January 5
January 5
Sonny Bono killed in skiing accident
On January 5, 1998, Sonny Bono, best known as half of the 1960s singing and acting husband‑and‑wife duo Sonny & Cher, is killed in a skiing accident while on vacation…
A Year In History: 1998
This Year in History:
1998
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 22
January 22
Ted Kaczynski pleads guilty to bombings
In a Sacramento, California, courtroom on January 22, 1998, Theodore J. Kaczynski pleads guilty to all federal charges against him, acknowledging his responsibility for a 17‑year campaign of package bombings attributed…
February 3
February 3
Marine jet severs ski‑lift cable in Italy
On February 3, 1998, a U.S. Marine jet flying low over the town of Cavalese in the Italian Alps severs a ski‑lift cable, sending a tram crashing to the ground…
February 6
February 6
Mary Kay Letourneau goes back to prison
A judge reinstates the suspended sentence of schoolteacher Mary Kay Letourneau and sends her back to prison for seven years after she is caught violating a no‑contact order with her…
February 6
February 6
Austrian superstar Falco dies
On February 6, 1998, Austrian pop star Falco is killed when his rental car is struck by a bus while he was vacationing in the Dominican Republic. The accident that…
February 13
February 13
Downhill skier Hermann Maier crashes in Olympics
Austrian ski racer Hermann Maier makes one of the most dramatic crashes in skiing history when he catapults 30 feet in the air, lands on his helmet and rams through…
February 15
February 15
Dale Earnhardt Sr. wins his first Daytona 500
On February 15, 1998, after 20 years of trying, racing great Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally wins his first Daytona 500, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) season…
February 17
February 17
U.S. women win the first Winter Olympics hockey gold medal
On February 17, 1998, in Nagano, Japan, the United States defeats Canada, 3‑1, to win the gold medal in the first women’s hockey tournament held at the Winter Olympics. “After…
February 20
February 20
Tara Lipinski becomes youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist
On February 20, 1998, 15‑year‑old Tara Lipinski wins the gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and becomes the youngest gold medalist in…
March 23
March 23
James Cameron’s “Titanic” wins 11 Academy Awards
By the time James Cameron took the stage to accept his Academy Award for Best Director on the night of March 23, 1998, the Oscar dominance of his blockbuster film…
March 24
March 24
A school shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas, kills five
Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, shoot their classmates and teachers in Jonesboro, Arkansas on March 24, 1998. Golden, the younger of the two boys, asked to be excused from…
March 27
March 27
FDA approves Viagra
On March 27, 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves use of the drug Viagra, an oral medication that treats impotence. Sildenafil, the chemical name for Viagra, is an…
April 15
April 15
Pol Pot, leader of Cambodia’s genocidal government, dies in his sleep
Pol Pot, the architect of Cambodia’s killing fields, dies of apparently natural causes while serving a life sentence imposed against him by his own Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge, organized…
May 7
May 7
Daimler‑Benz announces purchase of Chrysler Corp.
On May 7, 1998, the German automobile company Daimler‑Benz—maker of the world‑famous luxury car brand Mercedes‑Benz—announces a $36 billion merger with the United States‑based Chrysler Corporation. The purchase of Chrysler,…
May 14
May 14
Frank Sinatra dies
On May 14, 1998, the legendary singer, actor and show‑business icon Frank Sinatra dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles, at the age of 82. Sinatra emerged from an…
May 20
May 20
Frank Sinatra is laid to rest
Long before his stature in the world of show business earned him the nickname “Chairman of the Board,” Frank Sinatra was known simply as “The Voice.” During a career that…
May 28
May 28
Comic Phil Hartman killed by wife
On May 28, 1998, the comedian and actor Phil Hartman, famous for his work on Saturday Night Live and NewsRadio, is shot to death by his wife, Brynn, in a…
June 6
June 6
“Sex and the City” premieres on HBO
On June 6, 1998, the cable network HBO airs the pilot episode of “Sex and the City,” a new comedy series chronicling the lives and loves of four women living…
July 24
July 24
“Saving Private Ryan” opens in theaters
On July 24, 1998, the director Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic, Saving Private Ryan, is released in theaters across the United States. The film, which starred Tom Hanks and…
July 26
July 26
Three race fans killed at Michigan Speedway
The U.S. 500, the most prestigious race in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series, dissolves into tragedy on July 26, 1998, when three fans are killed and six others…
