government and politics:(Jan. 6) Republican Den-
nis Hastert becomes Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives. (Jun. 12) Texas governor George W.
Bush announces he will seek the Republican
Party nomination for president of the United
States in 2000. (Feb. 12) Although President
Clinton has been convicted by the House of Rep-
resentatives, the U.S. Senate acquits him of
charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
The Senate vote ends the impeachment process
and enables Clinton to complete his term in
office.
Military and war:(Mar. 20) The Serbian military be-
gins an offensive in Kosovo. (Jun. 10) After almost
three months of war, including NATO air strikes
against the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugosla-
via, Serbian president Slobodan Miloš evi 6 agrees
to withdraw Serbian forces from Kosovo.
Society:(Feb. 4) While staking out another man,
four New York City police officers fire forty-one
shots at Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Guinean im-1040 Time Line The Nineties in America