2000

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    1 January 2000 Celebrations worldwide occur in honor of the arrival of the third millennium, one year before the actual event.

    2000 Today:  a World Symphony for the Millennium by Tan Dun (42) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of more than 55 television networks throughout the world.

    2 January 2000 Two works are performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London:  Sonance 2000 for brass by Harrison Birtwistle (65), and Jubilate Deo for chorus, brass and organ by Peter Maxwell Davies (65).

    Spiegel und Fluss for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (47) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    Nanking! Nanking!, a threnody for pipa and orchestra by Bright Sheng (44) is performed for the first time.

    3 January 2000 Grenades and bullets are fired at the Russian embassy in Beirut, killing a Lebanese policeman.  An Arab involved in the incident is later killed by police.

    The ruling Croatian Democratic Party are defeated in parliamentary elections by a coalition of center-left opposition parties.

    4 January 2000 Italy announces it will establish diplomatic relations with North Korea, the first G-7 nation to do so.

    Fall and Resurrection for soprano, counter tenor, baritone, and orchestra by John Tavener (55) to words of Mother Thekla is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    5 January 2000 Tamil terrorists explode a bomb outside the office of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in Colombo.  Thirteen people, including the bomber, are killed.  The Prime Minister is unhurt.

    Israel hands over five percent more of the West Bank to Arab control.

    The US Immigration and Naturalization Service orders the return of six-year-old Elián González to his father in Cuba.

    6 January 2000 Hundreds of Cuban-Americans disrupt traffic in Miami to protest the order to return Elián González to Cuba.

    Red Silk Dance for piano and orchestra by Bright Sheng (44) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    7 January 2000 Sunset Strip for chamber orchestra by Michael Daugherty (45) is performed for the first time, in Ordway Music Theatre, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    8 January 2000 Sonance Severance 2000 for orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (65) is performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland.

    10 January 2000 America Online Inc. announces it will acquire Time Warner Inc. in a stock transaction valued at $165,000,000,000 plus the assumption of $17,000,000,000 in debt.  It is the largest merger yet accomplished.

    11 January 2000 British Home Secretary Jack Straw rules that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is too ill to stand trial.  The extradition request by Spain is therefore denied.

    13 January 2000 Popular music entertainer Sean (Puffy) Combs is indicted in New York on charges of illegal possession of weapons.

    14 January 2000 The UN Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia convicts five Bosnian Croats for the murder of 116 Moslems at Ahmici in 1993.  They receive sentences from six to 25 years in prison.

    The US Environmental Protection Agency restricts the growing of genetically altered corn in the country.

    15 January 2000 Zeljko Raznjatovic, aka Arkan, and two associates are shot and killed by unknown gunmen in the lobby of a hotel in Belgrade.  He led Serbian paramilitaries in Croatia and Bosnia and is under indictment for war crimes by The Hague tribunal.

    16 January 2000 The Digital Wonder Watch (An Advertisement) for voice and piano by William Bolcom (61) to words of Swenson is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    17 January 2000 The British pharmaceutical companies Glaxo Wellcome PLC and SmithKline Beecham PLC announce they will merge to form Glaxo SmithKline PLC in a stock transaction of £46,300,000,000.  The new company is the largest pharmaceutical firm in the world.

    18 January 2000 Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany resigns as honorary chairman of the Christian Democratic Union after it comes out that he received over DM1,900,000 in anonymous donations to the party which he controlled in secret bank accounts.  Kohl refuses to disclose the donors.

    Russian authorities claim they have fought their way into the center of Grozny.

    Gestures for images and computer generated sounds by Morton Subotnick (66) is performed for the first time, in The Knitting Factory, New York.

    19 January 2000 Over the next week, 33 bodies of Kurds are uncovered in Istanbul and Konya by Turkish authorities.  They were tortured and killed by Hezbollah, an Islamic organization opposed to Kurdish independence and Turkey’s government.  Police find videotapes documenting the torture.

    20 January 2000 Wolfgang Huellen, a high-ranking member of the German Christian Democratic Union, hangs himself in his Berlin apartment.  A suicide note tells of his knowledge of embezzlement within the party.

    27 January 2000 Ivica Racan replaces Zlatko Matesa as Prime Minister of Croatia.

    28 January 2000 Lamenting With Ariadne for chamber ensemble by Thea Musgrave (71) is performed for the first time, in Birmingham.

    Triple Quartet by Steve Reich (63) is performed by all live musicians (three string quartets) for the first time, in the Juilliard Theatre, New York.  See 22 May 1999.

    Prayer for the Souls of Canada for chorus and orchestra by John Tavener is performed for the first time, in Winnipeg on his 56th birthday.

    29 January 2000 Da un Diario Italiano for two choruses by Luigi Nono (†9) is performed for the first time, in Cologne, 36 years after it was composed.

    30 January 2000 100,000 cubic meters of sludge laced with cyanide flows from a gold mine into the Szamos River in Ukraine.

    31 January 2000 Dr. Harold Shipman is convicted by a British court of killing 15 of his elderly patients.  He is given 15 life terms.  Police believe he may have killed as many as 150 people.

    George Ryan, governor of the US State of Illinois, declares a moratorium on executions because the system is “fraught with error.”  13 people sentenced to death since 1977 have had their sentences overturned.

    1 February 2000 Chechen rebels withdraw from Grozny in the face of the Russian army.

    Surface, a dance by Kevin Volans (50) to a choreography of Jeyasingh, is performed for the first time, in the Nottingham Playhouse.

    2 February 2000 Zlatko Tomcic replaces Vlatko Pavletic as acting President of Croatia.

    Sieben Boleros for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (73) is performed for the first time, in Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island.

    3 February 2000 President Thomas Klestil of Austria approves a new coalition including the far-right Freedom Party.  The new government brings condemnation from around the globe.

    Austrian pianist Andras Schiff cancels a scheduled concert at the Austrian embassy in Washington to protest the new coalition.

    Vodafone Airtouch Group PLC, the world’s largest mobile phone company, announces it will acquire Mannesmann AG, the largest mobile phone company in Germany, in a stock transaction valued at €183,000,000,000.  It is the largest corporate takeover so far.

    Honey Money Loves for soprano, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, viola, and double bass by David Del Tredici (62) to words of Inez is performed for the first time, in Joe’s Pub, New York.

    4 February 2000 Conservative Wolfgang Schüssel replaces Viktor Klima as Chancellor of Austria at the head of a coalition government including the far-right Freedom Party.  The US recalls its ambassador from the country.  The European Union moves to limit contacts with Austria.

    5 February 2000 Chinese New Year is openly celebrated for the first time in Jakarta in over 30 years.

    Spanish mobs roam through several towns in the southeast of the country in three days of anti-immigrant violence.  Hundreds of Moroccans are beaten by Spaniards wielding clubs.

    Symphony no.4 “The Gardens” by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (60) is performed for the first time, at Michigan State University.

    6 February 2000 Russian troops force Chechen rebels out of the capital of Grozny.

    7 February 2000 Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic is shot to death by an unknown gunman at a restaurant in Belgrade.

    8 February 2000 The Palestine National Authority pulls out of peace talks with Israel.  At the same time, the PNA releases Hamas leader Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi from custody.

    In response to several raids on Israel, Israeli planes attack Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.  It begins three days of cross-border fighting.

    9 February 2000 Cyanide which entered the Szamos River in Ukraine on 30 January reaches the Tisza River in Hungary.

    The Kurdistan Workers Party announces it is ending its violent struggle against Turkey.

    11 February 2000 Cyanide from the Tisza River enters the Danube in Serbia.  It is slowly diluted and will become safe.  However, since 30 January, thousands of fish have been killed along the Szamos, Tisza, and Danube Rivers.

    The British government suspends the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and resumes direct rule.  The IRA has failed to begin a promised disarmament.

    13 February 2000 President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia sacks General Wiranto from the cabinet.  Wiranto, former head of the armed forces, is accused of human rights abuses in East Timor.

    Voters in Zimbabwe reject a draft constitution that would have increased the power of President Robert Mugabe.

    The New York Times reports that newly declassified State Dept. documents reveal that two US reporters were killed by the Chilean military in 1973, with the possible complicity of the CIA.

    14 February 2000 Alija Izetbegovic replaces Ante Jelavic as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

    The NASA space probe Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous becomes the first Earth craft to orbit an asteroid, Eros.  NASA releases the first close-up images of an asteroid.

    15 February 2000 The IRA withdraws from all disarmament negotiations in Northern Ireland.

    The speaker of the German Bundestag, Wolfgang Thierse, fines the Christian Democratic Union €21,000,000 for accepting millions of marks worth of illegal donations.

    17 February 2000 Musica da camerata for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings by Richard Wernick (66) is performed for the first time.

    Contes de fees by John Zorn (46) is performed for the first time, at the Society for Ethical Culture, New York.

    18 February 2000 In national elections, reformers win a large majority of seats in the Majlis, the Iranian parliament.

    Stjepan "Stipe" Mesic replaces Zlatko Tomcic as President of Croatia.

    21 February 2000 Three days of fighting between Christians and Moslems erupts in Kaduna, a northern state of Nigeria.  Over 200 people are killed.  The Moslems want the state to adopt sharia law.

    25,000 ethnic Albanians attempt to enter the Serb district of Mitrovica, Kosovo but are pushed back by NATO troops using tear gas.

    22 February 2000 After two weeks of heavy rain, Mozambique is hit by cyclone Eline causing the worst flooding in half a century.  Flooding also strikes Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.  Thousands are feared dead, millions are made homeless.

    24 February 2000 The UN Security Council approves a resolution to send 5,500 peacekeepers to the Congo to monitor the 1999 peace agreement.

    The Last Dance for orchestra by Joan Tower (61) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    25 February 2000 Four white New York City policemen are found innocent of all charges in the shooting death of Amadou Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea, in 1999.  The policemen fired 41 shots at Diallo, hitting him 19 times.  Diallo was found to be unarmed.

    28 February 2000 Jörg Haider resigns as leader of the Austrian Freedom Party.  His far-right policies have drawn international condemnation when his party joined the government on 4 February.

    Veterans of the war of independence begin squatting on large white-owned farms in Zimbabwe.  They do so after voters rejected a constitutional amendment which would distribute white-owned land to blacks.

    29 February 2000 Russian officials claim they have captured the last Chechen stronghold in the southern mountains.

    In Mount Morris Township, near Flint, Michigan, six-year-old Kayla Rolland is shot to death at her elementary school by one of her classmates.

    1 March 2000 Tarja Kaarina Halonen replaces Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari as President of Finland.  She is the first woman to hold the position.

    Roland Dumas resigns as President of the Constitutional Court, the highest court of France.  He has been indicted for accepting bribes and used his influence to get a job for his mistress.

    2 March 2000 British Home Secretary Jack Straw announces he will not extradite former dictator Augusto Pinochet to Spain or any other country seeking to try him.

    Two Diversions for piano by Elliott Carter (91) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Zwiesprache for piano by Wolfgang Rihm (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    On an Unwritten Letter for piano by John Harbison (61) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York.  Also premiered is Dew-Fall-Drops for piano by Tan Dun (42).

    3 March 2000 Croatian General Tihomir Blaskic is sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to 45 years in prison.  He was convicted for overseeing the ethnic cleansing of Moslem areas of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

    Former dictator Augusto Pinochet returns to Santiago de Chile from Britain.  As he is greeted by his supporters, he appears in perfect health.

    4 March 2000 The Miracle, nine madrigals after Giovanni Pascoli for male chorus, woodwind quintet, and percussion by William Bolcom (61) to words of Weinstein, is performed for the first time, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

    5 March 2000 The Israeli cabinet announces plans to pull out of southern Lebanon by 7 July.

    9 March 2000 Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of Norway and his government resign after losing a confidence vote in the Parliament.

    10 March 2000 18,000 metric tons of lead and other heavy metals are released from a mine into the Vaser River in northeastern Romania.

    A third setting of The Lord’s Prayer for chorus by John Tavener (56) is performed for the first time, in Holy Trinity Church, Guildford.

    11 March 2000 Ricardo Froilán Lagos Escobar replaces Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle as President of Chile.  He is the first socialist to hold that post since Salvador Allende.

    12 March 2000 Pope John Paul II apologizes and asks forgiveness for mistreatment of women, the poor, ethnic minorities, and those of other religions by the Roman Catholic Church over the last 2,000 years.

    500,000 Moslems in Casablanca and 200,000-300,000 in Rabat protest against a Moroccan government plan to give more rights to women.

    The ruling Popular Party of Prime Minister José María Aznar wins a clear majority of seats in elections for the Spanish Parliament.

    13 March 2000 Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the capture of Chechen rebel leader Salman Raduyev.  He will be tried in Moscow on terrorism charges.

    Bosnian Serb General Radislav Krstic goes on trial in The Hague for murdering thousands of Moslems in Srebrenica in 1995.

    Tribune Co. of Chicago announces it will buy Times Mirror Co. of Los Angeles for $8,000,000,000.  It will create the third largest newspaper chain in the US.

    Im Anfang for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm is performed for the first time, in Bremen on the composer’s 48th birthday.

    15 March 2000 Mr. Tambourine Man:  Seven Poems of Bob Dylan for soprano and piano by John Corigliano (62) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    16 March 2000 Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker for soprano and cello by Harrison Birtwistle (65) is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room, London.

    17 March 2000 530 people are killed when a church in Kanungu, Uganda, 350 km southwest of Kampala, is set on fire.  The victims are members of a Christian cult.

    The High Court of Zimbabwe rules that squatters must be removed from white-owned farms.

    Jens Stoltenberg replaces Kjell Magne Bondevik as Prime Minister of Norway.

    Ende der Handschrift, a cycle for voice and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (48) to words of Müller, is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.

    18 March 2000 Chen Shuibian of the Democratic Progressive Party is elected President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).  It is the first time that the Nationalist Party has been defeated since the government came to the island in 1949.

    20 March 2000 Paris-Bourse SA, the Brussels Exchange and the Amsterdam Exchange announce they will merge.

    A court in San Francisco orders Philip Morris Tobacco Cos. Inc. and RJ Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc. to pay $1,700,000 in compensatory damages to Leslie Whiteley for causing her lung cancer.  The court found that the tobacco companies acted with malice.

    21 March 2000 Pope John Paul II begins an historic six-day visit to Israel and the West Bank.

    A federal judge upholds an INS ruling that Elián González should be returned to his father in Cuba.

    23 March 2000 Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and Celera Genomics Corp. announce they have nearly completed mapping the genome of Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly.

    24 March 2000 A second setting of Wolfgang Rihm’s (48) rhapsody for trumpet, percussion, and orchestra Marsyas is performed for the first time, in Lucerne.  See 1 November 1998.

    25 March 2000 Auf einem anderen Blatt for piano by Wolfgang Rihm (48) is performed for the first time, in London.

    26 March 2000 Presidential elections in Russia are won by acting President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

    Die Harmonie der Welt, an opera by Paul Hindemith (†36) to his own words, is performed completely for the first time, in Berlin.

    Ostinato with Melody for piano by Harrison Birtwistle (65) is performed for the first time, in the South Bank Center, London.  Also premiered is Retrouvailles for piano by Elliott Carter (91).

    John Corigliano (62) wins an Academy Award® for his score to the film, The Red Violin.

    27 March 2000 A California jury awards $1,700,000 in compensatory damages and $10,000,000 in punitive damages to a smoker and her husband to be paid by two tobacco companies.

    28 March 2000 Trio sopra “et sola facta” for clarinet, violin, and piano by Betsy Jolas (73) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    30 March 2000 The US Federal Communications Commission approves the merger of the US cellular systems of Bell Atlantic Corp. and Vodafone AirTouch PLC, to be called Verizon Wireless.  They also approve the merger of Aerial Communications Inc. with VoiceStream Wireless Corp.

    A Tempest for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (73) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

    Phantasmagoria, a suite for orchestra from The Ghosts of Versailles by John Corigliano (62), is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    31 March 2000 Authorities in Uganda announce they have found mass graves on properties owned by the Christian cult involved in the fire of 17 March.  They put the death toll at 924.

    2 April 2000 Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi of Japan suffers a stroke in Tokyo and falls into a coma.  He is replaced by Mikio Aoki as acting Prime Minister.

    3 April 2000 NATO troops seize Momcilo Krajisnik in Pale.  A former co-president of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Krjisnik is the highest-ranking official to face charges of war crimes for actions during the Bosnian war.

    The Immigration and Asylum Act goes into effect in Great Britain.  It is designed to make it more difficult for refugees to enter and remain in the country.

    A federal judge in Washington finds Microsoft Corp. guilty of violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

    4 April 2000 During a weapons sweep in southern Kosovo, Serbs attack US soldiers.  Eleven soldiers and 14 civilians are injured.

    5 April 2000 Yoshiro Mori replaces Mikio Aoki as Prime Minister of Japan.

    6 April 2000 A court in Karachi finds former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif guilty of hijacking and terrorism and sentences him to life in prison.  His six fellow defendants are acquitted.

    Israeli police investigators report that President Ezer Weizmann illegally failed to report $400,000 in political donations from a French businessman, but the statute of limitations has run out.

    Juan Miguel González Quintana arrives in Washington to take custody of his son, Elián González.  US authorities have ordered that Elián’s Miami relatives must give up the child to his father.

    7 April 2000 A state court in Miami awards $12,700,000 in compensatory damages in the first class action suit against tobacco companies to reach trial.

    9 April 2000 Voters in Greece narrowly reelect the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement of Prime Minister Costas Simitis in parliamentary elections.

    10 April 2000 Angela Merkel is elected chair of the Christian Democratic Union, making her the first woman to head a major political party in Germany.

    Utah Fanfare for brass and percussion by John Corigliano (62) is performed for the first time, at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

    11 April 2000 The government of New Zealand announces it will no longer nominate its citizens for knighthoods.

    The Bremen Town Musicians, a children’s entertainment for speaker and orchestra by Dominick Argento (62) to words of the Brothers Grimm, is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    14 April 2000 The Russian Duma ratifies the START II treaty, agreed to in 1993.

    Over 100,000 people march in Belgrade denouncing President Milosevic and demanding early elections.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 617.78, a one-day record.  The Nasdaq Composite Index falls 355.49, also a one-day record loss.

    17 April 2000 Asian markets see large losses in response to the events of 14 April in New York.  However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite Index post record one-day gains.

    18 April 2000 The Last Supper, an opera by Harrison Birtwistle (65) to words of Blaser, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Staatsoper.

    Used Car Salesman for percussion ensemble by Michael Daugherty (45) is performed for the first time, in Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, Iowa.

    19 April 2000 Spain and Great Britain reach an accord on Gibraltar.  Britain remains the sovereign power and Spain will communicate with Gibraltar through the British foreign office.

    20 April 2000 Slovak commandos blast their way into the home of former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and arrest him on charges of abuse of power and fraud.

    Meeting in Nairobi, the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species votes to continue the ban on whaling.

    21 April 2000 The Russian Duma ratifies the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

    Cinque canzoni napoletane for solo voice and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (73) to anonymous 17th century texts, is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.

    22 April 2000 US Immigration agents enter the Miami residence where six-year-old Elián González is being held and remove him, transporting him to a reunion with his father at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.  A number of Cuban-Americans riot in Miami and are dispersed with tear gas.

    25 April 2000 Zika Petrovic is shot and killed outside his Belgrade home.  A close ally of President Slobodan Milosevic, Petrovic was director of the state-owned airline.

    26 April 2000 Giuliano Amato replaces Massimo D’Alema as Prime Minister of Italy at the head of a center-left coalition.

    General Enrique Rodríguez Galindo and Julen Elgorriaga, former governor of Guipuzcoa province, are each sentenced to 71 years in prison for their parts in the kidnapping and murder of two Basque separatists in 1983.

    The US State of Vermont adopts civil unions, allowing homosexual couples the same legal rights as married couples.

    Asko Concerto for 16 players by Elliott Carter (91) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

    28 April 2000 A federal court in New York City rules in favor of the Recording Industry Association of America in its copyright infringement suit against MP3.com Inc.

    Miz Inez Sez, a cycle for voice and piano by David Del Tredici (63) to words of Inez, is performed for the first time, in Miller Theatre, New York.

    29 April 2000 Sonata for violin and piano no.2 by Krzysztof Penderecki (66) is performed for the first time, in the Barbican Center, London.

    1 May 2000 Over the next five days, rebels in Sierra Leone capture about 500 (mostly Zambian) UN peacekeeping troops.

    2 May 2000 Aram Sarkisyan replaces Robert Kocharyan as acting Prime Minister of Armenia.

    Concerto for horn and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (65) is performed for the first time, at the Barbican Center, London conducted by the composer.  He also conducts the premiere of his Roma Amor for orchestra.

    3 May 2000 The “love bug” computer virus, believed to have started in the Philippines, spreads through Asia, Europe, and North America, infecting approximately 2,000,000 computer files.

    The US Federal Communications Commission approves the merger of Viacom with CBS, Inc.  It is the largest broadcasting merger so far and joins the broadcasting networks CBS and UPN, cable networks MTV, Nickelodeon, and Showtime, Paramount Pictures, and Blockbuster video rental.

    The merger of the first and third largest aluminum companies, Alcoa Inc. and Reynolds Metals Co., is completed.

    The London stock exchange and Deutsche Börse AG announce they will merge into the fourth largest stock exchange in the world, known as iX.

    Andrej Bajuk replaces Janez Drnovsek as Prime Minister of Slovenia.

    4 May 2000 The government of Sri Lanka declares emergency rule after several losses to Tamil separatists.

    Parting Gift for Tam Farrow for chorus by John Tavener (56) to words of the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, at St. Ignatius Loyola, New York.

    5 May 2000 Andris Berzins replaces Andris Skele as Prime Minister of Latvia.

    6 May 2000 The IRA agrees to “completely and verifiably put IRA arms beyond use.”  It will also allow inspections by third parties.

    La Machine d’etre by John Zorn (46) is performed for the first time, in Teatro communale, Bologna.

    7 May 2000 Acting President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is sworn in as President of Russia in his own right, in St. Andrew’s Hall in the Kremlin.  He appoints Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov to replace him as Prime Minister.

    8 May 2000 Thousands of demonstrators march to the compound of rebel leader Foday Sankoh in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  His guard open fire on the crowd, killing over 20.

    9 May 2000 BMW sells its Rover Cars division to the Phoenix Consortium, a group of British investors, for £10.

    11 May 2000 Armed government agents raid the headquarters of Media-Most in Moscow, the largest independent media company in Russia.

    Giorgi Arsenishvili replaces Vazha Giorgis dze Lortkipanidze as Minister of State of Georgia.

    The Tate Gallery of Modern Art, the largest art museum in the world dedicated to contemporary art, is inaugurated in London by Queen Elizabeth.  For the occasion, 17 Tate Riffs for 15 players by Harrison Birtwistle (65) is performed for the first time.

    12 May 2000 Andranik Markaryan replaces Aram Sarkisyan as Prime Minister of Armenia.

    The Ethiopian military begins an offensive to win back land lost to Eritrea since 1998.

    Representatives of several Aceh separatist groups sign a three-month cease-fire with the Indonesian government in Geneva.

    Masaryk University in Brno awards an honorary doctorate to Karel Husa (78).

    13 May 2000 Russian President Putin reorganizes the internal political structure of his country.  The 89 internal divisions are collected into seven large regions, each headed by an envoy from the President.

    The third secret of Fatima is revealed by the Roman Catholic Church.

    14 May 2000 Former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi of Japan, who suffered a stroke 2 April, dies at a hospital in Tokyo.

    157 UN hostages are released by rebels in Sierra Leone.

    15 May 2000 Israeli troops trying to disperse a mob in Ramallah are fired on by Arab police.  A four-hour gun battle ensues between the two sides.  In this, and other fighting throughout the West Bank, four people are killed, 375 injured.

    16 May 2000 Ahmet Necdet Sezer replaces Süleyman Demirel as President of Turkey.

    The Sadness of Komachi for tenor and prepared piano by Harrison Birtwistle (65) after a Noh play is performed for the first time, in Opera City Recital Hall, Tokyo.

    17 May 2000 Rebel leader Foday Sankoh is captured by pro-government militia and handed over to authorities in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

    Mikhail Mihailovich Kasyanov replaces Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin as Prime Minister of Russia.

    Belgrade police take over Studio B, the main opposition television station in Yugoslavia.  Thousands take to the streets in protest.

    19 May 2000 Indigenous gunmen invade Parliament House in Fiji and takes dozens of hostages, including Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry.

    20 May 2000 Chen Suibian is sworn in as the first non-Guomindang President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

    Jean-Pierre Rampal dies in Paris at the age of 78.

    Three works by Leslie Bassett (77) are performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan:  Two Stephens Songs for voice and piano, Three Graces for three flutes, and Song of the Aulos for oboe.

    Aurora for string orchestra by Thea Musgrave (71) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    22 May 2000 Two days of religious fighting begins in Kaduna, Nigeria between Christians and Moslems.  Over 100 people are killed.

    Alejandro Toledo withdraws from a runoff election with Peru’s President Alberto Fujimori, saying the voting will be rigged.

    In Frage for eight players by Wolfgang Rihm (48) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    23 May 2000 The parent company of United Airlines, UAL Corp., announces it will acquire US Airways Group Inc. for $4,300,000,000 cash.

    24 May 2000 Israel completes the evacuation of its military forces from southern Lebanon.  Lebanese Christians ask for asylum in Israel, fearing Hezbollah.

    Tempo e tempi, a cycle for voice, oboe, clarinet, violin, and cello by Elliott Carter (91) to words of Montale, Ungaretti, and Quasimodo, is performed completely for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.  See 1 July 1998.

    25 May 2000 After two days of heavy fighting at Zalambessa, Eritrea decides to remove its forces behind the previously recognized border with Ethiopia.

    My Heart is in the Highlands by Arvo Pärt (64) is performed for the first time, in a recording session in Avignon.  See 23 November 2000.

    27 May 2000 The Ulster Unionist Party votes to accept the IRA proposal to put its weapons “beyond use.”  In so doing, it revives local government in the province.

    Art and Time, a film about the arrest of Mikis Theodorakis (74) and his works in prison, is shown for the first time.

    28 May 2000 A presidential runoff in Peru results in the reelection of Alberto Fujimori.  The voting is condemned as unfair and fraudulent by international observers.

    29 May 2000 The military takes control in Fiji.  President Kamisese Mara resigns and is replaced by Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama.  Indigenous gunmen continue to hold Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and others.

    Former President Suharto of Indonesia is placed under house arrest while being investigated for corruption during his long rule.

    Rebels in Sierra Leone release the last of the UN hostages they hold.

    The suspended local government in Northern Ireland resume their posts and duties.

    31 May 2000 Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia declares victory in the war against Eritrea.  His forces have regained all territory lost over the last two years.

    1 June 2000 A federal appeals court in Atlanta upholds the INS decision not to consider an asylum application from the Miami relatives of Elián González.

    2 June 2000 The German defense minister announces that as of 2001, all occupations in the German military will be open to women.  They are currently restricted to nurses and musicians.

    4 June 2000 Aria de la folía española for four saxophones, piano-four hands, and percussion by Hans Werner Henze (63), in Hannover.

    Max und Moritz for speaker and orchestra by Samuel Adler (72) is performed for the first time, in Bochum.

    5 June 2000 A Court of Appeals in Santiago strips former dictator Augusto Pinochet of his immunity.

    The US Federal Communications Commission grants approval for the merger of AT&T Corp. and MediaOne Group Inc.

    7 June 2000 A suicide bomber blows himself up at a fundraiser for families of fallen soldiers in a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka.  21 people are killed, including Industrial Development Minister CV Gooneratne.

    A federal judge in Washington orders Microsoft Corp. to be split into two companies.

    Sextet for violin, viola, cello, clarinet, horn, and piano by Krzysztof Penderecki (66) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    8 June 2000 Militant Greek Marxists shoot and kill Brig. Stephen Saunders, the highest ranking British officer in Greece, as he drives through Athens.  They say it is in retaliation for Britain’s role in the NATO campaign against Serbia last year.

    9 June 2000 Sculptor George Segal dies in South Brunswick, New Jersey, aged 75.

    A settlement is reached between plaintiffs Warner Music Group and BMG Entertainment, and defendant MP3.com Inc.  The defendant will pay an undisclosed sum for any copyright infringement and the plaintiffs will license MP3.com to distribute their music over the internet.

    10 June 2000 President Hafez al-Assad of Syria dies of apparent heart failure in Damascus.  He is succeeded by his son, Bashar al-Assad.

    13 June 2000 The leaders of North and South Korea meet face to face for the first time, in Pyongyang.  They pledge to work towards reunification.

    After appeals for clemency from Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot John Paul in 1981, is pardoned by President Carlo Ciampi of Italy.  He is then extradited to Turkey, where he faces murder charges in another case.

    14 June 2000 Meeting in Orlando, Florida, the Southern Baptist Convention votes to prohibit female pastors.

    ...brain ablaze...she howled aloud for one, two, or three piccolos and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (65) is performed for the first time, incompletely, in Buffalo.

    15 June 2000 Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic is shot and wounded in Budva, Montenegro.  The assailants are assumed to be agents of President Slobodan Milosevic.

    16 June 2000 UN Secretary General Kofi Annan certifies that Israel has removed all its forces from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.

    The US Federal Communications Commission grants approval for the merger of Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp.  The new company will be called Verizon.

    Mr. Emmet Takes a Walk, an opera by Peter Maxwell Davies (65) to words of Pountney, is performed for the first time, in Pickaquoy Center, Kirkwall, Orkney.

    17 June 2000 A merger between Seagram Co. Ltd. of Canada, Vivendi SA and Canal Plus SA, both French, is announced, creating a giant media conglomerate.  The new company will be called Vivendi Universal.

    Como cierva sedienta for soprano and orchestra by Arvo Pärt (64) to words of the Psalms is performed for the first time in the version for female choir and orchestra, in Teatro Guimera, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  See 3 February 1999.

    Orkney Saga V:  Westerly Gale in Biscay, Salt in the Bread Broken for chorus and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (65) is performed for the first time, in the Pickaquoy Center, Kirkwall, Orkney the composer conducting.

    The Vision, a motet for chorus and string quartet by Dominick Argento (62) to words of Dante, is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans, Massachusetts.  Also premiered is Transfigurations, an ecumenical mass for solo voices, chorus, brass quintet, and organ by Samuel Adler (72).

    18 June 2000 Representatives of Eritrea and Ethiopia sign an agreement in Algiers to end their two-year war.

    Ravonee for chorus by John Tavener (56) to words of the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, in Salisbury Cathedral.

    19 June 2000 Following UN demands, troops from Uganda and Rwanda evacuate Kisangani, Congo.

    Silvio Berlusconi is found not guilty of bribing a judge.

    Symphony no.7 by Peter Maxwell Davies (65) is performed for the first time, in the Pickaquoy Center, Kirkwall, Orkney, the composer conducting.

    20 June 2000 Total Eclipse for soprano saxophone, treble, tenor, counter tenor, chorus, and chamber orchestra by John Tavener (56) to words of the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    Dhipli Zyia for violin and cello by Iannis Xenakis (78) is performed for the first time, in Triskell, 48 years after it was composed.

    21 June 2000 Slave, sidus Polonorum op.72 for chorus, percussion, two pianos, and organ by Henryk Górecki (66) is performed for the first time, in the Garden Church, Hannover.

    Grand Oratorio:  The Meaning of Life for male chorus, castanets, and tambourine by Peter Maxwell Davies (65) to his own words is performed for the first time, in the Albert Hotel, Kirkwall, Orkney.

    Alan Hovhaness (Chakmakjian) dies in Seattle, aged 89 years, three months, and 13 days.

    23 June 2000 A federal appeals court in Atlanta rejects an appeal by the Miami relatives of Elián González to keep the boy in the United States.

    25 June 2000 Elections to the Japanese Diet leaves the ruling Liberal Democratic government as the largest party, short of a majority.

    Two important German media companies, Kirch Group KgaG and Axel Spring Verlag AG, merge to form KirchMedia GmbH.

    Music for recorders, marimbaphone, and strings by Krzysztof Penderecki (66) is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    26 June 2000 President Adburrahman Wahid of Indonesia declares a state of emergency in the Moluccas following continuing violence between Christians and Moslems.

    Two competing agencies, the publicly funded Human Genome Project and the private Celera Genomics Corp., jointly announce that they have created a working draft of the human genome.  The announcement is made at the White House with the participation of President Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair, by satellite from London.

    27 June 2000 The Indonesian province of Maluku is placed under a state of emergency due to continuing religious violence.

    Robert Mugabe wins a tainted presidential election in Zimbabwe.

    28 June 2000 Government investigators tell a Bundestag committee that former Chancellor Helmut Kohl destroyed a large amount of incriminating documents following his defeat in 1998.

    Results of Zimbabwe’s parliamentary elections, held June 24-25, show big gains for the opposition.  President Mugabe’s ZANU-PF wins only a bare majority of seats.

    The US Supreme Court declines to overturn the Appeals Court ruling of 23 June.  The appeals of the Miami relatives being exhausted, Juan González takes his son Elián on a chartered jet and flies from Washington home to Havana.

    30 June 2000 30,000 people gather to support ten men going on trial in Millau, France for destroying a restaurant owned by McDonald’s Corp.

    David Copeland is convicted of exploding three bombs in London in April 1999.  Copeland, a fascist and racist, is sentenced to six life terms.

    1 July 2000 A court in Shiraz, Iran convicts ten Jews of spying for Israel.

    At a performance where popular music entertainers Pearl Jam are playing near Copenhagen, audience members rush the stage.  Eight people are killed, 26 injured.

    Three Sonnets and Two Fantasias for countertenor and viols by Alexander Goehr (67) is performed for the first time, in Pitville Pump Room, Cheltenham.

    Symphony no.10 by David Diamond (84) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.

    2 July 2000 Chechen separatists drive a truck filled with explosives into a dormitory housing Russian soldiers in Argun, east of Grozny.  22 people are killed, 48 wounded.  Elsewhere in the province, eleven Russian soldiers are killed in bombings, 36 are wounded.

    For the first time in its 70-year history, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of Mexico loses a presidential election.  Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party (PAN) wins.  PAN makes strong gains in the Chamber of Deputies, winning 208 of 500 seats, but is still one short of the PRI.

    Words My Mother Taught Me, a cycle for soprano and piano by TJ Anderson (71) to words of AT Anderson, is performed for the first time, in San Diego.

    3 July 2000 Protestants riot in Drumcree Northern Ireland against British troops enforcing a ban on parades.

    4 July 2000 The European Court of Justice fines Greece €20,000 per day for polluting the Kouroupitos River in Crete.

    Sonata for viola solo op.87 by Robin Holloway (56) is performed for the first time, in Hoxton Hall, London.

    5 July 2000 Protestant riots in Northern Ireland spread to Belfast.  British soldiers trade gunfire with Protestant paramilitaries.

    The UN Security Council votes 14-0-1 to ban the purchase of diamonds from Sierra Leone.  They believe the diamonds are funding rebels in the country.

    Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra by Leslie Bassett (77) is performed for the first time, in Pierre Mercure Hall, Montreal.

    6 July 2000 The European Court of First Instance upholds a European Commission fine levied against Volkswagen AG for uncompetitive behavior.  However, the original 1998 fine is reduced to €90,000,000,000.

    The Yugoslav Parliament votes to amend the constitution to allow President Slobodan Milosevic to run for reelection next year.

    7 July 2000 A German court acquits three former East German Politburo members of manslaughter in the deaths of those killed attempting to cross the Berlin Wall.

    9 July 2000 Three parties in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s coalition leave the government over expected concessions to Arabs.

    10 July 2000 Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s government narrowly survives a confidence vote in the Knesset.

    President Ezer Weizman of Israel resigns and is replaced ad interim by Avraham Burg.

    11 July 2000 A summit meeting between Ehud Barak and Yasir Arafat begins at Camp David outside Washington, chaired by President Clinton.

    13 July 2000 17 remaining hostages, including Fijian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, are released by their captors in Suva, two months after being taken.  All the demands of the rebels have been met.  Hours later, the Great Council of Chiefs elects Ratu Josefa Iloilo interim President.

    Spring Corp. and WorldCom Inc. call off their merger, announced last October.

    Tam-tam du merveilleux for tape by Pierre Henry (72) is performed for the first time, at the Centre Pompidou, Paris.

    14 July 2000 A jury in Miami awards $144,800,000,000 to defendants in a class action law suit against five tobacco companies.  It is the largest punitive damage award in US history.

    15 July 2000 The second setting of Hymn to a Great City for two pianos by Arvo Pärt (64) is performed for the first time, in Lockenhaus.

    17 July 2000 Bashar al-Assad is formally sworn in as President of Syria.

    After two years of negotiation, the government of Germany and German businesses sign an agreement to pay $5,000,000,000 to about 1,000,000 people as compensation for enforced labor during World War II.

    19 July 2000 exercise 28 for theremin, violin, horn, and bass by Christian Wolff (66) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    20 July 2000 French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin makes a set of proposals designed to lead to autonomy for Corsica.  Corsican nationalists accept the ideas and will present them to the island’s assembly.

    21 July 2000 Scientists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago announce the first concrete evidence of the Tau Neutrino, one of the last undetected subatomic particles.

    24 July 2000 Deutsche Telekom AG announces that it will buy VoiceStream Wireless Corp. for $44,860,000,000 in stock and cash.

    25 July 2000 A summit of Israeli and Arab leaders outside Washington ends after two weeks, without agreement.

    Voters in Côte d’Ivoire approve a new constitution designed to return the country to civilian rule.

    26 July 2000 A federal judge in San Francisco orders Napster Inc. to shut down its copyright infringement operation.

    28 July 2000 A federal appeals court in San Francisco stays the order of 26 July against Napster.

    Three days of demonstrations in Lima erupt into violence against the inauguration today of President Alberto Fujimori.  Fires are set to government buildings in which six people die.  190 people are injured.

    29 July 2000 Symphony op.88 for orchestra by Robin Holloway (56) is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.

    30 July 2000 Basque separatists kill a former security chief for Guipuzcoa province, at a café in San Sebastian.

    31 July 2000 Divertissement for violin and marimba by Samuel Adler (72) is performed for the first time, in Ottawa.

    1 August 2000 Moshe Katsav replaces Avraham Burg as President of Israel.

    3 August 2000 Former Indonesian President Suharto is officially charged with corruption.

    4 August 2000 Ferenc Mádl replaces Árpád Göncz as President of Hungary.

    6 August 2000 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei orders an end to debate in the Iranian Majlis which would create freedom of the press.

    Big Sky for violin, cello, and piano by Joan Tower (61) is performed for the first time, in La Jolla, California.

    7 August 2000 Jean-Michel Rossi, a founder of the Corsican National Liberation Front, and his bodyguard are shot to death in a bar in the Île Rousse.

    8 August 2000 A bomb explodes on a pedestrian walkway in Moscow during rush hour.  Eight people are killed, scores wounded.  Chechen separatists are blamed.  Security agents diffuse a second bomb an hour later.

    The Supreme Court of Chile removes the immunity from former dictator Augusto Pinochet.

    Two bombs are set off by Basque separatists.  In Madrid, a car bomb injures eleven.  In Zumaya, a bomb kills a critic of Basque violence.

    9 August 2000 President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia announces that he is turning over the government to Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputra.

    10 August 2000 Ratnasiri Wickremanayake replaces Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

    12 August 2000 Two explosions rock the Russian navy submarine Kursk in the Barents Sea sending it to the bottom, 100 meters below the surface.  Rescue efforts begin.

    The Lion, the Tiger for chorus, flute, and two cellos from The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts by Donald Martino (69) is performed for the first time, at the Warebrook Festival, Vermont.

    13 August 2000 A new legislature is sworn in in Somalia, the first in nine years.  They meet in Djibouti until Mogadishu is deemed stable enough.

    A car bomb explodes outside the offices of the Corsican economic development agency in Ajaccio.  Several people are injured.

    Lobesgesang op.76 for chorus and glockenspiel by Henryk Górecki (66) to his own words is performed for the first time, in the Johanneskirche, Mainz.

    14 August 2000 Concerto sans Orchestre for piano and tape by Pierre Henry (72) is performed for the first time.

    18 August 2000 The High and the Mighty for piccolo and piano by Michael Daugherty (46) is performed for the first time, in Columbus, Ohio.

    19 August 2000 Rival Protestant factions begin battling in Belfast.  It continues into September.

    President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is inaugurated for a second term, despite many accusations of voting fraud.

    Voices for a flautist and orchestra by Shulamit Ran (50) is performed for the first time, in Columbus, Ohio.

    20 August 2000 Be Not Afraid:  the Isle is Full of Noises for brass quintet by Samuel Adler (72) is performed for the first time, in Aspen, Colorado.

    21 August 2000 Nine days of rescue efforts end as the 118 crew members of the Russian submarine Kursk are declared dead.

    23 August 2000 The UNHCR announces that its aid workers will be withdrawn from West Timor after three of them were attacked and seriously injured by men wielding machetes.  Pleas for help to the Indonesian military were ignored.

    The US National Transportation Safety Board issues its final report on the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800.  They dismiss external causes and say it was most likely an electrical short which ignited explosive vapors.

    24 August 2000 President Laurent Kabila of the Congo changes his position and allows the presence of UN peacekeepers in his country.

    25 August 2000 Concerto, a dithyramb for string quartet and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (48), is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    26 August 2000 Which was the son of for chorus by Arvo Pärt (64) is performed for the first time, in Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, Reykjavik.

    27 August 2000 Abdiqassim Salad Hassan is sworn in as the first President of Somalia since 1991.  The ceremony takes place in Djibouti due to the dangerous security situation in Somalia.

    28 August 2000 In the Penal Colony, an opera by Philip Glass (63) to words of Wurlitzer, is performed for the first time, in Seattle.

    29 August 2000 Deus Passus for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (48) to words of the Bible and others is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    31 August 2000 The trial of former President Suharto of Indonesia begins.  The defendant is not present, claiming he is too ill.

    1 September 2000 St. John Passion for vocal soloists, choruses, and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (68) to words from St. John the Evangelist and the Apocalypse is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.  It is a great success, the audience applauding for 20 minutes.

    2 September 2000 Zwei Beter for women’s chorus by Arvo Pärt (64) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    3 September 2000 After an investigation of two years, a French judge concludes that the 1997 crash that killed Princess Diana was caused by the intoxicated condition of her driver, not the actions of photographers who were chasing her.

    4 September 2000 Members of the French truckers union begin surrounding oil refineries to protest the high price of gasoline.  Within two days, 90 refineries will be blockaded.

    5 September 2000 Tuvalu is admitted to the United Nations.

    La Pasión según San Marcos for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra by Osvaldo Golijov (39) is performed for the first time, in the Beethovenhalle, Stuttgart.

    6 September 2000 Three UN aid workers are killed by militiamen in Atambua, West Timor and their building set afire.  Their bodies are burned in the street.  The Indonesian military does not intervene.

    Citigroup Inc. agrees to buy Associates First Capital Corp. for $31,000,000,000 in stock.

    7 September 2000 French truckers blockading oil refineries are joined by farmers, taxi drivers, bus drivers, and others.  Similar protests begin in Great Britain.

    The UN removes all its aid workers from East Timor.

    8 September 2000 The main French truckers union calls off the protests after some concessions from the government.

    A three-day Millennium Summit concludes at United Nations headquarters in New York.  Over 150 national leaders took part.  85 nations signed or ratified 300 treaties.  The leaders issue a Millennium Declaration, laying out a path for future development.

    The US Bureau of Indian Affairs formally apologizes to native Americans for its “legacy of racism and inhumanity” and its policy of “ethnic cleansing.”

    Water Passion After St. Matthew for soprano, bass-baritone, violin, cello, three percussionists, Yamaha A-3000 sampler, chamber choir, and sound designer by Tan Dun (43) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart, conducted by the composer.

    9 September 2000 Motorists protesting the high price of gasoline begin stopping on major British highways causing massive traffic jams.

    The Doctrine of Similarity for chorus and six players by Brian Ferneyhough (57), to words of C. Bernstein, is performed for the first time, at Royaumont.

    10 September 2000 The PLO Central Council votes to put off a declaration of statehood.

    11 September 2000 Protesters blockade the main Belgian oil refinery in Brussels.  Dutch truckers begin blocking traffic around Rotterdam.

    12 September 2000 The European Union lifts sanctions on Austria imposed in February.

    The lower house of the Dutch Parliament approves same-sex unions as marriages.

    13 September 2000 A car bomb explodes in a parking garage beneath the Jakarta Stock Exchange killing 15 people.  Supporters of former president Suharto are suspected.

    The Spanish Civil Guard carries out widespread arrests of high-ranking ETA members.  19 leading paramilitaries are taken into custody.

    Chase Manhattan Corp. announces it will buy JP Morgan & Co. Inc. for $34,300,000,000 in stock.

    US President Bill Clinton announces that Japanese vessels will be refused permission to fish in American waters if Japan continues with plans for a whale hunt.

    14 September 2000 After concessions from the government, Belgian truckers agree to end their blockade of oil refineries.

    The German government outlaws Blood and Honor, the largest distributor of neo-Nazi rock music.

    The opposition in Peru releases a tape showing the head of the National Intelligence Service bribing an opposition congressman to switch his allegiance to President Fujimori.

    15 September 2000 The Games of the Twenty-seventh Olympiad of the Modern Era open in Sydney.

    French authorities capture ETA leader Ignacio Gracia Arregui in Bidart.  He is extradited to Spain.

    Anastenaria, Procession aux Eaux claires for chorus and chamber ensemble by Iannis Xenakis (78) is performed for the first time, in Herkulessall der Residenz, Munich, 47 years after it was composed.

    16 September 2000 President Alberto Fujimori of Peru calls new elections in which he will not be a candidate. 

    Vast Antique Cubes for piano by Joan Tower (62) is performed for the first time, at Franklin and Marshall University, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Also premiered are “Vast Antique Cubes” and “Throbbing Still” from Tower’s No Longer Very Clear:  a Suite for Piano.

    20 September 2000 An independent US prosecutor ends a six-year investigation of the Whitewater affair.  There is insufficient evidence of any wrongdoing by President or Mrs. Clinton.

    The CIA reports that General Manuel Contreras Sepulveda, the head of Chile’s secret police under the Pinochet dictatorship and a serious human rights abuser, was a paid informant for them.

    22 September 2000 Tirol Concerto for piano and orchestra by Philip Glass (63) is performed for the first time, in the Tyrol, Austria.

    Millennium Fantasy for piano and orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (61) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    23 September 2000 Today is proclaimed Ellen Taafe Zwilich (61) Day in Cincinnati.  The mayor presents Ms. Zwilich with the keys to the city.

    Six Chansons for piano by Iannis Xenakis (78) are performed for the first time, in Triskell, 50 years after they were composed.

    24 September 2000 French voters approve a constitutional change to reduce the term of the president from seven years to five.

    Swiss voters reject a measure which would limit the number of foreigners allowed to live in the country.

    26 September 2000 Yugoslav state-run media announces that the first round of presidential elections held 24 September was won by opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica with 48%.  Opposition poll watchers claim the actual count is 55%.  Opposition leaders refuse to participate in a runoff.

    27 September 2000 200,000 people gather in Republic Square, Belgrade, to demand the resignation of President Slobodan Milosevic.  Similar crowds of many thousands appear in larger cities throughout Serbia.

    28 September 2000 An Indonesian judge rules that former President Suharto is too ill to stand trial and dismisses the case.

    When Ariel Sharon attempts to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, he is attacked by hundreds of Arabs throwing rocks.  This begins daily clashes between Arabs and Israeli security forces throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

    Danish voters reject the euro by 53%-47%.

    The US Food and Drug Administration authorizes the use of RU-486, a so-called abortion pill.  The drug has been available in Europe for more than ten years.

    Karel Husa (79) donates his entire library to the Ithaca College School of Music in Ithaca, New York.

    29 September 2000 Rock throwing Arabs attack Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.  Israeli security forces push them back.  Four people are killed, 200 injured.

    The Italian Ministry of Health approves the sale of RU-486.

    Parts of A Crimson Path for cello and piano by Roger Reynolds (66) are performed for the first time, in Parma.  See 15 November 2002.

    Crouching Tiger Concerto for cello and orchestra with optional video by Tan Dun (43) is performed for the first time, in London.

    30 September 2000 Twelve people are reported killed in clashes in the West Bank and Gaza.

    The British government closes Maze prison in Northern Ireland.

    Orient and Occident for strings by Arvo Pärt (65) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    1 October 2000 Chinese police arrest hundreds of members of the Falun Gong religious sect as they attempt to peacefully demonstrate in Tienanmen Square, Beijing.

    The Games of the Twenty-seventh Olympiad of the Modern Era close in Sydney.  In 17 days of competition, 10,651 athletes took part.

    Rioting spreads from the occupied territories to Arab towns in Israel.

    Apokatastasis for countertenor, oboe, and chamber ensemble by John Tavener (56) is performed for the first time, in London.

    2 October 2000 Workers all over Serbia begin striking, blocking traffic, and taking over television stations in an effort to force President Slobodan Milosevic from power.

    The Human Rights Act takes effect in England and Wales.  It makes the European Convention on Human Rights part of British law.

    After serving 17 years in prison for rape and murder, Earl Washington, Jr. is granted a pardon by the Governor of Virginia because of DNA tests which prove his innocence.

    In One Single Moment for male voices, string quartet, and a Tibetan temple bowl by John Tavener (56) is performed for the first time, in Her Majesty’s Prison Pentonville, London.

    4 October 2000 Serbian police sent to crush a strike by miners at the Kolubara mines south of Belgrade withdraw in the face of strong resistance.  Some begin fraternizing with the strikers and their supporters.

    A Glass of Frontignac for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, at the Chateau Yaldara Winery, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

    5 October 2000 Anti-Milosevic protesters invade the Parliament building, state-run television and the Socialist Party headquarters in Belgrade.  Opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica declares himself to be President of Yugoslavia.

    Scientists report that the hole in the ozone layer has expanded to the largest extent yet seen, a distance of 18,300,000 km.

    The Fool for chorus by John Tavener (56) to words of Mother Thekla is performed for the first time, in St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich.

    6 October 2000 In a nationwide television address, Slobodan Milosevic resigns the presidency of Yugoslavia.

    Concerto for viola and orchestra by Samuel Adler (72) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    7 October 2000 An unusually heavy  monsoon season leaves 1,600 people dead and 20,000,000 homeless so far in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal.

    Arab mobs destroy the Jewish holy site called Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus shortly after Israeli troops evacuate the area.  Arab terrorists kidnap three Israeli soldiers on the Lebanese border and carry them off into Lebanon.

    Vojislav Kostunica is sworn in as President of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, replacing Slobodan Milosevic.

    Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg abdicates his throne and is succeeded by his son Henri.

    Wembley Stadium, London closes after 77 years of service.  It will be torn down and a new stadium built.

    UFO for percussion and wind band by Michael Daugherty (46) is performed for the first time, at Michigan State University.

    String Quartet no.4 by Charles Wuorinen (62) is performed for the first time, in El Paso.

    9 October 2000 The European Union lifts sanctions against Yugoslavia.

    Györgi Ligeti (77) is awarded the Sibelius Prize in Helsinki.

    10 October 2000 The ruling Peoples’ Alliance wins a plurality of seats in parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka and will return to power.

    12 October 2000 An Arab mob murders two Israeli soldiers being held at a police station in Ramallah.  Israel responds with air strikes against PLO targets in Ramallah and Gaza City.

    The United States lifts sanctions on Yugoslavia.

    Terrorists explode a bomb in a small boat next to the destroyer USS Cole as it refuels in the port of Aden.  17 sailors are killed, 39 injured and the ship receives extensive damage.  Two terrorists are also killed.

    13 October 2000 A suicide bomber kills two people and injures 23 others in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

    14 October 2000 Zivko Radisic replaces Alija Izetbegovic as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

    President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan enters Mogadishu and establishes Somalia’s first government since 1991.

    15 October 2000 Four days of sectarian violence begins in Lagos between Hausa and Yoruba.  Over 100 people are killed.

    Chevron Corp. announces plans to acquire Texaco Inc. for $35,000,000,000 in stock.

    Piano Concerto by Hans Abrahamsen (47) is performed for the first time, in Oslo.

    A version of Songs from Liquid Days for chorus by Philip Glass (63) is performed for the first time, in London.

    17 October 2000 Israeli and Arab leaders meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh agree to a cease-fire to try to bring an end to three weeks of violence.

    Una Balena Azzura for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) to words of George Mackay Brown is performed for the first time, at the Pieve dell’Assunta, Cavalese, Trentino.

    The Bridegroom for four female voices and string quartet by John Tavener (56) is performed for the first time, in South Bank Centre, London.

    18 October 2000 Troops are deployed in Harare, Zimbabwe to end three days of anti-government protests.  70 people have been arrested.

    Stilles Stück for baritone and eight instruments by Wolfgang Rihm (48) to words of Lenz is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    19 October 2000 A report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that many of the wealthiest US corporations pay no income tax and even receive a tax rebate.  Between 1996-1998, corporate profits rose 23.5% but corporate tax revenues rose 7.7%.

    20 October 2000 A former US army sergeant, Ali Mohammed, pleads guilty in federal court in New York to helping Osama bin Laden carry out the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

    22 October 2000 In the face of ongoing violence by Arabs, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak suspends the peace negotiations.

    General Electric Co. announces it will acquire Honeywell International Inc. for $45,000,000,000 in stock.

    Ein kleines Potpourri aus der Oper Boulevard Solitude for flute, piano, vibraphone, and harp by Hans Werner Henze (74) is performed for the first time, at EXPO 2000.

    23 October 2000 Secretary of State Madeleine Albright becomes the highest ranking US official to visit North Korea.

    25 October 2000 55 years after the end of World War II, Vienna dedicates its first memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

    26 October 2000 The United States closes its embassy in Jakarta for fear of attack.

    Over 150 people are killed in political violence in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Rolandas Paksas replaces Andrius Kubilius as Prime Minister of Lithuania.

    Hans Werner Henze (63) is one of five recipients of the 12th Praemium Imperiale, given by the Japan Art Association and presented by the Japanese imperial family.

    ...fleuve V (omnia tempus habent) for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (48) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    27 October 2000 About 50 bodies are found outside Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.  Witnesses say they were opposition supporters executed by military police.

    28 October 2000 Frage for female chorus and eight players by Wolfgang Rihm (48) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    29 October 2000 Mottetti di Montale for mezzo-soprano and strings by John Harbison (61) is performed for the first time, in Boston.  See 4 August 1981.

    Ghosts of Pangea, a fantasy of cultures meeting for orchestra by Michael Colgrass (68) is performed for the first time, at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

    30 October 2000 The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan ban poppy cultivations as un-Islamic.

    Israeli helicopters strike at Fatah offices in Nablus and Ramallah, in retaliation for three murdered Israelis.

    A bomb kills Spanish Supreme Court Justice José Francisco Querol and two others in Madrid.  60 people are injured.  Basque separatists are blamed.

    31 October 2000 Vier Male for clarinet in A by Wolfgang Rihm (48) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    1 November 2000 Part of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh becomes the State of Chhattisgarh.

    Israeli and Arab leaders reach agreement on a truce.

    The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is admitted to the United Nations.

    2 November 2000 A bomb explodes in a market in West Jerusalem, killing at least two people.

    One American and two Russians enter the international space station for an extended stay.  The space station is a joint effort of Canada, Japan, Russia, the US, and the European Space Agency.

    Fratres, in the setting for guitar, strings, and percussion by Arvo Pärt (65), is performed for the first time, in La Coruna, Spain.

    3 November 2000 The British High Court rules that the indigenous population of the Chagos Archipelago, removed from their islands in 1966, may return home.

    4 November 2000 Zoran Zizic replaces Momir Bulatovich as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.

    Per Flauti for two flutes by Gottfried Michael Koenig (74) is performed for the first time, in Buren.

    7 November 2000 Mikis Theodorakis (75) is presented with the $250,000 Alexander S. Onassis Foundation award by Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos at a ceremony in Athens.

    Russian authorities call off the recovery effort for the submarine Kursk in the Barents Sea.  Of the 188-member crew, only twelve bodies have been recovered.

    The South African Broadcasting Corporation shows a 1998 film of white police officers setting dogs upon three black prisoners.  15,000 people call SABC to express their feelings.  The policemen involved are immediately arrested.

    Voting in the United States leaves the presidential election with no clear winner between Vice President Al Gore and George W. Bush, Governor of Texas.  Democrats gain four seats in the Senate to leave that body evenly divided, 50-50.  Democrats make slight gains in the House of Representatives but Republicans maintain a small majority.

    Trochaic Trot for guitar by Richard Wernick (66) is performed for the first time.

    8 November 2000 South Korean auto maker Daewoo Motor Co. is placed in receivership.

    9 November 2000 Part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh becomes the State of Uttaranchal.

    Israeli helicopters kill Arab terrorist leader Hussein Obaiyat outside Bethlehem.

    Spain holds its last draft lottery.  Henceforth the military will be voluntary.

    Officials in Palm Beach County, Florida agree to a manual recount of sample precincts.

    A weeklong annual festival by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra begins today in Stockholm, this year honoring the music of Sofia Gubaidulina (69).

    10 November 2000 Representatives of the Sierra Leone government and rebels sign a cease-fire agreement in Abuja, Nigeria.

    The German Bundestag passes a same-sex marriage bill, granting most benefits of marriage to them.

    Officials in Broward County, Florida agree to a manual recount of sample precincts.

    With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles, a cycle for mezzo-soprano and percussion by Györgi Ligeti (77) to words of Weöres, is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    11 November 2000 Republicans file suit to stop the counting of ballots in Florida.

    12 November 2000 After a recount of sample precincts shows an increase in the vote total for Al Gore, Broward County decides to recount all 460,000 ballots cast in the presidential election.

    Three Scenes for clarinet by Shulamit Ran (51) is performed for the first time, in Loosemore Auditorium, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    13 November 2000 President Joseph Estrada of the Philippines is impeached by the House of Representatives.

    Newly declassified CIA documents reveal a cable from former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to former President Alfredo Stroessner of Paraguay asking for fake passports for two Chilean agents.  The two agents were later convicted of killing Pinochet opponent Orlando Letellier in Washington in 1976.

    A federal judge denies Republican attempts to stop the counting of ballots in three Florida counties.

    14 November 2000 A recount of ballots in Volusia County, Florida shows an increase of 98 votes for Vice President Gore.  Officials in Broward County decide on a complete recount.

    Ottuplo!  Four inter-episodes for real and virtual string quartet by Larry Austin (70) is performed for the first time, in Nicosia, Cyprus.

    15 November 2000 Part of the Indian state of Bihar becomes the State of Jharkhand.

    The European Parliament passes a resolution accusing Turkey of committing genocide against the Armenians.

    The Supreme Court of the State of Florida rules that Secretary of State Katherine Harris may not stop Broward and Palm Beach counties from conducting hand recounts.

    16 November 2000 President Clinton makes the first visit of a US president to Vietnam since 1969.

    Yugoslavia announces it will resume diplomatic relations with France, Germany, the UK, and the US.

    Coca-Cola Co. agrees to pay $192,000,000 in a settlement of a class action lawsuit by black employees charging discrimination.

    Romanza for solo violin by Donald Martino (69) is performed for the first time, in John Knowles Paine Hall of Harvard University.

    17 November 2000 Janez Drnovsek replaces Andrej Bajuk as Prime Minister of Slovenia.

    A federal appeals court refuses a Republican request to stop hand recounting in Florida.  The Florida Supreme Court forbids Secretary of State Katherine Harris to immediately certify the results.  Officials in Miami-Dade County say they will recount all ballots.

    Intrada for cello and piano by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (61) is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.  Also premiered is Zwilich’s Lament for cello and piano.

    19 November 2000 Cecilia, vergine romana for chorus and orchestra by Arvo Pärt (65) to words of the Roman Breviary is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    O Thou Gentle Light for chorus by John Tavener (56) is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Smith Square, London.

    Double Concerto for timpani and orchestra by Philip Glass (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    20 November 2000 While in Japan for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, President Alberto Fujimori of Peru resigns.

    Arab terrorists bomb a school bus carrying Jewish children in the Gaza Strip.  Israeli forces respond with air strikes against security and infrastructure targets.

    Ballade for piano by Robin Holloway (57) is performed for the first time, at Keele University.

    21 November 2000 82 Renamo rebel supporters die in prison in Montepuez, Mozambique, suffocated in a cell too small to hold them.

    The Supreme Court of the State of Florida rules that hand recounts of the presidential election should be included in the final vote count.

    The Peruvian Congress votes to reject President Fujimori’s resignation and remove him from office.  Vice President Ricardo Marquez resigns as well.

    22 November 2000 The Miami-Dade County canvassing board announces that it will cancel any further counting of votes.  This follows a day of loud protests outside the board’s office by a crowd made up of Republican congressional staffers, Republicans from outside Florida and some Florida residents.

    Valentín Paniagua Corazao is sworn in as interim President of Peru.

    23 November 2000 My Heart is in the Highlands for alto and organ by Arvo Pärt (65) is performed for the first time before a live audience, in the Cathedral of Saluzzo, Italy.  See 25 May 2000.

    26 November 2000 The Republican Secretary of State of Florida certifies the results of the state’s election in favor of Republican George Bush, by 537 votes out of almost 6,000,000 cast.

    27 November 2000 Democrats file a challenge against the certification made yesterday in Florida.

    Parliamentary elections in Canada result in an increased majority for the ruling Liberal Party of Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

    28 November 2000 Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel calls new elections.

    Oleksander Moroz, leader of the Ukrainian Socialist Party, implicates President Leonid Kuchma in the kidnapping and murder of Georgy Gongadze, a reporter for Ukrainska Pravda.  He produces a recording of Kuchma discussing the matter with his assistants.

    The lower house of the Dutch Parliament votes to legalize euthanasia under certain conditions.

    The University of Louisville awards the Grawemeyer Award of $200,000 to Pierre Boulez (75) for Sur Incises.

    30 November 2000 Citigroup Inc. acquires Associates First Capital Corp. for $31,000,000,000.

    Symphony no.2 for string orchestra by John Corigliano (62) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    1 December 2000 An appeals court judge in Chile indicts former dictator Augusto Pinochet for the kidnapping, torture, and murder of over 70 people in 1973-74.

    Vicente Fox Quesada replaces Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León as President of Mexico.  He is the first president in 71 years from a party other than the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

    2 December 2000 The northern Nigerian province of Kebbi becomes the ninth province to adopt sharia law.

    Ring Out Wild Bells for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Thea Musgrave (72) is performed for the first time, at Franklin and Marshall College, Philadelphia.

    4 December 2000 Two days of riots begin in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire to protest the exclusion of the opposition leader from upcoming elections.

    The US Supreme Court vacates a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court which extended the deadline for vote counts to be certified.  It sends the case back to Florida for clarification.

    A Florida judge dismisses the suit brought by Al Gore to invalidate the certification of George Bush as the winner in Florida.

    7 December 2000 The impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada opens in the Philippine Senate.

    8 December 2000 On the PLO’s declared “Day of Rage” ten people are killed in clashes between Arabs and Israelis.

    20 people are killed at prayer in a mosque outside Khartoum by a gun-wielding member of a rival Moslem sect.

    The German Bundestag votes to ban the far-right National Democratic Party.

    The Florida Supreme Court votes to reverse the lower court decision of 4 December and orders recounts in certain counties.

    9 December 2000 Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is released from prison.  He flies to exile in Saudi Arabia.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak resigns.  An election for only the office of Prime Minister is set for 60 days.

    Rebonds for disklavier keyboard by Jean-Claude Risset (62) is performed for the first time, in the Auditorium des Halles, Paris.

    11 December 2000 UN prosecutors in East Timor indict eleven Indonesians with war crimes.  Nine of them are presently in custody.

    12 December 2000 Representatives of Eritrea and Ethiopia sign a peace treaty in Algiers.

    The US Supreme Court votes 5-4 to stop the democratic process and prohibit vote counting in the Florida election.

    Great Britain and North Korea agree to establish diplomatic relations.

    13 December 2000 A former Bosnian Serb police chief pleads guilty to war crimes before the Hague tribunal in return for the dropping of 26 other charges.

    A full counting of votes having been prohibited by the Supreme Court, Vice President Al Gore concedes defeat in the 7 November US presidential election.

    Scientists announce simultaneously in Brussels, London, Tokyo, and Washington that they have completed a genetic map of a plant for the first time.  The plant is Arabidopsis thaliana or thale cress.

    14 December 2000 President Jacques Chirac of France goes on national television to deny charges that he ran a kickback scheme while he was mayor of Paris.

    15 December 2000 President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine officially closes the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

    Bosnia and Hercegovina and Yugoslavia agree to establish diplomatic relations.

    El Niño, an oratorio for solo voices, chorus, children’s chorus, and orchestra by John Adams (53) to words of various sources, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    The first two parts of Anastenaria, Procession aux eaux claires for chorus, men’s chorus, and orchestra, and Le Sacrifice for orchestra, by Iannis Xenakis (78) are performed for the first time, in Munich.  See 16 October 1955.

    16 December 2000 Spain and North Korea agree to establish diplomatic relations.

    19 December 2000 The upper house of the Dutch Parliament approves measures to give homosexual couples the right to marry and adopt children.

    The UN Security Council votes 13-0-2 to impose an arms embargo on the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as stiffer economic and diplomatic sanctions.  They also demand the surrender of Osama bin Laden.

    The US House of Representatives withdraws a resolution accusing Turkey of genocide against the Armenians.  Turkey has threatened to cut off US access to Turkish air bases if such a resolution were to be adopted.

    Birthday Sleep for chorus by John Tavener (56) to words of Wordsworth is performed for the first time, in St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.

    20 December 2000 President Vladimir Putin approves new non-communist lyrics for the Russian national anthem.  The music is the same as the old communist hymn.

    Ion Iliescu replaces Emil Ion Constantinescu as President of Romania.

    The Supreme Court of Chile dismisses kidnapping and murder charges against former dictator Augusto Pinochet on a technicality.

    23 December 2000 In parliamentary elections, voters in Yugoslavia reject the Socialist Party of Slobodan Milosevic and elect the 18-party coalition supporting President Vojislav Kostunica.

    28 December 2000 Adrian Nastase replaces Constantin Mugur Isarescu as Prime Minister of Romania.

    31 December 2000 US President Bill Clinton signs the treaty creating the first international war crimes tribunal.  The US originally was one of seven nations opposing the court.

    ©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger

    25 January 2012


    Last Updated (Wednesday, 25 January 2012 07:48)

     

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