The world in
What happened in 1998?
12 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Signing of the Good Friday Agreement
On 10 April 1998, the Good Friday Agreement (also known as the Belfast Agreement) was signed, ending most of the violence of the Troubles in Northern Ireland that had lasted since the late 1960s. Comprising a multi-party agreement and a British-Irish intergovernmental agreement, it established the basis for Northern Ireland's devolved system of government and marked a key milestone in the peace process.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Kosovo WarAn armed conflict in Kosovo mainly from 1998 to 1999, it pitted forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which controlled Kosovo, against the Kosovo Liberation Army. In March 1999, NATO began air strikes, which ultimately resulted in Yugoslav forces withdrawing from Kosovo.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Clockwise from upper left: Tomislav Jagušt, User:Snake bgd , User:Zeke , Senior Airman Mitch Fuqua (U.S. Air Force) / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
The Rome Statute is the foundational treaty of the International Criminal Court, creating the Court and defining its mandate, jurisdiction, and institutional framework. It was adopted on 17 July 1998 at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy, and entered into force on 1 July 2002.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Outbreak of the 1998 War in AbkhaziaIn 1998, ethnic Georgians launched an insurgency against the Abkhazian separatist government in the Gali district. The conflict is also known as the 'Six-Day War', named after the intense fighting from 20 to 26 May, though hostilities had begun earlier.
West Asia
South Lebanon conflict eruptsThe South Lebanon conflict erupted in 1985, with Israel and its allied South Lebanon Army fighting Hezbollah-led forces in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon. Seen as an extension of the Lebanese Civil War, the conflict persisted until Israel's withdrawal in 2000.
Completion of the Sabancı Merkez Camii in AdanaThe Sabancı Merkez Camii was completed in Adana, Turkey, becoming the country’s second largest mosque. Its design recalls the Selimiye Mosque of Edirne, while its six minarets echo the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Marcello Casal Jr/ABr. / CC BY 3.0 br ↗
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Outbreak of the Second Congo War
On 2 August 1998, the Second Congo War began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when President Laurent-Désiré Kabila turned against his former allies, Rwanda and Uganda. The conflict expanded as Kabila rallied a coalition of other countries to his defense, eventually drawing in nine African nations and approximately 25 armed groups, making it one of Africa's largest wars.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Establishment of Table Mountain National ParkOn 29 May 1998, Table Mountain National Park was established in Cape Town, South Africa, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park. It aimed to protect the natural environment of the Table Mountain chain, especially the rare fynbos vegetation.
North Africa
Eritrean–Ethiopian War beginsOn May 6, 1998, Ethiopia and Eritrea began a major armed conflict over a border dispute, lasting until June 18, 2000. Despite being among the world's poorest nations, they spent hundreds of millions of euros and suffered tens of thousands of casualties, resulting in only minor border changes in a barren, almost uninhabited area.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Central Intelligence Agency / Public domain ↗
East Asia
Completion of the Shanghai Grand TheatreThe Shanghai Grand Theatre, situated in the northern part of People's Square in Shanghai, was completed. Designed by French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier with a stage curtain by Olivier Debré, the complex houses the Shanghai Opera House and other companies.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Bruno Corpet ( Quoique ) / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
South Asia
Federal Territory Mosque of Kuala LumpurThe Federal Territory Mosque is a Sunni mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located in the Segambut district near Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, adjacent to the MATRADE complex and the Federal Government Complex.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
North America
Establishment of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere ReserveThe Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, located in the Mexican states of Puebla and Oaxaca and spanning approximately 490,000 hectares, was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in the early 21st century. It is considered one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
Around 1998
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains