- January 2
- Bus crashes in Luzon, Philippines, 29 killed. [1]
- Most distant galaxy yet discovered found by scientists using Keck telescope in Hawaii (estimated 15 billion light years away). [1]
- January 5
- Lockheed C-140 Jetstar crashes at Isfahan Persia, 18 killed. [1]
- January 6
- Near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurs. [53]
- (to January 7) A chemical fire occurs in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines. Policemen and investigators find a bomb factory and a laptop computer and disks that contain plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack. The mastermind, Ramzi Yousef, is arrested a month later. [29]
- January 9
- Ecuador and Peru are involved in a boundary fight. [1]
- January 11
- DC-9 crashes near Maria La Baya, Colombia: 51 die, 9-year-old girl lives. [1]
- January 12
- Pope John Paul II begins visit to Southeast Asia. [1]
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- January 14
- Over 10,000 South Africans attend state funeral of Joe Slovo. [1]
- January 16
- An avalanche hits the village Súðavík in Iceland, killing 14 people. [29]
- January 17
- A magnitude 6.9-7.2 earthquake occurs near Kobe, Japan, the Hinshin Great Earthquake. 5502 people killed, 36,896 injured, over 200,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Over 90 percent of the casualties occurred along the southern coast of Honshu between Kobe and Nishinomiya. Maximum ground speed 1.04m/s, max displacement 270mm, highest ever recorded for an earthquake. [29] [53] [720.196]
- January 19
- In Colombia, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurs. Five people killed, several injured and at least 20 major buildings damaged in the Bogota area. Felt in much of Colombia and western Venezuela and as far as Caracas, Venezuela. [53]
- Jean-Claude Juncker (28) sworn in as premier of Luxembourg. [1]
- January 22
- Mahmoud Sayed Selim, Egyptian Muslim leader, shot to death at age 29. [1]
- Palestinian bomb attack in Beit Lid, Israel, 21-22 killed. [1]
- January 25
- A rocket launched from the space exploration centre at Andøya, Norway is briefly interpreted by the Russians as an incoming attack. [29]
- Jacques Santer succeeds Jacques Delors as chairman of European Committee. [1]
- January 29
- Tatachilla Lutheran College officially opens at McLaren Vale, South Australia. [29]
- January 30
- Car bomb explodes in Algiers, 42 killed, 296 injured. [1]
- January 31
- U.S. President Bill Clinton invokes emergency powers to extend a $20 billion loan to help Mexico avert financial collapse. [29]
- February 1
- Belgium's TV channel VT4 goes on the air. [1]
- February 5
- Japan's Shinshinto Party win local elections. [1]
- February 8
- 6.4 earthquake at Trujillo, Colombia (46+ killed). [1]
- In Colombia, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurs. 42 people killed, nearly 400 injured, and over 2,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in the Cali-Pereira area. Felt throughout Colombia. [53]
- February 9
- Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Junior and Michael Foale become the first African American and Briton, respectively, to walk in space (mission STS-63). [29]
- February 12
- PRI loses/PAN wins Mexican regional elections. [1]
- February 13
- A United Nations tribunal on human rights violations in the Balkans charges 21 Bosnian Serb commanders with genocide and crimes against humanity. [29]
- February 15
- Kevin Mitnick is arrested by the FBI and charged with breaking into some of the United States' most "secure" computers systems. [5] [29]
- Taiwan's deadliest fire at a karaoke restaurant in Taichung kills 64. [29]
- Burundi premier Anatole Kanyenkiko resigns. [1]
- Population of People's Republic of China hits 1.2 billion. [1]
- February 17
- Federal judge allows lawsuit claiming US tobacco makers knew nicotine was addictive and manipulated its levels to keep customers hooked. [1]
- February 19
- Kenneth Koch wins Bollingen Prize. [1]
- February 20
- Rabbi Shlomo Averbach is buried in Jerusalem; 250,000 attend. [1]
- February 21
- Steve Fossett lands in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada, becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon. [29] (February 22 [1])
- Serkadji prison mutiny in Algeria: Four guards and 96 prisoners are killed in a day and a half. [1] [29]
- February 23
- Antoine Nduwayo appointed Premier of Burundi. [1]
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 30.28 to close at 4,003.33 - the Dow's first ever close above 4,000. [1] [29]
- In Taiwan, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. [53]
- In Cyprus, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurs. Felt throughout Cyprus. Also felt in northern Israel and Lebanon. [53]
- February 25
- Bomb attack on train in Assam, India (27 soldiers killed). [1]
- Muslim fundamentalists shoot 20 Shiite mosque goers dead. [1]
- February 26
- The United Kingdom's oldest investment banking firm, Barings Bank, collapses after securities broker Nick Leeson loses US$1.4 billion by speculating on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. [1] [29]
- February 27
- Car bomb explodes in Zakho, North-Iraq (54-80 killed). [1]
- February 28
- Members of the group Patriot's Council are convicted in Minnesota of manufacturing ricin. [29]
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