NEWS: 2001

As 2001 begins, it's clear and 26 degrees F at Baltimore's official National Weather Service station at BWI Airport. The wind is from the west at 7 miles per hour.

It's the start of the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations; the International Year of Volunteers; and the International Year of Mobilization Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance; as proclaimed by the United Nations.

The world population is estimated at 6.190 billion people as 2001 begins.

A marathon of the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" occurs at Westview Cinema 2.

Catonsville weather: Clear, then becoming cloudy; High temp. 35 F; Low temp. 18 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then becoming cloudy, then partly cloudy; High temp. 37 F; Low temp. 18 F; Precip: None.  No snow on the gorund.

The first word ever said by young Joshua Vanik of Middle River is "antidisestablishmentarianism." His parents are discussing long words in English, and they say "antidisestablishmentarianism" several times. Joshua memorizes it, and then blurts out "antidisestablishmentarianism" much to his parents' surprise.

Catonsville weather: Cloudy, then clearing; High temp. 32 F; Low temp. 20 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Mostly cloudy, then clearing; breezy from late morning to afternoon (24 mph gust at 4:54 pm); High temp. 32 F; Low temp. 20 F; Precip: None.

It's National Stay Indoors Day.

Catonsville weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy; High temp. 30 F; Low temp. 9 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Clear, becoming mostly cloudy; briefly breezy (16 mph gust at 1:54 pm); High temp. 34 F; Low temp. 14 F; Precip: None.

The final regular-start fluorescent lamp fixture is manufactured. Regular-start fluorescent fixtures, in which the lights often take several seconds to come on while flickering in the process, are superseded by rapid-start and instant-start fluorescent fixtures. (However, fluorescent starters, the user-replaceable small can-like devices that are an integral part of regular-start fluorescent fixtures, continue to be manufactured at least through the year 2025 for use as replacements in existing regular-start fluorescent fixtures.)

Catonsville weather: Mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 38 F; Low temp. 16 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 38 F; LOw temp. 20 F; Precip.: None.

Daniel J. Purvis, president of Stupidity International Inc. and Smartass Inc., is indicted on bribery charges.

Catonsville weather: Clear, then cloudy; snow (1.5 inches) in the afternoon; High temp. 32 F; Low temp. 13 F; Precip: 0.15 inch (liquid). 1.5 inches of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather: Clear, becoming cloudy, then mostly cloudy; snow (one inch) from late morning to mid-afternoon; High temp. 31 F; Low temp. 17 F; Precip: 0.09 inch (liquid).  One inch of snow on the ground.

The U.S. Congress formally certifies George W. Bush the winner of the 2000 presidential election.

Catonsville weather: Clear, then mostly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 38 F; Low temp. 22 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Alternating clear skies and cloudiness; High temp. 39 F; Low temp. 24 F; Precip: None.  One inch of snow on the ground.

The Baltimore Ravens win their American Football Conference divisional playoff game, 24-10, over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.  The Titans score a touchdown on the first drive of the game, but the Ravens score a touchdown in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis.   Each team has a field goal in the third quarter.  In the fourth quarter, the Ravens score two touchdowns: on Anthony Mitchell's 90-yard touchdown run after recovering a blocked field-goal attempt, and on Ray Lewis' 50-yard interception return.

Catonsville weather: Parlty cloudy; High temp. 42 F; Low temp. 17 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy; High temp. 43 F; Low temp. 21 F; Precip: None.

Pablo Durango of Tijuana, Mexico, begins keeping a cuaderno by his bedside in which he writes down the dreams he has. (As of the end of 2024, he has written down 922 dreams.)

Catonsville weather: Cloudy; mixed rain and snow from afternoon to early evening, ending as snow; High temp. 35 F; Low temp. 23 F; Precip: 0.23 inch (liquid). A trace of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then mostly cloudy; rain showers from late morning to afternoon with a trace of snow; High temp. 37 F, Low temp. 26 F; Precip: 0.19 inch (liquid).  No snow on the ground,

Stan Finkel of Baltimore collects his 1,000th celebrity signature, that of Cal Ripken Jr. (He began collecting celebrity signatures in 1967.)

Catonsville weather: Variably cloudy; windy until evening; High temp. 33 F; Low temp. 22 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Variably cloudy with snow flurries; breezy/windy much of the day (30 mph gust at 4:54 pm);  High temp. 34 F; Low temp. 25 F; Precip: Trace (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

No one wins the Maryland Lottery Pick 3 straight (9-8-9), a rare occurrence.

Catonsville weather: Clear; High temp. 42 F; Low temp. 29 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy, then clear; breezy/windy until mid-afternoon (24 mph gust at 1:54 am); High temp. 43 F; Low temp. 28 F; Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 56° F; Low temp. 30° F; Precip.: None.

Amy Lessing of Ellicott City has a birthday party the day she turns eight years old. Her parents inflate 1,000 balloons for the occasion. One of the party games Amy, her sister Megan and ten guests participate in, is Pop the Balloons. Each child pops as many balloons as possible within ten minutes by stepping on them, then placing each popped balloon's remains in a personal paper bag. The co-winners are the birthday girl Amy and another girl named Amy, each of whom pops 68 balloons.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 46° F; Low temp. 18° F; Precip.: None.

The Baltimore Ravens win the American Football Conference (AFC) championship game, 16-3, over the Oakland Raiders at Oakland, California.  The Ravens keep Oakland scoreless in the first half.  Shannon Sharpe of the Ravens runs 96 yards for a touchdown after catching a pass from Trent Dilfer.  Matt Stover kicks 3 field goals for the Ravens.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp. 42° F; Low temp. 21° F; Precip.: 0.01 inch.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is observed in the U.S. as a federal holiday.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp. 42° F; Low temp. 37° F; Precip.: 0.02 inch.

It's National Shoplifting Day. Stores around the Baltimore region beef up their security, but the number of shoplifting incidents in the region is less than on a typical Tuesday.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 48° F; Low temp. 32° F; Precip.: None.

John Byrnes of Catonsville makes three consecutive basketball shots from the midcourt line -- 42 feet from the basket -- at UMBC. (Normally, even the most-skilled people can make this shot only about once every ten times.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 43° F; Low temp. 30° F; Precip.: None.

The first inauguration of George W. Bush as the 43rd president of the United States takes place at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This is the 54th inauguration and marks the commencement of the first term of George W. Bush as president and Dick Cheney as vice president. Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the presidential oath of office at 12:01 p.m., after he administers the vice presidential oath of office as well. An estimated 300,000 people attend the swearing-in ceremony. (This is the first presidential inauguration to take place in the 21st century, and the first in the 3rd millennium.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow (0.8") and rain; High temp. 39° F; Low temp. 22° F; Precip.: 0.41 inch (liquid).  One inch of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 39° F; Low temp. 19° F; Precip.: None.

Terra Bull of Baltimore rides a unicycle for 18.7 miles nonstop around a running track at UMBC.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 47° F; Low temp. 32° F; Precip.: None.

The Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV, 34-7, over the New York Giants.  Trent Dilfer, the Ravens' quarterback, leads the offense.  The Ravens' defense, led by Ray Lewis, has four interceptions.  It is the first NFL championship for a Baltimore team since 1971 when the Baltimore Colts won Super Bowl V.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 43° F; Low temp. 25° F; Precip.: None.

A survey shows that 73 percent of American adults did not watch at least one movie at a theater in the year 2000.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 43° F; Low temp. 23° F; Precip.: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 55° F; Low temp. 34° F; Precip.: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during January 2001 is 2.68 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal amount of 3.08 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during January 2001 is 41.3 degrees F, below the normal of 43.2 degrees.  The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during January 2001 is 24.8 degrees F, below the normal of 25.4 degrees. A total of 3.7 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at BWI Airport during January 2001, below the normal amount of 6.4 inches.

A Baltimore man posts online a photo of what looks like a UFO, but is actually a trash-can lid that was tossed into the air.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 50°F, Low temp 20°F, Precip: None.

The Glam Company of Baltimore launches two lines of scented sprays: Sweetaire that has floral-scented sprays such as lilac and rose, and Stinkygas that has foul-smelling sprays such as skunk spray and rotten-egg spray. (To the company's surprise, the Stinkygas line outsells the Sweetaire line nearly 2-to-1.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 51°F, Low temp 27°F, Precip: Trace.

FM radio station KCNS ("Country 96") of Long Beach, California, is temporarily heard on Baltimore radios due to an atmospheric anomaly. Disc jockey Misty Clark reports receiving phone calls and email messages from 7 listeners in Maryland who said they heard her on their radios.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 35°F, Low temp 22°F, Precip: None.

Optometrist Dr. Paul Stokes patents a device that can automatically determine the amount of vision correction needed to bring a person's eyesight up to 20/20, or better, without the person having to undergo a vision test.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 44°F, Low temp 17°F, Precip: Trace.

The Happiness Institute says that the happiest person in the world is living in the United States but prefers to remain anonymous.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain and a trace of snow; High temp 41°F, Low temp 33°F, Precip: 0.71 inch (liquid). No snow on the ground.

It is estimated that the one-trillionth light-emitting diode (LED) is manufactured on this date. Cree Inc. alone has manufactured nearly 300 billion of them.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 46°F, Low temp 35°F, Precip: None.

Survey results show that 26 percent of Americans who take showers claim that they urinate while taking showers, and that 22 percent of Americans who take baths claim that they urinate while taking baths. The same survey shows that 36 percent of Americans who get into swimming pools, claim that they urinate while in swimming pools; and that 53 percent of Americans who immerse themselves in outdoor bodies of water, claim that they urinate in these bodies of water.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 52°F, Low temp 27°F, Precip: None.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concludes that it is 12 times more dangerous to be stopped under an overpass than it is to be stopped over an underpass.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 51°F, Low temp 25°F, Precip: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 69 degrees F which is the highest-ever temperature in Baltimore on any February 9th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1870.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 69°F, Low temp 30°F, Precip: None.

Disc jockey Sheila Eads of St. Louis radio station KDDD is found beaten to death a half-hour after her on-air announcement that she was to get married the following day. The killer is fellow DJ Marc Deverin, who was faced with repeated rejections by Sheila Eads of his romantic and sexual advances.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 65°F, Low temp 32°F, Precip: Trace.

At the World Mathematics Conference in Paris, mathematicians meet to discuss "What is the largest number?" Their conclusion: Infinity.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 38°F, Low temp 23°F, Precip: None.

The song "Oh Bohdanna" to the tune of "Oh Susanna" hits #1 in India: "Oh Bohdanna, oh don't you cry for me/I come from old Kolkata with my sitar on my knee."

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain and a trace of snow; High temp 38°F, Low temp 24°F, Precip: 0.09 inch (liquid). No snow on the ground.

An earthquake of 6.6 magnitude hits El Salvador, killing at least 400 people.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain, High temp 54°F, Low temp 33°F, Precip: Trace.

There is a two-car collision on Sherrill Road in Westview Park, Catonsville. This is the only auto accident to date on this one-block-long road that has only six houses.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 52°F, Low temp 42°F, Precip: 0.08 inch.

The human genome is first mapped in the journal Nature.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 55°F, Low temp 43°F, Precip: 0.17 inch.

The United States and Great Britain stage air strikes in Iraq against radar stations and air defense command centers.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 43°F, Low temp 39°F, Precip: 0.81 inch.

A 112-year-old oak tree in Perry Hall falls over, destroying a house and a car, but no one is killed or injured.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 43°F, Low temp 25°F, Precip: 0.02 inch.

"Baby's Christmas" (originally "Baby's First Christmas"), "The Big Brown Bear" and "The Little Red Hen" become the second, third and fourth Little Golden Books to sell ten million copies. (The first to sell ten million copies was "The Poky Little Puppy" which remains the all-time bestselling Little Golden Book with 15 million copies sold as of this date.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 36°F, Low temp 18°F, Precip: None.

An Oklahoma City bombing museum is dedicated.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 49°F, Low temp 16°F, Precip: None.

Pauline "Polly" Graf is fired from her job as a polygraph examiner for the National Security Agency after taking polygraph exams four consecutive times and having inconclusive results each time.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 65°F, Low temp 40°F, Precip: None.

At the 43rd Grammy Awards, "Beautiful Day" by U2 wins Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Shelby Lynne wins Best New Artist even though she has recorded six albums by this time.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 53°F, Low temp 27°F, Precip: None.

BWI Airport gets 3.7 inches of snow, the greatest snowfall on one day for BWI Airport in 2001.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow (3.7 inches); High temp 27°F, Low temp 21°F, Precip: 0.34 inch liquid). 4 inches of snow on the ground.

Telephone use falls 57 percent in the U.S. on the first annual Don't Answer the Phone Day.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 43°F, Low temp 20°F, Precip: None. 4 inches of snow on the ground.

All of the traffic lights in Baltimore County go to flashing for about 34 minutes when the central control system malfunctions.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 37°F, Low temp 27°F, Precip: None. No snow on the ground.

A report is issued that says that an average of 30 cats a year fall from the second floor, or higher, of New York City buildings, but an average of only six of them are taken to veterinarians or animal hospitals for treatment. Is it because the remaining cats are relatively unharmed by their falls? No, it is because these cats are killed by their falls.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain, High temp 55°F, Low temp 34°F, Precip: 0.13 inch.

Several "No Parking" signs along East Lombard Street in Baltimore are changed to "No Farting" signs by a prankster, but they are rapidly replaced with "No Parking" signs again by the Department of Public Works.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 53°F, Low temp 38°F, Precip: None.

A survey shows that seven percent of married women were virgins until marriage. (The figure was 67 percent in 1960 and 97 percent in 1900.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 59°F, Low temp 28°F, Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow flurries (a trace of snow); High temp 46°F, Low temp 28°F, Precip: Trace (liquid). No snow on the ground.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during February 2001 is 2.35 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal amount of 2.90 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during February 2001 is 48.2 degrees F, above the normal of 46.4 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during February 2001 is 28.7 degrees F, above the normal of 26.9 degrees. A total of 3.7 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official National Weather Service weather station at BWI Airport during February 2001, below the normal amount of 7.5 inches.

Inventor Alyssa March patents a device that can electronically determine the age of a deciduous tree without having to examine its annular rings. The device, under the trademark Tree-Age and priced at $9.95, sells 332,000 units in its first 12 months.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 48°F, Low temp 26°F, Precip: None.

A writer for Music World magazine is fired after writing that a Barbra Streisand album is "a whole bunch of B.S."

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 58°F, Low temp 38°F, Precip: None.

Maryland twins Linda Smart and Lisa Berry, separated at birth, meet after 40 years of being apart.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 59°F, Low temp 31°F, Precip: None.

Glenn Hughes dies at age 50 in Manhattan, New York, NY.  He was a bass singer in the disco group Village People from 1977 to 1996, and was the original "Leatherman" character in the group. He was born on July 18, 1950 in the Bronx, New York, NY.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 44°F, Low temp 36°F, Precip: 0.31 inch.

Samantha Perris, known as Queen of Sh*t, sets a new record by defecating for the 19,488th consecutive day.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain and a trace of snow; High temp 41°F, Low temp 27°F, Precip: 0.08 inch (liquid). No snow on the ground.

There are no babies born in Maryland on this day. Human babies, that is. But a cat named Missy in Baltimore gives birth to five kittens.

According to records, no human babies are born in the entire USA on this day, for the first time since May 22, 1821. (For the first time in nearly 180 years!)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow flurries *a trace of snow); High temp 40°F, Low temp 23°F, Precip: Trace (liquid). No snow on the ground.

Ariel Sharon is sworn in as Israel's prime minister. He served until April 14, 2006. He died on January 11, 2014 in Ramat Gan, Israel, after spending eight years in a coma after suffering two strokes. He was born on February 26, 1928 in Kfar Malal in Manadatory Palestine.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 51°F, Low temp 34°F, Precip: None.

It's National Stupidity Day.

A revival of the American Stupidity Society (ASS) is attempted.  (Membership peaks at 57 people, but the organization shuts down by the end of 2001.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 50°F, Low temp 26°F, Precip: None.

A rare albino pine tree is found growing in Cardiff, Maryland.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 47°F, Low temp 32°F, Precip: 0.03 inch.

Singer Claire Grayson utters these profound words: "Judge not a man by the size of his pizza, but by the size of his appetite."

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 48°F, Low temp 28°F, Precip: None.

Mary Deming of Elkridge, Maryland, is a contestant on the "Cars and Cash" TV game show. When guessing the price of a car on stage, she says "I'll go with my ZIP code: 21075." That turns out to be the exact price of the car! Everyone is astounded.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 61°F, Low temp 25°F, Precip: None.

On the podcast "April's Neighborhood", April Lewis interviews one of her neighbors while her cat Alex sits on the table and watches intently. But when the guest says  "I have it in my mind to kill someone", Alex suddenly hisses and then pounces on the guest, causing him to cry out in pain.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 53°F, Low temp 27°F, Precip: 0.30 inch.

The U. S. and Canada ban meat and meat products from the European Union in the wake of foot-and-mouth disease afflicting some European cattle.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 63°F, Low temp 39°F, Precip: 0.12 inch.

U. S. inspectors tighten defenses against foot-and-mouth disease. The disease has been occurring overseas in livestock, particularly in Europe.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 58°F, Low temp 34°F, Precip: None.

A high school stadium in Flushing, New York City, is named the Toylet Bowl after its benefactors the Toylet brothers. (But after hearing "From the Toylet Bowl in Flushing, New York" on a televised football game, the school's principal demands a name change and gets it: the Evergreen Bowl.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 52°F, Low temp 31°F, Precip: 0.22 inch.

The first LED light bulb producing the amount of light equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent light bulb, is produced. But it costs $680, making it impractical for the average consumer.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 49°F, Low temp 39°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

Laura Coates (not the newscaster) of Towson buys 36 hams at Wal-Mart to donate to poor people. The bill is $410.16, which she charges to her credit card. But when she receives her credit card statement, she finds that only 16 cents was charged. She phones Wal-Mart, saying they must have made a mistake. But the person at Wal-Mart says that the transaction went through, so even though it was their mistake, Laura could have her 36 hams for 16 cents!

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 52°F, Low temp 40°F, Precip: 0.16 inch.

The children's book "Sidney Stone's Kidney Stones" by Julie Wolcott sells one million copies in only ten days.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 52°F, Low temp 35°F, Precip: None.

Dwarf maple trees are found growing in Patapsco Valley State Park in Catonsville. They reach only four feet at maturity, making them ideal for small lawns and tight spaces.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 55°F, Low temp 31°F, Precip: None.

Twenty-two Marylanders are reported missing on this day, the most ever on a single day.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 53°F, Low temp 28°F, Precip: 0.15 inch.

The three television stations sharing Baltimore's candelabra antenna tower (channels 2, 11, 13) are all off the air for about an hour due to an electrical fault in the tower caused by heavy rain.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain (heavy at times); High temp 47°F, Low temp 47°F, Precip: 1.65 inches.

A Maryland man dies when an airbag in his car deploys for no reason while he is driving along the Baltimore Beltway, causing him to crash and be killed. (His widow sues the airbag's manufacturer and receives a $3 million settlement.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 54°F, Low temp 41°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

After 15 years, Russia's orbiting Mir space station falls out of orbit and into a planned dive and plunge into the waters of the South Pacific. (Mir's first module was launched on February 19, 1986.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 61°F, Low temp 40°F, Precip: None.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Catonsville has more music stores per resident than any other single place in the entire USA.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 64°F, Low temp 34°F, Precip: Trace.

At the 73rd Academy Awards, Gladiator wins Best Picture. Julia Roberts wins Best Actress for her role in Erin Brockovich, and Russell Crowe wins Best Actor for his role in Gladiator. Marcia Gay Harden wins Best Supporting Actress for her role in Pollock, and Benicio del Toro wins Best Supporting Actor for his role in Traffic.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 49°F, Low temp 25°F, Precip: None.

A gold nugget weighing 1.22 troy ounces is found in the Patapsco River at Ellicott City. It's the biggest gold find in Maryland since 1940.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow flurries (a trace of snow); High temp 38°F, Low temp 28°F, Precip: Trace (liquid). No snow on the ground.

A survey shows that among the basic colors, Americans' favorite colors are in this order, from most favorite to least favorite: blue, red, green, purple, yellow, orange, brown, gray, black, white.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 43°F, Low temp 20°F, Precip: None.

Patients and staff at Grove Hospital are forced to evacuate after its emergency generator fails to kick in when the power fails. The generator had just had its weekly test two hours before, and was reported to be in good working order. (The hospital received a $575,000 settlement from the generator's manufacturer.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 51°F, Low temp 25°F, Precip: None.

Joe Pawluk of Glen Burnie falls down and can't get up, so he calls 911. The paramedics help him to his feet. Five minutes later, he falls again and calls 911, so the paramedics retrace their route and help him to his feet again. About ten minutes later, he falls yet again. This time, the paramedics insist that he go to a hospital.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 44°F, Low temp 31°F, Precip: 1.25 inches.

The last of the Fartwell family, Elizabeth Fartwell of Bennington, Vermont, legally changes her last name to Falwell. There had once been at least 20 people with the last name Fartwell.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 53°F, Low temp 41°F, Precip: 0.44 inch.

Presweetened Kool-Aid containing calcium cyclamate is banned in the USA. Cyclamates have been shown to cause cancer. The only presweetened Kool-Aid now being sold has sugar in the package.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 51°F, Low temp 42°F, Precip: 0.03 inch.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during March 2001 is 4.76 inches, including melted snow, above the normal amount of 4.01 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during March 2001 is 51.3 degrees F, below the normal of 54.8 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during March 2001 is 32.2 degrees F, below the normal of 33.9 degrees. A trace of snow falls at Baltimore's official National Weather Service weather station at BWI Airport during March 2001, well below the normal amount of 2.8 inches.

In the NCAA women's basketball championship game, Notre Dame defeats Purdue 68-66, with Notre Dame's Ruth Riley named Most Valuable Player.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Kight rain; High temp 49°F, Low temp 42°F, Precip: Trace.

The Orioles open their season by defeating the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in 11 innings at Oriole Park. Brady Anderson hits a single off Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe with none out in the bottom of the 11th inning, driving in Jerry Hairston, who had doubled. Ryan Kohlmeier is the winning pitcher for the Orioles in relief, although Pat Hentgen starts the game for the Orioles and pitches 8-2/3 innings, giving up just one run. Attendance is 46,547.

Ichiro Suzuki makes his American major-league debut, playing for the Seattle Mariners against the Oakland Athletics. He hits two singles in 5 at-bats as Seattle defeats Oakland 5-4 at Seattle.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 56°F, Low temp 35°F, Precip: Trace.

Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros has five hits to tie a major-league record for a season opener, leading the Astros past the Milwaukee Brewers, 11-3. Biggio hits five singles and scores three runs at Enron Field in Houston, Texas.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 61°F, Low temp 29°F, Precip: None.

The Orioles lose to the Boston Red Sox 3-0 in Baltimore as Hideo Nomo pitches a no-hitter. He becomes the fourth pitcher in major-league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues. Nomo, who pitched his first no-hitter at Colorado’s Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, for the Los Angeles Dodgers, walks three and strikes out 11 in the first no-hitter in the 10-year history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Attendance at the game is 35,602.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 60°F, Low temp 40°F, Precip: None.

The IRS sends a tax refund check for $1,001,422.07 to Charles Durian of Sykesville. He was actually due only $1,422.07. He informs the IRS of their mistake, and they reissue the check in the correct amount. They also give Charles a $1000 reward for being honest, and reporting the mistake.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 63°F, Low temp 32°F, Precip: None.

A mouse drives a miniature car nearly two miles around a closed-loop track in Baltimore.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 69°F, Low temp 46°F, Precip: 0.10 inch.

Kathy Christ of Towson gives birth to a baby boy that she and her husband Jim name Jesus John Christ. They figure that if he is uncomfortable being called Jesus Christ, then he can fall back on his middle name John. (He prefers John. When he reaches age 18, he legally swaps his first and middle names so that John comes first and Jesus, second. When asked about the swap, he said, "I don't have anything against Jesus Christ. But I just can't live up to His standards.")

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 65°F, Low temp 45°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

At the AMF Westview bowling alley in Catonsville, six-year-old duckpin bowler Kayla Paris rolls six strikes in a row, a feat that most adults find next-to-impossible to accomplish. When she tries for a seventh strike in a row, she rolls a gutter ball.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 66°F, Low temp 45°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

A national survey shows that residents of Maryland pay more for childcare, on average, than the residents of any other U.S. state.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 88°F, Low temp 47°F, Precip: 0.18 inch.

A survey of American children shows that 97 percent of 5-year-old children believe in Santa Claus. The figure falls to 37 percent for 8-year-old children, and only one percent for 10-year-olds.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 64°F, Low temp 52°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

On this day, 327 people die in Baltimore, the most ever on any one day.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 54°F, Low temp 50°F, Precip: 0.55 inch.

A dog named Spooky leaves his owner's new house in Perry Hall and journeys by himself 25 miles to his owner's previous house in Catonsville. (He arrives at his owner's previous house on April 17, 2001.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 76°F, Low temp 52°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

Twelve-year-old Amalia Sanchez jumps on a pogo stick for 7.4 miles around the running track at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 77°F, Low temp 55°F, Precip: 0.06 inch.

A man named Stu Pidman begins work as a news reporter for WCTV Television in Tallahassee, Florida. After many people make fun of his name, equating Stu Pidman with "Stupid Man", he resigns from the TV station, legally changes his name, and never works in television again.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 70°F, Low temp 50°F, Precip: None.

The first fully transistorized 50,000-watt AM radio transmitter is produced. Within a year, 71 of the 123 maximum-power (50,000-watt) AM radio stations in the USA replace their tube-powered transmitters with the new transistorized ones.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 68°F, Low temp 48°F, Precip: 0.13 inch.

Industry data show that more baseball gloves are sold on this day than on any previous single day.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 53°F, Low temp 41°F, Precip: 0.15 inch.

Apr. 17, 2001

Baltimore receives a trace of snow (less than one-tenth of an inch).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain and a trace of snow; High temp 52°F, Low temp 37°F, Precip: 0.06 inch (liquid). No snow on the ground.

Baltimore gets a trace of snow (less than one-tenth of an inch).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain and a trace of snow; High temp 51°F, Low temp 37°F, Precip: 0.05 inch (liquid). No snow on the ground.

Oil is discovered in northern Baltimore County near Hereford, simply bubbling up out of the ground like on the TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies". (A well is drilled there, and it yields about 7 barrels of oil a day.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 61°F, Low temp 31°F, Precip: None.

At Johnnycake Elementary School in Catonsville, fourth-grade teacher Eloise Davis is disappointed that all 31 students in her class fail an arithmetic test. Eleven of these students get zeroes on the test. (After intensive instruction, 22 of the students pass the test a month later, with one even scoring 100 percent.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 69°F, Low temp 37°F, Precip: None.

No television sets are sold in the U.S on this date for the first time since January 12, 1944.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 74°F, Low temp 55°F, Precip: Trace.

Stephanie and Walter Grimes of Lutherville permanently install a working flush toilet exposed outdoors in their backyard and clearly viewable by neighbors. (The couple often use this toilet within view of neighbors. Even some of their neighbors use it. The couple take videos of themselves urinating and/or defecating in the toilet.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 86°F, Low temp 60°F, Precip: None.

A Lionel toy train ends a run of 17 years, 255 days, 4 hours, and 33 minutes of traveling along a closed-loop electrified track in Baltimore. It stops when its motor burns out.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 88°F, Low temp 60°F, Precip: None.

A proposal to name a new cul-de-sac Traffic Court is blocked by Baltimore County officials, even though the family who previously owned this parcel of land has the last name Traffic and the developer wishes to honor them by naming the new street after them.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 86°F, Low temp 55°F, Precip: Trace.

Whirlpool introduces its High Efficiency clothes washing machines, which use about 30 percent less electricity and 45 percent less water per wash, on average, than their regular washing machines.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 56°F, Low temp 41°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 32 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any April 26th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 65°F, Low temp 32°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 35 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any April 27th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 78°F, Low temp 35°F, Precip: Trace.

A Russian rocket lifts off from near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, bearing American Dennis Tito who becomes the world's first space tourist, along with two cosmonauts, on a mission to visit the International Space Station.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 67°F, Low temp 42°F, Precip: None.

The Gluxtite Company produces the last Goose-Grice. (During its peak in the 1910s through 1930s, Goose-Grice was the best-selling hair tonic for men, before Brylcreem, Vitalis and others took over much of the hair-tonic market.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 67°F, Low temp 38°F, Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 77°F, Low temp 37°F, Precip: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during April 2001 is 1.32 inches, including melted snow, well below the normal amount of 3.39 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during April 2001 is 67.2 degrees F, above the normal of 66.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during April 2001 is 43.5 degrees F, just below the normal of 43.6 degrees. A trace of snow falls at Baltimore's official National Weather Service weather station at BWI Airport during April 2001, above the normal amount of none.

There are 187 human babies born in Maryland on this day. All but two of them are girls. Among them is a rare set of identical triplets.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 83°F, Low temp 45°F, Precip: None.

Martha Dare buys a box of Better Cheddars crackers at a Giant supermarket on Belair Road in Nottingham, Maryland. But upon opening the box, she discovers that all 108 of the circular crackers are broken. She takes the box of crackers back to Giant and exchanges it for another, but discovers that all but two of the crackers in this second box are broken. She takes the second box back to Giant and gets a cash refund. Then she goes to a nearby Weis Markets supermarket and buys the same-size box of Better Cheddars, at a price that is 14 cents cheaper than at Giant. All of the crackers in this box are intact (no broken ones at all).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 86°F, Low temp 51°F, Precip: None.

A study is published that shows that the job with the greatest percentage of female workers in the USA is secretary (99.6 percent), followed by caregiver (98.9 percent) and pre-K teacher (98.7 percent).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 90°F, Low temp 55°F, Precip: None.

Lewis Gabbay of Catonsville walks 70.2 miles, walking on at least part of every street in Catonsville.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 90°F, Low temp 59°F, Precip: None.

A 10-year-old obese girl from Baltimore does not realize she is pregnant until a doctor examines her when she is seven months' pregnant. She has never had a menstrual period at this point, and she claims she is a virgin, so the pregnancy comes as a complete surprise and a shock to her. The doctor's examination reveals that the girl has never had sex. The doctor theorizes that the girl got inseminated by sperm left over in a bathtub by a male bather before the girl took a bath. The girl's bathtub is in a shared bathroom used by members of two households, including the girl's family. (Two months later, she gives birth to a healthy baby boy, which she gives up for adoption. At that point, aged 10 years, 11 months and 7 days, she is the youngest Maryland girl to ever give birth to a living baby.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 83°F, Low temp 58°F, Precip: None.

A survey shows that 39.8 percent of American homes have at least one carbon monoxide detector, while 88.7 percent of American homes have at least one smoke detector.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 67°F, Low temp 45°F, Precip: None.

Bob Lauder runs backward for one mile around a running track at UMBC.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 67°F, Low temp 38°F, Precip: None.

Sixteen-year-old Marissa Carey of Perry Hall wins a beauty contest, joining her three sisters and their mother in each winning at least one beauty contest.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 70°F, Low temp 40°F, Precip: None.

There are no home runs hit in Major League Baseball on this date even though all 30 teams play.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 75°F, Low temp 54°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

Alison Chatsworth loses an envelope containing $340 at the Rolling Road Plaza in Catonsville.  Later in the day, her husband, Brian Chatsworth, visits the same shopping center and finds the envelope of money, but he doesn't know his wife lost it. He comes home and tells his wife: "Guess what I found? An envelope with $340 in it." She tells him: "Guess what I lost? An envelope with $340 in it."

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 84°F, Low temp 50°F, Precip: None.

In a field in Nottingham, MD, 17 four-leaf clovers are found within one square foot -- "truly unprecedented" says clover expert Carl Chiles.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 88°F, Low temp 53°F, Precip: None.

Florida Marlins pitcher AJ Burnett pitches a 3-0 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres even though he walks nine batters.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 83°F, Low temp 57°F, Precip: None.

On this date, sales of bottled water exceed sales of carbonated soft drinks for the first time ever.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 72°F, Low temp 47°F, Precip: None.

The U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously (8-0) that there is no exception in federal law to use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 71°F, Low temp 40°F, Precip: None.

The National Feline Society says that Maryland has more pet cats per person than any other U.S. state.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 74°F, Low temp 42°F, Precip: None.

Rickey Henderson of the San Diego Padres leads off the Padres' first inning with a home run against the New York Mets in the Padres' 5-2 victory, extending his major-league record number of game-leadoff home runs to 79.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 71°F, Low temp 43°F, Precip: None.

Twenty-nine people die on Mount Everest, the most ever on any single day.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 61°F, Low temp 51°F, Precip: Trace.

Actor Paul Doby recites from memory the entire Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" with 100 percent accuracy. Then he proceeds to recite from memory the Shakespeare play "As You Like It", again with 100 percent accuracy.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 67°F, Low temp 58°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

A section of ceiling about six feet square falls into the gymnasium at Johnnycake Elementary School in Catonsville. (The gymnasium is subsequently closed for two days for repairs.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 79°F, Low temp 61°F, Precip: 0.10 inch.

A company called Pumpoil Ventures concludes its entirely unsuccessful search for oil. (Over a seven-year period, it spends a total of $655.47 million to drill 46 prospective oil wells in Texas and Oklahoma, but none of the wells yields any oil. A Texas newspaper calls it "the biggest oil bust in history.")

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 68°F, Low temp 56°F, Precip: 0.29 inch.

A survey shows that 92 percent of American women will not go out in public without first applying makeup and/or other cosmetics to their faces.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 62°F, Low temp 56°F, Precip: 0.58 inch.

Melissa Jayne Bandy of Los Angeles, California, finally wins her first acting part after failing 517 previous auditions.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 78°F, Low temp 60°F, Precip: 1.69 inches.

A self-driving car that is guided by automatic radio signals while traveling around a closed-loop track is demonstrated in Timonium, Maryland.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 76°F, Low temp 52°F, Precip: None.

Two giraffes escape from the Baltimore Zoo and roam nearby streets until being captured about three hours later.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 78°F, Low temp 50°F, Precip: None.

Identical twins James and John Targas of New York City, 77 years of age, both die on this day of liver cancer, just 25 minutes apart.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 74°F, Low temp 60°F, Precip: 0.36 inch.

Arlene Francis dies at age 93 in San Francisco, CA. She was an actress, radio and television talk show host, and game show panelist. She's known for her long-running role as a panelist on the television game show What's My Line?, on which she regularly appeared for 25 years, from 1950 to 1975, on both the network and syndicated versions of the show. She also appeared on Match Game, Password, To Tell the Truth, and other game shows. She was born on October 20, 1907 in Boston, MA.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 72°F, Low temp 41°F, Precip: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during May 2001 is 5.34 inches, above the normal amount of 3.85 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during May 2001 is 75.2 degrees F, below the normal of 75.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during May 2001 is 51.5 degrees F, below the normal of 53.3 degrees.

Timothy McVeigh is executed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.  He had been convicted of murder and conspiracy in the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that killed 168 people. He was born on April 23, 1968 in Lockport, New York.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 86°F, Low temp 59°F, Precip: None.

The Daley family of Green River, Utah, travel nearly the entire length of Interstate 70 to visit relatives in Catonsville. All but five-and-a-half miles of their 2,018-mile trip from their house to their relatives' house is via Interstate 70.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp 79°F, Low temp 73°F, Precip: 0.29 inch.

Baltimore Zoo Zoomerang, an annual festival, is held at the zoo.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain; High temp 88°F, Low temp 69°F, Precip: 0.01 inch.

World Refugee Day is first observed.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain with thunder; High temp 92°F, Low temp 67°F, Precip: 0.03 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Thundershower; High temp 95°F, Low temp 72°F, Precip: 0.10 inch.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during June 2001 is 3.58 inches, below the normal amount of 3.98 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during June 2001 is 84.4 degrees F, equal to the normal of 84.4 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during June 2001 is 63.7 degrees F, above the normal of 62.6 degrees.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 51 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 2nd (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 74°F, Low temp 51°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 50 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 3rd (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 79°F, Low temp 50°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 58 degrees F, a tie for the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 14th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This low temperature ties the 58 degrees F recorded in Baltimore on July 14, 1895.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 84°F, Low temp 58°F, Precip: None.

Dave Grimaldi of Glen Burnie drives the entire length of the Baltimore Beltway, 51.46 miles, completing the entire loop in 57 minutes, 25 seconds.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 85°F, Low temp 58°F, Precip: None.

Sean Miller of Dundalk has 25,000 small screws delivered to his house, but he did not order them. (His house number and ZIP code are the same as those of a nearby factory, so he occasionally gets misdirected deliveries. One other time, he received 2,500 flashlight bulbs; another time, he got 144 large rolls of solder.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 90°F, Low temp 64°F, Precip: None.

Carl Bullard of Towson is all set to drive to work, but the car he normally drives to work will not start. So he tries his second vehicle -- a pickup truck -- but it, too, will not start. Finally he tries the small car belonging to his wife, Rita, and into which he can barely fit. But, alas, this car also will not start. A mechanic spends about four hours at the Bullard residence, fixing the three vehicles. Carl then drives to work after taking several hours of leave.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Light rain just before midnight; High temp 92°F, Low temp 65°F, Precip: 0.02 inch.

At 3:08 p.m., eleven cars of a 60-car freight train derail inside the Howard Street Tunnel in downtown Baltimore, causing a fire fueled by chemicals, wood products and other freight on the train. Smoke rises through manhole covers and sewers in the area, and from both ends of the tunnel. The intense heat causes a 40-inch water main to break, creating massive flooding of the streets above the tunnel at the Howard Street-Lombard Street intersection. The fire causes U.S. internet service to slow down because of destruction of a major fiber-optic cable running through the tunnel.  Thousands of people who work in downtown Baltimore cannot come to their workplaces for several days. Three Orioles home games are postponed resulting in a $5 million loss to the team. Howard Street and 14 cross streets are closed during the fire (until at least July 23).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain until mid-afternoon with the heaviest rain (0.60 inch) in the 2:00 PM hour; High temp 75°F, Low temp 69°F, Precip: 1.43 inches.

The train fire continues inside the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore. At 5:00 a.m., firefighters find the exact location of the fire within the tunnel. They open a manhole cover on Howard Street which allows them access to both the tunnel and the water-mail break, and they begin fighting the fire.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 80°F, Low temp 65°F, Precip: None.

The train fire continues inside the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore. In the morning, WorldCom begins operating a bypass fiber-optic internet cable to replace the one destroyed by the tunnel fire, allowing internet service in the U.S. to return to normal speeds.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 80°F, Low temp 60°F, Precip: None.

The train fire continues inside the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 82°F, Low temp 55°F, Precip: None.

In the morning, three flaming freight-train boxcars containing paper and plywood are removed from the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore and their contents are extinguished, putting an end to the Howard Street Tunnel fire.

The 40-inch water-main break at Howard Street and Lombard Street is repaired. The water main broke on July 18, 2001, as a result of excessive heating during the Howard Street Tunnel fire.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 83°F, Low temp 57°F, Precip: None.

At 7:45 a.m., the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore is officially reopened to train traffic after the flaming railcars (from a fire that began on July 18, 2001) are removed and no significant structural damage is found inside the tunnel.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 88°F, Low temp 64°F, Precip: None.

Cindy Bristle wins the Gold Medal for Loudest Fart at the National Farting Contest, but is later disqualified when it is discovered that she had an amplifier hidden in her pants. From this point onward, farting contestants are required to compete in the nude.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 92°F, Low temp 72°F, Precip: None.

Terry Shulin of Baltimore is stumped after answering a record 1,233 trivia questions correctly. He did not know the answer to "What is the capital of Antarctica?"

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 92°F, Low temp 76°F, Precip: None.

Stephanie and Paul Hollister of Catonsville welcome their seventh child. Like all of their other six children, she's a girl. Stephanie has four siblings; all four are female. Paul has two siblings; both are female.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Thundershowers in late afternoon and early evening; High temp 87°F, Low temp 67°F, Precip: 0.18 inch.

At a carnival in Ellicott City, Jonathan Pusey correctly guesses the ages (in whole years) of 28 consecutive people aged 16 years and younger. For the 29th person, a girl, he guesses an age of 10 years when she is actually aged 11 years.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 78°F, Low temp 61°F, Precip: None.

A horse named Diaper Rash wins the only race he ever participates in. (He later suffers a devastating injury while on a practice run, and his owner retires him from racing.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 78°F, Low temp 58°F, Precip: None.

Craig Monroe of the Texas Rangers hits his first home run in only his fourth major-league at-bat as Texas defeats the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2-0.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain showers beginning about 4:00 AM and lasting much of the rest of the day; High temp 69°F, Low temp 60°F, Precip: 0.76 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 80°F, Low temp 62°F, Precip: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during July 2001 is 3.85 inches.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during July 2001 is 3.85 inches, below the normal amount of 4.48 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during July 2001 is 83.3 degrees F, well below the normal of 88.8 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during July 2001 is 62.2 degrees F, well below the normal of 67.7 degrees.

The Cleveland Indians tie a major-league record and become the first major-league team in 76 years to overcome a 12-run deficit to win, defeating the Seattle Mariners 15-14 in 11 innings.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 89°F, Low temp 69°F, Precip: None.

Scott Hatteberg of the Boston Red Sox performs the ultimate baseball opposite. He hits a grand slam one at-bat after lining into a triple play as the Red Sox defeat the Texas Rangers 10-7. Hatteberg hits into a triple play in the fourth inning and then in the 6th inning he hits his second career grand slam to move Boston ahead for good.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 93°F, Low temp 71°F, Precip: None.

Mike Hampton of the Colorado Rockies ties a National League record for pitchers when he hits his 7th home run of the season as the Rockies defeat the Chicago Cubs 14-5. (He matches the National League mark of 7 home runs set by the Dodgers' Don Drysdale in 1958 and 1965 and Don Newcombe in 1955. The American League record is 9 home runs by Cleveland Indians pitcher Wes Ferrell in 1931.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 98°F, Low temp 75°F, Precip: None.

Jeff Frye of the Toronto Blue Jays hits for the cycle as the Blue Jays defeat the Texas Rangers 11-3. He becomes the second Blue Jays player to hit for the cycle (the first was Kelly Gruber on April 16, 1989).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 87°F, Low temp 68°F, Precip: None.

Baltimore receives 3.23 inches of rain, a record for the most precipitation in Baltimore on any August 30th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain showers early in the morning, then a thunderstorm with rain (very heavy at times; 2.20 inches in the 6 o'clock hour); High temp 84°F, Low temp 67°F, Precip: 3.23 inches.

The final first-run episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", a children's TV show starring Fred Rogers, airs on PBS (Public Broadcasting System). It began its national run on 19 February 1968.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain in mid-evening; High temp 85°F, Low temp 68°F, Precip: 1.01 inches.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during August 2001 is 5.74 inches, above the normal amount of 4.09 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during August 2001 is 87.0 degrees F, above the normal of 86.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during August 2001 is 67.0 degrees F, above the normal of 65.8 degrees.

Pitcher Bud Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals becomes the 16th rookie in modern major-league history (since 1900)  to throw a no-hitter and the second to do it to San Diego this season in St. Louis'  4-0 win. Smith makes his 11th career start in the game and raises his win-loss record to 4-2.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then gradually becoming cloudy; High temp. 78 F; Low temp. 56 F; Precip: None.

The intersection of Howard Street and Lombard Street in downtown Baltimore is finally reopened to traffic after being closed since July 18, 2001, when a massive water-main break flooded the area and caused major damage to the roadbed. The water-main break was caused by the Howard Street Tunnel train fire that also began on July 18.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy, then clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; breezy in the morning and early afternoon (18 mph gust at 11:54 AM); High temp. 79 F; Low temp. 59 F; Precip: None.

Aa of this date, more than half of American households have Internet access.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 82°F, Low temp 59°F, Precip: None.

Hijackers take over four passenger jetliners in the morning and crash them: one each into the two tallest buildings (Twin Towers) of the World Trade Center in New York, NY; one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and one into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The World Trade Center towers both catch fire and then collapse an hour or two later. Later in the day, 7 World Trade Center, a 40-story building, also collapses from fire.  The west side of the Pentagon suffers significant damage, including a fire, which is put out. A total of 2,996 people die in the attacks: 265 on the four planes (including the 19 hijackers/terrorists), 2606 in the World Trade Center and in the surrounding area; and 125 at the Pentagon. In addition, more than 6,000 people are injured.

Very soon after the attacks, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grounds all civilian aircraft within the continental United States. Aircraft in the air are told to land immediately at the next available airport. International flights bound for the U.S. are either turned back or told to land at airports in Canada or Mexico. International flights are barred from landing in the U.S. for the next three days.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; breezy in early afternoon (16 mph gust at 12:54 PM); High temp. 83 F; Low temp. 58 F; Precip: None.

On the South Lawn of the White House, U.S. President George W. Bush says in a speech that there is "no question" Osama bin Laden and his followers are the prime suspects in the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; breezy in early afternoon (16 mph gust at 12:54 PM); High temp. 74 F; Low temp. 45 F; Precip: None.

U.S. stocks plunge to their lowest levels in nearly three years, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffers its worst point-loss in history as stock trading resumes for the first time following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Big losses in aircraft maker Boeing and aviation parts supplier United Technologies helped send the Dow down 684 points or over 7 percent. That loss, while severe, doesn't make the index's top 10 worst declines in percentage terms. The reopening of the stock market is emotional, as people wave U.S. flags.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly to mostly cloudy; High temp. 77 F; Low temp. 46 F; Precip: None.

Two letters which later test positive for anthrax are sent to the New York Post and to NBC news anchorman Tom Brokaw.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then gradually becoming clear; breezy in early afternoon (16 mph gust at 12:54 PM); High temp. 79 F; Low temp. 51 F; Precip: None.

The first-ever Maryland banana harvest begins. It is at Shay Farm in Keymar, MD.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 79°F, Low temp 53°F, Precip: None.

Bananas grown in Maryland first appear in Baltimore-area stores.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Occasional rain from near 4:00 AM onward; High temp 70°F, Low temp 64°F, Precip: 0.57 inch.

An F3 tornado passes through parts of Laurel, Maryland, causing extensive damage to the roof of Laurel High School and damage to some other buildings.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then becoming cloudy; a thundershower in late afternoon; breezy from late morning to mid-evening (15 mph sustained wind and 30 mph gust at 6:19 PM); High temp. 79 F; Low temp. 60 F; Precip: 0.16 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain from mid-evening onward; breezy much of the day (maximum sustained wind 14 mph and maximum wind gust 21 mph); High temp 61°F, Low temp 49°F, Precip: 0.11 inch.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during September 2001 is 1.43 inches, well below the normal amount of 4.44 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during September 2001 is 76.0 degrees F, below the normal of 79.7 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during September 2001 is 54.4 degrees F, below the normal of 58.8 degrees.

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 71st home run of the season, breaking the record of 70 set by Mark McGwire in 1998. Later in the game, he hits his 72nd home run of the season, adding to the record.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

The war in Afghanistan begins. The U.S. and Britain launch air attacks against military targets and Osama bin Laden's training camps, in respomse to the terrorist attacks in the U.S. of September 11, 2001.

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 73rd home run of the season, adding to the record for most home runs hit by a Major League Baseball player in a season.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 35 degrees F, a tie for the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 7th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This low temperature ties the 35 degrees F that was recorded in Baltimore on October 7, 1964, and again on October 7, 1991.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp 35°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 31 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 8th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp 31°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 28 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 9th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp 28°F, Precip: None.

"The Concert for New York City: a celebration of the strength, resilience, and pride of New York and America" is held featuring performances by The Who, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Destiny's Child, Eric Clapton, Adam Sandler, Bon Jovi, Elton John and others.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

Oranges and lemons grown in Maryland first appear in Baltimore-area stores.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

Apple introduces the iPod. This MP3 music player can hold up to 1,000 songs, weighs 6.5 ounces, and can fit in a person's pocket. It has a built-in 5 GB hard disk drive and costs $399 in the U.S.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 82 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 24th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 82°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 26 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 29th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp 26°F, Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during October 2001 is 0.78 inches, about 1/4 of the normal amount for October.

American Airlines Flight 587 crashes shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, killing all 260 people on board the aircraft, as well as five people on the ground. The plane was on a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The Airbus A300B4-605R flying the route crashed into the neighborhood of Belle Harbor on the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens, New York City. The probable cause of the crash is determined to be the first officer's aggressive overuse of the rudder controls, causing the vertical stabilizer to separate from the plane, resulting in the loss of control of the plane.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

A letter is found by investigators that contains anthrax and is addressed to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during November 2001 is 1.01 inches, about 1/3 of the normal amount for November.

Enron Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  It is an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas.  This bankruptcy is one of the largest corporate bankruptcies ever.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 75 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any December 5th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp 75°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

Afghan militia leaders claim control of the last mountain bastion of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida fighters. However, bin Laden himself is not there.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

It's National Regifting Day.

It's National A.M. Day, for three reasons: (1) AM radio was invented on December 19th (in 1886), (2) the term A.M. (short for"ante meridiem") was first used on December 19, 1637, to designate the time of day between midnight and noon, and (3) numerous celebrities with initials A.M. were born on December 19th (Alyssa Milano, Andy Monsey, Angela Munch etc.).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp **°F, Low temp **°F, Precip: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then clear, then mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy; breezy from late morning through early afternoon (22-mph gust at 11:54 am); High temp. 33 F; Low temp. 15 F; Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during December 2001 is 1.73 inches.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in 2001 is 34.57 inches, about 7 and a half inches below normal.