On This Day in History

While riding a New York City Subway train, Bernhard Goetz shot four African-American youths who had attempted to rob him, sparking a nationwide debate on vigilantism, racism, and the legal limits of self-defense.

Brazilian unionist and environmental activist Chico Mendes was murdered at his home in Xapuri.

Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquished the disputed title of President of Somalia.

Burhanuddin Rabbani of the Northern Alliance handed over power in Afghanistan to the interim government headed by Hamid Karzai.

Richard Reid unsuccessfully attempted to detonate a bomb in his shoe on a transatlantic flight from Paris to Miami.

A dike ruptured at a waste containment area for a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 million m3) of coal fly ash slurry (aftermath pictured) in the largest industrial spill in US history.

The United States repealed its "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the military (signing pictured).