2000 World History Hillary Clinton (1947–) Vladimir Putin (1952–) Vicente Fox Quesada (1942–) Vojislav Kostunica (1944– ) 2000 Socialist president, Ricardo Lagos,elected in Chile(Jan. 16). George W. Bushand Al Goretake Iowa caucuses in U.S. presidential race(Jan. 22).Austria at center of European dispute after conservative People's Party forms coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, headed by xenophobe Jörg Haider(Feb. 3).First Lady Hillary Clintonofficially enters N.Y. Senate race(Feb. 6).Hijackers seize Afghan plane; release hostages in Stansted, England(Feb. 6–12).Britain ends self-rule in Northern Ireland after Irish Republican Army misses disarmament deadline(Feb. 11).NEAR spacecraft becomes first to orbit an asteroid(Feb. 14).Wary investors cause stock plunge; beginning of the end of the Internet stock boom(Feb. 25).Reformists win control of Iranian parliament for first time since 1979 Islamic revolution(Feb. 26).Gun maker Smith & Wesson limits the manufacture and distribution of handguns in light of lawsuits(March 17). Mass murder or suicide of hundreds in Ugandan doomsday cult(March 18).Acting Russian president Vladimir V. Putinformally chosen for post(March 25).Microsoft loses antitrust suit; appeal expected(April 3).Controversial Osprey plane crash kills 19 marines(April 8). Cuban boy Elián Gonzálezreunited with father after federal raid of Miami relatives' home(April 22).Vermont approves same-sex unions(April 25).“I love you” virus disrupts computers worldwide(May 4).South Carolina removes Confederate battle flag from capitol dome(May 18).Chile ends Augusto Pinochet'simmunity, clearing way for trial on murder and torture charges during years as dictator(May 24).Israeli troops withdraw from Lebanese security zone after 22 years of occupation(May 24).Former Indonesian president Suhartounder house arrest, charged with corruption and abuse of power(May 29).Britain restores parliamentary powers to Northern Ireland after Sinn Feinagrees to disarm(June 4).Presidents of North and South Korea sign peace accord, ending half-century of antagonism(June 15).British find 58 bodies of illegal Asian immigrants suffocated in Dutch truck that transported them(June 20).Elián González returns to Cuba with father(June 23).U.S. navy resumes shelling exercises of Puerto Rico's Vieques Island,used as a training site(June 25). Human genomedeciphered; expected to revolutionize the practice of medicine(June 26).Iraq believed to resume missile program(June 30).Vicente Fox Quesada elected president of Mexico(July 2).Bashar al-Assad succeeds late father, Hafez al-Assad, as Syrian president(July 10).Concorde crash kills 113 near Paris(July 25).Republican convention picks Texas governor George W. Bush as presidential candidate; Dick Cheneyfor vice presidential spot(Aug. 2).Democratic convention selects Vice President Al Gore and Sen. Joseph I. Liebermanto head ticket(Aug. 14).Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee,accused of stealing sensitive nuclear weapons data, freed after serving nine months in prison(Sept. 13).Olympic Games open in Australia(Sept. 15).Six-year Whitewater investigation of the Clintons ends without indictments(Sept. 20).Yugoslav opposition claims victory; incumbent Slobodan Milosevicdenies results(Sept. 25).Danish voters reject euro(Sept. 26).Abortion pill, RU-486, wins U.S. approval(Sept. 28).Palestinians and Israelis clash, spurred by visit of right-wing Israeli leader Ariel Sharonto a joint Jewish/Muslim holy site; “Al Aksa intifada” continues unabated(Sept. 30et seq.).Nationwide uprising overthrows Yugoslavian president Milosevic(Oct. 5). Vojislav Kostunicasworn in as Yugoslav president(Oct. 7).17 U.S. sailors on navy destroyerColedie in Yemen terrorist explosion(Oct. 12).U.S. presidential election closest in decades; Bush's slim lead in Florida leads to automatic recount in that state(Nov. 7–8).Republicans file federal suit to block manual recount of Florida presidential election ballots sought by Democrats(Nov. 11).Philippine president Joseph Estradaimpeached after receiving gambling payoffs(Nov. 13).Florida Supreme Court rules hand count of presidential ballots may continue(Nov. 21).Global warming talks collapse at Hague conference(Nov. 25).Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harriscertifies Bush as winner by 537 votes(Nov. 26). Mad Cow diseasealarms Europe(Nov. 30et seq.).Israeli prime minister Ehud Barakresigns(Dec. 9).U.S. Supreme Court orders halt to manual recount of presidential votes in Florida(Dec. 9).Supreme Court seals Bush victory by 5–4; rules there can be no further recounting(Dec. 12).