Miscellanous Facts & History

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Shiites Free Last Western Hostages - June 1992
Shiite guerrillas in Lebanon, June 17, freed 2 German relief workers who had been kidnapped in 1989. the workers, Heinrich Struebig and Thomas Kemptner, were the last Western hostages known to be held in Lebanon.

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Vincent Resigns as Baseball Commissioner - September 1992
Fay Vincent resigned, September 7, as commissioner of Major League Baseball after a majority of team owners called on him to step down. In 1989, the owners had chosen Vincent to succeed A. Bartlett Giamatti, who had died, as commissioner. Vincent said he believed in exerting strong leadership, but some owners found his actions high-handed.

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U.S. Economy Contracted in 1991 - January 1992
The government reported that the U.S. economy contracted in 1991, for the first time in 9 years. The Labor Dept., reported, January 9, that the producer price index for finished goods had edged downward by 0.1 percent in 1991, the first decline in wholesale prices in 5 years. The department reported, January 10, that unemployment stood in December at 7.1 percent, the highest in more than 5 years. The department said, January 16, that consumer prices had risen 3.1 percent in 1991, the lowest annual increase since 1986. The Commerce Dept. reported, January 17, that the U.S. trade deficit narrowed to $3.57B in November, the smallest in 9 years. The U.S. gross domestic product contracted 0.7 percent (adjusting for inflation) in 1991, the department announced, January 29, and this was the first decline since 1982. The department reported, January 31, that the leading economic indicators fell 0.3 percent in December, to their lowest level since June 1991.

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2 California Women Win Senate Nominations - June 1992
Two women, both Democrats, were nominated for the U.S. Senate in California, June 2. In a contest for a full 6-year term, Rep. Barbara Boxer would oppose Bruce Herschensohn, a conservative Republican television commentator, in the November election. Dianne Feinstein, a former mayor of San Francisco, would be running against Sen. John Seymour, who had been appointed to the Senate after Pete Wilson resigned in 1990 when he was elected governor. In the June 2 primary, women won 19 major-party nominations for California's 52 U.S. House seats.

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Canada, Mexico and U.S. Agree on Trade - August 1992
Representatives from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. announced, August 12, that they had approved a draft agreement establishing free trade among the 3 countries. Over 15 years, tariffs and other restrictions on trade and investment among the countries would be eliminated. The new pact would expand on an agreement between Canada and the U.S. in effect since 1989. The legislatures in all 3 countries would need to approve the draft. Leaders of organized labor in the U.S. warned that the agreement, if approved, would prompt more U.S. companies to move to Mexico, resulting in a loss of jobs in the U.S.

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Hurricane Losses Pat at $7.3B - September 1992
An insurance industry group estimated, September 1, that victims of hurricane Andrew in Florida would collect $7.3B in insurance claims. This figure did not include costs of damage to public property or damage in Louisiana. On a visit to south Florida, September 1, Pres. George bush promised that the federal government would cover almost all disaster relief costs. He also promised that Homestead Air Force Base, nearly destroyed by the hurricane, would be rebuilt. Another hurricane, named Iniki, struck Hawaii, September 11. Described as the worst hurricane to hit the islands in the 20th century, Iniki caused 3 deaths and $1B in damage. On the island of Kauai, winds reached speeds of 130 miles an hour, and half of its 20,000 homes were badly damaged.

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Macy's Files for Bankruptcy - January 1992
R.H. Macy & Co, owner of 251 retail stores in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy, January 27. Macy's flagship store in New York City was billed as the world's largest. Macy's purchase, in 1988, of I. Magnin and Bullock's, for $1.1B, had burdened the company with a large debt, and the economic recession had adversely affected the 1991 Christmas shopping season.

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United Way's President Forced to Resign - February 1992
William Aramory, president of the United Way of America, was forced to resign, February 27, after articles in the press called attention to his salary ($390,000) and other compensation and expenses he had received. United Way consists of some 2,100 local chapters that raise money---$3B in 1990--- for many different charities. An internal investigation had found questionable record-keeping and accounting practices. Aramory had headed United Way since 1970.

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Killer of 15 Men, Boys Found to Be Sane - February 1992
Jeffrey Dahmer, who had pleaded guilty to killing 15 young men and boys, was found to be sane by a jury in Milwaukee, February 15. Dahmer, who had mutilated his victims and eaten parts of some of them, had pleaded insanity. Ten of the 12 jurors, the minimum required for a verdict, found that Dahmer was sane. On February 17, he was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms in prison.

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Arthur Ashe Says He Has AIDS Virus - April 1992
Tennis player Arthur Ashe announced in a news conference, April 8, that he had contracted the virus that caused acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Ashe, in 1968, had become the first black to win the U.S. Open tournament. He said he believed he had contracted the virus during a transfusion after undergoing heart surgery in 1983. He learned he had the virus while undergoing brain surgery in 1988.

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Leona Helmsley Enters Prison - April 1992
On April 15, New York hotel owner Leona Helmsley entered a prison in Lexington, Ky., to begin serving a 4-year term for evading federal income taxes. Citing her own poor health and the frail condition of her elderly husband, Harry, Mrs. Helmsley had sought until the last minute to avoid being sent to prison.

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8 Soviet Republics Sign Economic Treaty - October 1991
Pres. Mikhail Gorbachev and the presidents of 8 Soviet republics signed an economic union treaty in Moscow, October 18, that declared "private ownership, free enterprise, and competition" to be the "basis for economic recovery." The presidents of 4 other republics---Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldavia, and Ukraine---boycotted the signing. The Ukranian parliament voted, October 22, to create an independent armed force that would have a strength of at least 400,000. The Ukranian government announced, October 23, that it would henceforth conduct its own economic transactions with other countries.

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Arctic Refuge Controversy Sinks Energy Bill - November 1991
A national energy bill, containing many provisions supported by the Bush administration, was blocked in the U.S. Senate, November 1. The bill, sponsored by Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), would have set higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, eased restrictions on utilities, supported construction of nuclear power plants, and deregulated oil and gas pipelines. It also would have opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to drilling for oil, which triggered organized opposition from environmental groups. They supported a filibuster, and with 60 votes required to cut off debate, only 50 senators supported cloture. Advocates of the bill conceded it was dead for the rest of the year.

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Infected by AIDS virus, Basketball Star Retires - November 1991
Earvin (Magic) Johnson retired from professional basketball after he tested positive for the HIV virus that caused acquired immune deficiency syndrome. After leading Michigan State to a national college title, Johnson had starred 12 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. He received the league's most valuable player award 3 times, and the Lakers won 5 NBA titles. On November 7, Johnson announced that he had become infected with the virus and had retired on advice of his doctors. The AIDS virus had proved fatal to more than 125,000 Americans during the past decade. At this press conference and in subsequent statements, Johnson appealed to young people to practice safe sex or abstain from sex outside marriage. On November 15, he accepted an invitation from Pres. George Bush to join the National Commission on AIDS.

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France's First Woman Premier Resigns - April 1992
Premier Edith Cresson of France resigned, April 2, after less than 11 months in office. Cresson had made her mark with outspoken views, sometimes not too dimplomatic. Her popularity had declined in the wake of financial scandals and a high unemployment rate. Her Socialist Party had done poorly in regional elections. Pres. François Mitterand named Finance Minister Pierre Beregovoy to succeed Cresson. Beregovoy's cautious fiscal policies had protected the value of the franc and had brought the inflation rate down to 3 percent.

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Boy Wins Suit to Get New Parents - September 1992
A 12-year-old boy won a suit in a Florida circuit court in Orlando, September 25, that ended the parental rights of his natural mother and allowed his foster parents to adopt him. The case may have been the first in which family rights were ended as a result of a legal action brought by a child. During the trial, the boy, Gregory Kinsley, testified that his mother, Rachel, had not visited him for almost 2 years while he was in foster care.

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Reporters Refuse to Name Sources - February 1992
The controversy over the nomination of Clarence Thomas to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court had an aftermath. The Senate had ordered an inquiry into how sexual harassment allegations made by Prof. Anita Hill against Thomas had been leaked to the press. The reporters who broke the story, Timothy Phelps of Newsday and Nina Totenberg of National Public Radio, were subpoenaed to testify before a Senate special counsel. Phelps, on February 13, and Totenberg, on February 24, both refused to name their sources, who were believed to be staff members of one of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The reporters cited the constitutional guarantee of freedon of the press. Phelps said the people "had a need and a right to know that serious allegations had been made" against Thomas.

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U.N. Imposes Sanctions on Yugoslavia - May 1992
The U.N. Security Council attempted to stop the bloodshed in Yugoslavia. On May 1, Serbian forces began shelling Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and also seized many towns within the secessionist republic. Hundreds of people were killed. The federal army, dominated by Serbs, singed a truce with the Bosnian government, May 5, A cease-fire took effect, May 13, but it didn't last long. To convey its concern, the U.S. government, May 20, revoked the U.S. landing rights of the Yugoslav national airline. Sec. of State James Baker announced, May 22, that Yugoslav consulates in New York City and San Francisco would be closed and that Yugoslav military attaches based in Washington would be expelled. On May 22, the U.N. General Assembly admitted as U.N. members the former republics of Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. On May 27, the European Community imposed a trade embargo on Yugoslavia. On May 29 and 30, Serbian forces shelled Sarajevo and the Croatian port city of Dubrovnik. The U.N. Security Council, May 30, approved, 13-0, broad new sanctions against Yugoslavia. The U.N. resolution demanded an end to the fighting and to all interference in Bosnia by Yugoslavia. The resolution authorized a ban on all exports to Yugoslavia except food and medical supplies, and a global ban on imports from Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia's foreign assets were frozen and commercial contacts halted. Serbian Pres. Slobodan Milosevic denied, May 31, that Yugoslavia had committed any aggression against Bosnia.

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Bush Veto Overridden for First Time - October 1992
After nearly 4 years and 35 unsuccessful attempts, Congress finally overrode a veto by Pres. Bush. On October 3, he vetoed a bill that reversed portions of a law that prohibited local governments from regulating cable television fees. The legislation required that the Federal Communications Commission establish a "reasonable" price for basic cable services. On October 5, the Senate, 74-25, and the House, 308-114, both vote to override by more than two-thirds majority required.

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Pan Am Liable in 1988 Bombing - July 1992
On July 10, a federal jury in New York City concluded that Pan American World Airlines was liable for damages in the terrorist bombing in 1988 that killed 270 people. A bomb had been put aboard the plane in an unaccompanied suitcase that, according to an attorney for families of the victims, airline employees had failed to inspect. The plane exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and resulting in the death of 11 people on the ground. For not discovering the bomb, the jury just found Pan Am to be guilty of willful misconduct. Pan Am had gone out of business since the tragedy, and it was estimated that the carrier's insurance companies might have to pay out $300M in individual damage claims. On July 22, the jury made the first award on an individual claim---$9.2M to the family of one victim.

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Pan American Ceases Operations - December 1991
Delta Air Lines, which had been providing financial support to Pan American World airways, announced, December 3, that it would not offer any further assistance. Pan Am then closed operations, December 4, ending one of the most important and colorful chapters in aviation history. The year 1991 had also seen the demise of Eastern Airlines and Midway Airlines.

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Computer Pioneer Files for Bankruptcy - August 1992
Wang Laboratories, Inc., an innovative computer company, filed for bankruptcy, August 18. Founded by the late An Wang, acknowledged as the inventor of word processors, the company had also led the way in developing minicomputers. Analysts said the company had failed to respond effectively to the rising popularity of personal computers. In announcing that Wang would seek protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, Richard Miller, chairman of the Lowell, Mass. company, said the firm would reorganize and concentrate of software.

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Hurricane Batters Florida, Louisiana - August 1992
A powerful hurricane devastated south Florida and also pounded Louisiana. The hurricane, named Andrew, was perhaps the worst natural disaster to ever strike the U.S. In Florida, the storm claimed 30 lives, destroyed or damaged 85,000 homes, and left many areas without power and water. Some 250,000 people were left homeless, and many sought refuge in 12 tent cities. Damage in Florida was estimated to be as high as $20B. The hurricane first struck the Bahamas, August 23, with winds up to 120 miles an hour. Four people were reported killed there. The center of the storm struck the mainland about 10 to 15 miles south of Miami, August 24, with winds up to 165 miles an hour. The city of Homestead and the Homestead Air Force Base were virtually leveled. With ample warning, most people had been evacuated from the hurricane's path. An 8-foot tidal surge accompanied, and rain drenched south Florida. Miami survived relatively unscathed. The storm crossed the Gulf of Mexico, and struck the Louisiana coast, August 25, with the eye of the hurricane about 90 miles southwest of New Orleans. Winds were recorded at 140 miles an hour, rain was severe, and the storm spawned tornadoes. The hurricane gradually weakened as it moved north into Mississippi. After Florida officials complained, August 27, about the slowness of the federal relief effort, Pres. George Bush ordered troops sent to the impacted area. By August 28, 6,000 Army and Marine personnel were in south Florida, distributing food and building tent cities. On August 29, Bush raised the commitment of Federal troops to 20,000, and private relief agencies also joined in the rescue. Sanitary conditions remained poor, and concern about disease grew.

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Bush Signs Bill to Help Unemployed - November 1991
A compromise bill providing for additional benefits for unemployed workers was signed by Pres. George Bush. He had vetoed a pervious version of the bill in October. The new legslation met his requirement for a funding mechanism. Money would come from high-income workers who paid taxes quarterly and whose incomes had increased. They would pay taxes based on current earnings, not on what they had earned in the previous year. The compromise bill, which Bush signed, November 15, would give all unemployed workers at least 6 weeks of additional benefits, and up to 20 additional weeks, depending on the level of unemployment in their state.

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Basketball Legend Larry Bird Retires - August 1992
Larry Bird, one of basketball's greatest players, retired, August 18, because of recurring back problems. Bird, in 1979, had lead an unbeaten Indiana State to the final game of the NCAA basketball tournament, which was won by Michigan State, led by Earvin (Magic) Johnson. Thereafter, Johnson and Bird---the latter with the Boston Celtics---dominated professional basketball and contributed to its sharp rise in popularity. Bird, a 6-foot, 9-inch forward, led Boston to 3 championships and was named the league's most valuable player 3 times. Johnson, who had already retired from pro ball, and Bird both played on the U.S. "dream team" that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. On September 29, Johnson announced that he would resume his career, on a limited schedule, with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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British Parliamentary Election Scheduled - March 1992
British Prime Minister John Major decided to call a parliamentary election. After Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister in November 1990, Conservative members of Parliament had chosen Major to succeed her. Major had hoped to avoid an election until the economy improved, but with the term of Parliament due to expire by summer, the prime minister, on March 11, asked Queen Elizabeth II to dissolve Parliament. He then announced April 9, as the date of the election. Neil Kinnock, the Labour leader, said, March 11, that 13 years of Conservative rule had left the nation in a deep recession.

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$25B Bid Buys RJR Nabisco - November 1988
Nabisco---One of the wildest takeover fights in American corporate history reached a resolution, November 30, when RJR Nabisco, the food and tobacco giant, was acquired for $25.07B. This figure was about twice the size of any other merger. The management group of Kohlberg Kravis Robert & Co. made the offer that was accepted by the outside directors of RJR Nabisco. A slightly higher offer by the management group led by RJR Pres. F. Ross Johnson was rejected.In October, the company's shares had been priced at 455, but the final offer was equivalent to $109 a share.

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Emperor Hirohito Is Buried - February 1989
Emperor Hirohito of Japan, who died in January, was buried, February 24, in Tokyo in a daylong Shinto ceremony. Pres. George Bush was among the 55 heads of state in attendance. Altogether, some 160 countries were represented. Bush, a former envoy to China, flew on to Beijing, February 25, and on February 26, he met with China's supreme leader, Deng Xiaoping. In South Korea, February 27, Bush met with opposition leaders and addressed the National Assembly.

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Congress OKs Compromise Budget - May 1989
Congress approved the compromise budget plan worked out in April between Pres. George Bush and Senate and House leaders. Differences between Senate and House versions were reconciled, May 11, and the House, May 17, and the Senate, May 18, then gave final approval. However, even more of its supporters acknowledged that some of the deficit-cutting tactics were illusory.

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Venezuelans Riot Over Price Increases - February 1989
Venezuelans rioted in protest against government-imposed increases in transportation fares and gasoline prices. The new president, Carlos Andrés Pérez, had acted, February 16, to satisfy the International Monetary Fund, with which Venezuela had been negotiating on a loan. The nation's currency, the bolivar, was devalued. After the price increases were announced, February 27, riots spread around the country. Pérez declared martial law, February 28. Although wage increases were announced March 1, new riots erupted. Pérez said, March 3, that 300 had died in the violence.