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…
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.
June 5
June 5
Autoworkers’ union calls strike at GM parts factory
On this day in 1998, 3,400 members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union walk out on their jobs at a General Motors (GM) metal‑stamping factory in Flint, Michigan, beginning…
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…
June 14
June 14
Michael Jordan leads Chicago Bulls to sixth NBA title
On June 14, 1998, Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to an 87‑86 win over the Utah Jazz in Game Six of the NBA Finals to clinch their third consecutive…
June 26
June 26
Gone with the Wind re‑released in United States
On this day in 1998, the classic Civil War‑era blockbuster Gone with the Wind, originally released in 1939, is re‑released in U.S. theaters by New Line Pictures. Produced by David…
July 12
July 12
France beats Brazil to win FIFA World Cup
On July 12, 1998, France defeats favored Brazil 3‑0 to win the FIFA World Cup at Stade de France in Saint Denis. This was the first World Cup France had…
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 24
July 24
Bidding starts on South Korea’s Kia Motors Corp.
On this day in 1998, South Korea’s government opens the bidding for the Kia Motors Corporation, the country’s third‑largest car company, which went bankrupt during an economic crisis that gripped…
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…
August 5
August 5
Mother charged with smothering her eight children
On August 5, 1998, Marie Noe, age 70, is arrested at her Philadelphia home and charged in the smothering deaths of eight of her children, who died between 1949 and…
August 7
August 7
U.S. embassies in East Africa bombed
At 10:30 a.m. local time, a massive truck bomb explodes outside the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Minutes later, another truck bomb detonated outside the U.S. embassy in Dar es…
August 11
August 11
Jonesboro schoolyard shooters guilty
In Jonesboro, Arkansas, Mitchell Johnson pleads guilty to the Jonesboro schoolyard massacre on his 14th birthday, and Andrew Golden, age 12, is convicted. Both boys had been charged with five…
August 14
August 14
Hundred‑year‑old Michelin Man makes appearance in Monterey
As part of a yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary, a redesigned version of the Michelin Man–the corporate symbol of one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers, makes an appearance…
August 17
August 17
President Clinton testifies before grand jury
On August 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting president to testify before the Office of Independent Counsel as the subject of a grand‑jury investigation. The testimony came after a…
September 1
September 1
Federal legislation makes airbags mandatory
On September 1, 1998, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 finally goes into effect. The law required that all cars and light trucks sold in the United States…
September 2
September 2
A UN court hands down the first international conviction for genocide
A United Nations court finds Jean‑Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda, guilty of nine counts of genocide, marking the first time that the 1948 law…
September 4
September 4
Google is incorporated
On this day in 1998, search engine firm Google, co‑founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who met at Stanford University, files for incorporation in California. Google went on to…
September 8
September 8
McGwire passes Maris
On September 8, 1998, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire hits his 62nd home run of the year, breaking Roger Maris’ record for most home runs in a single season.…
September 13
September 13
George Wallace dies
George Wallace, one of the most controversial politicians in U.S. history, dies in Montgomery, Alabama, at the age of 79. George Corley Wallace was born in Clio, Alabama, the son…
October 8
October 8
U.S. House of Representatives initiates Clinton impeachment inquiry
On this day in 1998, the U.S. House of Representatives votes to proceed toward impeaching President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. By December 1998, the…
