2001
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1 January 2001 A car bomb explodes in Netanya, Israel wounding 40 people. Four Arabs are shot to death on the West Bank.
Greece becomes the twelfth member of the European Economic and Monetary Union.
2 January 2001 Yasir Arafat accepts broad peace proposals by US President Bill Clinton with some reservations.
3 January 2001 The One Hundred-and-seventh Congress of the United States convenes in Washington. The Republican Party of President-elect George W. Bush controls both houses.
4 January 2001 Motorcity Triptych for orchestra by Michael Daugherty (46) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.
5 January 2001 The British Department of Health announces that Dr. Harold Shipman, a convicted serial killer, likely killed at least 265 of his patients between 1974 and 1998.
10 January 2001 Biljana Plavsic, President of the Serb Republic in Bosnia and Hercegovina from 1996-1998, surrenders to The Hague tribunal. She is charged with genocide and other war crimes.
American Airlines says it will buy Trans World Airways for $500,000,000.
12 January 2001 Scientists at the University of Oregon Primate Research Center report the birth of a cloned rhesus monkey last October. It is the first cloned primate.
13 January 2001 The Palestine National Authority executes two Arabs suspected of collaborating with Israel.
An earthquake off the coast of El Salvador causes 700 deaths.
The first three movements of a Cantata for counter-tenor and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (†2) to words of Brant, Brueghel, and Böhme, is performed for the first time, in London.
16 January 2001 President Laurent Kabila of the Congo is shot to death by one of his bodyguards in the Marble Palace, Kinshasa.
17 January 2001 Hisham Mikki, director of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corp., is shot to death by masked gunmen in a restaurant in Gaza. Rival Arabs take responsibility.
Joseph Kabila Kabange, whose father, President Laurent Kabila, was killed yesterday, is named acting President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Governor Gray Davis of California declares a state of emergency after Pacific Gas & Electric Co. orders rolling blackouts.
19 January 2001 US President Bill Clinton agrees to a plea bargain with Independent Counsel Robert Ray. Ray drops charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton admits he gave false testimony in the Paula Jones lawsuit, gives up his Arkansas law license for five years, and pays $25,000 to the Arkansas Bar Association.
20 January 2001 The Supreme Court of the Philippines rules unanimously that the office of President is vacant. Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is sworn in. President Estrada has been tried for embezzlement in the Senate.
George Walker Bush replaces William Jefferson Clinton as President of the United States.
Hamburg Concerto for horn and orchestra by György Ligeti (77) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
22 January 2001 The trial of Roland Dumas, President of the Constitutional Council (the highest court in France) opens. He is charged, along with his mistress and five others, with misusing funds from the state-owned Elf Aquitaine SA oil company.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sponsored by the UN and including over 500 leading scientists, warns of large increases in temperature in the 21st century and the catastrophe that will cause.
23 January 2001 Fukushiro Nukaga, Japanese Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, resigns following accusations that he took bribes.
Five Falun Gong members set themselves on fire in Tienanmen Square. One dies, the other four are seriously injured.
24 January 2001 The Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo name Joseph Kabila Kabange to the office of president. He is the son of late President Laurent Kabila.
25 January 2001 The European Union opens an investigation of the five major music distributors to see if they have conspired to raise the price of compact discs.
Dove, Star-Folded for string trio by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, at the memorial service for Sir Steven Runciman at St. Columba’s Church, London.
26 January 2001 An earthquake strikes 20 km from Bhuj, Gujarat. Bhuj is destroyed while heavy damage occurs in Ahmadabad. 12,000 people are killed, 29,000 injured.
Joseph Kabila is inaugurated as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Kinshasa.
A Swiss and an American biotechnology company announce they have created an almost complete genetic map of rice.
28 January 2001 The Great Procession for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (62) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
29 January 2001 A judge in Chile reinstates charges against former dictator Augusto Pinochet.
30 January 2001 A Sacred Dream for soprano and chamber ensemble by John Tavener (57) to words from the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.
31 January 2001 Verdicts come down in the PanAm-Lockerbie bombing case in the Netherlands. Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi is convicted of murder. Lamen Khalifa Fhimah is acquitted.
Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is placed under house arrest.
2 February 2001 Peter Maxwell Davies (66) receives an honorary Doctor of Music from Hull University.
4 February 2001 Iannis Xenakis dies at his Paris home, aged 78 years, eight months, and six days.
5 February 2001 Former President Suharto of Indonesia is released from house arrest.
Thaksin Shinawatra replaces Chuan Leekpai as Prime Minister of Thailand. His party won 248 of 500 parliamentary seats in recent elections.
6 February 2001 Right-wing candidate Ariel Sharon handily defeats Ehud Barak in elections for Prime Minister of Israel.
7 February 2001 Thousands of pro-Wahid demonstrators torch Golkar Party offices in Surabaya, Probolinggo, and Pasuruan, Indonesia. Demonstrations are held in other cities.
8 February 2001 Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl agrees to pay a fine of DM300,000 in exchange for prosecutors dropping a criminal investigation into his political fundraising practices.
9 February 2001 A second Day of Rage is declared by Arabs. Gun battles ensue in Hebron, Ramallah, and Gaza. One person is killed, 26 injured.
11 February 2001 Heavy fighting continues on the West Bank and Gaza. Three people are killed, ten injured.
12 February 2001 More fighting in the West Bank and Gaza causes two deaths and 40 injuries.
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Shoemaker spacecraft lands on asteroid 433 Eros, the first Earth spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
13 February 2001 Israeli helicopters attack the car of Masoud Ayyad in Gaza. Ayyad, a weapons and drugs smuggler with ties to Hezbollah, is killed.
A month after the first one, a second earthquake hits El Salvador, centered 20 km southeast of San Salvador. Hundreds more are killed, thousands injured.
14 February 2001 An Arab bus driver plows into Israelis at a bus stop south of Tel Aviv. Eight people are killed, 17 injured. He is shot and arrested after a chase at high speeds.
The Board of Education of the State of Kansas returns evolution to the science curriculum.
16 February 2001 US and British jets attack five Iraqi radar stations after Iraqis make improvements to them which threaten the planes.
Twelve Serbs are killed when a bomb destroys a bus in northeastern Kosovo. Albanian extremists are presumed to be the bombers.
19 February 2001 A “serious crisis” between President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit causes the Turkish stock market to fall 14% in value.
Hamas leader Mahmud al-Madani is shot to death near Nablus by persons unknown.
20 February 2001 124 defendants go on trial in Paris in the “Sentier case”, accused of participating in a massive pyramid scheme.
21 February 2001 Foreign capital begins fleeing Turkey over the constitutional crisis begun two days ago. The Turkish stock market posts its biggest one-day loss.
Littlemore Tractus for chorus and organ by Arvo Pärt (65) is performed for the first time, at St. Nicholas’ Church, Oxford.
22 February 2001 Three Bosnian Serb soldiers are found guilty by the Hague Tribunal of raping, torturing, and enslaving Moslem women during the Bosnian war. They are sentenced to from twelve to 28 years in prison. It is the first time an international court has defined sexual enslavement as a war crime.
Bozidar Matic replaces Martin Raguz as Prime Minister of Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Turkish authorities are forced to float the lira.
George Crumb (71) receives a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for his Star Child.
Fascinating Ribbons for winds, percussion, and piano by Joan Tower (62) is performed for the first time, in Denton, Texas.
24 February 2001 Yugoslav authorities arrest former intelligence head Rade Markovic and two other security officials on charges of murder.
25 February 2001 Tan Dun (43) wins the Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music for his score to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
26 February 2001 The Turkish lira has lost one-third of its value over the last four days.
The Taliban order that all statues in territories under their control be destroyed as idols.
28 February 2001 Rwanda and Uganda begin removing some of their troops from Congo.
1 March 2001 Music for the film Mahamatar for female vocalist, chorus, chimes, and strings by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in Barbican Hall, London.
2 March 2001 The Taliban destroy two 50 meter high Buddhas carved into cliffs in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.
4 March 2001 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb in Netanya, Israel killing himself and three others.
Swiss voters strongly reject a proposal to join the European Union immediately.
5 March 2001 A high school student in Santee, California near San Diego opens fire in his school, killing two people and injuring 13.
6 March 2001 Raymond Kurzweil receives a US patent for a machine that reads printed material and transforms it into sound.
7 March 2001 Ariel Sharon replaces Ehud Barak as Prime Minister of Israel at the head of a national unity government. The Knesset eliminates the direct election of prime ministers and returns to the parliamentary system of selecting heads of government.
Israeli forces cut off Ramallah in response to terrorist attacks emanating from there. Several days of fighting between Israelis and Arabs ensue.
Partita for orchestra by John Harbison (62) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.
10 March 2001 Piano Quintet by William Bolcom (62) is performed for the first time, in Washington.
12 March 2001 Bosnian Serb leader Blagoje Simic surrenders to The Hague tribunal for crimes against humanity.
At Claridge’s Hotel in London, Crown Prince Aleksandar of Yugoslavia receives papers from Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic which restore the citizenship of the exiled royal family.
14 March 2001 Yugoslav troops enter a buffer zone on the border between Kosovo and Serbia under NATO supervision.
Fighting erupts between Macedonian troops and ethnic Albanians in Tetovo. One person is killed, 13 injured.
16 March 2001 From the Diary of Sally Hemings for voice and piano by William Bolcom (62) to words of Seaton is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.
17 March 2001 Die Stücke des Sängers for harp and chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Rihm (49) is performed for the first time, in Cité de la musique, Paris.
18 March 2001 Betty Freeman: Her Tango for piano by Harrison Birtwistle (66) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.
19 March 2001 Rolling blackouts occur throughout California and continue tomorrow.
20 March 2001 Macedonia gives ethnic Albanian fighters 24 hours to disarm or leave the country.
21 March 2001 Pakistani authorities detain 28 opposition leaders in Lahore.
Great Britain withdraws its military presence on South Georgia Island, which it has maintained since the Falklands War in 1982.
22 March 2001 Macedonian forces shell ethnic Albanians near the city of Tetovo.
A student opens fire at a high school in El Cajon, California near San Diego injuring five people. He is shot and arrested by authorities.
Sofia Gubaidulina (69) is awarded the Goethe Medal in Weimar.
Epistle of Love for soprano and piano by John Tavener (57) to Serbian poetry is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Smith Square, London.
Marvelous Invention (Songbook for a New Century) for mezzo-soprano and piano by John Corigliano (63) to words of Adamo is performed for the first time, in Kaye Playhouse, New York.
Rhyme, a song for voice and piano by William Bolcom (62) to words of Tillinghast, is performed for the first time, in New York.
The Axe Manual for piano and percussion by Harrison Birtwistle (66) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
23 March 2001 After 15 years of service, the Russian space station Mir is sent into the atmosphere where it burns up.
The Swiss National Council votes to legalize abortion during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
25 March 2001 An offensive by Macedonian troops forces ethnic Albanian fighters back from Tetovo.
Tan Dun (43) wins an Academy Award® for his score to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
26 March 2001 Serbian authorities arrest seven allies of Slobodan Milosevic on charges of abusing their powers.
The Mannheim Rocket for orchestra by John Corigliano (63) is performed for the first time, in Mannheim.
27 March 2001 Two Arab terrorist bombs explode in Jerusalem, injuring 35 people and killing a bomber.
Saudi Arabia bans Pokemon, the Japanese toys and cards, because they have “possessed the minds” of children, encourage gambling, and promote Zionism.
US EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman says that the Bush administration has “no interest in implementing” the Kyoto Agreement for the reduction of greenhouse gasses.
28 March 2001 Israeli forces strike the headquarters of Force 17, the presidential guard of Yasir Arafat, in Ramallah.
Two Israeli children are killed by an Arab bomb near Qalqilyah.
Macedonian forces begin a second offensive against ethnic Albanian fighters north of Skopje.
Leaders around the world blast the Bush administration for abandoning the Kyoto Agreement.
French President Jacques Chirac confirms that he was summoned to testify in the investigation of corruption but that he refused, citing separation of powers.
Rhapsodic Musings (for Robert Mann) for violin by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Hall, New York.
30 March 2001 Demonstrations in Nablus and Ramallah result in the killing of six Arabs by Israeli security forces.
31 March 2001 After the Serbian government formally indicts former President Slobodan Milosevic, authorities raid his compound, but are pushed back by his guards.
A Dream of Snow for children’s voices by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) to words of George Mackay Brown is performed for the first time, at The Maltings, Farnham.
1 April 2001 A US reconnaissance plane and a Chinese fighter collide over the South China Sea, 130 km southeast of Hainan. The US plane survives the collision and makes an emergency landing on Hainan Island where Chinese authorities detain the crew. The Chinese fighter goes down, its pilot presumed dead.
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic surrenders to authorities surrounding his compound in Belgrade.
Four homosexual couples marry at City Hall in Amsterdam. They are the first to take advantage of a new Dutch law legalizing same-sex marriages.
2 April 2001 US President Bush demands the return of the spy plane and its crew held by China.
Israeli helicopters kill Arab terrorist Mohammed Abdelal as he drives in the Gaza Strip.
3 April 2001 After Arab mortar fire injures an Israeli child, Israeli forces attack Arab positions in the Gaza Strip, injuring about 50 Arabs.
The state energy monopoly Gazprom removes the board of NTV, the only nationally broadcast, independent network in Russia. Gazprom, part owner of the network, names its own board.
4 April 2001 President Jiang Zemin of China demands an apology from the US over the spy plane incident and an end to such flights in the future.
Former President Joseph Estrada of the Philippines is indicted on charges of receiving kickbacks and bribes.
Echoes of Time Past for english horn, trumpet, and strings by Thea Musgrave (72) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
5 April 2001 Otmar Hasler replaces Mario Frick as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein.
6 April 2001 The Supreme Court of Pakistan orders a retrial for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari, convicted on corruption charges.
When NATO forces seize a bank in Mostar, Bosnian Croats riot and attack the soldiers. 21 people are injured.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the largest utility in California, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Dream Dancer, fantasy of a soul moving between two cultures for alto saxophone and wind orchestra by Michael Colgrass (68) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.
Song for band by William Bolcom (62) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
7 April 2001 Vladimir Nicolae Voronin replaces Petru Chiril Lucinschi as President of Moldova.
Ein Walfahrtslied for tenor and string quartet by Arvo Pärt (65) to words of the Psalms is performed for the first time, in Tallinn.
8 April 2001 Luce for two pianos and solo voice by Osvaldo Golijov (40), to words of Fellini, is performed for the first time, at Columbia University.
9 April 2001 Chaconne for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano by John Harbison (62) is performed for the first time, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
10 April 2001 A bill legalizing euthanasia passes the Dutch Parliament.
Popular music entertainer Marshall Mathers III (aka Eminem) is sentenced to two years probation by a Mount Clemens, Michigan court for carrying a concealed weapon.
11 April 2001 The United States formally apologizes for the loss of a Chinese pilot on 1 April and for the US plane making an emergency landing in China without permission.
Israeli ground forces enter Arab territory at Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. They destroy buildings from which mortar shells are fired against Israeli civilians.
12 April 2001 With the apology of yesterday, China releases the 24-member crew of a US spy plane which landed in China on 1April.
14 April 2001 Gazprom takes over NTV, the only independent national network in Russia, when armed guards invade the newsroom.
16 April 2001 Arabs fire mortar shells from Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip into the town of Sederot, Israel.
John Corigliano (63) is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony no.2 for string orchestra. See 30 November 2000.
17 April 2001 Israeli forces occupy the area of the Gaza Strip from which mortar shells were fired yesterday. They are required to withdraw by the United States. At night, Arabs fire more mortar shells into Israel from the south of the Gaza Strip.
18 April 2001 Israeli forces temporarily occupy part of the Gaza Strip from which mortars were fired yesterday.
Risonanza for two trumpets, four trombones, organ, and six strings by Sofia Gubaidulina (69) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
19 April 2001 Vasile Petru Tarlev replaces Dumitru Braghis as Prime Minister of Moldova.
Romp for string quartet by Samuel Adler (73) is performed for the first time, in Washington.
22 April 2001 Nong Duc Manh replaces Le Kha Phieu as Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
An Arab terrorist blows himself up in Kfar Sava, Israel killing one other person and injuring 40.
13 supporters of Chechen rebels take over a hotel in Istanbul and take 120 people hostage.
Two chamber works by Werner Egk (†17) are performed for the first time, in Augsburg: String trio in g minor composed in 1921, and a String quintet composed in 1924.
24 April 2001 The US Federal Trade Commission reports that the popular music industry markets violent and sexually explicit material to children.
25 April 2001 Police in Manila arrest former President Joseph Estrada on corruption charges.
A bomb explodes in Rafah in the Gaza Strip killing four Arabs.
Suite for violin and piano op.70 by Alexander Goehr (68) is performed for the first time, at Harvard University.
26 April 2001 Junichiro Koizumi replaces Yoshiro Mori as Prime Minister of Japan.
Pakistani authorities begin five days of arrests of about 4,000 opposition members to prevent a rally against military rule.
The Ukrainian Parliament votes no confidence in Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko. Over 10,000 people invade the Parliament building to denounce the vote.
27 April 2001 A paper published in Science announces the finding of the oldest city yet discovered in the Western Hemisphere. The site is near Caral, Peru and could date from as early as 2697 BC.
28 April 2001 US businessman Dennis Tito becomes the first space tourist as he and two cosmonauts blast off from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. Tito paid $20,000,000 to the Russian Space Agency.
Glory to God for this Transient Life for children’s chorus by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in New York.
1 May 2001 US President George Bush describes plans for an anti-ballistic missile system, and to “replace” the ABM treaty currently in force.
Thomas Blanton is found guilty of murdering four black children in the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. He is sentenced to four life terms.
3 May 2001 Macedonian forces begin a new offensive against ethnic Albanian fighters in the north of the country.
Fanfare for brass and percussion by Harrison Birtwistle (66) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.
Gay Life for baritone and orchestra by David Del Tredici (64) to words of five authors is performed for the first time, in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco.
5 May 2001 A second setting of Vers une Symphonie fleuve IV for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (49) is performed for the first time, in Prinzregententheater, Munich. See 22 September 1998.
6 May 2001 Antarctic Symphony (Symphony no.8) by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London, the composer conducting.
7 May 2001 Rioting Serbs overrun police and attack a mosque rebuilding ceremony in Banja Luka, Bosnia. Officials, including western diplomats, are forced to take shelter as Serbs run amok.
More statewide energy blackouts are ordered in California.
8 May 2001 The Red Act Arias Suite 2001 for electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (66) is performed for the first time, at the University of California, San Diego.
11 May 2001 Two days of fighting begin in Mogadishu between pro- and anti-government militias resulting in the deaths of 40 people.
Etude 18 from György Ligeti’s (77) Etudes for piano Book III is performed for the first time, in Vienna.
Ekstasis for oboe, trumpet, violin, and orchestra by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in St. Bartholemew’s Church, Brighton.
12 May 2001 Music to Kelly’s play Brother by David Del Tredici (64) is performed for the first time, at PS 122 in New York, the composer playing piano.
13 May 2001 RK Narayan dies in Madras at the age of 94.
The center-right coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi wins control of both houses of the Italian Parliament in general elections.
Stanzas before time by Charles Wuorinen (62) to words of Ashberry is performed for the first time, in the Guggenheim Museum, New York.
North and South for mezzo-soprano, english horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and double bass by John Harbison (62) to words of Bishop is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
14 May 2001 Israeli troops open fire on an Arab police checkpoint at Beitunia, killing five.
Karlheinz Stockhausen (72) receives the Polar Music prize from King Carl Gustaf of Sweden.
15 May 2001 Arabs mark the anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel with violence throughout the West Bank and Gaza. At least five Arabs are killed, 100 injured.
Former President Wojciech Jaruzelsi goes on trial on charges he ordered the killing of striking shipyard workers in 1970.
Rebels in Sierra Leone agree to disarm.
The United Nations establishes a constitutional framework for self-government in Kosovo.
16 May 2001 Cyclops (2000) for chamber orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (62) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
18 May 2001 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb in a shopping mall in Natanya, killing six people, including himself. Over 100 people are injured. In response, Israeli warplanes attack Arab targets in Ramallah and Nablus, killing twelve people.
The abolition of the death penalty is signed by President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine.
The Pied Piper Ballet for flute and orchestra by John Corigliano (63) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
22 May 2001 The ruling Taliban of Afghanistan order all non-Moslems to wear identifying badges.
The French National Assembly votes to grant some autonomy to Corsica.
24 May 2001 Senator James Jeffords of Vermont announces that he will leave the Republican Party and become an Independent, voting with the Democrats on procedural issues. This puts the US Senate, hitherto split 50-50, into the hands of the Democratic Party.
26 May 2001 Race rioting takes place in Oldham, England between whites and south Asians. It continues for four days.
29 May 2001 Anatolii Kyrylovych Kinakh replaces Viktor Andriyovich Yushchenko as Prime Minister of Ukraine.
A federal court in New York City finds four men guilty of 224 counts of murder in the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as 78 other counts.
NATO foreign ministers meeting in Budapest refuse to back Bush administration plans for a missile defense system. US Secretary of State Colin Powell says his government plans to go ahead with the system alone.
30 May 2001 Roland Dumas, former French Foreign Minister and former head of the Constitutional Council, his mistress, and three others are found guilty of receiving illegal gifts from Elf Aquitaine SA oil company. Two other defendants are acquitted.
The abolition of the death penalty is signed by President Ricardo Lagos of Chile.
Several works for orchestra by Werner Egk (†17) are performed for the first time, in Munich: a suite from the film Der Herr vom andern Stern, a Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra composed in 1928, and three movements for orchestra, Largo, Presto, and Adagio misterioso composed in 1927.
1 June 2001 Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva of Nepal kills his parents, King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva and Queen Aiswarya, and seven other members of the royal family in the Nayaranhiti Palace in Katmandu. He then shoots himself. The Crown Prince, who was apparently incensed over his parents’ disapproval of a prospective wife, will die 4 June. Ironically, until then, he is King of Nepal.
An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb in a Tel Aviv nightclub, killing himself and 20 others, and injuring about 100.
Popular music entertainer Jamal Barrow is sentenced to ten years in prison by a New York court for a shooting in a nightclub that killed three people.
3 June 2001 Anthony Quinn dies in Boston at the age of 86.
Landscapes for voice and optional bass instruments by Peter Sculthorpe (72) to words of Wright is performed for the first time, in Sydney.
A revised version of Miss Havisham’s Fire, an opera by Dominick Argento (51) to words of Olon-Scrymgeour after Dickens, is performed for the first time, in Loretto-Hilton Center, St. Louis. Press and public are very positive. See 22 March 1979.
4 June 2001 On the death of King Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva, his uncle, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva, becomes king.
6 June 2001 New works by Ralph Shapey (80) are performed for the first time, at an 80th birthday tribute in Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University, Chicago: Night Music no.1 for flutes and tape, Lul-La-By no.2 for soprano, three flutes (one player), and tape, and Night Music no.2 for violin/viola and tape.
7 June 2001 National elections held in Great Britain today leaves the distribution of seats between the parties virtually unchanged. The Labour government still holds a substantial majority.
Leon Kirchner (82) is awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by Harvard University.
The Angel of Death for piano, chamber orchestra, and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (66) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
8 June 2001 By a margin of 62%-38%, Irish voters outlaw the death penalty.
10 June 2001 In a very close vote, the Swiss electorate approves measures which allow the armed forces to participate in UN peacekeeping missions and to train jointly with other armies.
11 June 2001 Silvio Berlusconi replaces Giuliano Amato as Prime Minister of Italy.
Timothy McVeigh is executed at a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was convicted of carrying out the 1995 bombing at a federal building in Oklahoma City.
12 June 2001 Israel and the Palestinian authority approve a US plan for a cease-fire.
13 June 2001 Stelae for Failed Time for twelve voices and electronics by Brian Ferneyhough (58) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
14 June 2001 Jozo Krizanovic replaces Zivko Radisic as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina.
16 June 2001 Overture with Handelian Air for orchestra by Alexander Goehr (68) is performed for the first time, in Halle.
Partita for violin and strings by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (62) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
17 June 2001 The party headed by former King Simeon II wins 120 of 240 seats in parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.
19 June 2001 The German government, along with about 6,000 German businesses, make their first reparations payments to those forced into slavery during World War II.
20 June 2001 General Pervez Musharraf removes President Rafiq Tarar of Pakistan and names himself president.
Prime Minister Rolandas Paksas of Lithuania resigns when an important member of his coalition leaves. Eugenijus Gentvilas becomes acting Prime Minister.
22 June 2001 Concerto grosso for three cellos and strings by Krzysztof Penderecki (67) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.
The highest court of Turkey bans the Virtue Party because it violates the law about secular government.
Sonata for ten instruments by Paul Hindemith (†37) is performed for the first time, in Heimbach, 84 years after it was composed.
23 June 2001 Lux in Tenebris for double bass by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus Church, Birsay, Orkney.
24 June 2001 The Sonata for violin alone op.11/6 by Paul Hindemith (†37) is performed completely for the first time, in Heimbach, 83 years after it was composed.
27 June 2001 The International Court of Justice rules 14-1 that the United States violated an international treaty when it failed to notify Germany that two of its citizens were on death row in Arizona. Convicted in 1982, the two were informed of their rights to contact German authorities by fellow inmates in 1992. Ignoring a German request to stay executions, the two were killed in 1999.
28 June 2001 Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israeli and Arab leaders agree on a timeline for bringing the current violence to an end and resuming peace talks.
A federal appeals court in Washington overturns a lower court ruling that the Microsoft Corp. must be broken up into separate entities. However, they did agree that Microsoft has monopoly power and abused it.
29 June 2001 Prime Minister Zoran Zizic of Yugoslavia resigns in protest over the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic.
Scorribanda Sinfonica for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (74) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
30 June 2001 There is Something Between Us... for baritone and orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (66) to words of Brendel is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.
Quodlibet for oboe, horn, violin, cello, and harp by Gunther Schuller (75) is performed for the first time, in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
1 July 2001 David Trimble resigns as the first minister of Northern Ireland because the IRA has not fulfilled pledges to disarm.
Memoiren eines Außenseiters, a film about Hans Werner Henze, is broadcast over the airwaves of Hessische Rundfunk. Today is the composer’s 75th birthday.
2 July 2001 Sonata for piano by Luciano Berio (75) is performed for the first time, in the Tonhalle, Zürich.
3 July 2001 Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is arraigned before The Hague war crimes tribunal. He is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The European Union refuses to allow General Electric Co. to acquire Honeywell International Inc.
Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas replaces Eugenijus Gentvilas as Prime Minister of Lithuania.
4 July 2001 Former President Carlos Menem of Argentina and three of his ministers are indicted on charges of smuggling $100,000,000 worth of weapons to Croatia and Ecuador.
5 July 2001 A cease-fire negotiated by NATO is agreed to by the Macedonian government and ethnic Albanian fighters.
6 July 2001 Canticum Canticorum for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, in the Meistersingerhalle, Nuremberg.
7 July 2001 The Parliament of Portugal votes to decriminalize recreational narcotics.
Race riots take place in Bradford, Great Britain between South Asians and white supremacists.
9 July 2001 A Chilean appeals court rules that former dictator Augusto Pinochet is unfit to stand trial on the more than 250 criminal complaints against him. They cite a law forbidding the prosecution of those “insane or demented.”
10 July 2001 Catholics attack riot police in Belfast during marching season. 100 people are injured.
President Aleksander Kwasniewski apologizes for the murder of 1,600 Jews by Poles in the town of Jedwabne during World War II.
13 July 2001 After a march by Protestants through Catholic areas in Belfast, angry Catholics battle with police. Over 100 people are injured.
Serenade in B flat op.92 for two oboes, two clarinets, and two bassoons by Robin Holloway (57) is performed for the first time, in Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham.
15 July 2001 Latifur Rahman replaces Sheikh Hasina Wajed as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
16 July 2001 President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Jiang Zemin of China sign a 20-year friendship treaty in Moscow seen as an attempt to counterbalance the domination of world affairs by the United States.
Jacques Rogge replaces Juan Antonio Samaranch as President of the International Olympic Committee.
17 July 2001 Dragisa Pesic replaces Zoran Zizic as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.
Duo no.2 for violin and piano by Leon Kirchner (82) is performed for the first time, in Marlboro, Vermont.
18 July 2001 Zlatko Lagumdzija replaces Bozidar Matic as Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
19 July 2001 Former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Lord Archer, is found guilty in a London court on two counts of perjury and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
21 July 2001 Zoë for soprano, bass, alto flute, Tibetan temple bowl, Greek bells, wooden bell, and strings by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in Tewkesbury Abbey to celebrate its 900th anniversary.
22 July 2001 Police officers raid the offices of the Genoa Social Forum, a group of non-violent organizations protesting the G-8 summit in the city. The club-wielding police viciously beat many in the offices, arresting 92 and destroying computers, cameras and other equipment.
23 July 2001 President Wahid of Indonesia issues an emergency decree. He suspends the Assembly and the Golkar Party and calls for elections within one year.
Indonesia’s Peoples Consultative Assembly votes to remove President Abdurrahman Wahid. Vice President Dyah Permata Megawati Setyawati Sukarnoputri is sworn in to replace him.
Representatives of 178 nations meeting in Bonn agree to the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases. The Bush administration refuses to participate.
24 July 2001 Tamil rebels attack the international airport outside Colombo. 20 people are killed, including all 13 rebels. $400,000,000 in damage is done.
After initial concessions by the Macedonian government, talks with ethnic Albanians break down over making Albanian a second official language. Ethnic Albanian fighters surround four villages near Tetovo. Hundreds of Macedonians attack western embassies in Skopje, along with offices of the OSCE and a McDonald’s restaurant.
Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski (former King Simeon II) replaces Ivan Yordanov Kostov as Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
25 July 2001 Representatives of 56 countries meeting in Geneva produce a draft treaty to provide enforcement for the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. The Bush administration will reject the treaty.
Israeli helicopters kill a high Hamas official in Nablus.
26 July 2001 Philip Morris Cos. Inc. apologizes for a study in the Czech Republic which showed that the early deaths of smokers saved the country $147,100,000 in 1999.
Shorts, made up of scores from four short films, by Philip Glass (64) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
28 July 2001 Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique replaces Valentin Paniagua Corazao as President of Peru.
29 July 2001 On a designated “day of rage” called by Yasir Arafat’s Fatah group, Arabs hurl rocks at Jewish worshippers on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israeli security forces clear the area.
30 July 2001 The growth, possession and use of marijuana for medical purposes is legalized in Canada.
31 July 2001 Israeli helicopters attack the office of the Arab terrorist group Hamas in Nablus killing eight people, including two top Hamas leaders.
1 August 2001 The governments of Great Britain and Ireland issue a non-negotiable, last chance plan to implement peace agreements agreed to in 1998.
2 August 2001 The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague finds former Bosnian Serb General Radislav Krstic guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. Krstic oversaw the murders of thousands of Moslem men at Srebrenica in 1995.
4 August 2001 Song of the Cosmos for soprano, baritone, chorus, and four chamber ensembles by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.
5 August 2001 The Taliban government of Afghanistan arrest 24 workers of a Christian aid group for attempting to convert Moslems to Christianity.
6 August 2001 The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning announces that the Provisional IRA has submitted an acceptable plan to surrender or destroy their weapons.
Interbrew SA of Belgium acquires Brauerei Beck & Co. of Germany for DM3,500,000,000.
9 August 2001 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb in a Jerusalem restaurant killing 16 people and injuring over 130.
Protestant leader David Trimble walks out of negotiations on peace in Northern Ireland.
10 August 2001 In response to the bombing of yesterday, Israeli forces take over Orient House in East Jerusalem, the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
UNITA rebels blow up a train and then attack it about 150 km southeast of Luanda, Angola. Hundreds of people are killed.
12 August 2001 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb in a café near Haifa killing himself and injuring 15 others.
13 August 2001 Political leaders in Macedonia sign a peace accord designed to end violence between the majority Slav government and ethnic Albanian fighters.
14 August 2001 Israeli forces enter Jenin in the West Bank, take over the governor’s office, destroy a police station and security post, and withdraw after three hours.
An Italian court orders the release of all those arrested during the recent G-8 summit.
15 August 2001 Five constitutional amendments banning discrimination against Mexico’s indigenous people go into effect.
Pauline Oliveros (69) is appointed Distinguished Research Professor of Music at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York.
Nunc dimittis for chorus by Arvo Pärt (65) is performed for the first time, in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh.
17 August 2001 President Megawati of Indonesia apologizes to citizens of Aceh and Papua for past human rights violations of Indonesian governments.
22 August 2001 NATO ambassadors agree to a deployment of 3,500 peacekeeping troops to Macedonia. The first contingent arrives today.
24 August 2001 Music for Euripides’ play Medea by Mikis Theodorakis (76) is performed for the first time, at the ancient theatre of Epidavros.
25 August 2001 Two Arabs attack an Israeli army post in the Gaza Strip, killing three soldiers before they are killed. Four Israelis are killed in drive-by shootings by Arabs in the West Bank. In retaliation, Israeli troops demolish four Arab security posts in Gaza and the West Bank.
27 August 2001 Israeli helicopters attack the El Bireh office of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, killing its leader. Arabs in Beit Jala begin firing on the nearby Jewish town of Gilo who return fire.
Basque separatists explode a bomb in a parking garage at Bajaras International airport, Madrid. No one is injured but extensive damage is done to the structure and the cars therein. A warning is issued an hour before the blast.
28 August 2001 Israeli forces enter Beit Jala to stop its attacks on the Jewish town of Gilo.
30 August 2001 90% of registered voters in East Timor take part in the first democratic elections there. They elect a constituent assembly to draft a constitution.
31 August 2001 High on the Slopes of Terror for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, in Central Hall, Edinburgh.
1 September 2001 Suite on Finnish Themes for two vocalists and chamber ensemble by Dmitri Shostakovich (†26) is performed, apparently for the first time, in Kaustinen, Finland.
2 September 2001 Hewlett-Packard Co. says it will buy Compaq Computer Corp. for $25,000,000 in stock.
Oboe Quartet by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in the Mattäuskirche, Lucerne.
3 September 2001 Protestants hurl bottles and a Molotov cocktail at a group of girls 4-11 years old attending Holy Cross Primary School in Belfast. The girls are escorted by police who battle with the Protestants.
5 September 2001 Monk in the Kitchen for piano by Michael Daugherty (47) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Regio, Turin.
7 September 2001 Today begins a week of religious violence in Nigeria between Christians and Moslems. Over 500 people are killed.
Tenebrae David for brass by Harrison Birtwistle (67) is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.
9 September 2001 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb in Nahariya, Israel, killing himself and three others.
10 September 2001 Official returns from yesterday’s presidential election in Belarus show that President Aleksandr Lukashenko has been reelected. International observers call the voting rigged.
The ruling Labor Party loses eleven percent of its support in parliamentary elections in Norway. It remains the largest party but conservative parties and the Socialist Left Party make significant gains.
...second musical offering for orchestra by Alexander Goehr (69) is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.
11 September 2001 Arab terrorists commandeer four commercial airliners over the United States. Two are flown into the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing them to collapse an hour later. A third plane is flown into the Pentagon near Washington. Passengers overcome the hijackers on a fourth flight when they learn by cell phone of the previous attacks. The plane, on its way to attack targets in Washington, crashes in Pennsylvania. Over 3,000 people die in the events. All commercial air traffic over the United States is grounded.
12 September 2001 For the first time, the mutual defense clause of the NATO charter is invoked. Member states pledge to support the United States should they take military action.
L’heure bleu, a serenade for 16 players by Hans Werner Henze (75), is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.
Mystagogia for orchestra by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in Guildhall, London.
13 September 2001 Christian leader Rev. Jerry Falwell explains that “the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians” along with liberal groups caused the attacks of two days ago because they angered God. He says groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American Way “helped this happen.”
14 September 2001 The US Congress authorizes the use of force by the President against those responsible for the recent attacks.
15 September 2001 Afghan opposition leader Ahmed Shah Massoud dies of injuries suffered six days ago in a suicide bombing.
17 September 2001 Karlheinz Stockhausen (73) tells reporters in Hamburg that the 11 September attacks on New York were “the greatest work of art imaginable for the whole cosmos.” Upcoming concerts of his music in Hamburg are cancelled and Stockhausen returns to his home in Kurten.
18 September 2001 Israeli and Arab leaders agree to another cease fire.
19 September 2001 US aircraft are ordered to be deployed to the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
21 September 2001 Sheikh Jabir III Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, suffers a brain hemorrhage and is flown to London for treatment. Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Salim Al Sabah is named regent in his absence.
A fertilizer factor in Toulouse accidently explodes. 29 people are killed and over 2,500 are injured. The explosion makes a hole 50 meters wide and 15 meters deep and creates tremors equivalent to a 3.4 magnitude earthquake. 20,000 homes are damaged.
US President Bush says he will end sanctions on India and Pakistan, imposed in 1998 when they exploded nuclear weapons.
22 September 2001 Isaac Stern dies in New York at the age of 81.
Notturno for winds, double bass, and piano by Hans Werner Henze (75) is performed for the first time, in Koblenz.
23 September 2001 The Democratic Left Alliance wins 216 of 460 seats in voting for the Polish Sejm. The nearest party to them is the Civic Platform with 65 seats.
24 September 2001 US President Bush freezes the assets of 27 individuals and groups suspected of supporting terrorist activities.
The music downloading service Napster announces it has agreed to pay $26,000,000 to settle a lawsuit by composers and publishers. They will also pay royalties for their fee-based service.
25 September 2001 Sometime over the last week, the offices of the National Broadcasting Company in New York received a letter containing anthrax spores. One employee tests positive for anthrax.
26 September 2001 At a press conference in Berlin, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says that western civilization is “superior” to the Islamic world and he feels sure that the west would “conquer” Islam. The statement is widely condemned.
27 September 2001 After turning in their weapons to NATO, the leader of ethnic Albanian fighters in Macedonia says his movement has disbanded.
A gunman enters a meeting of the local legislature in the Swiss canton of Zug and opens fire. 14 people are killed and several injured before he kills himself. The gunman had a long running dispute with the canton government.
Concerto for cello and orchestra by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Chicago.
28 September 2001 Arabs mark the first anniversary of the current round of fighting with more violence. At least six Arabs are killed today, up to 80 injured. Six Israelis are injured. Over 600 Arabs and 169 Israelis have been killed in the last year.
The UN Security Council lifts sanctions on Sudan.
30 September 2001 The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan refuse to turn over Osama bin Laden to the United States.
1 October 2001 Moslem militants attack the Kashmir state legislature in Srinagar. 40 people are killed and scores wounded before Indian security forces kill the attackers.
Henadz Vasilyevich Navitski replaces Vladimir Vasilyevich Yermoshin as Prime Minister of Belarus.
2 October 2001 The Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins a surprise victory in parliamentary elections. The opposition claims fraud but international observers call the vote free and fair.
At a NATO meeting in Brussels, the United States provides evidence which satisfies other members that the attacks of 11 September were carried out by al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden, and that bin Laden is being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
3 October 2001 The Turkish Parliament passes 34 constitutional amendments, including limiting the death penalty to cases of terrorism and treason.
4 October 2001 Strike Zones, a concerto for percussion and orchestra by Joan Tower (63), is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.
5 October 2001 S AirGroup SA, parent company of Swissair, is granted bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy follows a significant fall off in air traffic since the 11 September attacks.
6 October 2001 Guide to Strange Places for orchestra by John Adams (54) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, the composer conducting.
7 October 2001 The US and Britain begin a large number of airstrikes against al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Afghanistan. Within hours al Jazeera broadcasts a videotaped message from Osama bin Laden wherein he praises the 11 September terrorists and calls on Moslems to make war on the United States.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf sacks three generals known to have ties to the Taliban and other extremist Moslem groups.
8 October 2001 At a rally in the Gaza Strip to express Arab support for al Qaeda and the 11 September terrorists, Arab security forces open fire, killing two.
Girma Wolde-Giyorgis Lucha replaces Negasso Gidada Solon as President of Ethiopia.
Arnold Rüütel replaces Lennart-Georg Meri as President of Estonia.
10 October 2001 Khaleda Zia replaces Latifur Rahman as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Officials in Boca Raton, Florida open a criminal investigation after three people who work at American Media Inc., a tabloid publisher, contract anthrax.
13 October 2001 Violence between Christians and Moslems begins again in Kano, Nigeria when Moslems stage a rally in support of the Taliban. The Red Cross estimates over 100 people are killed, 300 injured.
American Media Inc. says five more of its employees have tested positive for anthrax.
Sparkler for orchestra and electronics by Tod Machover (47) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
14 October 2001 Israeli marksmen kill a leading member of Hamas on the roof of his house in Qalqilya.
15 October 2001 The Washington office of US Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle receives a letter containing anthrax spores. The wing of the Senate Office Building is sealed off. 28 people test positive for exposure to anthrax.
17 October 2001 Arab gunmen kill Rehavam Zeevi, Israeli Minister of Tourism, in a Jerusalem hotel.
Anthrax spores are discovered at the New York City offices of Governor George Pataki of New York.
Popular music entertainer Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z) pleads guilty to stabbing a record producer in 1999. He will be sentenced to three years probation.
Steep Steps for bass clarinet by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York.
18 October 2001 Protestant parties begin to withdraw from the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland over the failure of the IRA to disarm.
The Ministry of Health in Nairobi says a Kenyan citizen received a letter containing anthrax spores from Atlanta, Georgia.
A postal worker in Hamilton Township, New Jersey tests positive for anthrax. Anthrax is found in the mail room of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington.
19 October 2001 350 refugees from the Middle East drown when their boat, headed for Australia, sinks south of Java.
US forces begin ground raids in Afghanistan.
Israeli forces occupy six cities on the West Bank.
Leszek Cezary Miller replaces Jerzy Karol Buzek as Prime Minister of Poland.
Christian Democrat Kjell Magne Bondevik replaces Jens Stoltenberg of the Labor Party as Prime Minister of Norway at the head of a three-party center-right coalition.
A letter tainted with anthrax is found at the offices of the New York Post. One employee is found to be infected.
A post office in West Trenton, New Jersey and a postal distribution center in Hamilton, New Jersey are tested for anthrax.
20 October 2001 Anthrax is found in the mail room of the Ford House Office Building in Washington.
Music for Federation for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (72) is performed for the first time, in Parliament House, Canberra.
21 October 2001 US warplanes begin striking Taliban front-line troops.
Concerto for cello and orchestra by Philip Glass (64) is performed for the first time, in Beijing.
Missa caiensis op.93 for chorus and organ by Robin Holloway (58) is performed for the first time, at the Chapel of Gonville and Caius, Cambridge.
The Name of the Game for guitar and eleven players by Richard Wernick (67) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
22 October 2001 Nigerian soldiers run amok for three days, killing over 200 civilians in Benue state. They are incensed by the killing of 19 soldiers by local Tiv people.
As part of the International Festival Sofia Gubaidulina during her 70th birthday year, her family home in Kazan officially becomes the Sofia Gubaidulina Center for Contemporary Music.
23 October 2001 The Provisional IRA announces that it has begun decommissioning its weapons.
The US Congress reconvenes after the Capitol building was swept for anthrax. Anthrax if found in a White House mail facility at an air force base near Washington.
24 October 2001 Bright Sheng (45) receives a MacArthur Fellowship worth $500,000.
25 October 2001 Anthrax is found in the largest postal distribution center in New York City.
26 October 2001 Anthrax is found in a mail-sorting facility for the US Supreme Court, and at a similar facility for the CIA.
Six American Painters for oboe, violin, viola, and cello by John Harbison (62) is performed for the first time, in Brookline, Massachusetts. See 14 April 2002.
27 October 2001 Schools Music Association Grace II for four voices by Peter Maxwell Davies (67) to anonymous 16th century words is performed for the first time, at Lloyds TSB Management Training Center, Solihull.
28 October 2001 Gunmen shouting “God is Great” kill 15 Pakistani Christians at a church in Bahawalpur.
Israeli forces withdraw from Bethlehem.
Anthrax is detected in the mailroom of the Department of Justice in Washington.
29 October 2001 Anthrax is detected in two mailrooms of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington.
30 October 2001 Anthrax is detected in the mailroom of the Department of Agriculture in Washington.
31 October 2001 DC Fanfare for band by John Corigliano (63) is performed for the first time, in Austin, Texas. Also premiered is Corigliano’s Tarantella for band.
2 November 2001 Pierre Boulez (76) is awakened in his Basel hotel room by police who accuse him of being a terrorist and confiscate his passport. Police return his passport two hours later with profuse apologies.
3 November 2001 Show an Affirming Flame, a poem for orchestra by Samuel Adler (73), is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York. It was commissioned by the New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra in memory of the victims of 11 September 2001.
5 November 2001 Israeli forces withdraw from Qalqilya.
6 November 2001 German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder activates 3,900 troops for action in Afghanistan.
The Northern Ireland Assembly reelects David Trimble as first minister. His swearing in is punctuated with cries of “traitor” from militant Protestants.
Sabena World Airlines, national carrier of Belgium, files for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy follows a significant fall off in air traffic since the 11 September attacks, and the collapse of Swissair.
7 November 2001 The Italian Parliament votes to contribute an aircraft carrier and 2,700 troops to action in Afghanistan.
Israeli forces withdraw from Ramallah.
8 November 2001 First Minister Henry McLeish of Scotland resigns when it becomes known that he sublet his parliamentary office for several years without declaring the income.
Mikis Theodorakis (76) addresses a rally in Syntagma Square, Athens protesting the US invasion of Afghanistan. The rally culminates with a march on the United States embassy.
9 November 2001 The Northern Alliance captures Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.
Floods kill over 700 people in northern Algeria.
10 November 2001 Elections to the Australian Parliament result in a victory for the ruling center-right coalition of Prime Minister John Howard. The standing of the parties in the House of Representatives is virtually unchanged.
Representatives of 160 nations meeting in Marakesh agree on final details to implement the Kyoto Protocol on the reduction of greenhouse gases. The Bush administration boycotts the meeting.
Ken Kesey dies in Eugene, Oregon at the age of 66.
11 November 2001 BONUS, a birthday quintet for english horn, two trumpets, trombone, and harp by Wofgang Rihm (49), is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.
12 November 2001 The Northern Alliance captures Taloqan, near Tajikistan. They also join forces with a local warlord and take Herat.
13 November 2001 Forces of the Northern Alliance capture Kabul from the Taliban, virtually unopposed.
Four people are convicted in a Berlin court of the 1986 bombing of a nightclub which killed two US soldiers and a Turkish woman, and injured 229 others. They are all sentenced to 12-14 years in prison. The court finds that the Libyan government ordered the bombing.
14 November 2001 AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury replaces Shahabuddin Ahmed as President of Bangladesh.
15 November 2001 Mikis Theodorakis (76) undergoes prostate surgery. He will be hospitalized for four days.
Jagden und Formen for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (49) is performed for the first time, in Basel.
Philadelphia Stories for orchestra by Michael Daugherty (47) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
16 November 2001 The Parliament of Macedonia ratifies a peace agreement with ethnic Albanians in the country, and approves 15 constitutional amendments to secure their rights.
Six of the Seize Paysages planétaires by Henri Pousseur (72) are performed for the first time, at the University of Cologne.
17 November 2001 The Taliban announce that Muhammed Atef, al Qaeda director of military operations, has died in a US bombing attack.
President Burhanuddin Rabbani of Afghanistan returns to Kabul.
Polychromie for computer generated sound by Gottfried Michael Koenig (75) is performed for the first time, in Florence.
Two works for tenor and piano are performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: New Work for tenor and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (90), and Irreverent Heart by John Corigliano (63) to words of Harburg.
18 November 2001 Concoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co. announce they will merge in a $15,000,000,000 stock transaction.
19 November 2001 Investigators find a fourth letter with anthrax. This one is addressed to US Senator Patrick Leahy in Washington.
20 November 2001 A three-party center-right coalition wins Danish parliamentary elections, defeating the ruling Social Democratic Party. For the first time since 1924, the Social Democrats are not the largest party in the Folketing. The biggest gains are by the Left-Liberals, and their leader, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will form a new government.
The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe throws out treason charges against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
The Supreme Court of Argentina throws out conspiracy charges against former President Carlos Menem.
21 November 2001 Looking Back for violin, viola, cello, and double bass by Peter Sculthorpe (72) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.
22 November 2001 The Turkish Parliament approves measures to make women equal with men before the law.
23 November 2001 Israeli helicopters kill a senior military official of Hamas, his brother and a deputy, in Nablus.
The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia charges Slobodan Milosevic with 29 counts of genocide and crimes against humanity.
25 November 2001 Hundreds of US troops land south of Kandahar, Afghanistan and begin setting up a base of operations.
Taliban forces surrender Kunduz to the Northern Alliance after heavy fighting.
26 November 2001 A court in Moscow orders the closure of TV-6,the last major independent television station in the country.
Resonant Soundscapes for computerized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (63) is performed for the first time, in Basel.
27 November 2001 Israeli forces withraw from Jenin.
Left-Liberal Anders Fogh Rasmussen replaces Social Democrat Poul Nyrup Rasmussen as Prime Minister of Denmark, heading a two-party center-right minority coalition.
28 November 2001 After searching for a year, police in Jakarta arrest Hutomo Mandala Putra (Tommy Suharto), the son of former President Suharto. He is sought in connection with bombings and assassination attempts.
The largest energy trading company in the US, Enron Corp., collapses when its credit reaches junk bond status. A deal to buy Enron by the smaller Dynegy Inc. folds when it becomes clear that Enron has been lying about its profits over the last five years.
29 November 2001 Enron Europe Ltd. files for bankruptcy protection in Great Britain.
30 November 2001 JUSTICE for actress, soprano, percussion, and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (67) to words of Aeschylus is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.
Dancissimo for orchestra by Philip Glass (64) is performed for the first time, in Milwaukee.
1 December 2001 Two Arab terrorists explode bombs almost simultaneously in a Jerusalem shopping mall. At least twelve people, including the bombers, are killed, 170 injured.
A revised version of Dérive called Dérive 2 for eleven instruments by Pierre Boulez (76) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam, conducted by the composer. See 21 June 1990 and 7 February 1993.
2 December 2001 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb on a bus in Haifa, killing himself and 15 others. At least 40 are injured.
Voters in Switzerland reject a proposal to abolish the armed forces.
Enron Corp. files for bankruptcy protection in New York City. The company once had $49,500,000,000 in assets. Shareholders lost $30,000,000,000.
Figment no.2: Remembering Mr. Ives for cello by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
3 December 2001 In retaliation for recent bombings, Israeli forces destroy two helicopters belonging to Yasir Arafat and they destroy the runway at Gaza Airport.
4 December 2001 Israeli forces strike the Ramallah offices of Yasir Arafat and other targets on the West Bank. They reoccupy parts of Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin.
Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter, a cycle for voice and piano by David Del Tredici (64), to words of Beckman, is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York, the composer at the keyboard. Also premiered by Del Tredici is his Wildwood Etude for piano.
5 December 2001 Anti-Taliban forces attack a cave complex near Tora Bora where Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding.
The opposition United National Front takes a majority of seats in parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan’s four main political groups agree on an interim administration, in a meeting in Bonn. A government headed by Hamid Karzai is set to take power December 22.
The IMF freezes a $1,300,000,000 loan installment to Argentina. The IMF wants Argentina to devalue its currency or adopt the US dollar. President de la Rua rejects both.
7 December 2001 Taliban leaders surrender Kandahar.
9 December 2001 The Taliban surrenders Zabol Province, Afghanistan, essentially ending their rule in the country.
Ranil Wickremasinghe replaces Ratnasiri Wickremanayake as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
Hiyoku for two clarinets by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
Fratres, in the setting for cello, strings, and percussion by Arvo Pärt (66), is performed for the first time, in De Doelen, Rotterdam.
10 December 2001 The US Supreme Court rules that genetically modified plants may be patented.
11 December 2001 The National Assembly of Vietnam approves a constitutional amendment making the private sector equal to state-owned companies.
12 December 2001 At least three Arab terrorists explode a bomb under a bus on the West Bank. They then shoot the passengers as they flee. They also fire on medical personnel when they arrive on the scene. One terrorist is shot dead, the others escape. Ten people are killed. Within hours, Israeli warplanes attack Arab targets.
A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia indicts Zacarias Moussaoui as a conspirator in the terrorist attacks on New York.
Ice Field for orchestra by Henry Brant (88) is performed for the first time, in Davies Hall, San Francisco, the composer at the organ. It will win the Pulitzer Prize. See 8 April 2002.
13 December 2001 Anti-Taliban fighters launch a new offensive against al Qaeda in White Mountain Range.
Five gunmen attack the Indian Parliament in New Delhi. They kill eight people before they are killed by security forces. No lawmakers are hurt. India blames the attack on Kashmiri separatists.
The Israeli government cuts off all connection with Yasir Arafat, calling him “directly responsible” for the terrorist attack yesterday.
The Bush administration gives notice that it will withdraw from the 1972 Antiballistic Missile treaty with Russia. President Bush says his country needs a ballistic missile shield to protect it from terrorists.
16 December 2001 Anti-Taliban Afghans claim to have removed all remain al Qaeda from a cave complex near Tora Bora.
17 December 2001 Argentine Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo proposes a budget that includes $9,000,000,000 in spending cuts in an attempt to persuade the IMF to release their loan to the country.
18 December 2001 A bill granting autonomy to Corsica is approved by the French parliament.
19 December 2001 Milos Jakes, the last head of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, and Jozef Lenart, a prime minister during the communist era, are indicted on charges they colluded with the USSR during the invasion of Czechoslovakia in August, 1968.
Thousands of Argentines riot in Buenos Aires and other cities in protest against the worsening economic conditions in the country. At least 22 people are killed today and tomorrow. President de la Rua declares a 30-day state of siege.
20 December 2001 British forces land at Kabul to provide security for the new administration due to take power in two days.
Fighting flares between various Arab factions in Gaza.
The UN Security Council approves an international peacekeeping force for Afghanistan.
21 December 2001 Six Arabs are killed in fighting between Arab factions in Gaza.
Avtandil Khristoforovich Jorbenadze replaces Giorgi Longinozovich Arsenishvili as Minister of State of Georgia.
Argentine Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo resigns. President Fernando de la Rua lifts the state of siege he declared yesterday and then resigns amidst riots throughout the country. Senate President Federico Ramón Puerta becomes acting president.
22 December 2001 A 30-member interim government for Afghanistan, led by Hamid Karzai, is sworn in in Kabul.
Richard Reid, a British national, is subdued by passengers and crew aboard a US airliner over the Atlantic Ocean as he tries to detonate explosives in his shoe. The plane is diverted to Boston where Reid is arrested by federal authorities.
23 December 2001 Adolfo Rodríguez Saá Páez Montero replaces Federico Ramón Puerta as interim President of Argentina. He immediately stops payment on the country’s debt.
28 December 2001 Thousands of Argentines take to the streets to protest government austerity measures in the face of the mounting debt crisis.
30 December 2001 Adolfo Rodríguez Saá Páez Montero resigns as interim President of Argentina. Senate President Federico Ramón Puerta once again becomes acting President.
31 December 2001 Pakistani authorities report the arrest of the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba and over 20 of its members. India claims this group carried out the attack on its Parliament on 13 December.
Federico Ramón Puerta resigns as acting President of Argentina and, according to the law of succession, the head of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Oscar Camaño, becomes acting President until Congress appoints an interim President.
The Queen’s New Year’s Honors List includes a CBE for Thea Musgrave (73).
©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger
26 January 2012
Last Updated (Thursday, 26 January 2012 07:35)