"Old times there are not forgotten"
Nineteen European nations banned human cloning. The United Kingdom banned the importation of land mines. The suspected "Unibomber" Ted Kaczynski entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra for use in treating male impotence. Compaq Computers purchased Digital Equipment Company. Ford Motor Company purchased Volvo Cars. Data sent from the Galileo space probe indicated a liquid ocean under a crust of ice on Jupiter's moon - Europa. Citicorp and Travelers Group announced their intent to merge and create the largest financial services conglomerate in the world - Citigroup. The popular sitcom Seinfeld aired its final episode. DNA identified the remains of one of the bodies from the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery. The remains were then buried in St. Louis, Missouri. The remains of Czar Nicholas II and those of his family were buried in St. Catherine Chapel located in St. Petersburg, Russia, 80 years after the family were murdered by Bolsheviks. St. Louis Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run of the season breaking the record set by Roger Maris of the New York Yankees. Telecommunications giants MCI and WorldCom completed their merger becoming MCI WorldCom. The United States Department of Justice and 20 states filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft. The Space Shuttle Discovery carried 77-year old John Glenn into space thus making him the oldest person to fly in outer space. America Online announced the acquisition of Netscape Communications. Exxon announced a buyout of Mobil Oil, creating Exxon-Mobile. President Bill Clinton ordered air strikes on Iraq and UNSCOM withdrew all weapons inspectors from that nation.
New book titles: The Street Lawyer, Rainbow Six, Bag of Bones, A Man in Full, Mirror Image, The Long Road Home, The Klone and I, The Point of Origin, Paradise, All Through the Night, The Greatest Generation and Tuesdays With Morrie.
At the movies: Saving Private Ryan, Armageddon, There's Something About Mary, A Bug's Life, The Waterboy, Doctor Dolittle, Rush Hour, Deep Impact, Godzilla and Patch Adams.
On stage: Art, The Lion King, A View From the Bridge, Cabaret, Ragtime, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane.
Emmy Awards: Andre Braugher for Homicide: Life on the Street, Christine Lahti for Chicago Hope, Gordon Clapp for NYPD Blue, Camryn Mayheim for The Practice and The Practice for best drama series.
January 1
California banned the smoking of tobacco products in all bars and restaurants.
March 21
Woodrow Wilson High School won the Class AAA state basketball championship by defeating Fairmont High School by the score of 75-47 in Charleston. It was the 14th state basketball championship for Woodrow Wilson.
March 25
Classmate Virginia Lee Mackey-Thompson, age 58, died in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. Jenny was a licensed hair dresser and for a time co-owner of a salon in Hinton. She was survived by her husband, a son and two grandsons.
December 24
Marshall University defeated Louisville University by the score of 48-29 in the Motor City Bowl played in the Pontiac Silver Dome (Michigan).
December 26
West Virginia University lost to the University of Missouri by the score of 34-31 in the Insight Bowl, played in Tempe, Arizona