Unix Timestamp: 989971200
Wednesday, May 16. 2001, 12:00:00 AM UTC

International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn is ordered to be held without bail on sexual assault charges in New York City. //www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13408002 (BBC), //www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-16/imf-chief-strauss-kahn-ordered-held-without-bail-on-sex-assault-accusation.html (Bloomberg)

The International Monetary Fund approves another US$2 billion loan to Ireland. //www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/16/imf-ireland-idUSN1630342720110516 (Reuters)

The European Union agree to €78 billion rescue deal for Portugal. The bailout loan will be equally split between the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the European Financial Stability Facility, and the International Monetary Fund.

Thailand's Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, warns of escalating violence, and is considering a curfew after clashes with protesters kill 25 over the last 3 days. //www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=175672 ("The Jerusalem Post") //www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/thailand-to-step-up-security-after-16-die-in-clashes/story-e6frg6so-1225867113534 ("The Australian") //www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-as-thailand-politics,0,2855333.story ("Chicago Tribune")

A pipeline explosion near Lagos, Nigeria, kills up to 100 people. //www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3949781.ece (Times Online)

A flare dropped from a New Jersey National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon is believed to be the cause of a wildfire that has burned at the edge of Pinelands National Reserve, New Jersey, burning three homes and causing the evacuation of 2,500 other homes. //www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/16/wildfires/index.html (CNN)

The United NationsGeneral Assembly, recognizing that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, proclaims 2008 the International Year of Languages.

Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party, is elected as the first non-Labour First Minister of Scotland. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6659531.stm (BBC)

George Galloway appears before a United States Senate committee, to answer allegations of making money from the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Programme.

Massachusetts legalizes same-sex marriage, in compliance with a ruling from the state's Supreme Judicial Court ("Goodridge v. Department of Public Health").

Ezzedine Salim, holder of the rotating leadership of the Iraq Interim Governing Council, is killed in a bomb blast in Baghdad.

A coup d'état in Chad against PresidentIdriss Déby fails.

Astronomy: A total lunar eclipse is visible from Europe, the Americas and most of Africa from 01:46 to 05:34 GMT //science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/12may_lunareclipse.htm Nasa 1, //sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/TLE2003May15.html Nasa 2.

Terrorist incidents: A series of explosions occurs in Casablanca. At least 41 people are believed to be dead including 12 suicide bombers, and 100 are reported injured. See: Casablanca Attacks.

In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.

Three time defending NBA chions Los Angeles Lakers get eliminated from the 2002–2003 playoffs, losing 110–82 to the San Antonio Spurs in Los Angeles in Game 6 of their series.

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey elects Ahmet Necdet Sezer as the tenth President of Turkey.

Japanese police besiege the headquarters of Aum Shinrikyo near Mount Fuji and arrest cult leader Shoko Asahara.

"STS-49": Space Shuttle "Endeavour" lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.

May 17 ndash Bosnian War: U.N. peacekeepers withdraw from Sarajevo.

Ethiopia Coup Attempt: Senior military officers staged a coup attempt in Ethiopia hours after President Mengistu Haile Mariam left on a visit to East Germany.

"Hands Across America": At least 5,000,000 people form a human chain from New York City to Long Beach, California, to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.

The Bangladeshi double decked ferry "Shamia" capsizes in the Meghna River, southern Barisal, Bangladesh, killing at least 600.

The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.

Scientists of the British Antarctic Survey announce discovery of the ozone hole.

NSW Premier Neville Wran steps down, in response to allegations raised by the ABC program "Four Corners", that he attempted to influence the NSW Magistracy.

The first financial derivatives exchange, the International Monetary Market (IMM), opens on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

A coup attempt is exposed and foiled in Egypt.

Venera program: "Venera 5", a Soviet spaceprobe, lands on Venus.

Park Chung Hee takes over in a military coup in South Korea.

Paul-Henri Spaak becomes the new Secretary General of NATO.

Chaim Weizmann is elected as the first President of Israel.

President of the United StatesFranklin D. Roosevelt, addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress, asks for an extraordinary credit of approximately $900 million to finance construction of at least 50,000 airplanes per year.

Rafael Leónidas Trujillo is elected president of the Dominican Republic.

The 1st Academy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California, with "Wings" winning Best Picture.

The Sedition Act of 1918 is approved by the U.S. Congress.

Britain and France conclude the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement, which is to divide Arab areas of the Ottoman Empire, following the conclusion of WWI, into French and British spheres of influence.

Twenty-two years after the start of construction, Teatro Massimo opens in Palermo, the largest opera theatre in Italy and the third largest in Europe.

Angelo Moriondo of Turin is granted a patent for an espresso machine.#33/256. "Bollettino delle privative industriali del Regno d’Italia" 2nd Series "'15"' (1884) pp. 635–655.

The May 16, 1877 political crisis occurs in France.

British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli rejects the Berlin Memorandum.

President Andrew Johnson is acquitted during his impeachment trial, by one vote in the United States Senate.

The U.S. Congress approves the minting of a nickel 5-cent coin (nickel), eliminating its predecessor, the half dime.

Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov signs the Treaty of Bucharest, ending the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812. Bessarabia is illegitimately annexed by Imperial Russia.

Battle of Albuera: Spain, Portugal and Great Britain defeat the French.

Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, dies 3 days later.

War of the Regulation: The Battle of Alamance commences after Regulators reject an appeal by Governor Tryon to peacefully disperse. Governor Tryon's forces crush the rebellion, causing many Regulators to move to frontier areas outside of North Carolina.

Marie Antoinette marries Louis-Auguste (who later becomes King Louis XVI of France).

Fireworks lit by Eric Engelbrecht, at the wedding of the crown prince of France in Paris, cause a fire, killing 132 people.

June ndash The Spanish governor of Buenos Aires sends five frigates to Port Egmont, landing some 1600 marines. The small British force present promptly surrenders.

Jacob Leisler is hanged for treason.

June ndash Ahmed II (1691–1695) succeeds Suleiman II (1687–1691) as emperor of the Ottoman Empire.

Battle of Aughrim: Williamite troops defeat the Jacobites in Ireland.

Pope Innocent XII becomes the 242nd pope, succeeding Pope Alexander VIII.

The Hearth Tax is introduced in England, Wales and Scotland.

Pope Paul V succeeds Pope Leo XI as the 233rd pope, making 1605 the last Year of Three Popes until 1978.

Mary, Queen of Scots, flees to England.

Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.

In Florence, the Piagnon, a group devoted to the memory of Girolamo Savonarola, drive out the Medici for a second time, re-establishing the Republic of Florence until 1530.

Theodore I Lascaris flees to Nicaea after the capture of Constantinople, and establishes the Empire of NicaeaByzantine successor states are also established in Epirus and Trebizond.

The district of Cham becomes subject to Bavaria.

Valdemar II, King of Denmark, is recognized as king in Norway.

The writings of French theologian Amalric of Bena are condemned by the University of Paris and Pope Innocent III.

Hermann I of Thuringia submits to Philip of Swabia.

The Cistercianconvent of Port-Royal-des-Chs is established.

Guernsey and Jersey decide, after a plebiscite of wealthy land owners, to remain with the English crown after Normandy was recaptured by Philip II of France.

Beaulieu Abbey is founded.

Baldwin, Count of Flanders is crowned emperor of the Latin Empire a week after his election by the members of the Fourth Crusade.

Tsar Kaloyan is recognized as king of Bulgaria by Pope Innocent III after the creation of the Bulgarian Uniate church.

Boniface of Montferrat, a leader of the Fourth Crusade, founds the Kingdom of Thessalonica.

Angers and Normandy are captured by Philip II of France.

Pope John XVII succeeds Pope Silvester II as the 140th pope.

Julia Maesa, an aunt of the assassinated Caracalla, is banished to her home in Syria by the self-proclaimed emperor Macrinus and declares her grandson Elagabalus, age 14, emperor of Rome.