1986
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1 January 1986 Spain and Portugal join the European Community.
South Africa imposes sanctions on Lesotho, allowing only those who work in South Africa to cross the border.
Aruba is separated from the Netherlands Antilles.
3 January 1986 Voyager scientist Stephen P. Synnott discovers two new moons of Uranus: Juliet and Portia.
6 January 1986 US President Ronald Reagan signs an order secretly authorizing arms shipments to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages in Lebanon.
7 January 1986 US President Reagan announces economic sanctions against Libya and orders all US citizens in the country to leave immediately.
8 January 1986 The Reagan administration freezes all Libyan government assets in the United States.
Concerto for bassoon and orchestra op.63 by Robin Holloway (42) is performed for the first time, in City Hall, Newcastle.
9 January 1986 The Italian government announces a ban on weapons sales to Libya.
British Defense Minister Michael Heseltine resigns over an attempted rescue of the British helicopter manufacturer Westland PLC. Prime Minister Thatcher is against intervention.
Voyager scientist Stephen P. Synnott discovers a new moon of Uranus: Cressida.
Concerto for viola and orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (51) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.
10 January 1986 A chamber version of The Desert Music by Steve Reich (49) to words of Williams, is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia. See 17 March 1984.
12 January 1986 South African black activist Ampie Mayisa is stabbed to death hours before meeting US assistant Secretary of State Chester Crocker in black townships east of Johannesburg. Zulu agents are suspected.
13 January 1986 Fighting breaks out between rival factions in Aden. 13,000 people will die in the fighting. The events will not be known outside Yemen until 29 January.
Rival Christian militias begin three days of fighting in Beirut.
Voyager scientist Stephen P. Synnott discovers three new moons of Uranus: Desdemona, Rosalind, and Belinda
15 January 1986 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev proposes a world wide ban on nuclear weapons by 2000. He also announces an extension of the unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing.
Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo replaces Oscar Humberto Mejia Victores as President of Guatemala.
17 January 1986 Spain and Israel establish diplomatic relations in a ceremony at The Hague.
US President Reagan signs a second secret order authorizing an attempt to contact "moderate elements" in Iran by providing them with arms and equipment. The stated purpose is to 1. establish a more moderate government in Iran, 2. obtain from them intelligence on Iranian intentions and 3. furthering the release of US hostages held in Beirut.
Album de Lilian op.139 for voice, flute, and piano by Charles Koechlin (†35) is performed completely for the first time, in the Concert Hall of the Boston University School of Music, 52 years after it was composed. The suite is a commentary on the films of Lilian Harvey. See 13 June 1934 and 27 January 1936.
Concerto for violin and orchestra by Richard Wernick (52) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
19 January 1986 Concerto for piano and orchestra by Milton Babbitt (69) is performed for the first time, in New York.
Raleigh Divertimento for wind quintet by Robert Ward (68) is performed for the first time, in Steward Theatre of North Carolina State University, Raleigh.
20 January 1986 In Lille, French President François Mitterand and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announce that they have approved a Channel Tunnel plan.
Justin Lekhanya replaces Leabua Jonathan as Prime Minister of Lesotho.
Voyager scientist Richard J. Terrile discovers two new moons of Uranus: Cordelia and Ophelia.
New York Counterpoint for clarinet and tape by Steve Reich (49) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York. See 21 June 1987.
21 January 1986 A car bomb explodes near the headquarters of the Christian Phalangist Party in East Beirut. 22 people are killed, over 100 injured.
Two white policemen are killed in rioting by black miners when they try to break up a union meeting in Bekkersdal, South Africa.
Conservative students at Dartmouth College attack a shantytown erected on college property to protest apartheid in South Africa. Using sledgehammers and crowbars, the conservatives manage to destroy three of the four shanties before being arrested.
The Bank of America is fined $4,750,000 for failure to report cash deposits.
22 January 1986 Three Sikhs are convicted in a New Delhi court in the murder of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. They are sentenced to death.
In retaliation for yesterday’s events, South African police kill seven blacks near Johannesburg. 40 others are wounded while 250 are arrested.
23 January 1986 British Prime Minister Thatcher tells the House of Commons that Trade and Industry Secretary Leon Brittan and his staff, on 6 January, made public a controversial letter from Solicitor General Sir Patrick Mayhew to then Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine about the Westland affair. She says she was not consulted in advance, but defended the action.
The Reagan administration orders the US Navy to begin provocative operations off Libya.
Voyager scientists discover a new moon of Uranus: Bianca.
24 January 1986 British Trade and Industry Secretary Leon Brittan becomes the second cabinet minister to resign in the Westland rescue.
The United States Navy holds maneuvers in the Gulf of Sidra, claimed by Libya as territorial waters.
25 January 1986 Piano Concerto by Marc Blitzstein (†22) is performed for the first time in its orchestral version, in Cooper Union, New York conducted by Lukas Foss (63). See 25 April 1936.
26 January 1986 Voyager 2 reaches vicinity of the moons of Uranus.
Fantasia Concertante for viola, cello, and orchestra by William Bolcom (47) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.
Rounds for flute, violin, and viola by R. Murray Schafer (52) is performed for the first time, in Toronto. The name will be changed to Buskers.
27 January 1986 After a three-hour debate in the House of Commons over Prime Minister Thatcher’s role in the Westland affair, she wins a vote of confidence.
Voyager 2 discovers 350 kph winds, a temperature of -210° C and a 16-17 hour day on the surface of Uranus.
Sine nomine I for five brass instruments by Wolfgang Rihm (33) is performed for the first time, in Cannes.
28 January 1986 11:39 The United States space shuttle Challenger explodes one minute and 13 seconds after launch from Cape Canaveral. Seven people aboard are killed.
29 January 1986 Yoweri Museveni, at the head of a rebel army, replaces Tito Okello as President of Uganda.
30 January 1986 Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi is welcomed to the White House in Washington to meet with President Reagan.
31 January 1986 In the midst of widespread opposition to his rule, President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti declares a state of siege. 30 minutes later, the Reagan administration announces that Duvalier was overthrown and fled the country. They are in error.
Chain 2 for violin and orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (73) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.
Piano Concerto no.1 by Joan Tower (47) is performed for the first time, in Kingston, New York.
The Chairman Dances, an orchestral excerpt from John Adams' (38) opera Nixon in China, is performed for the first time, in Milwaukee directed by Lukas Foss (63).
1 February 1986 Concerto for orchestra by Shulamit Ran (36) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
2 February 1986 Women vote in Liechtenstein for the first time. One seat is won by a woman.
5 February 1986 The Thatcher government of Great Britain announces plans to sell ten water companies in England and Wales.
Fandango sopra un basso del Padre Soler for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (59) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
7 February 1986 Amid violence, controversy, and allegations of fraud, Philippine voters go to the polls to elect a president.
President Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti flees the country to Paris after unrest over economic conditions. The army takes over the government with a junta led by General Henri Namphy.
9 February 1986 The Behavior of Mirrors for guitar by Roger Reynolds (51) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.
10 February 1986 Iran launches a major new offensive against Iraq.
Fighting resumes in Chad as Libyan-backed rebels begin an offensive against the French-backed government.
Eight Latin American countries urge a halt in US aid to the conservative rebels in Nicaragua. They call for renewed efforts towards a negotiated settlement.
11 February 1986 Philippine opposition leader Evelio Javier is killed by gunmen.
Iranian forces capture Al-Faw within sight of Kuwait. This gives them control of the Shatt-al-Arab.
The Soviet Union frees leading dissident Anatoly Shcharansky in an exchange of nine prisoners at the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin.
US President Reagan declares his belief that there was fraud “on both sides” of the Philippine elections.
12 February 1986 Thomas Jefferson’s Orbiting Minstrels and Contraband for string quartet, woodwind quintet, jazz sextet, dancer, soprano, computer, visuals, and synthesizer by TJ Anderson (57) is performed for the first time, at Northern Illinois University, De Kalb.
13 February 1986 A count by the Philippine National Congress shows Ferdinand Marcos ahead after half the votes have been counted. Opposition candidate Corazon Aquino and others claim massive fraud.
Iran announces that 17 of its soldiers have been killed by Iraqi chemical weapons.
14 February 1986 Orland Payne McCafferty, an unemployed insurance man, pours a flammable liquid on himself and sets himself alight in front of the White House to protest inadequate benefits for veterans. He survives, but will die of his injuries next month.
16 February 1986 The Philippine National Assembly declares Ferdinand Marcos the winner in the 7 February elections. Corazon Aquino claims victory and announces a non-violent campaign to take power.
Portuguese voters elect Socialist Mário Soares as President.
17 February 1986 A three day summit of Francophone nations opens at Versailles. Representatives of 41 countries take part, including six heads of state and government.
The public prosecutor in Koblenz opens an investigation into charges that Chancellor Helmut Kohl lied to a parliamentary committee in Mainz about illegal campaign contributions.
Jiddu Krishnamurti dies in Ojai, California at the age of 90.
18 February 1986 The Reagan administration admits that they are sending millions of dollars in covert aid to rebels in Angola.
Concerto for flute and orchestra by David Diamond (70) is performed for the first time, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Phaedra for string orchestra by Philip Glass (49) is performed for the first time, in the Dallas Majestic Theatre.
19 February 1986 King Hussein of Jordan, in a televised address, ends his joint peace efforts with the PLO. “We are unable to continue to coordinate politically with the PLO leadership until such time as their word becomes their bond, characterized by commitment, credibility, and constancy.”
The US Senate votes to ratify the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 38 years after it was signed.
20 February 1986 The USSR launches the space station Mir.
Iraq launches a ground offensive against Iran at al-Faw.
Coca-Cola Corporation pays $470 million to acquire Dr. Pepper.
22 February 1986 Philippine Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and armed forces Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos desert President Marcos and declare for Ms. Aquino. They take over Defense Ministry headquarters. Thousands of citizens come out to protect them and other rebel leaders.
1,000 TOW missiles are secretly shipped by the United States to Iran.
24 February 1986 Philippine President Marcos declares a state of emergency. Juan Ponce Enrile forms a provisional government lead by Corazon Aquino.
The Reagan administration proposes a three-year phase out of all US and Soviet medium range nuclear missiles.
Texas Air Corporation buys Eastern Airlines for $600,000,000.
25 February 1986 Morning. Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino is sworn in as President of the Philippines. Salvador Laurel is appointed Prime Minister.
Noon. Ferdinand Marcos is sworn in as President of the Philippines.
Soviet leader Gorbachev dismisses the offer of yesterday and calls on the US to enter real negotiations to eliminate the nuclear threat.
In spite of a request from eight Latin American countries to halt aid to the Contras, US President Reagan proposes to Congress $100,000,000 in military and other support to the Nicaraguan rebels.
Embross for three woodwinds, three brass, percussion, strings, and electronic instruments by Lukas Foss (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.
Concerto da Camera for woodwind quintet by Shulamit Ran (36) is performed for the first time, in Cooper Union Hall, New York.
26 February 1986 Ferdinand Marcos and ninety others flee the Philippines to Guam after 20 years of rule. President Aquino names a new cabinet.
Robert Penn Warren is named the first official Poet Laureate of the United States.
Excuse Me for mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and percussion by Peter Maxwell Davies (51) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
27 February 1986 The Egyptian government announces it has put an end to an uprising which began 25 February. Street fighting has left 36 people dead, 321 injured.
Danish voters approve changes to the European Community founding charter.
Piano Trio no.2 by George Rochberg (67) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.
Tango Variations on a Tango Cantus for piano by Ralph Shapey (64) is performed for the first time, in New York.
Le Tombeau d’Edgar Poe, an orchestral suite from Dominick Argento’s (58) opera The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe, is performed for the first time, in Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore.
Improvisation A+B for voice, cello, trombone, percussion, and clarinet by John Cage (73) is performed for the first time, in the Dallas Museum of Art, the composer performing the vocal part.
28 February 1986 23:30 Prime Minister Sven Olof Joachim Palme of Sweden is shot to death by an unknown gunman as he leaves a movie theatre in Stockholm with his wife.
Symphonic Fantasia no.6 by Otto Luening (85) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University.
1 March 1986 Ingvar Gösta Carlsson becomes acting Prime Minister of Sweden.
2 March 1986 Civil rights are restored to Philippine citizens.
Queen Elizabeth II gives royal assent to the final severing of all constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom. She signs the bill in Canberra.
4 March 1986 The New York Times reports that during World War II, former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim was attached to a German Army unit responsible for deporting Greek Jews to death camps. The report also appears in the Austrian weekly Profil.
The Soviet spacecraft Vega I flies within 8,850 km of Halley's Comet and sends back pictures showing the comet's core.
5 March 1986 Burke and Wills Suite for brass band by Peter Sculthorpe (56) is performed for the first time, in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide, South Australia.
Islamic Jihad announces that it has murdered French hostage Michel Seurat in Lebanon.
US President Reagan says that if Congress does not approve aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, his country would see “a sea of red eventually lapping at our own borders.”
In an opinion article in the Washington Post, Reagan administration official Patrick Buchanan states that members of Congress must choose between aid to the Contras or Communism.
Seattle Slew (Dance Suite) for orchestra by William Bolcom (47) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
6 March 1986 Georgia O’Keeffe dies in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the age of 98.
US President Reagan says that those who oppose aid to Nicaraguan Contras are being duped by Communists.
The Soviet space probe Vega I comes to within 9,000 km of Halley’s Comet, penetrating its atmosphere.
7 March 1986 Emergency rule is ended in South Africa. The last 329 of 8,000 prisoners held under the decree are released.
8 March 1986 Four French citizens, members of a television crew, are abducted in Beirut.
Maske for two pianos by Wolfgang Rihm (33) is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.
9 March 1986 Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares replaces Antonio dos Santos Ramalho Eanes as President of Portugal. He is the first civilian president in 60 years.
The Soviet spacecraft Vega II reaches within 8,400 km of Halley's Comet and confirms that the core is solid.
10 March 1986 Variations for organ by Ralph Shapey (64) is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Ascension, New York.
11 March 1986 The public prosecutor in Bonn opens a second investigation of Chancellor Helmut Kohl, this one into charges he lied to a parliamentary committee about illegal campaign contributions in 1984.
Leo Frank, a Jewish businessman lynched by Georgia citizens in 1915 for the murder of a young gentile woman, is officially pardoned by the State of Georgia.
12 March 1986 Ingvar Carlsson is approved as Prime Minister of Sweden.
Spanish voters approve of remaining in NATO, a continued ban on nuclear weapons in Spain, and the reduction of US troops in the country.
13 March 1986 Symphony no.5 by George Rochberg (67) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago for the 150th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Three Sisters, an opera by Thomas Pasatieri (40) to words of Elmslie after Henry James, is performed for the first time, in Columbus, Ohio.
14 March 1986 The European spacecraft Giotto reaches to within 540 km of Halley's Comet sending back data until dust interrupts the transmission. Scientists estimate the head of the comet to have a nucleus 15 km long and four km wide.
Earth Dances for orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (51) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.
15 March 1986 Conservative parties narrowly win a majority in parliamentary elections in France.
Risonanze erranti a Massimo Cacciari for mezzo-soprano, flute, percussion, and electronics by Luigi Nono (62) to words of Melville and Bachmann is performed for the first time, in the Großer Rheinsaal der Kölner Messe, Cologne.
Cántico de San Francisco de Asís for chorus and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (84) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
Fanfare for the Houston Symphony by Charles Wuorinen (47) is performed for the first time, in Jones Hall, Houston.
16 March 1986 Elections for the French National Assembly result in losses for the ruling Socialist Party, though not as much as expected. Conservative parties hold power.
US President Reagan appeals to the nation for aid to the Nicaraguan contras in the strongest possible words. His speech includes assertions which are false, which those in a position to know will point out in the coming days.
Swiss voters reject membership in the United Nations by a vote of 3-1.
The San Francisco Examiner reports that the conservative rebels in Nicaragua are partly funded by a San Francisco cocaine trafficking ring.
The original version of Symphony no.4 for four vocal soloists and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (51) is performed for the first time, in Moscow. See 12 April 1984.
17 March 1986 The government of Brazil demands clarification of US President Reagan’s statement that the Sandinistas are aiding Brazilian radicals with training and weapons. There are no armed guerrillas movements in Brazil.
Rabbi Balfour Brickner of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, says that, contrary to President Reagan’s statement, there is no official policy of anti-Semitism in Nicaragua. His investigation showed that the small number of Jews in the country left before the Sandinistas came to power. The only synagogue in Managua, which Reagan said had been firebombed and destroyed, is still very much intact.
Return: The Triumph of Reason for computer generated sound by Morton Subotnick (52), composed in celebration of the return of Halley's Comet, with planetarium show, is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.
18 March 1986 The US Drug Enforcement Administration says that, contrary to the statement by President Reagan, it has no evidence of Sandinista involvement in drug trafficking.
Famine for four amplified voices and computer generated sound by Tod Machover (32) is performed for the first time, in St. Peter’s Chapel, New York.
20 March 1986 Conservative Jacques Chirac replaces Socialist Laurent Fabius as Prime Minister of France. It is the first time in the Fifth Republic that a president and prime minister have been from opposing ideologies. Moments later, Islamic terrorists explode a bomb on the Champs Elysées, killing two people and injuring 28.
The US House of Representatives votes against aid to the conservative rebels in Nicaragua.
The City Council of New York bans discrimination based on sexual preference.
21 March 1986 Georgi Ivanov Atanasov replaces Grisha Stanchev Filipov as Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
23 March 1986 US Navy vessels begin provocative maneuvers in the Gulf of Sidra.
24 March 1986 Libyan forces fire six missiles at US warplanes. US planes retaliate by attacking Libyan ships in the Gulf of Sidra and a ground missile battery near Sirt. At least two ships are sunk.
25 March 1986 Philippine President Corazon Aquino abrogates the constitution and abolishes Congress. She claims sole power until a new constitution can be written.
US warplanes attack Libyan targets for a second time, this time without provocation.
The Canadian government announces that a $1 coin will go into circulation next year and eventually replace the paper $1 bill.
26 March 1986 Police fire into a crowd of 5,000 in Bophuthatswana. 30 people are killed by police across the country.
27 March 1986 The Reagan administration announces that its provocative naval maneuvers in the Gulf of Sidra are over.
28 March 1986 Two Traditional Japanese Songs for voice and piano by Samuel Adler (58) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.
29 March 1986 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev asks US President Reagan to meet with him to discuss a ban on testing of nuclear weapons.
30 March 1986 US President Reagan flatly rejects the request made by Soviet leader Gorbachev yesterday.
31 March 1986 A fire causes extensive damage to Hampton Court. Quick work by the rescue brigade holds damage to the Renaissance art collection to £130,000.
After Protestants march through Portadown, southwest of Belfast, police clash with demonstrators. Up to 77 people are injured in the violence.
End of Summer: Remembrance of Things Past for clarinet, violin, and piano by Ned Rorem (62) is performed for the first time, in Patkar Hall, Bombay.
2 April 1986 Arab terrorists explode a bomb on board a TWA plane flying 5,000 meters over Greece. Four passengers, one of them an infant, are sucked through the hole in the fuselage. Their bodies are later recovered on the ground in Greece.
Bishop Desmond Tutu calls on western governments to apply “punitive sanctions” against South Africa for its policy of apartheid.
Peter Pears dies of a heart attack in Aldeburgh at the age of 75.
3 April 1986 A Mini Song Cycle for Gina for soprano and piano by John Tavener (42) to words of Yeats is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Church, Ladbroke Grove, London.
Three Movements for orchestra by Steve Reich (49) is performed for the first time, in St. Louis.
4 April 1986 Abkehr for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.
Concerto for harmonica and orchestra by Henry Cowell (†20) is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, conducted by Lukas Foss (63), 24 years after it was composed.
Tromba lontana for orchestra by John Adams (39) is performed for the first time, in Jones Hall, Houston.
5 April 1986 France expels six Arabs accused of plotting against Americans.
A bomb explodes in a Berlin nightclub popular with US servicemen. Two people are killed, 155 injured. The Reagan administration blames Libya.
Aus dem Nachlass for viola, cello, and bass by Mauricio Kagel (54) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.
6 April 1986 Suite no.1 for violin by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†22) is performed for the first time, in Spokane, Washington, 59 years after it was composed.
9 April 1986 West Germany expels two Libyan diplomats.
10 April 1986 Halley's Comet reaches a distance of 63,000,000 km from Earth, its closest approach.
Opposition leader Benzir Bhutto lands in Pakistan to cheering throngs. She addresses a massive meeting of her supporters in Lahore.
The Reagan administration explodes a nuclear device under the Nevada desert.
The Murder of Comrade Sharik, an opera by William Bergsma (65) to his own words after Bulgakov, is performed for the first time, in Brooklyn.
12 April 1986 Frolic: Fanfare for Orchestra by Ned Rorem (62) is performed for the first time, in Jones Hall, Houston.
13 April 1986 Pierrot for clarinet, violin, and piano by Thea Musgrave (57) is performed for the first time, in Istanbul.
14 April 1986 Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu is elected as the first titular head of the Anglican Church in South Africa.
European Community foreign ministers agree at The Hague to reduce the number of Libyan diplomats, restrict their movement, and institute stricter visa requirements for Libyans.
Simone de Beauvoir dies in Paris at the age of 78.
Kroslish Sonate for cello and piano by Ralph Shapey (64) is performed for the first time.
15 April 1986 02:00 American planes from Great Britain and US aircraft carriers attack targets near Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya. President Reagan links the Libyans to the Berlin bombing of ten days ago. 15 people are killed, including the 15-month-old adopted daughter of Libyan leader Muammar el-Ghadaffi. 16 people are injured.
Jean Genet dies in Paris at the age of 75.
Etude 1 from György Ligeti’s (62) Études pour piano Book I is performed for the first time, in Bratislava.
But what about the noise of crumpling paper which he used to do in order to paint the series of ‘Papiers froissés’ or tearing up paper to make ‘Papiers déchirés’? Arp was stimulated by water (sea, lake and flowing waters like rivers), forests for percussion ensemble by John Cage (73) is performed for the first time, at the University of Buffalo.
17 April 1986 Three western hostages are found dead in Lebanon. They were killed in retaliation for American attacks on Libya.
George Perle (70) is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Wind Quintet IV. See 2 October 1985.
18 April 1986 South African President PW Botha announces that the Pass Laws will no longer be enforced.
Music for 18 Winds by John Harbison (47) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
19 April 1986 Piece for Small Orchestra no.2 by Conlon Nancarrow (73) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
Version 1 of Algorithms III for nine instruments and tape by Lejaren Hiller (62) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.
20 April 1986 Vladimir Horowitz performs in Moscow for the first time in 61 years.
21 April 1986 European Community foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg adopt more stringent measures against Libyan diplomats in Europe.
22 April 1986 Nicaraguan Contra leader Adolfo Chamorro is arrested by Costa Rican authorities upon his arrival in San José from Miami. In three days he will be deported to the US.
23 April 1986 Alec Collett, a British hostage, is killed in Lebanon for British complicity in the US attack on Libya.
Otto Preminger dies in New York at the age of 80.
24 April 1986 Symphony no.60 “To the Appalachian Mountains” by Alan Hovhaness (75) is performed for the first time, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
25 April 1986 The British government orders 300 Libyan aviation students out of the country.
A bomb explodes in Madrid killing five members of the Guardia Civil and injuring eight other people. Basque separatists are suspected.
26 April 1986 A major accident occurs at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the town of Pripyat near Chernobyl, 100 km north of Kiev. Because of human error, the cooling system of reactor number four fails. The core begins to melt down and the buildup of gases blows the top off the building. Two people are killed in the initial explosion. A radioactive cloud spreads over the western USSR, eastern Europe and Scandinavia
27 April 1986 The evacuation of 40,000 people living near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant begins.
Child Alice for amplified soprano and orchestra by David Del Tredici (49) is performed completely for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York. See 23 February 1980, 16 September 1980, and 19 November 1981.
28 April 1986 Technicians in Scandinavia discover abnormally high radiation levels and a study of wind patterns suggests the USSR as the source. Swedish inquiries to the USSR go unanswered. In the evening, Soviet television announces, "An accident has taken place at the Chernobyl power station and one of the reactors was damaged."
The first story about an arms-for-hostages deal with Iran appears in the American press.
29 April 1986 The Soviet Union releases a further statement about Chernobyl that two people were killed and the situation is under control.
The Polish government bans the sale of milk from grass-fed cows and restricts the sale of fresh vegetables. All children are required to take iodine to counter possible thyroid cancer.
A Birthday Bouquet for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (57) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
30 April 1986 Indian military forces raid the Golden Temple of Amritsar again, wresting control of it from Sikh extremists. Sikh violence against Hindus begins almost immediately.
Photographs by American spy satellites show that the Chernobyl nuclear reactor is still active. Above-normal radiation readings in Austria cause officials to warn parents to keep their children inside. Italy reports radiation levels almost twice normal. Sweden reports radiation levels ten times normal in the northern part of the country.
Libya orders over 100 European workers out of the country.
The government of Conservative Prime Minister Kaare Willoch of Norway is defeated in a vote of confidence.
2 May 1986 The Soviet Union announces that water in a reservoir near the Chernobyl nuclear power station is undrinkable. Radiation around the plant is at lethal levels.
Gro Harlem Brundtland replaces Kaare Willoch as Prime Minister of Norway.
Haddock's Eyes for amplified soprano, flute or piccolo, clarinet, horn, trumpet, piano, two violins, viola, cello, and bass by David Del Tredici (49), to words of Carroll and Moore, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York, the composer conducting.
3 May 1986 Tamil terrorists blow up the tail section of an Air Lanka jet as passengers board at Colombo. 20 people are killed.
Friffelkin Suite for orchestra by Lukas Foss (63) is performed for the first time, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. See 6 November 1955.
The multimedia version of Vertigo for electronic sound generators and video by Roger Reynolds (51) is performed for the first time, in La Jolla, California. See 25 April 1987.
4 May 1986 Sayid Mohammed Najibullah succeeds Babrak Karmal as the Secretary-General of the Afghan Communist Party.
Soviet television shows live pictures of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor for the first time.
5 May 1986 Umriss for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
6 May 1986 Sadiq al-Mahdi replaces al-Gazouli Daffallah as Prime Minister of Sudan. The new interim government is the first elected, civilian government in Sudan in 18 years.
Leonard Bernstein (67) conducts a nationally televised concert of his own works at the Barbican Center in London as part of a two-week celebration of his music in Britain. Queen Elizabeth II is in attendance along with other royals. The concert is a smashing success.
7 May 1986 The US House of Representatives votes down a Reagan administration request to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. The Senate did the same yesterday.
Cello Concerto no.1 by Alfred Schnittke (51) is performed for the first time, in Munich.
8 May 1986 Óscar Rafael de Jesús Arias Sánchez replaces Luis Alberto Monge Álvarez as President of Costa Rica.
"Michaels Reise um die Erde" no.48 2/3 in the version for solo trumpet and nine others from the opera Donnerstag aus Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen (57) is performed for the first time, in Bremen. See 21 October 1978.
9 May 1986 Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency tell the press in Moscow that the situation in Chernobyl “appears to be stabilizing.” The graphite fires are out and there is little further radioactive emission.
Renaissance Concerto for flute and large or small orchestra by Lukas Foss (63) is performed for the first time, conducted by the composer.
11 May 1986 Songs from the Other Shore, four pieces for chamber ensemble by Jonathan Lloyd (37), is performed for the first time, in Conway Hall, London.
12 May 1986 The European Community bans the importation of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and animals from eastern Europe.
14 May 1986 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev makes his first statement on Chernobyl in a nationally televised address. He claims there are only nine deaths related to the incident and 299 people have been hospitalized.
15 May 1986 Sinan Hasani replaces Radovan Vlajkovic as President of Yugoslavia.
US President Ronald Reagan approves of a secret mission to Teheran by National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane.
The Spanish Lady, an opera by Edward Elgar (†52) to words of Jackson and the composer after Jonson, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in St. John’s Smith Square, London approximately 53 years after it was composed. See 24 November 1994.
16 May 1986 Branko Mikulic replaces Milka Planinc as President of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia.
Former junta members in Argentina are convicted of negligence in the prosecution of the Falklands War. Former President General Leopoldo Galtieri receives a sentence of twelve years in prison. Admiral Jorge Anaya receives 14 years and Brigadier General Basilio Lami Dozo receives eight years.
Edén Pastora announces he is abandoning his war against the Nicaraguan government. He asks for asylum in Costa Rica.
Double solo for horn, violin, and piano by Charles Wuorinen (47) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
Capriccio for clarinet and orchestra by Dominick Argento (58) is performed for the first time, in Powell Hall, St. Louis. As he is heading toward the stage to acknowledge the applause, the composer takes a wrong turn and finds himself on the street with the door locking behind him. Frantically searching for an entrance, he manages to convince a doorman that he is the composer and finds his way to the stage just as the applause is ending.
17 May 1986 Officials of China and the Taiwan government meet face to face for the first time, in Beijing. They discuss the return of a Taiwanese plane hijacked to China.
Two Pakistani warplanes shoot down an Afghan fighter which had crossed into Pakistani airspace.
19 May 1986 South African ground and air forces strike ANC targets in Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
21 May 1986 In Dutch elections today, the center-right coalition of Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers retains control of Parliament.
A report by Harvard University blames Reagan administration policies for widespread hunger in the United States. President Reagan says hunger is caused by a lack of information, not government policies.
The Mask of Orpheus, a lyrical tragedy by Harrison Birtwistle (51) to words of Zinovieff, is performed for the first time, in the London Coliseum.
Incidental music to Sturzo’s play Le cycle de la création by Darius Milhaud (†11) is performed for the first time, in Quirinal Palace, Rome, 52 years after it was composed.
A Prayer for Peace for chorus and strings by Samuel Adler (58) is performed for the first time, in Iowa City, Iowa.
22 May 1986 NATO defense ministers, meeting in Brussels, approve a Reagan administration plan to resume production of chemical weapons.
23 May 1986 A car bomb kills eleven people and injures 84 in Christian East Beirut. Fighting resumes between Shia militias and Palestinian guerrillas in Beirut.
Unbenannt I for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Munich.
24 May 1986 Tromba for trumpet and piano by Ulysses Kay (69) is performed for the first time, in Baird Auditorium at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.
25 May 1986 US National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, his aide Oliver North, and others accompany a secret shipment of spare parts to Iran for talks with Iranian "moderates."
28 May 1986 After no progress is made, US National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane breaks off secret talks with Iranian "moderates" and returns home.
The government of Uganda becomes the first in Africa to admit there is an AIDS epidemic within its borders.
30 May 1986 Coptic Light for orchestra by Morton Feldman (60) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York conducted by Gunther Schuller (60).
31 May 1986 The Polish government announces the arrest of Zbigniew Bujak, the most wanted member of Solidarity.
Black Tambourine for female chorus and piano by Thea Musgrave (58) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.
1 June 1986 The Communist Party newspaper Pravda publishes a letter from US ambassador Richard Combs, attacking a story run in the paper 1 May.
Serenade for violin by Hans Werner Henze (59) is performed for the first time, in Bad Godesburg.
2 June 1986 Verzeichnung-Studie for viola, cello, and double bass by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, on Insel Hombroich.
3 June 1986 Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany announces a new ministry of environment, nature conservation, and reactor safety.
Chorale Prelude: Give Peace, O God op.162 for organ by Vincent Persichetti (70) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
5 June 1986 The death toll from the Chernobyl nuclear accident stands at 26.
8 June 1986 Amidst allegations of his participation in sending Greek Jews to death camps during World War II, Kurt Waldheim is elected President of Austria.
John Cage (73) and Sun Ra give a joint performance before about 150 people at Sideshows by the Seashore at Coney Island, New York.
9 June 1986 Franz Vranitzky replaces Fred Sinowatz as Prime Minister of Austria. Sinowatz resigned after the Social Democratic Party’s poor showing in yesterday’s presidential election.
A Concerto for choir by Alfred Schnittke (51) to words of Narekatzi (tr. Grebnev) is performed completely for the first time, in Moscow. See 14 July 1984.
10 June 1986 Patrick Magee is found guilty of the Brighton hotel bombing of 1984. He will be sentenced to eight life terms, but will be released in 1999 as part of the Good Friday agreement.
US-backed Nicaraguan Contras free eight West Germans they kidnapped on 17 May. The West Germans were in the country building homes for displaced peasants.
11 June 1986 Three Tamil bombs kill 43 people and injure 73 in Sri Lanka.
12 June 1986 The South African government declares a nationwide state of emergency in preparation for the upcoming tenth anniversary of the Soweto uprising. On the first day, 1,000 people are arrested.
The British government dissolves the Northern Ireland assembly.
The New York Times reports links between Panama's Chief of Staff General Manuel Noriega and drug and arms trafficking as well as the murder of political opponents.
The management of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. bans 32 specific popular music publications as well as recordings by certain popular music entertainers.
Fratres for string quartet by Arvo Pärt (50) is performed for the first time, in London.
Rain Dreaming for harpsichord by Toru Takemitsu (55) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.
13 June 1986 Short Ride in a Fast Machine for orchestra by John Adams (39) is performed for the first time, in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
14 June 1986 A car bomb explodes in Durban, South Africa killing three people and injuring 60.
Jorge Luis Borges dies in Geneva at the age of 86.
16 June 1986 Millions of blacks strike in South Africa marking the tenth anniversary of the Soweto uprising. Eight people are killed.
Version 3 of Algorithms III for nine instruments and tape by Lejaren Hiller (62) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.
18 June 1986 Simultaneous uprisings of rebel Sendero Luminoso prisoners at three Peruvian prisons take place. They take nine hostages. Peruvian forces storm the prisons and heavy fighting ensues. Deaths are estimated at 350.
20 June 1986 Two French hostages, Philippe Rochot and Georges Hansen, are freed in Beirut.
21 June 1986 Violin Concerto by Peter Maxwell Davies (51) is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney.
Panikhida for chorus by John Tavener (42) is performed for the first time, in St. James’s Church, Picadilly.
Harpsichord Sonata no.9 op.163 by Vincent Persichetti (71) is performed for the first time, on Mt. Desert Island, Maine.
22 June 1986 In parliamentary elections in Spain, the ruling Socialist Party loses seats but retains its majority.
Mugung-Dong, an invocation for winds, percussion, and double basses by Isang Yun (68), is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
Jimmack the Postie for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (51) is performed for the first time, in Phoenix Cinema, Kirkwall, Orkney conducted by the composer.
Twelve variations for piano by Benjamin Britten (†9) is performed for the first time, at Snape Maltings, 55 years after it was composed.
23 June 1986 The US Justice Department says that employers may fire anyone because they have AIDS.
House of Winter for chorus and vocal sextet by Peter Maxwell Davies (51) is performed for the first time, in East Church, Kirkwall, Orkney.
Agnus Dei for two sopranos, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (51) is performed for the first time, in Union Chapel, Islington, London.
25 June 1986 The US House of Representatives votes $100,000,000 in aid to the right-wing rebels in Nicaragua.
Brazil and Cuba resume diplomatic relations after a break of 22 years.
Three works by Jonathan Lloyd (37) are performed for the first time, in the Almeida Theatre, London: Almeida Dances for clarinet/alto saxophone, percussion, piano, and string quartet, Feuding Fiddles for two violins, and String Quartet no.1 “Of Time and Motion.”
Concerto for saxophone quartet and orchestra by Samuel Adler (58) is performed for the first time, in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.
26 June 1986 Irish voters reject a proposal that would end the constitutional ban on divorce.
A bomb explodes at the El Al counter in Madrid. 18 people are injured.
The Nicaraguan government closes La Prensa, the only independent newspaper in the country.
Concerto for piano and orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (47) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.
27 June 1986 At a meeting in Manila, US Secretary of State George Shulz tells Prime Minister David Lange of New Zealand that his country will no long defend New Zealand, effectively suspending the ANZUS treaty.
Soviet sources tell western journalists that Glavlit, the government censorship agency for the print media, is to be eliminated.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague finds that the Reagan Administration broke international law and violated Nicaraguan sovereignty in aiding the conservative rebels.
After his government loses a vote in Parliament, Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi resigns.
Through the efforts of Margaret Thatcher and Helmut Kohl, the European Community summit meeting in The Hague fails to impose economic sanctions on South Africa.
28 June 1986 Syrian forces reenter west Beirut to return security to the area.
Milanko Renovica replaces Vidoje Zarkovic as President of the Presidium of the League of Yugoslav Communists.
29 June 1986 The Soviet Writers Union concludes a five-day congress during which many members openly spoke out against censorship in the USSR. They elect Vladimir Karpov as their first secretary. Karpov was once imprisoned for criticizing Stalin.
Argentina defeats West Germany 3-2 in Mexico City to win the 13th FIFA World Cup™.
30 June 1986 The US Supreme Court upholds a Georgia law barring relations between consenting adults of the same sex, even in the privacy of their own home.
1 July 1986 Olivier Messiaen's (77) Livre du Saint Sacrement for organ is performed for the first time, in the Metropolitan Methodist Church, Detroit.
2 July 1986 Iranian forces retake Mehran and send the Iraqis back across the border.
Norway announces that it will end commercial whaling next year. They say they will continue to kill whales for “scientific purposes.”
The Chilean opposition stages a two-day general strike. Police kill six people. They douse two people in flammable liquid and set them on fire, 19-year-old Rodrigo Rojas de Negri and 18-year-old Carmen Quintana Arancibia.
3 July 1986 The British journal Nature reports that a quasar has been located 12,400,000,000 light years from Earth. It is the furthest object yet detected by humans.
4 July 1986 A l'Ile de Gorée for 13 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.
Liberty Enlightening the World for band by William Bolcom (48) is performed for the first time.
6 July 1986 An attempt to topple the government of Philippine President Corazon Aquino by supporters of former President Ferdianand Marcos begins. They take over the Manila Hotel and swear in Arturo Tolentino (Marcos' vice-presidential candidate) as president.
Voters in Japan give a strong victory to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in parliamentary elections. They take 304 of 512 seats.
19-year-old Rodrigo Rojas de Negri dies of wounds suffered on 2 July. Carmen Quintana Arancibia remains critically injured.
7 July 1986 The coup attempt begun yesterday fails when the Philippine military does not support the rebels.
Jordan closes all 25 offices of al Fatah in the country. An important deputy to Yasir Arafat is ordered out of Jordan.
8 July 1986 Kurt Waldheim replaces Rudolf Kirschläger as President of Austria.
Rachid Sfar replaces Mohammed Mzali as Prime Minister of Tunisia.
9 July 1986 Mizanur Rahman Choudhury replaces Hosain Mohammed Ershad as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Red Army faction kills German industrialist Karl-Heinz Beckurts when they blow up his car near Munich.
10 July 1986 An Italian court convicts eleven of the 15 men accused in the hijacking of the Achille Lauro last year. Three of those convicted are currently fugitives and are sentenced to life in prison.
11 July 1986 US Senator Jesse Helms visits Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet and tells him that the American media are not fair to his government.
A second version of Perception by Sofia Gubaidulina (54) to words of Tanzer and the Bible is performed for the first time, in Lockenhaus, Austria. See 1 February 1982.
13 July 1986 Using a small three-person submarine, scientists are able to lay human eyes on the Titanic for the first time since it sank in 1912.
String Quartet no.1 “White Man Sleeps” by Kevin Volans (36) is performed for the first time, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London.
14 July 1986 Truong Chinh replaces Le Duan as first secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Basque separatists explode a bomb in Madrid killing nine people and injuring 43.
President François Mitterand of France announces that he will not sign decrees privatizing 65 state-owned industries which were passed by the conservative-led government.
15 July 1986 Marish Man Singh Shrestha replaces Lokendra Bahadur Chand as Prime Minister of Nepal.
17 July 1986 Mario de Graca Machungo replaces Joaquim Alberto Chissano as Prime Minister of Mozambique.
White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan claims that sanctions against South Africa will hurt the diamond trade, saying, “Are the women of America prepared to give up their jewelry?”
LTV Corporation, the second largest steel company in the United States, files for bankruptcy.
19 July 1986 String Quartet no.7 by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in London.
20 July 1986 The Sunday Times of London quotes sources close to Queen Elizabeth that the Queen is upset with the policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She is concerned that the Prime Minister is threatening the future of the Commonwealth, and in general finds her policies “uncaring, confrontational, and socially divisive.”
21 July 1986 Basque separatists fire twelve rockets into the Spanish Defense Ministry in Madrid and explode a car bomb outside the building. Nine people are injured.
22 July 1986 The newly elected Parliament of Bangladesh is suspended, two weeks after it opened.
Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres meets King Hassan II at Irane, Morocco.
The British House of Commons outlaws corporal punishment in state schools. The measure passes by one vote.
US President Reagan makes a major policy speech on South Africa. He urges the South African government to end apartheid, but at the same time denounces the African National Congress as terrorists as he praises President PW Botha. He calls on his country and western Europe to “resist this emotional clamor for punitive sanctions.” Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu calls Reagan’s remarks “nauseating.” Leaders of both parties in the US Congress speak out against the speech.
23 July 1986 Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II, marries Sarah Ferguson in Westminster Abbey. The ceremony is witnessed by an estimated 300,000,000 television audience.
For Christian Wolff for flute and piano/celesta by Morton Feldman (60) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.
Le Cyclope, an opera by Betsy Jolas (59) after Euripides, is performed for the first time, in Avignon.
24 July 1986 The Commonwealth Games, opening in Edinburgh today, are boycotted by over half the members of the organization. They are protesting the stand of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher against sanctions on South Africa.
A report by the Select Committee on Defense of the British House of Commons strongly chastises several top aides of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the Westland PLC affair. Seven of the ten members of the committee are from Thatcher’s Conservative Party.
25 July 1986 Sikh terrorists kill 14 Hindus on a bus near Muktsar, Punjab.
26 July 1986 The Islamic Jihad frees American hostage Lawrence M. Jenco.
27 July 1986 Incidental music to the play Lord of the Flies after Golding by Alfred Schnittke (51) and Dmitry Viktorovich Pokrovsky is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.
28 July 1986 A car bomb in a Christian suburb of Beirut kills 31 people, injures 120, and destroys three blocks.
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announces that six regiments of Soviet troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year.
WR Grace & Co. is found guilty in federal court of polluting two drinking wells in Woburn, Massachusetts thus causing a childhood leukemia rate three times the norm.
29 July 1986 A car bomb in a Moslem area of Beirut kills 25 people and injures 180.
31 July 1986 A United Nations Security Council resolution calling for United States compliance with the World Court ruling of 27 June is vetoed by the Reagan administration.
1 August 1986 A month-long cabinet crisis in Italy ends when Bettino Craxi is sworn in again as Prime Minister at the head of a five-party government.
2 August 1986 Rencontre for clarinet, harp, and cello by Isang Yun (68) is performed for the first time, in Hitzacker.
The third and fourth of the Fünf Stücke for piano four hands by György Ligeti (63) are performed for the first time, in Schloss Hohenems.
3 August 1986 Spare parts for Hawk missiles are secretly shipped to Iran.
5 August 1986 A mini-summit of seven Commonwealth heads of government in London agrees to limited economic sanctions against South Africa. However, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain refuses to join the other six in the sanctions.
7 August 1986 Yan Tan Tethera, a mechanical pastoral by Harrison Birtwistle (52) to words of Harrison, is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
8 August 1986 20 people are killed by a car bomb in the Arab University quarter of Beirut.
10 August 1986 Gunmen kill retired Lt. General Arun S. Vaidya in Pune. Vaidya led the raid on the Golden Temple of Amritsar in 1984.
12 August 1986 Iraqi warplanes attack the Iranian oil port of Sirri Island at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Fighting breaks out between French peacekeepers and Shia militia east of Tyre, Lebanon. It will go on for several days.
14 August 1986 Pakistani authorities arrest virtually all opposition leaders including Benazir Bhutto.
20 people are killed by a bomb in east Beirut.
President Reagan secretly approves a plan to spread lies about United States intentions against Libya.
15 August 1986 The US Senate approves economic sanctions against South Africa.
Die schwarze Maske, an opera by Krzysztof Penderecki (52) to words of Kupfer and the composer after Hauptmann, is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.
16 August 1986 A car bomb explodes in Qom, Iran, killing 13 people and injuring 100.
An SPLA rocket shoots down a Sudanese airliner near Malakal. 60 people are killed.
18 August 1986 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announces that his country’s moratorium on nuclear testing will continue to the end of the year. He asks the US to join the moratorium.
19 August 1986 A car bomb explodes in Teheran killing 20 people.
20 August 1986 A postal worker opens fire in his Edmond, Oklahoma post office killing 14 of his fellow workers and injuring six others before killing himself.
21 August 1986 Over 1,700 people are killed when Lake Nios, near Wum, Cameroon gives off a cloud of natural toxic gas. Over 500 survivors are burned or receive lung damage. Owing to the remoteness of the area, the news will not reach outside the area until 24 August.
22 August 1986 Kerr-McGee Corp. settles with the family of Karen Silkwood, agreeing to pay them $1,300,000. They admit no liability for her death in November 1974.
Earth Cry for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (57) is performed for the first time, in the Festival Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia.
23 August 1986 Gennadi Zakharov, a Soviet physicist at the UN, is arrested by US authorities for paying an employee of a US defense contractor for classified documents.
Divertimento for string orchestra by Ernst Krenek is performed for the first time, in Ossiach, Austria on the 86th anniversary of the composer's birth. The work was completed in 1956.
Three Early Pieces for flute and piano by Lukas Foss (64), arranged by the composer for violin and piano, is performed for the first time, in New York. See 13 November 1944.
26 August 1986 South African police kill 21 blacks and injure almost 100 others in violence in Soweto against high rents and evictions.
27 August 1986 Flute Quartet by Isang Yun (68) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
Ode an eine Aolsharfe for guitar and fifteen instruments by Hans Werner Henze (60) is performed for the first time, in Lucerne.
29 August 1986 Konzertstück for violin and small orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (60) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.
30 August 1986 KGB agents arrest US reporter Nicholas Daniloff in Moscow on suspicion of espionage. This is seen as a retaliation for the events of 23 August.
Romanza for oboe and strings by Robin Holloway (42) is performed for the first time, in Peterborough, Great Britain.
31 August 1986 Henry Moore dies in Much Hadham, England at the age of 88.
2 September 1986 Leaders of the Jazz Section of the Czechoslovakian musicians’ union are arrested by authorities.
Amnesty International reports that the US-backed military dictatorship of Chile has reverted to the use of death squads again to silence opposition.
A version of “...explosante-fixe...” for vibraphone and electronic sound generators by Pierre Boulez (61) is performed for the first time, in Basel.
4 September 1986 Stimmen...Verstummen..., a symphony in 12 movements by Sofia Gubaidulina (54) is performed for the first time, in West Berlin. Luigi Nono (62) is present and is moved to meet the composer backstage and hold her hands, without comment.
Illuminations for brass by Leon Kirchner (67) is performed for the first time, at Harvard University. Also premiered is Ahab, a ballet by Ross Lee Finney (79).
5 September 1986 Arab terrorists hijack a US commercial airliner with 400 passengers, on the ground in Karachi. After a 16-hour standoff, the terrorists kill 21 passengers while the rest make their escape through side doors. Pakistani troops rush the plane and capture the four terrorists. Up to 100 passengers are injured, some seriously.
Arab terrorists detonate a bomb at Paris City Hall. One person is killed, 15 injured.
Incidental music to Olesha’s play The Beggar or Sand’s Death by Alfred Schnittke (51) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.
6 September 1986 Takako Doi becomes the first woman to head a Japanese political party when the Socialist Party names her leader.
Two Arab terrorists enter the largest synagogue in Istanbul and open fire on Sabbath worshippers. They kill 21 people and injure four others. They then kill themselves.
"Evas Lied" no.57 3/4 for boy solo or basset horn and orchestra by Karlheinz Stockhausen (58) from his opera Montag aus Licht is performed for the first time, in Berlin. See 7 April 1988.
7 September 1986 40 rebels attempt to kill US-backed Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet, attacking his motorcade in Santiago with rockets, bazookas, grenades, and rifles. They fail in their objective. Pinochet declares a state of siege.
8 September 1986 Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is released by the Pakistani government.
9 September 1986 Armed men capture American Frank Herbert Reed in Beirut.
Fanfare for Louisville for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (73) is performed for the first time, in Louisville, Kentucky.
10 September 1986 The Golden Dance for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco.
11 September 1986 The Dow Jones average drops 86.61 points amounting to 4.61% of its value.
Remembering Gatsby, a foxtrot for orchestra by John Harbison (47), is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.
12 September 1986 Armed men seize American Joseph James Cicippio in Beirut.
Arab terrorists explode a bomb at a Paris shopping center. 41 people are injured.
Soviet scientist Gennadi Zakharov and US journalist Nicholas Daniloff are released to the custody of their respective diplomats in Moscow and New York after a deal is agreed to by the two governments. They are to remain until trial.
Album de Lilian (second volume) op.149 for flute, ondes martenot, harpsichord, and piano by Charles Koechlin (†35) is performed completely for the first time, in Jordan Hall of the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, 51 years after it was composed.
13 September 1986 Jubilee Games, a concerto for orchestra and electronic playback by Leonard Bernstein (68) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York. It is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
14 September 1986 Police discover a bomb in a Paris café and remove it to a parking garage where it explodes, killing a policeman and injuring two others.
15 September 1986 Arab terrorists explode a bomb at Paris police headquarters. One person is killed, 51 injured.
Texas Air buys People Express for $125,000,000.
16 September 1986 Foreign ministers of the European Community agree in Brussels to limited economic sanctions against South Africa.
17 September 1986 The Reagan administration suspends its obligations under the ANZUS treaty to defend New Zealand. They refuse to tell New Zealand if US ships entering her ports carry nuclear weapons.
Arab terrorists explode a bomb in a Paris department store. Five people are killed, 50 injured. In the last ten days, eight people have been killed and over 150 injured in five bombings in Paris carried out by Arab terrorists.
The Reagan administration orders 25 Soviet diplomats at the UN out of the country. They claim the 25 have been engaging in espionage.
String Quartet no.4 by Elliott Carter (77) is performed for the first time, in Gusman Concert Hall at the University of Miami, Florida.
18 September 1986 The French military attaché in Lebanon is shot to death by a lone gunman in Beirut.
Fantasia on an Ostinato for orchestra by John Corigliano (48) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
19 September 1986 David Lynch’s film Blue Velvet is released in the United States.
Keren for trombone by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, in Strasbourg.
20 September 1986 Filtres IV for piano by Jean-Claude Risset (48) is performed for the first time, in Auditorium des Halles, Paris.
21 September 1986 Ein Brief, a concert scene for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (54), is performed for the first time, in the Musikhalle, Hamburg.
22 September 1986 Meeting in Stockholm, 33 European nations plus the US and Canada agree to limit conventional arms in Europe.
23 September 1986 Two Japanese newspapers quote Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone as saying that the intellectual level in the United States is lowered by the presence of “a considerable number of blacks, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans.”
A revised version of cummings ist der Dichter for 16 solo voices, chorus, and chamber orchestra by Pierre Boulez (61) is performed for the first time, in Strasbourg, conducted by the composer. See 19 September 1970.
25 September 1986 Concerto for orchestra by Karel Husa (65) is performed for the first time, in New York.
26 September 1986 Het Muziektheater, the first opera house in the Netherlands, opens in Amsterdam.
A bill imposing sanctions on South Africa, passed by large majorities in both houses of Congress, is vetoed by US President Ronald Reagan.
Showcase for orchestra by William Schuman (76) is performed for the first time, in Houston.
27 September 1986 Meeting in New York, US Secretary of State George Shulz and Soviet Foreign Minister Edvard Shevardnadze agree to the mutual release of Gennadi Zakharov and Nicholas Daniloff.
"Zungenspitzentanz", a version of "Luzifers Tanz" for piccolo, percussion, and euphonium by Karlheinz Stockhausen (58) from his opera Samstag aus Licht is performed for the first time, in Bergisch-Gladbach. See 9 March 1984, 16 May 1984, and 18 October 1985.
28 September 1986 US journalist Nicholas Daniloff is freed by the USSR and allowed to return home.
X: the Life and Times of Malcolm X, an opera by Anthony Davis (35) to words of Davis, Davis, and Levine, is performed (officially) for the first time, in New York. See 9 October 1985.
30 September 1986 Soviet scientist Gennadi Zakharov is released by the US and allowed to return home. US President Reagan denies that a swap has happened saying, “There was no connection between these two releases.”
Two songs for voice and piano by Otto Luening (86) to words of Blake are performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York: Ah! Sunflower and The Lily.
2 October 1986 A lone gunman fires on Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Delhi. The shots injure several bystanders but Gandhi is unhurt.
The United States Congress easily overrides President Reagan's veto of sanctions against the racist regime in South Africa.
The Washington Post reports that the Reagan administration has been engaged in a campaign of “disinformation” through the press to convince Libyan leader Muammer el-Qaddafi that he is about to be attacked.
3 October 1986 To the Dark Wood for woodwind quintet by George Rochberg (68) is performed for the first time, in Armidale, New South Wales.
4 October 1986 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands dedicates the new Oosterschelde dike, the most technologically advanced part of the Dutch dike system.
Symphony no.61 by Alan Hovhaness (75) is performed for the first time, in Boise, Idaho.
5 October 1986 Nicaraguan soldiers shoot down a plane illegally carrying aid to the conservative rebels. Three people are killed, one survives. Captured log books connect the plane to the illegally funded operations of CIA director William Casey and National Security Aide Oliver North.
6 October 1986 Three Small Songs for soprano and small orchestra by Benjamin Britten (†9) to words of Daniel and Fletcher, are performed for the first time, at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies, Snape, 55 years after they were composed.
7 October 1986 The United States government denies any connection with Eugene Hasenfus or his flight.
9 October 1986 Eugene Hasenfus admits that the CIA oversaw his flight of 5 October.
Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber opens in London.
11 October 1986 US President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev meet in Reykjavik in a hastily prepared summit.
Fanfare for Foley’s for brass and percussion by John Harbison (47) is performed for the first time, in Houston.
12 October 1986 Reagan and Gorbachev meet for a second day. A comprehensive nuclear weapons treaty is stymied by Reagan's insistence on the Strategic Defense Initiative.
15 October 1986 Arab terrorists throw hand grenades into a group of Israeli soldiers and their families near the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. One person is killed, 70 injured.
Gemeaux for oboe, trombone, and two orchestras by Toru Takemitsu (56) is performed for the first time, in Edinburgh.
16 October 1986 An Israeli warplane is shot down in operations over Lebanon.
18 October 1986 Beitrag for orchestra by Gottfried Michael Koenig (60) is performed for the first time, in The Hague.
Was aber-- for two female voices and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) to words of Pindar (tr. Hölderlin) is performed for the first time, in Heidelberg.
19 October 1986 The USSR orders five US diplomats out of the country.
President Samora Machel of Mozambique is killed in a plane crash just over the South African border. A political committee takes over executive affairs of the country.
Brahmsliebewalzer for piano by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.
20 October 1986 Yitzhak Shamir replaces Shimon Peres as Prime Minister of Israel.
General Motors Corp. announces that it will sell its operations in South Africa.
A US scientific team in Antarctica announces that the hole in the ozone layer is caused by man-made chlorofluorocarbons.
21 October 1986 American Edward Austin Tracy is seized in Lebanon.
Thousands riot in Harare, Zimbabwe to protest alleged South African complicity in the death of President Machel.
The Reagan administration orders 55 Soviet diplomats out of the country.
International Business Machines Corp. announces that it will sell its operations in South Africa.
22 October 1986 The USSR orders five more US diplomats out of the country.
23 October 1986 Piano Concerto by György Ligeti (63) in the original three movement version is performed for the first time, in Graz. See 29 February 1988.
24 October 1986 A London jury finds Nezar Hindawi guilty of a plot to smuggle a bomb on board an El Al jet. Explaining that Hindawi had links with the Syrian government, Great Britain breaks diplomatic relations with Syria. Syria reciprocates. Canada and the US withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus.
Horos for 89 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, for the inauguration of Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
Moderato for cello by Dmitri Shostakovich (†11) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg, around 50 years after it was composed.
Five Japanese Songs for voice and piano by David Diamond (71) is performed for the first time, in New York.
25 October 1986 South Africa is expelled from the Red Cross for the "evil and inhuman" policy of apartheid.
General Rafael Garrido Gil, the military governor of Giupuzcoa Province in the Basque country, is killed by a bomb presumably planted by Basque separatists, in San Sebastián. His wife and child are also killed.
A Grace for voice(s) and instrument by Peter Maxwell Davies (52) is performed for the first time, in The Blossoms Hotel, Chester.
27 October 1986 Deregulation of the London Stock Exchange goes into effect.
William Schuman (76) is given an honorary doctorate by the State University of New York at Potsdam.
28 October 1986 On Freedom's Ground: An American Cantata for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by William Schuman (76) to words of Wilbur, composed for the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, is performed for the first time, in New York.
29 October 1986 Symphony in A by Ben Johnston (60) is performed for the first time, in the First United Methodist Church of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
30 October 1986 Over this night, 500 TOW missiles are shipped to Iran.
Chadian rebel leader Goukouni Oueddei is shot and seriously wounded as Libyan authorities arrest him in Tripoli. Three-quarters of the Libyan-backed Chadian rebels thereupon switch sides to the government of President Hissene Habre.
1 November 1986 Over 1,000 tons of toxic chemicals, including eight tons of mercury, spill into the Rhine after a warehouse fire in Basel. The ecology is damaged for 300 km downstream.
By act of Congress, Aaron Copland (85) is awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest congressional honor awarded to civilians.
From a Source Evolving for orchestra by Leslie Bassett (63) is performed for the first time, in Midland, Michigan.
2 November 1986 American hostage David Jacobsen is freed by Islamic Jihad in Beirut.
A second revision of Offertorium for violin and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (49) is performed for the first time, in London. See 30 May 1981 and 24 September 1982.
3 November 1986 The Beirut weekly Al Shiraa reports that American spare parts and ammunition were sent to Iran after a secret mission by US National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane.
Joaquim Alberto Chissano replaces Samora Machel as President of Mozambique.
4 November 1986 The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Hashemi Rafsanjani, confirms yesterday's report in Al Shiraa. He says that McFarlane and four others arrived in Iran on such a mission.
Congressional elections in the United States result in a gain of eight seats for the Democratic Party in the Senate, giving that party a ten-seat majority. The Democrats retain control in the House of Representatives with their majority increased by five seats.
Three Songs for voice and piano by Aaron Copland (85) to words of Schaffer are performed for the first time, in Austin, Texas, 68 years after they were composed.
5 November 1986 Communal violence over the last six days in Sind province, Pakistan results in the deaths of 51 people.
6 November 1986 US President Ronald Reagan vetoes a bill subsidizing sewer construction and cleaning up rivers.
Trombone Trio by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, Abraham Goodman House, New York.
Two works for piano by George Perle (71) are performed for the first time, in Sacramento, California: Fantasy-Variations and Sonatina.
7 November 1986 Reflections on the Nature of Water for marimba by Jacob Druckman (58) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington. Also premiered is Autumn Island for marimba by Roger Reynolds (52).
Something Wild, a film with music by Laurie Anderson (39), is released in the United States.
8 November 1986 Quintalogues for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, marimba, and vibraphone by Samuel Adler (58) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.
10 November 1986 President Hossein Mohammed Ershad of Bangladesh lifts martial law and reinstates the constitution.
European Community foreign ministers, with the exception of Greece, vote sanctions against Syria for its participation in the bomb plot against an El Al jet.
Atef Sedki replaces Ali Lufti as Prime Minister of Egypt.
Fanfare for Rutgers University for brass sextet by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, in Meadowlands, New Jersey the composer conducting.
11 November 1986 Arab terrorists in Lebanon release two French hostages, Marcel Coudari and Camille Sontag.
György Ligeti (63) is presented the Grawemeyer Award at the University of Louisville for his Etudes for piano.
13 November 1986 Symphony no.4 “Im Dunkeln singen” by Isang Yun (69) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.
In a televised speech, President Reagan admits contact between the United States and Iran to 1. deal with "moderate" elements in Iran, 2. end the Iran-Iraq War, 3. end state-sponsored terrorism, 4. the release of US hostages. He says he authorized transfers of small amounts of defensive weapons and spare parts and that he complied fully with the law. "We did not-repeat-did not trade weapons or anything else for hostages nor will we."
Dies, an oratorio for solo voices, chorus, organ and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) to words of the Bible and Leonardo da Vinci is performed for the first time, in Vienna.
Keqrops for piano and 92 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
A Doleful Dompe on Deborah's Departure As Well As Borda's Bawdy Badinage for english horn, violin, and cello by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, at a private party in San Francisco.
14 November 1986 The Reagan administration imposes sanctions on Syria after the El Al bomb plot.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission announces that Ivan Boesky will pay $100,000,000 in fines for insider trading.
15 November 1986 Soviet authorities announce that they have completed the construction of a reinforced concrete structure around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to stop the emission of radiation.
Eugene Hasenfus is convicted of violating Nicaraguan security and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The left of center Brazilian Democratic Movement Party of President Jose Sarney wins control of both houses of the Brazilian Congress and 20 of 23 state governorships.
Dressur, a film with music by Mauricio Kagel (54), is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of Schweizer Fernsehen.
Goya, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (75) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington. The work was commissioned by Placido Domingo who sings the title role.
16 November 1986 Sea Runes for chorus and vocal sextet by Peter Maxwell Davies (52) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
An Idyll for the Misbegotten (to be heard from afar, over a lake, on a moonlit evening in August) for amplified flute and three percussionists by George Crumb (57) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.
17 November 1986 Georges Besse, President of Renault, is shot and killed in Paris by Direct Action.
19 November 1986 Eastman Kodak Co. announces it will stop selling its products in South Africa by next April and sell its operations in the country.
US President Reagan states "We...have had nothing to do with other countries or their shipment of arms or doing what they're doing.” He admits selling 1,000 anti-tank missiles and spare parts for US weapons systems to Iran.
20 November 1986 The World Health Organization begins a worldwide battle against AIDS.
A group of British scientists confirms that the Earth is getting warmer because of the man-made Greenhouse Effect.
"Evas Zauber" no.58 for basset horn, alto flute, chorus, and orchestra, an excerpt from the opera Montag aus Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen (58) is performed for the first time, in Metz. See 7 May 1988.
Palais De Mari for piano by Morton Feldman (60) is performed for the first time, in New York.
21 November 1986 US National Security aide Oliver North and his secretary Fawn Hall alter critical documents dealing with the Iran-Contra initiative and shred a pile of documents 50 cm high.
The Flight Into Egypt, a cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by John Harbison (47), is performed for the first time, at New England Conservatory, Boston. It will win the Pulitzer Prize. See 16 April 1987.
Voiceless Essay for tapes by John Cage (74) is performed for the first time, in Herbst Theatre, San Francisco to a dance by Merce Cunningham.
22 November 1986 Two works by Benjamin Britten (†9) are performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London on the 73rd anniversary of his birth: A Poison Tree for voice and piano to words of Blake 53 years after it was composed, and Introduction and Allegro for violin, cello, and piano 56 years after it was composed.
Salute for orchestra by Steve Reich (50) is performed for the first time, in Houston.
23 November 1986 In Austrian parliamentary elections, the Social Democratic Party continues as top vote-getter, but reduced from the last Parliament. The far-right Freedom Party and leftist Green-Alternative List both gain in seats.
24 November 1986 Haji Mohammed Chankani replaces Babrak Karmal as President of Afghanistan.
The French Parliament is returned to a single-constituency system.
Barclays Bank PLC announces that it is divesting its share in Barclays National Bank Ltd of South Africa, the first European firm to do so.
Songs from Liquid Days, a cycle for voice and various instruments by Philip Glass (49) to words of Simon, Vega, Byrne, and Anderson, is performed for the first time.
25 November 1986 President Reagan and Attorney General Meese inform congressional leaders that proceeds of United States arms sales to Iran went to the Nicaraguan rebels. Meese reveals to the public the discovery of the "diversion memo" of April wherein Oliver North describes how money from Iran will be transferred to the conservative rebels in Nicaragua. A criminal investigation begins. After the announcement, North's secretary, Fawn Hall, smuggles incriminating documents out of the National Security Council concealed in her clothing. National Security Advisor John Poindexter resigns and his aide Oliver North is sacked.
26 November 1986 The French cabinet decides to end most of the remaining price controls by 1 January.
A West Berlin court convicts two Arabs of bombing a social club in the city last March. During the trial, the defendants reveal that the bomb was supplied by the Syrian embassy in East Berlin.
US President Reagan appoints a three-man National Security Council board to review the workings of his administration during Iran-Contra.
27 November 1986 A cease-fire agreement between the Philippine government and leftist rebels is signed.
28 November 1986 The United States officially violates the unratified second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty with the USSR.
The Supreme Court of Argentina rules that a 98-year-old ban on divorce is unconstitutional.
Li-Na im Garten, five pieces for violin by Isang Yun (69), is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
29 November 1986 Cary Grant dies in Davenport, Iowa at the age of 82.
30 November 1986 Sikh terrorists kill 23 Hindus in Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
1 December 1986 Billionaire H. Ross Perot is expelled from the board of directors of General Motors.
What Time Is It? for boys chorus and jazz orchestra by TJ Anderson (58) to his own words is performed for the first time, in New York, directed by the composer.
2 December 1986 The Danish government announces it will allow women to volunteer for combat duty in the navy. It is the first NATO nation to allow women in combat.
Five Argentine policemen are convicted in Buenos Aires for numerous tortures during the Dirty War of the late 1970s.
US President Reagan asks for an independent counsel to investigate charges of illegality by his administration in the Iran-Contra affair.
4 December 1986 As Nicaraguan troops chase the US backed rebels into their havens in Honduras they overrun a Honduran border post and clash with Honduran troops.
Revlon Inc. announces it will sell its operations in South Africa by the end of next year.
Milton Babbitt (70) is elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Epitaph: The Clerk for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten to words of Asquith is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3 on the tenth anniversary of the composer’s death. The song was composed in the 1920s.
5 December 1986 3,000 students in Hefei demonstrate against bogus Chinese municipal elections.
One Step More for flute/piccolo, oboe d’amore, harpsichord, and cello by Jonathan Lloyd (38) is performed for the first time, in Bracknell, Great Britain.
6 December 1986 Honduran airplanes bomb Nicaraguan troops inside Nicaragua.
7 December 1986 Today and tomorrow, American helicopters and pilots fly Honduran troops to the scene of the fighting with Nicaraguan forces.
8 December 1986 After several days of student protest and violence, Prime Minister Chirac abandons his plans to reorganize the French university system. One person was killed and 68 injured in the violence.
US Secretary of State George Shulz testifies before a congressional committee that members of the White House staff were in secret communications with the ambassador to Lebanon about selling arms to Iran without informing him. He also reveals that Oliver North got the Sultan of Brunei to contribute money to the Nicaraguan contras. Former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane testifies that Oliver North told him that part of the money from Iran went to the Contras and that a “higher authority” had approved it.
Etcetera, in the version for 2/4 Orchestras by John Cage (74), is performed for the first time, in Tokyo. See 6 November 1973.
10 December 1986 Appalachia: An American Rhapsody for orchestra by Frederick Delius (†52) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London 90 years after it was composed.
Chain 3 for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (73) is performed for the first time, in Davies Hall, San Francisco conducted by the composer.
11 December 1986 The state of emergency in South Africa is made more draconian with almost complete censorship and a ban on all political opposition.
12 December 1986 Sieben Liebeslieder for cello and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (60) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.
13 December 1986 Zwölf kleine Elegien for Renaissance instruments by Hans Werner Henze (60) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.
14 December 1986 54 people are killed and 310 injured in sectarian violence in Karachi between Pathans and Mohajirs.
15 December 1986 Chemical New York Corporation buys Texas Commercial Bankshares for $1,100,000,000.
Credit Suisse bank freezes two accounts believed to be used by Oliver North, Richard Secord, and Albert Hakim to transfer funds from Iran to the Nicaraguan contras.
The office of US Vice President George Bush releases a chronology that suggests that the Reagan administration knew more about the Hasenfus mission than they have previously stated.
Akea for piano and string quartet by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
Opening Prayer for baritone and orchestra by Leonard Bernstein (68) to words from the Bible is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York directed by the composer. It is to celebrate the reopening of Carnegie Hall after renovations.
16 December 1986 For Elliott at 75 for piano, a birthday piece for Elliott Carter (78) by Arthur Berger (74), is performed for the first time, in New York.
17 December 1986 The Nicaraguan government pardons and frees Eugene Hasenfus.
Aufzeichnung: Dämmerung und Umriss for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Freiburg.
18 December 1986 Nguyen Van Linh replaces Truong Chinh as first secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
The Soviet government announces that its unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing will end when the US conducts its first nuclear test next year.
French railway workers go on strike over seniority promotion and working conditions.
19 December 1986 Soviet authorities announce that Andrey Sakharov and Yelena Bonner have been freed from internal exile. Sakharov will be allowed to rejoin the staff at the Soviet Academy of Sciences.
Lawrence Walsh is named special prosecutor in the Iran-Contra scandal.
20 December 1986 60,000-70,000 people demonstrate in Shanghai for democracy.
21 December 1986 Voyages-film dansé op.222, a ballet by Charles Koechlin (†35), is performed for the first time, in the Staatstheater, Kassel 39 years after it was arranged from previous compositions.
22 December 1986 After several days of protests by students demanding democracy, Shanghai authorities ban demonstrations.
23 December 1986 Andrey Sakharov and his wife return to their home in Moscow.
Voyager, an American aircraft piloted by Richard Rutan and Jeanna Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base, California after circling the globe without refueling, the first aircraft to do so. The trip of 40,244 km took nine days, three minutes, and 44 seconds.
24 December 1986 French hostage Aurel Cornea is released by Arab terrorists in Lebanon.
The Reagan administration admits that $10,000,000 for the Nicaraguan contras came from the Sultan of Brunei.
26 December 1986 Argentine President Raúl Alfonsín signs into law a measure limiting the prosecution of military personnel for their involvement in the dirty war of the 1970s.
30 December 1986 Exxon Corp. announces it is divesting its holdings in South Africa.
31 December 1986 It is announced that Peter Maxwell Davies (52) has been made a Knight Bachelor.
©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger
24 January 2012
Last Updated (Tuesday, 24 January 2012 07:48)