Unix Timestamp: 970963200
Sunday, October 8. 2000, 12:00:00 AM UTC

Two Russian cosmonauts, Aleksandr Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka, and American astronaut Scott Kelly leave on mission Soyuz TMA-01M for the International Space Station from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome. //news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101008/ap_on_re_as/as_kazakhstan_space (AP via Yahoo! News)

Voters go to the polls in the Maldivian presidential election, the first democratic elections held in the Maldives, with six candidates including incumbent Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. //afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jzn93B6k35o1gCMbKAeK6gr7Qk_Q (AFP)

Track and field star Marion Jones surrenders the five Olympic medals she won in the 2000 Sydney Games, after admitting to doping.

U.S. athlete Marion Jones returns the five medals she won at the Sydney Olympics and accepts a two-year ban from the sport after admitting to her use of a prohibited substance. //www.smh.com.au/news/sport/jones-hands-back-medals/2007/10/09/1191695863986.html?s_cid=rss_sport (Sydney Morning Herald)

H D Kumaraswamy resigns as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Karnataka. Governor Rameshwar Thakur is likely to recommend presidential rule till further elections.

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake kills about 80,000 people.

Suicide bombers detonate 2 bombs at the Red Sea resort of Taba, Egypt, killing 34 people, mainly Israeli tourists and Egyptian workers.

California recall: Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger wins the election with 48.6% after voters decide to recall California Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger's closest rival was the Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, with 31.7%. //news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3173276.stm//vote2003.ss.ca.gov/Returns/gov/00.htm

Palestinians: Yasser Arafat has suffered a mild heart attack. Palestinian leadership officials tried to hide condition of the president. "Although he has had a slight heart attack, the doctors say he will make a full recovery. He is in full control. There is nothing to worry about", states close aide to Arafat. Officials state that it would "have created panic at a critical time when the Israelis are threatening Arafat's life". //www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1058298,00.html//msnbc.com/news/801833.asp?0cv=CB10

Linate Airport disaster: MD-87 of SAS collides first with a private plane and then a building at Linate Airport in Milan, Italy – 100 dead

Flight SK686 of SAS collides first with a private plane and then a building in Milano Airport 100 are killed.

Iraq disarmament crisis: The President of the United Nations Security Council says that Iraq must withdraw its troops from the Kuwait border, and immediately cooperate with weapons inspectors.

The Parliament of Croatia cuts all remaining ties with Yugoslavia.

In Russia, the KGB is replaced by the SVR.

Iraq disarmament crisis: The U.N. Security Council passes Resolution 715, which demands that Iraq accept unconditionally the inspectors and all other personnel designated by the Special Commission. Iraq rejects the resolution, calling it unlawful.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: In Jerusalem, Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount.

Poland bans Solidarity after having suspended it on 13 December 1981.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs a bill into law which allows homebrewing of beer in the United States.

A massive short circuit in Seasat's electrical system ends the satellite's scientific mission.

Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.6 mph (511.13 km/h at Blowering Dam, Australia.

United States President Jimmy Carter signs a bill that authorizes the minting of the Susan B. Anthony dollar.

Daniel arap Moi becomes president of Kenya.

Spiro T. Agnew resigns as Vice President of the United States and then, in federal court in Baltimore, Maryland, pleads no contest to charges of income tax evasion on $29,500 he received in 1967, while he was governor of Maryland. He is fined $10,000 and put on 3 years' probation.

LBC Radio begins broadcasting on 97.3 FM in London.

The New York Mets win baseball's National League pennant, defeating the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds 3 games to 2.

R. Sargent Shriver is chosen to replace Thomas Eagleton as the U.S. vice-presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.

Vietnam War ndash Operation Sealords: United States and South Vietnamese forces launch a new operation in the Mekong Delta.

Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men are captured in Bolivia.

Vietnam War: U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk states during a news conference that proposals by the U.S. Congress for peace initiatives are futile, because of North Vietnam's opposition.

Desmond Morris publishes "The Naked Ape".

Sam Cooke and his band are arrested after trying to register at a whites only motel in Louisiana. In the months following, he records the song A Change Is Gonna Come.

The Lockheed L-1649A Starliner makes its first flight.

Finland joins UNESCO.

Baseball pitcher Don Larsen of the New York Yankees throws the only perfect game in World Series history in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Yogi Berra caught the game. Dale Mitchell was the final out. The New York Yankees won the series. Larsen was named series MVP.

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" radio show debuts in the United States.

WWII: In their invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany reaches the Sea of Azov with the capture of Mariupol.

WWII: Germany annexes Western Poland.

Chiang Kai-shek is named as Generalissimo (Chairman of the National Military Council) of the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China.

"Murderer\'s Row": The New York Yankees complete a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series.

Cubana de Aviación founded.

WWI: In the Forest of Argonne in France, U.S. Corporal Alvin C. York almost single-handedly kills 25 German soldiers and captures 132.

The First Balkan War begins: Montenegro declares war against Turkey.

An earthquake in the Zagreb area leads Andrija Mohorovičić to identify the Mohorovičić discontinuity.

The Eulmi Incident: Empress Myeongseong of Korea, is killed at her private residence within Gyeongbokgung Palace. Japanese agents under Miura Goro attack the Korean Royal Guard. Her son Sunjong accuses General Woo Beom-seon. Miura Goro is recalled to Japan, and tried along with 55 other men all were acquitted for lack of evidence.

The Naval Battle of Angamos was fought during the naval stage of the War of the Pacific.

Four major fires break out on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, Peshtigo, Wisconsin, Holland, Michigan, and Manistee, Michigan. The Great Chicago Fire is the most famous of these, leaving nearly 100,000 people homeless, although the Peshtigo Fire kills as many as 2,500 people, making it the deadliest fire in United States history.

Leon Michel Gambetta escapes the besieged Paris in a hot-air balloon.

American Civil War ndash Battle of Perryville: Union forces under General Don Carlos Buell halt the Confederate invasion of Kentucky by defeating troops led by General Braxton Bragg at Perryville, Kentucky.

The Second Opium War between several western powers and China begins with the "Arrow Incident" on the Pearl River.

Rail transport: Stephenson's "Rocket" wins the Rainhill Trials.

Prince Klemens von Metternich becomes Austrian foreign minister.

First Anglo-Dutch War ndash Battle of the Kentish Knock: The battle is fought near the shoal called the Kentish Knock in the North Sea, about 30 km from the mouth of the River Thames.

October 14 ndash English Civil War: Third siege of Basing House by Cromwell results in its destruction.

Jeanne Mance founds the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, the first hospital in North America.

Admiral George Villiers' fleet sails from Plymouth, England to Cadiz.

Thirty Years\' War ndash The Treaty of Munich is signed by Ferdinand II and Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria.

October 10 ndash The Union of Brest: The Ukrainian Church west of the Dnipro becomes known as the Ukrainian rite of Catholicism, whereas the East officially renounces the authority of the Pope.

The Spanish abandon the siege of the city of Alkmaar.

A flood engulfs Rome.

The Turks capture the cities of Kallipolis and Didymoteicho from the Byzantine Empire.

Sahab-ud-Din becomes Sultan of Kashmir.

The sultan of Morocco appoints a scribe to write an account of the travels of Ibn Battuta.

Assassins struck down Sultan Hasan and his body is never returned.

The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang is established.

Cola di Rienzo, self-proclaimed tribune of Rome, is killed by an angry mob.

The reign of John VI Cantacuzenus as Byzantine Emperor is ended, after he loses a battle to John V Palaiologos, who is restored as sole emperor.

Mladen II Šubić of Bribir, defeated in the battle of Bliska, is arrested by the Parliament.

Eleanor de Montfort is captured by pirates in the employ of Edward I of England to prevent her marriage to Llywelyn the Last, prince of Wales she is used as a bargaining chip over the coming years in Edward's attempts to subjugate Llywelyn and Wales.

Battle of Ronaldsway: Scottish forces defeat the Manx of the Isle of Man in a decisive battle, firmly establishing Scottish rule of the island.

St Mark's Basilica is consecrated in Venice.

1 November ndash In England a frost begins that lasts until April 1077.

King Dmitar Zvonimir of Croatia was crowned in Solin near Split, by a representative of Pope Gregory VII.

November 1 ndash Council of Chalcedon, Ecumenical council of the Christian church. As a result of this council the Oriental Orthodox churches eventually become a separate communion. More immediately, Jerusalem becomes a Patriarchate and Dioscorus of Alexandria is deposed as patriarch of Antioch.

Battle of Cibalae: Constantine the Great defeats his rival Licinius near the town of "Colonia Aurelia Cibalae" (modern Vinkovci, Croatia). Licinius is forced to flee to Sirmium, and loses all of the Balkans except for Thrace. Peace negotiations are initiated between the two "Augusti", but they are unsuccessful.

A large Pictish raid southwards is attempted.