Historical Events in December 1998

  • Dec 1 Exxon announces a $73.7 billion USD deal to buy Mobil, creating Exxon-Mobil, the world's largest company.
  • Dec 4 The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched
  • Dec 5 7th SEC Championship Game: #1 Tennessee beats #23 Mississippi State, 24-14
  • Dec 5 3rd Big 12 Championship Game: #10 Texas A&M beats #2 Kansas State, 36-33 (2 OT)

Electoral defeatElection of Interest

Dec 6 Hugo Chávez is elected President of Venezuela

President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez
President of Venezuela
Hugo Chávez
  • Dec 6 87th Davis Cup: Sweden beats Italy in Milan (4-1)
  • Dec 8 Tadjena massacre: 81 people are killed by armed groups in Algeria.

Nobel prizeNobel Prize

Dec 10 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine presented to Gertrude B. Elion, George H. Hitchings and James W. Black for development of new drugs

Biochemist and Drug Researcher Gertrude B. Elion
Biochemist and Drug Researcher
Gertrude B. Elion

Nobel prizeNobel Prize

Dec 10 Indian Professor Amartya Sen is awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics for his contributions to welfare economics

Economist/Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen
Economist/Nobel Laureate
Amartya Sen
  • Dec 11 Thai Airways Airbus A310-200 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101
  • Dec 14 64th Heisman Trophy Award: Ricky Williams, Texas (RB)
  • Dec 16 Iraq disarmament crisis: Operation Desert Fox - the United States and United Kingdom bomb targets in Iraq

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Dec 19 Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives forwards articles I and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate.

42nd US President Bill Clinton
42nd US President
Bill Clinton
White House Intern Monica Lewinsky
White House Intern
Monica Lewinsky
  • Dec 26 Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones
  • Dec 26 Severe gales over Ireland, northern England, and southern Scotland cause widespread disruption and widespread power outages in Northern Ireland and southern Scotland
  • Dec 29 Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over a million people
  • Dec 31 US movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year
  • Dec 31 Exchange rates between the euro and legacy currencies in the Eurozone become fixed.