Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 2001. This year saw 160 significant events. 9 notable figures were born. 9 notable figures passed away.
Washington Wizards forward Michael Jordan becomes the fourth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points when he hits a free throw in the second quarter of an 89-83 win against his old team, the Chicago Bulls
Lawrence Mark Sanger is an American Internet project developer and philosopher who co-founded Wikipedia, along with Jimmy Wales.
Tennis star Boris Becker (34) divorces designer Barbara Feltus (35) after 8 years of marriage
MLB outfielder David Justice (34) weds model Rebecca Villalobos
NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lands in the saddle region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid
A genome is all the genetic information of an organism or cell. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses).
The legal status of same-sex marriage has changed in recent years in numerous jurisdictions around the world.
Accra Sports Stadium Disaster: 129 Ghanaian football fans die in a stampede caused by the firing of tear gas by police following a decision by the referee in a crucial match between arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko
Actress and former fitness guru Jane Fonda (63) divorces CNN founder Ted Turner (62) due to irretrievably broken marriage 10 years after getting married
The mockumentary "The Office," created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman, premieres on BBC Two in the UK
American "Kate & Leopold" actress Meg Ryan (38) divorces American "Great Balls of Fire!" actor Dennis Quaid (46) after 10 years of marriage
Australian cricket spinner Shane Warne skittles England (162) with 6/33 to guide tourists to a 7-wicket third Test victory at Trent Bridge; Aussies regain the Ashes with a record seventh straight Test win against England
Nicole Mary Kidman is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's...
"How You Remind Me" is a song by the Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on July 17, 2001, as the lead single from their third studio album, Silver Side Up (2001).
John Cage's musical composition "As Slow as Possible", intended to be played for 639 years, begins at St. Burchardi Church, Halberstadt, Germany
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eighth studio album, Fever (2001).
Passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 attempt to retake control of their hijacked plane from terrorists, causing the plane to crash in a Pennsylvania field, killing all 44 people on board
In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, US President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror"
Shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States declared the war on terror and subsequently led a multinational military operation against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The main event by far shaping the United States foreign policy during the presidency of George W.
Provisional Irish Republican Army of Northern Ireland commences disarmament following peace talks
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," the first film adaptation of the book series by J. K. Rowling, starring Daniel Radcliffe, premieres in London (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in some markets)
"Ocean's Eleven" directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts premieres in Westwood, California
Oscar winning-actress Kate Winslet (26) divorces assistant film director Jim Threapleton (28) due to unreasonable behavior after 3 years of marriage
Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host.
A report reveals that doctor and former GP Harold Shipman has potentially killed hundreds of patients
The identities of 2 boys who murdered a toddler in 1993 will be kept secret, the High Court rules
The Mole is an American reality game show originally broadcast on ABC from 2001 to 2008, and reintroduced on Netflix in 2022.
A large piece of the chalk cliff at Beachy Head collapses into the sea, near East Sussex, England
New York Knicks hold an opponent under 100 points for NBA-record 29th straight game in a 76-75 loss to the Houston Rockets; streak snaps 46-year-old NBA record of 28 straight set by the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1954-55
Atlanta Hawks retire Dominique Wilkins' No. 21 in pre-game ceremonies at Philips Arena; joins Bob Pettit and Lou Hudson as the only Hawks to have their numbers retired
A fuel supply tanker runs aground off the island of San Cristobal, causing an 'ecological disaster'
OPEC agrees at a meeting of ministers in Vienna, to reduce members' oil production quotas by 1.5 million barrels per day
New York Rangers Mike Richter picks up his 267th career NHL win to become the winningest goaltender in team history, passing Eddie Giacomin, 2-1 in overtime against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs
Pittsburgh Penguins beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0 in first-ever NHL game featuring 2 European trained coaches; Czech Ivan Hlinka behind the bench for Pittsburgh, and Fin Alpo Suhonen, Chicago
The British government launches pro-vaccine campaign
Cave-in at coal mine leads to two methane gas explosions, kills 13 miners in Brookwood, Alabama
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson is a British former Labour Party politician, lobbyist and diplomat. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004.
A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24
An intraplate earthquake occurs in the interior of a tectonic plate, in contrast to an interplate earthquake on the boundary of a tectonic plate.
Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals
American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally strikes and sinks the Ehime-Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School; nine the Ehime-Maru's crew members were killed, including four high school students.
"Ain't Nothing 'bout You" is a song written by Tom Shapiro and Rivers Rutherford and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn.
Earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale rocks El Salvador, killing at least 400 people
Mathieu Schneider of the Los Angeles Kings becomes the first defenseman in history to score a goal against all 30 NHL teams as LA beats Minnesota, 4-0
43rd Daytona 500: Michael Waltrip wins tragic race; last lap crash claims life of Dale Earnhardt, prompting sport to implement new safety procedures
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing...
The United States Supreme Court declines to consider an appeal by five major oil companies against Unocal's patent on production of cleaner "reformulated" gasoline sold in California
43rd Grammy Awards: "Beautiful Day"; Shelby Lynne win
Taliban destroy two giant, 1500-year-old Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a holy site for Buddhists on the Silk Road
Nisqually Earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hits Nisqually Valley and the Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia areas of Washington State
Carolina center Ron Francis scores a goal on his 38th birthday in Hurricanes' 3-1 win over NY Islanders to become only the 2nd player in NHL history to score 50+ points for 20 straight seasons
Hintze Ribeiro disaster, a bridge collapses in northern Portugal, killing up to 70 people
The history of slavery in the Muslim world was throughout the history of Islam with slaves serving in various social and economic roles, from powerful emirs to harshly treated manual laborers.
US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham establishes the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to be used in emergency circumstances
Sources include: Dow Jones (DJ), New York Times (NYT), Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and the Washington Post (WP). January 10 The White House announces that President Clinton will not designate the...
OPEC decides to cut output by 4% or 1 million barrels per day, effective April 1
Petrobras 36 Oil Platform, the world's largest oil rig, sinks with 400,000 US gallons of fuel and crude oil aboard, after suffering three explosions on March 15
The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji
Kazakhstan's Prime Minister opens an oil pipeline from the giant Tengiz Field to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Monday, giving the Central Asian producer its first direct link to international markets
2001 Mars Odyssey is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297...
Detained crew of a United States EP-3E aircraft that landed in Hainan, People's Republic of China after a collision with an J-8 fighter are released
The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Doug Tewell wins his second & final Champions Tour major by 9 strokes from Mike McCullough
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American college football coach and former professional football player. He is the head football coach for the Norfolk State Spartans.
Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes. There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism.
The Mitchell Report on the Arab-Israeli conflict is published
The United States loses its seat on the UN Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947
The Milwaukee Art Museum addition, the first Santiago Calatrava-designed structure in the United States, opens to the public
Ringo Starr's seventh All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Roger Hodgson, Ian Hunter, Howard Jones, Greg Lake, Sheila E., and Mark Rivera
-year-old Harold Stilson becomes oldest golfer to record a hole-in-one when he aces the 108-yard, par-3, 16th hole at Deerfield CC, FL
Manchester United lose 3-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane but win English Premier League title for the 3rd consecutive season
French Taubira law officially recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
Marco Siffredi becomes the first person to snowboard down Mount Everest via the Norton Couloir (some share record accreditation with Stefan Gatt)
Democrats gain control of the US Senate for the first time since 1994 when Senator James Jeffords of Vermont abandons the Republican Party and declares himself an independent
Mount Everest (known locally as Sagarmāthā in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level.
Super Rugby Final, Canberra: Fullback Andrew Walker kicks 5 penalties & 3 conversions as the ACT Brumbies win their first title; beat Coastal Sharks (Durban), 36-6
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is inaugurated
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (1972-2001), assassinated by his son Dipendra in the Nepalese Royal Massacre at 55 [1]
The king of Nepal (traditionally known as the mahārājdhirāja i.e. great king of kings; Nepali: महाराजधिराज) was Nepal's head of state and monarch from 1768 to 2008.
OPEC ministers agree to leave the cartel's oil production quotas unchanged for at least a month, until a scheduled emergency meeting July 3
BP announces that it will build a new $600-million platform offshore Trinidad that is expected to double the company's production of natural gas there by 2004
Stanley Cup Final, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO: Colorado Avalanche beat defending champion New Jersey Devils, 3-1 for 4-3 series win; Avalanche 2nd title
Saudi Arabia seizes ownership, effective June 7, of the 1.6-million-barrels-per-day IPSA pipeline that had carried Iraqi crude oil to the Saudi Red Sea port of Mu'jiz prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan form the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum sign a letter of intent for a natural gas to liquids (GTL) project that would be the largest in the world
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen
International Court of Justice finds against the United States in the LaGrand Case
ENI of Italy signs a $550 million contract to develop Iran's Darquain field, expected to produce 160,000 barrels of petroleum per day
AbioCor self contained artificial heart created.
Vladivostok Air Flight 352 was a scheduled passenger flight from Yekaterinburg, Russia to Vladivostok via Irkutsk.
In a world record fee for a soccer goalkeeper, Juventus signs Parma's Gianluigi Buffon in a £32.5m deal including midfielder Jonathan Bachini
Australia and East Timor sign an agreement to share royalties from oil and natural gas production in the Timor Sea, which separates the two countries
Australian cricketer Karen Rolton smashes an unbeaten 209 to set a new world record for highest score in a women's Test in Australia's 9 wicket win v England at Headingley
Amerada Hess agrees to acquire Triton Energy for $2.7 billion in cash
Iraq resumes oil exports, ending a 5-week halt in protest of a US and British-sponsored UN Security Council resolution
The 2008 Summer Olympics (Chinese: 2008年夏季奥运会), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and officially branded as Beijing 2008, were an international multi-sport event held from 8 to 24 August...
Michael Brunet discovers the skull of Sahelanthropus tchadensis in the Djurab Desert, Chad, one of the oldest known species in the human family tree and 6-7 million years old
Sources include: Dow Jones (DJ), New York Times (NYT), Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and the Washington Post (WP). January 10 The White House announces that President Clinton will not designate the...
Faced with declining oil prices, OPEC ministers agree to cut crude oil production quotas by about 4%, or one million barrels per day
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has a Ten Commandments monument installed in the judiciary building, leading to a lawsuit for its removal and his own removal from office
Cleveland Indians tie an MLB record by erasing a 12-run Seattle lead to win 15-14, also preventing the Mariners from reaching a record 117 season wins
Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel over the Atlantic Ocean due to a fuel leak and makes a successful emergency landing in the Azores, saving all 306 people on board
Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ah-LEE-ə; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model.
Goodwill Games V opens in Brisbane, Australia, for the final edition of the event
Australian Rugby Union team gives all-conquering captain John Eales perfect send off in his final international with a famous last minute, 29-26 win over New Zealand in Sydney; Wallabies retain Tri Nations Series
Facing 4-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux, Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa hits the longest home run in Turner Field history as his 53rd of the season travels 471 feet to straight away center
In just his 11th start, St. Louis Cardinals' rookie pitcher Bud Smith no-hits the San Diego Padres, 4-0
Ansett Australia, Australia's first commercial interstate airline, enters voluntary administartion (bankruptcy) due to increased strain on the international airline industry
Relative calm returns to world oil markets as US retail gasoline prices return to normal levels; energy trading by Houston energy companies resumes and limited commercial aviation starts
Australian bankruptcy administrator determines that Ansett Australia airlines is not financially viable to continue operations; stoppage strands thousands of passengers and throws more than 16,000 people out of a job
The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amerithrax (a portmanteau of "America" and "anthrax", from its FBI case name), occurred in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on...
AZF chemical plant explodes in Toulouse, France, killing 31 people
Crude oil and petroleum products futures fall to their lowest levels in nearly two years amid fears that a recession will reduce energy demand
At its two-day meeting in Vienna, OPEC decides to keep its production quotas unchanged at 23.2 million barrels per day, despite crude oil being at its lowest price levels since 1999
The Syracuse Herald-Journal, a U.S. newspaper dating back to 1839, ceases publication
Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in MLB history to total 60 home runs in three seasons as the Chicago slugger connects off Reds starter Lance Davis to reach the milestone in a 5-4 loss
After a 21-season career, Paul Coffey officially retires from the NHL, having won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, finishing second on the all-time list for points by defensemen (1,531 in 1,409 games), and playing in 14 All-Star Games
San Diego outfielder Rickey Henderson scores a run in the 3rd inning of the Padres' 12-5 loss to the LA Dodgers to tie the MLB record of 2,245 runs scored, held by the legendary Ty Cobb
SF Giants slugger Barry Bonds hits his 70th home run in 10-2 win v Houston; ties Mark McGwire for the most MLB home runs in a single season
Crude oil resumes flowing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline after workers weld shut a bullet hole that causes 260,000 US gallons of oil to spill out
A twin-engine Cessna and a Scandinavian Airlines System McDonnell Douglas MD-87 collide in heavy fog during takeoff from Linate Airport in Milan, Italy, killing 118 people
The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amerithrax (a portmanteau of "America" and "anthrax", from its FBI case name), occurred in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on...
Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences jointly awarded to George Akerlof, Joseph E. Stiglitz and A. Michael Spence for "their analyses of markets with asymmetric information"
German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher wins his 4th F1 World Drivers Championship by 58 points from David Coulthard; takes out Japanese GP at Suzuka for 9th win of the season
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io
The US Coast Guard lifts a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers entering Boston Harbor to make deliveries to Distrigas' Everett LNG terminal, imposed on September 26 in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11
Crude oil for November delivery falls to its lowest level since August 1999 on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX)
SIEV-X, an Indonesian fishing boat en route to Christmas Island carrying over 400 asylum seekers, sinks, killing 353
The iPod was a series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices that were designed and marketed by Apple from 2001 to 2022.
Windows XP, which is the next version of Windows NT after Windows 2000 and the successor to the consumer-oriented Windows Me, has been released in several editions since its original release in...
The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) is a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush.
ExxonMobil announces that a consortium it leads will spend $4 billion over 5 years to develop large offshore oil and natural gas fields in Russia's far eastern Sakhalin region
In the Wallabies’ 400th rugby union Test match in history, Australia routs Spain 92-10 (Australian record score) in Madrid; Matt Burke kicks an Australian record 10 conversions
Arkansas beats Mississippi, 58-56 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford in 7 overtime periods; the longest game in NCAA football history
The 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, November 4, 2001, seven weeks later than originally scheduled.
Crude oil for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) falls to a two-year low after OPEC members warn that a downward price spiral could occur if major non-OPEC oil exporters do not reduce oil production
Supersonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumes flying after a 15-month hiatus
An agreement is reached at talks in Marrakech, Morocco, on rules for implementation of the Kyoto climate change treaty
Foreign journalists Pierre Billaud, Johanne Sutton, and Volker Handloik are killed in Afghanistan during an attack by Taliban troops on the convoy they are traveling with
American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300 on its way to the Dominican Republic, crashes minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC, killing all 260 on board and five on the ground
OPEC announces that it intends to cut its crude oil output quotas by 1.5 million barrels per day effective, but only if non-OPEC producers cut their output by 500,000 barrels per day as well
The Xbox is a home video game console developed and marketed by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia, Europe, and Japan in 2002.
Home crowd favourite Leyton Hewitt wins his first of 2 season-ending Tennis Masters Cup titles with a 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 victory over Frenchman Sébastien Grosjean in Sydney, Australia
The Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime or the Budapest Convention, is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime...
Hydrogen atmosphere is discovered on the extrasolar planet Osiris by the Hubble Space Telescope, the first atmosphere detected on an extrasolar planet
The UN Security Council unanimously approves a resolution extending the Oil-for-Food program in Iraq for another six-month period
Captain Bill Compton brings Trans World Airlines Flight 220, an MD-83, into St. Louis International Airport, ending 76 years of TWA operations following the airline's purchase by American Airlines
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas.
The Canadian province of Newfoundland is renamed Newfoundland and Labrador
China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 December 2001, after the agreement of the Ministerial Conference of the WTO.
Winona Laura Horowitz ( wi-NOH-nə; born October 29, 1971), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it without fixing its famous lean
Ballon d'Or: Liverpool forward Michael Owen is named best football player in Europe ahead of Real Madrid striker Raúl and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
A record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.
Argentine economic crisis: President of Argentina Fernando de la Rúa is forced out of office.
Crude oil prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) record one of their largest 1-day jumps of the year as traders become convinced that OPEC will follow through on production cuts
The status of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) is a legal designation in the United States for free trade with a foreign state.
OPEC oil ministers meeting in Cairo agree to reduce their crude oil output quotas by a combined 1.5 million barrels per day
The Mesa Redonda fire occurred on Saturday, December 29, 2001 in Lima, Peru. The disaster killed at least 291 people and injured at least another 134.
Angourie Rice, Australian actress, known for australian actress, was born on 2001-01-01. Angourie Isabel Teresa Rice is an Australian actress.
Khaby Lame, French senegalese-italian influencer, known for senegalese-italian influencer, was born on 2001-03-09. Khabane Serigne "Khaby" Lame is a Senegalese and Italian influencer.
David Hogg, American gun control activist, known for american gun control activist, was born on 2001-04-12.
Chloe Kim, American athlete, known for american snowboarder, was born on 2001-04-23. Chloe Kim is an American professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Erling Haaland, Norwegian athlete, known for norwegian footballer, was born on 2001-07-21.
Lil Pump, American musician, known for american rapper, was born on 2001-08-17. Gazzy Fabio Garcia, known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper.
Willow Smith, American singer, known for american singer, was born on 2001-10-31. Willow Smith, also known mononymously as Willow, is an American singer, actress, and dancer.
Isabel May, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 2001-11-21. Isabel May is an American actress.
Baby Ariel is born
Bill Hewlett, American engineer, known for american engineer, died on 2001-01-12. William Redington Hewlett (May 20, 1913 – January 12, 2001) was an American engineer and the co-founder, with David…
Byron de la Beckwith dies
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American aviator and author, known for american aviator and author, died on 2001-02-07.
Claude Shannon, American mathematician, known for american mathematician, died on 2001-02-24.
Donald Bradman, Australian cricketer, known for australian cricketer, died on 2001-02-25.
William Hanna, American animator, known for american animator, died on 2001-03-22. William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician.
Tove Jansson, Swedish writer and illustrator, known for finnish writer and illustrator, died on 2001-06-27. Tove Marika Jansson was a Finland-Swedish author, novelist and comic strip author.
Christiaan Barnard, South African african cardiac surgeon, known for south african cardiac surgeon, died on 2001-09-02.
Todd Beamer, American victim of the september 11 attacks, known for victim of the september 11 attacks, died on 2001-09-11.
Washington Wizards forward Michael Jordan becomes the fourth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points when he hits a free throw in the second quarter of an 89-83 win against his old team, the Chicago Bulls
Lawrence Mark Sanger is an American Internet project developer and philosopher who co-founded Wikipedia, along with Jimmy Wales.
Tennis star Boris Becker (34) divorces designer Barbara Feltus (35) after 8 years of marriage
MLB outfielder David Justice (34) weds model Rebecca Villalobos
NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lands in the saddle region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid
A genome is all the genetic information of an organism or cell. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses).
The legal status of same-sex marriage has changed in recent years in numerous jurisdictions around the world.
Accra Sports Stadium Disaster: 129 Ghanaian football fans die in a stampede caused by the firing of tear gas by police following a decision by the referee in a crucial match between arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko
Actress and former fitness guru Jane Fonda (63) divorces CNN founder Ted Turner (62) due to irretrievably broken marriage 10 years after getting married
The mockumentary "The Office," created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman, premieres on BBC Two in the UK
American "Kate & Leopold" actress Meg Ryan (38) divorces American "Great Balls of Fire!" actor Dennis Quaid (46) after 10 years of marriage
Australian cricket spinner Shane Warne skittles England (162) with 6/33 to guide tourists to a 7-wicket third Test victory at Trent Bridge; Aussies regain the Ashes with a record seventh straight Test win against England
Nicole Mary Kidman is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's...
"How You Remind Me" is a song by the Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on July 17, 2001, as the lead single from their third studio album, Silver Side Up (2001).
John Cage's musical composition "As Slow as Possible", intended to be played for 639 years, begins at St. Burchardi Church, Halberstadt, Germany
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eighth studio album, Fever (2001).
Passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 attempt to retake control of their hijacked plane from terrorists, causing the plane to crash in a Pennsylvania field, killing all 44 people on board
In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, US President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror"
Shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States declared the war on terror and subsequently led a multinational military operation against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The main event by far shaping the United States foreign policy during the presidency of George W.
Provisional Irish Republican Army of Northern Ireland commences disarmament following peace talks
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," the first film adaptation of the book series by J. K. Rowling, starring Daniel Radcliffe, premieres in London (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in some markets)
"Ocean's Eleven" directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts premieres in Westwood, California
Oscar winning-actress Kate Winslet (26) divorces assistant film director Jim Threapleton (28) due to unreasonable behavior after 3 years of marriage
Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host.
A report reveals that doctor and former GP Harold Shipman has potentially killed hundreds of patients
The identities of 2 boys who murdered a toddler in 1993 will be kept secret, the High Court rules
The Mole is an American reality game show originally broadcast on ABC from 2001 to 2008, and reintroduced on Netflix in 2022.
A large piece of the chalk cliff at Beachy Head collapses into the sea, near East Sussex, England
New York Knicks hold an opponent under 100 points for NBA-record 29th straight game in a 76-75 loss to the Houston Rockets; streak snaps 46-year-old NBA record of 28 straight set by the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1954-55
Atlanta Hawks retire Dominique Wilkins' No. 21 in pre-game ceremonies at Philips Arena; joins Bob Pettit and Lou Hudson as the only Hawks to have their numbers retired
A fuel supply tanker runs aground off the island of San Cristobal, causing an 'ecological disaster'
OPEC agrees at a meeting of ministers in Vienna, to reduce members' oil production quotas by 1.5 million barrels per day
New York Rangers Mike Richter picks up his 267th career NHL win to become the winningest goaltender in team history, passing Eddie Giacomin, 2-1 in overtime against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs
Pittsburgh Penguins beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0 in first-ever NHL game featuring 2 European trained coaches; Czech Ivan Hlinka behind the bench for Pittsburgh, and Fin Alpo Suhonen, Chicago
The British government launches pro-vaccine campaign
Cave-in at coal mine leads to two methane gas explosions, kills 13 miners in Brookwood, Alabama
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson is a British former Labour Party politician, lobbyist and diplomat. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004.
A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24
An intraplate earthquake occurs in the interior of a tectonic plate, in contrast to an interplate earthquake on the boundary of a tectonic plate.
Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals
American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally strikes and sinks the Ehime-Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School; nine the Ehime-Maru's crew members were killed, including four high school students.
"Ain't Nothing 'bout You" is a song written by Tom Shapiro and Rivers Rutherford and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn.
Earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale rocks El Salvador, killing at least 400 people
Mathieu Schneider of the Los Angeles Kings becomes the first defenseman in history to score a goal against all 30 NHL teams as LA beats Minnesota, 4-0
43rd Daytona 500: Michael Waltrip wins tragic race; last lap crash claims life of Dale Earnhardt, prompting sport to implement new safety procedures
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing...
The United States Supreme Court declines to consider an appeal by five major oil companies against Unocal's patent on production of cleaner "reformulated" gasoline sold in California
43rd Grammy Awards: "Beautiful Day"; Shelby Lynne win
Taliban destroy two giant, 1500-year-old Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a holy site for Buddhists on the Silk Road
Nisqually Earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hits Nisqually Valley and the Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia areas of Washington State
Carolina center Ron Francis scores a goal on his 38th birthday in Hurricanes' 3-1 win over NY Islanders to become only the 2nd player in NHL history to score 50+ points for 20 straight seasons
Hintze Ribeiro disaster, a bridge collapses in northern Portugal, killing up to 70 people
The history of slavery in the Muslim world was throughout the history of Islam with slaves serving in various social and economic roles, from powerful emirs to harshly treated manual laborers.
US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham establishes the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to be used in emergency circumstances
Sources include: Dow Jones (DJ), New York Times (NYT), Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and the Washington Post (WP). January 10 The White House announces that President Clinton will not designate the...
OPEC decides to cut output by 4% or 1 million barrels per day, effective April 1
Petrobras 36 Oil Platform, the world's largest oil rig, sinks with 400,000 US gallons of fuel and crude oil aboard, after suffering three explosions on March 15
The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji
Kazakhstan's Prime Minister opens an oil pipeline from the giant Tengiz Field to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Monday, giving the Central Asian producer its first direct link to international markets
2001 Mars Odyssey is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297...
Detained crew of a United States EP-3E aircraft that landed in Hainan, People's Republic of China after a collision with an J-8 fighter are released
The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Doug Tewell wins his second & final Champions Tour major by 9 strokes from Mike McCullough
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American college football coach and former professional football player. He is the head football coach for the Norfolk State Spartans.
Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes. There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism.
The Mitchell Report on the Arab-Israeli conflict is published
The United States loses its seat on the UN Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947
The Milwaukee Art Museum addition, the first Santiago Calatrava-designed structure in the United States, opens to the public
Ringo Starr's seventh All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Roger Hodgson, Ian Hunter, Howard Jones, Greg Lake, Sheila E., and Mark Rivera
-year-old Harold Stilson becomes oldest golfer to record a hole-in-one when he aces the 108-yard, par-3, 16th hole at Deerfield CC, FL
Manchester United lose 3-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane but win English Premier League title for the 3rd consecutive season
French Taubira law officially recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
Marco Siffredi becomes the first person to snowboard down Mount Everest via the Norton Couloir (some share record accreditation with Stefan Gatt)
Democrats gain control of the US Senate for the first time since 1994 when Senator James Jeffords of Vermont abandons the Republican Party and declares himself an independent
Mount Everest (known locally as Sagarmāthā in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level.
Super Rugby Final, Canberra: Fullback Andrew Walker kicks 5 penalties & 3 conversions as the ACT Brumbies win their first title; beat Coastal Sharks (Durban), 36-6
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is inaugurated
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (1972-2001), assassinated by his son Dipendra in the Nepalese Royal Massacre at 55 [1]
The king of Nepal (traditionally known as the mahārājdhirāja i.e. great king of kings; Nepali: महाराजधिराज) was Nepal's head of state and monarch from 1768 to 2008.
OPEC ministers agree to leave the cartel's oil production quotas unchanged for at least a month, until a scheduled emergency meeting July 3
BP announces that it will build a new $600-million platform offshore Trinidad that is expected to double the company's production of natural gas there by 2004
Stanley Cup Final, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO: Colorado Avalanche beat defending champion New Jersey Devils, 3-1 for 4-3 series win; Avalanche 2nd title
Saudi Arabia seizes ownership, effective June 7, of the 1.6-million-barrels-per-day IPSA pipeline that had carried Iraqi crude oil to the Saudi Red Sea port of Mu'jiz prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan form the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum sign a letter of intent for a natural gas to liquids (GTL) project that would be the largest in the world
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen
International Court of Justice finds against the United States in the LaGrand Case
ENI of Italy signs a $550 million contract to develop Iran's Darquain field, expected to produce 160,000 barrels of petroleum per day
AbioCor self contained artificial heart created.
Vladivostok Air Flight 352 was a scheduled passenger flight from Yekaterinburg, Russia to Vladivostok via Irkutsk.
In a world record fee for a soccer goalkeeper, Juventus signs Parma's Gianluigi Buffon in a £32.5m deal including midfielder Jonathan Bachini
Australia and East Timor sign an agreement to share royalties from oil and natural gas production in the Timor Sea, which separates the two countries
Australian cricketer Karen Rolton smashes an unbeaten 209 to set a new world record for highest score in a women's Test in Australia's 9 wicket win v England at Headingley
Amerada Hess agrees to acquire Triton Energy for $2.7 billion in cash
Iraq resumes oil exports, ending a 5-week halt in protest of a US and British-sponsored UN Security Council resolution
The 2008 Summer Olympics (Chinese: 2008年夏季奥运会), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and officially branded as Beijing 2008, were an international multi-sport event held from 8 to 24 August...
Michael Brunet discovers the skull of Sahelanthropus tchadensis in the Djurab Desert, Chad, one of the oldest known species in the human family tree and 6-7 million years old
Sources include: Dow Jones (DJ), New York Times (NYT), Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and the Washington Post (WP). January 10 The White House announces that President Clinton will not designate the...
Faced with declining oil prices, OPEC ministers agree to cut crude oil production quotas by about 4%, or one million barrels per day
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has a Ten Commandments monument installed in the judiciary building, leading to a lawsuit for its removal and his own removal from office
Cleveland Indians tie an MLB record by erasing a 12-run Seattle lead to win 15-14, also preventing the Mariners from reaching a record 117 season wins
Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel over the Atlantic Ocean due to a fuel leak and makes a successful emergency landing in the Azores, saving all 306 people on board
Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ah-LEE-ə; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model.
Goodwill Games V opens in Brisbane, Australia, for the final edition of the event
Australian Rugby Union team gives all-conquering captain John Eales perfect send off in his final international with a famous last minute, 29-26 win over New Zealand in Sydney; Wallabies retain Tri Nations Series
Facing 4-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux, Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa hits the longest home run in Turner Field history as his 53rd of the season travels 471 feet to straight away center
In just his 11th start, St. Louis Cardinals' rookie pitcher Bud Smith no-hits the San Diego Padres, 4-0
Ansett Australia, Australia's first commercial interstate airline, enters voluntary administartion (bankruptcy) due to increased strain on the international airline industry
Relative calm returns to world oil markets as US retail gasoline prices return to normal levels; energy trading by Houston energy companies resumes and limited commercial aviation starts
Australian bankruptcy administrator determines that Ansett Australia airlines is not financially viable to continue operations; stoppage strands thousands of passengers and throws more than 16,000 people out of a job
The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amerithrax (a portmanteau of "America" and "anthrax", from its FBI case name), occurred in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on...
AZF chemical plant explodes in Toulouse, France, killing 31 people
Crude oil and petroleum products futures fall to their lowest levels in nearly two years amid fears that a recession will reduce energy demand
At its two-day meeting in Vienna, OPEC decides to keep its production quotas unchanged at 23.2 million barrels per day, despite crude oil being at its lowest price levels since 1999
The Syracuse Herald-Journal, a U.S. newspaper dating back to 1839, ceases publication
Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in MLB history to total 60 home runs in three seasons as the Chicago slugger connects off Reds starter Lance Davis to reach the milestone in a 5-4 loss
After a 21-season career, Paul Coffey officially retires from the NHL, having won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, finishing second on the all-time list for points by defensemen (1,531 in 1,409 games), and playing in 14 All-Star Games
San Diego outfielder Rickey Henderson scores a run in the 3rd inning of the Padres' 12-5 loss to the LA Dodgers to tie the MLB record of 2,245 runs scored, held by the legendary Ty Cobb
SF Giants slugger Barry Bonds hits his 70th home run in 10-2 win v Houston; ties Mark McGwire for the most MLB home runs in a single season
Crude oil resumes flowing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline after workers weld shut a bullet hole that causes 260,000 US gallons of oil to spill out
A twin-engine Cessna and a Scandinavian Airlines System McDonnell Douglas MD-87 collide in heavy fog during takeoff from Linate Airport in Milan, Italy, killing 118 people
The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amerithrax (a portmanteau of "America" and "anthrax", from its FBI case name), occurred in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on...
Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences jointly awarded to George Akerlof, Joseph E. Stiglitz and A. Michael Spence for "their analyses of markets with asymmetric information"
German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher wins his 4th F1 World Drivers Championship by 58 points from David Coulthard; takes out Japanese GP at Suzuka for 9th win of the season
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io
The US Coast Guard lifts a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers entering Boston Harbor to make deliveries to Distrigas' Everett LNG terminal, imposed on September 26 in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11
Crude oil for November delivery falls to its lowest level since August 1999 on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX)
SIEV-X, an Indonesian fishing boat en route to Christmas Island carrying over 400 asylum seekers, sinks, killing 353
The iPod was a series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices that were designed and marketed by Apple from 2001 to 2022.
Windows XP, which is the next version of Windows NT after Windows 2000 and the successor to the consumer-oriented Windows Me, has been released in several editions since its original release in...
The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) is a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush.
ExxonMobil announces that a consortium it leads will spend $4 billion over 5 years to develop large offshore oil and natural gas fields in Russia's far eastern Sakhalin region
In the Wallabies’ 400th rugby union Test match in history, Australia routs Spain 92-10 (Australian record score) in Madrid; Matt Burke kicks an Australian record 10 conversions
Arkansas beats Mississippi, 58-56 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford in 7 overtime periods; the longest game in NCAA football history
The 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, November 4, 2001, seven weeks later than originally scheduled.
Crude oil for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) falls to a two-year low after OPEC members warn that a downward price spiral could occur if major non-OPEC oil exporters do not reduce oil production
Supersonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumes flying after a 15-month hiatus
An agreement is reached at talks in Marrakech, Morocco, on rules for implementation of the Kyoto climate change treaty
Foreign journalists Pierre Billaud, Johanne Sutton, and Volker Handloik are killed in Afghanistan during an attack by Taliban troops on the convoy they are traveling with
American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300 on its way to the Dominican Republic, crashes minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC, killing all 260 on board and five on the ground
OPEC announces that it intends to cut its crude oil output quotas by 1.5 million barrels per day effective, but only if non-OPEC producers cut their output by 500,000 barrels per day as well
The Xbox is a home video game console developed and marketed by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia, Europe, and Japan in 2002.
Home crowd favourite Leyton Hewitt wins his first of 2 season-ending Tennis Masters Cup titles with a 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 victory over Frenchman Sébastien Grosjean in Sydney, Australia
The Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime or the Budapest Convention, is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime...
Hydrogen atmosphere is discovered on the extrasolar planet Osiris by the Hubble Space Telescope, the first atmosphere detected on an extrasolar planet
The UN Security Council unanimously approves a resolution extending the Oil-for-Food program in Iraq for another six-month period
Captain Bill Compton brings Trans World Airlines Flight 220, an MD-83, into St. Louis International Airport, ending 76 years of TWA operations following the airline's purchase by American Airlines
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas.
The Canadian province of Newfoundland is renamed Newfoundland and Labrador
China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 December 2001, after the agreement of the Ministerial Conference of the WTO.
Winona Laura Horowitz ( wi-NOH-nə; born October 29, 1971), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it without fixing its famous lean
Ballon d'Or: Liverpool forward Michael Owen is named best football player in Europe ahead of Real Madrid striker Raúl and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
A record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.
Argentine economic crisis: President of Argentina Fernando de la Rúa is forced out of office.
Crude oil prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) record one of their largest 1-day jumps of the year as traders become convinced that OPEC will follow through on production cuts
The status of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) is a legal designation in the United States for free trade with a foreign state.
OPEC oil ministers meeting in Cairo agree to reduce their crude oil output quotas by a combined 1.5 million barrels per day
The Mesa Redonda fire occurred on Saturday, December 29, 2001 in Lima, Peru. The disaster killed at least 291 people and injured at least another 134.
Angourie Rice, Australian actress, known for australian actress, was born on 2001-01-01. Angourie Isabel Teresa Rice is an Australian actress.
Khaby Lame, French senegalese-italian influencer, known for senegalese-italian influencer, was born on 2001-03-09. Khabane Serigne "Khaby" Lame is a Senegalese and Italian influencer.
David Hogg, American gun control activist, known for american gun control activist, was born on 2001-04-12.
Chloe Kim, American athlete, known for american snowboarder, was born on 2001-04-23. Chloe Kim is an American professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Erling Haaland, Norwegian athlete, known for norwegian footballer, was born on 2001-07-21.
Lil Pump, American musician, known for american rapper, was born on 2001-08-17. Gazzy Fabio Garcia, known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper.
Willow Smith, American singer, known for american singer, was born on 2001-10-31. Willow Smith, also known mononymously as Willow, is an American singer, actress, and dancer.
Isabel May, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 2001-11-21. Isabel May is an American actress.
Baby Ariel is born
Bill Hewlett, American engineer, known for american engineer, died on 2001-01-12. William Redington Hewlett (May 20, 1913 – January 12, 2001) was an American engineer and the co-founder, with David…
Byron de la Beckwith dies
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American aviator and author, known for american aviator and author, died on 2001-02-07.
Claude Shannon, American mathematician, known for american mathematician, died on 2001-02-24.
Donald Bradman, Australian cricketer, known for australian cricketer, died on 2001-02-25.
William Hanna, American animator, known for american animator, died on 2001-03-22. William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician.
Tove Jansson, Swedish writer and illustrator, known for finnish writer and illustrator, died on 2001-06-27. Tove Marika Jansson was a Finland-Swedish author, novelist and comic strip author.
Christiaan Barnard, South African african cardiac surgeon, known for south african cardiac surgeon, died on 2001-09-02.
Todd Beamer, American victim of the september 11 attacks, known for victim of the september 11 attacks, died on 2001-09-11.