Unix Timestamp: 970617600
Wednesday, October 4. 2000, 12:00:00 AM UTC

At least 130 people are killed in a car bombing in the Somali capital Mogadishu. //www.hindustantimes.com/65-dead-in-Somali-car-bombing/Article1-753497.aspx (Indo-Asian News Service via "Hindustan Times")

The death toll from the flooding of Cambodia's Mekong River and attendant flash floods reaches 164. //www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=733860publicationSubCategoryId=200 (Xinhua via "Philippines Star")

The Pacific islands of Tuvalu and Tokelau declare a state of emergency due to a lack of drinking water caused by low rainfall. //www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/8805520/Second-Pacific-island-running-out-of-drinking-water.html ("The Telegraph")

Colonel Ivan Petrik, chief of staff of the Russian ground force in South Ossetia, is confirmed dead from wounds he suffered in the Friday blast in Tskhinvali.//www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE49260M20081004 (Reuters)

Spanish authorities arrest 22 people associated with the banned Batasuna party, which caigns for Basque independence, but also has ties to the terrorist group ETA.

West Sulawesi officially becomes a province in Indonesia after the expansion of South Sulawesi.

A fire breaks out on the Canadian submarine "HMCS ''Chicoutimi''", leaving it stranded without power in the North Atlantic ocean, off the north coast of Ireland 1 crewmember is killed.

Two car bombs kill at least 16 people and injure dozens more in Baghdad.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A Palestinian suicide bomber blows herself up in a crowded beach restaurant in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa, killing at least 19 people and wounding about two dozen, at least six seriously. //www.msnbc.com/news/801833.asp?vts=100420030702cp1=1. Hours later Israeli helicopter gunships retaliate by attacking targets in Gaza City and Central Gaza.

First case of anthrax in the US (attack) is announced by federal officials.

Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 crashes over the Black Sea en route from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Novosibirsk, Russia 78 are killed.

In Switzerland, 23 members of the Order of the Solar Temple cult are found dead, a day after 25 of their fellow cultists are similarly discovered in Morin Heights, Quebec.

The papal encyclical "Veritatis Splendor" is promulgated.

The Russian constitutional crisis culminates with Russian military and security forces clearing the White House of Russia Parliament building by force, quashing a mass uprising against President Boris Yeltsin.

China performs a nuclear test, ending a worldwide "de facto" moratorium.

In the Philippines, rebel forces seize two military posts on the island of Mindanao, before surrendering on October 6.

The Free Software Foundation is founded in Massachusetts, USA.

Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer become the first Australians to summit Mount Everest.

Richard Noble sets a new land speed record of 633.468 mph (1,019.468 km/h), driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

The Cultural Revolution in China concludes upon the capture of the Gang of Four.

Students gathering at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand are massacred, while protesting the return of ex-dictator Thanom Kittikachorn by a coalition of right-wing paramilitary and government forces, triggering the return of the military to government.

Cubana Flight 455 crashes due to a bomb placed by anti-Fidel Castro terrorists, after taking off from Bridgetown, Barbados. All 73 people on board are killed.

In San Francisco, during his second televised debate with Jimmy Carter, U.S. President Gerald Ford stumbles when he declares that there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe (there is at the time).

The brand new Intercity 125High Speed Train is introduced in the United Kingdom.

Omar Ali Saifuddin III of Brunei abdicates in favour of his son, His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Hurricane Flora, one of the worst Atlantic storms in history, hits Hispaniola and Cuba killing nearly 7,000 people.

BOAC uses the new De Havilland Comet jets, to become the first airline to fly jet passenger services across the Atlantic.

The Partizan Belgradesports society is founded in Belgrade, Serbia.

Edvard Beneš, president of Czechoslovakia, resigns.

In Nazi Germany Jews’ passports were invalidated, and those who needed a passport for emigration purposes were given one marked with the letter J (Jude – Jew).ref name=yadvashem//www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/holocaust/about/01/crucial_year.asp?WT.mc_id=wiki Nazi Germany and the Jews: 1938 – “The Fateful Year” on the Yad Vashem website

The Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War begin withdrawing their foreign volunteers from combat as agreed on July 5.

Rabotnicki Skopje is established as a football club .

Dick Tracy, the comic strip detective character created by cartoonist Chester Gould, makes his debut appearance in the "Detroit Mirror" newspaper.

The actual carving begins at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

Wilhelm II of Germany forms a new more liberal government to sue for peace.

Texas AM University opens for classes.

October 5 ndash Crimean War: The Ottoman Empire starts war with Russia.

The Provisional Government in Brusselsdeclares the creation of the independent state of Belgium, in revolt against the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

October ndash Start of the Regeneration in Switzerland: more liberal constitutions adopted in most cantons.

The Fort Wilson Riot takes place.

American Revolution ndash Battle of Germantown: Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under SirWilliam Howe.

Saint Teresa of Ávila dies. She is buried the next day, October 15.

Lutheranism is forcibly introduced into Iceland, despite the opposition of Bishop Jón Arason.

First edition of the CalvinistGenevan psalter is published.

In Henan province, China, a severe drought with swarms of locusts is made worse by a major epidemic outbreak of the plague.

Henry VIII contracts to marry Anne of Cleves.

King Francis I of France issues an ordinance that places the whole of France under the jurisdiction of the royal law courts and makes French the language of those courts.

Beaulieu Abbey, Bolton Abbey, Colchester Abbey, Newstead Abbey, St Albans Abbey, St Mary\'s Abbey, York and Hartland Abbey (the last) fall prey to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England.

Beaulieu Abbey, Bolton Abbey, Colchester Abbey, Newstead Abbey, St Albans Abbey, St Mary's Abbey, York and Hartland Abbey (the last) fall prey to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England.

Anabaptists rebel in some cities in the Netherlands, including a famous incident of seven men and five woman walking nude in the streets of Amsterdam.

Spanish forces fail for the second time to conquer Yucatan.

St. Alphege Church is completed in Solihull, England.

Carlos Quintoconquers Tunis.

The Charterhouse London is closed, as part of Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Manco II is appointed puppet Inca Emperor by SpanishConquistadors.

Paracelsus visits Bad Pfäfers.

The first complete English-language Bible is printed in Antwerp, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale.

Combined Swedish and Danish fleets defeat the Hanseatic navy.

The first book in Estonian ndash "Wanradt's and Koell's Catechism," is written.

Leaders of the Second Cornish Uprising surrender to the King at Taunton the following day, Warbeck, having deserted his army, is captured at Beaulieu Abbey in Hshire.ref name=Cassell's Chronology/

Henry I becomes Duke of Brabant.

Battle of Stara Zagora: The Bulgarians defeat Byzantine Emperor Isaac II.

Richard I of England threatens war against Tancred of Sicily, and captures Messina.

Stevan Nemanja founds the Studenica monastery in Serbia.

"Speculum Virginum", a Germanmanuscript, is published (approximate date).

Richard I of England and Philip II of France meet at Vézelay, thus beginning the Third Crusade.

The Almohad caliph, Yaqub al-Mansur, fails to reconquer Silves in Portugal.ref name=Picard1997

Cartmel Priory is founded in England.

"On the Harmony of Religions and Philosophy" (ar. "Kitab fasl al-maqal") is first published.

The Avars try to invade Italy.

Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows East Roman EmperorPhocas and becomes Emperor. His first major act is to change the official language of the East Roman Empire from Latin to Greek (already the language of the vast majority of the population). Because of this, after AD 610 the East Roman Empire is customarily referred to as the Byzantine Empire (the term Byzantine is a modern term invented by historians in the 18th century the people of the Empire itself always referred to themselves as Ρωμιούς – in English, Romious).

Paper technology is imported into Japan from China by the Korean Buddhist priest, Dam Jing.

St. John the Merciful becomes Patriarch of Alexandria.

According to Islamic belief, the archangel Gabriel first appears to Muhammad, reciting to him the first verses of surat Iqra (al-`Alaq), thus beginning the revelation of the Qur'an (approximate date).

Gundemar succeeds Witteric as king of the Visigoths.

St. Columbanus and St. Gall begin missionary work in Bregenz.