On This Day

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

Sport awardPresident's Cup

Dec 13 Presidents Cup Golf, Royal Melbourne GC: International team wins for first time; Shigeki Maruyama and Steve Elkington unbeaten as Internationals beat US 20½–11½

Golfer and PGA Champion Steve Elkington
Golfer and PGA Champion
Steve Elkington
  • 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

USAImpeachment Trial of Bill Clinton

Dec 19 US House of Representatives votes to impeach President Bill Clinton, forwarding the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial

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Tickets issued to former President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty
Tickets issued to former President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty
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Sport awardFootball Awards

Dec 22 Ballon d'Or: Juventus' French midfielder Zinedine Zidane is named best football player in Europe ahead of Real Madrid striker Davor Šuker and Inter forward Ronaldo

Football Star Ronaldo
Football Star
Ronaldo
Football Player and Manager Zinedine Zidane
Football Player and Manager
Zinedine Zidane
  • 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.

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