NEWS: 2007

As 2007 begins, it's raining and 44 degrees F at Baltimore's National Weather Service station at BWI Airport. The wind is from the east at 8 miles an hour.

It's the beginning of International Polar Year, as designated by the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization. (It lasts into 2008.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy most of the day, then clear; rain until early afternoon; High temp 53° F; Low temp. 44° F; Precipitation: 1.07 inches.  No snow on the gorund.

A state funeral is held for former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford, who died at age 93 on December 26, 2006. Services are held at Washington National Cathedral and later in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Ford was raised.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: MOstly cloudy, then partly cloudy, then clear; windy/breezy in the early morning and from late morning to early afternoon (20 mph sustained wind and 30-mph gust at 12:54 am); High temp 50° F; Low temp. 29° F; Precipitation: None.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the body of former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford is laid to rest. The ceremony is watched by several thousand people on the grounds of his presidential museum.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, then clear; breezy at midday (21-mph gust at 12:54 pm); High temp 55° F; Low temp. 26° F; Precipitation: None.

Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic U.S. Representative from California, is elected the first-ever female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. (Nancy was born and raised in Baltimore, and is the daughter of former Baltimore Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. (who had also been a U.S. Representative) and sister of former Baltimore Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro III.

Steny Hoyer, a Democratic U.S. Representative from Maryland, becomes U.S. House Majority Leader.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then cloudy; High temp 61° F; Low temp. 29° F; Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy to cloudy with snow flurries, then clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; breezy/windy from early morning to early afternoon (35-mph gust at 8:54 am); High temp 37° F; Low temp. 24° F; Precipitation: Trace (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 33° F; Low temp. 20° F; Precip.: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during January 2007 is 2.48 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal amount of 3.08 inches.  The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during January 2007 is 47.4 degrees F, above the normal of 43.2 degrees.  The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during January 2007 is 30.0 degrees F, above the normal of 25.4 degrees. A total of 0.9 of an inch of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at BWI Airport during January 2007, well below the normal amount of 6.4 inches.

Two tractor-railers and a Cadillac car collide on the Baltimore Beltway in the morning near the Reisterstown Road exit. The vehicles burst into flames. All occupants of the vehicles escape unharmed. State police say the crash occurs when the driver of the Cadillac tries an improper lane change.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 51 F; Low temp. 30 F; Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 50 F; Low temp. 28 F; Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during February 2007 is 2.04 inches, including melted snow and ice.

Daylight Saving Time begins.  Clocks and watches are set ahead one hour.   In the U.S. starting this year, Daylight Saving Tine begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, except in those states or areas that have chosen not to adopt it (Arizona, Hawaii, part of Indiana).

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then clear, then partly cloudy; light rain showers in early morning; breezy from late morning until evening (24 mph gust at 3:54 pm); High temp. 57 F; Low temp. 43 F; Precipitation: 0.10 inch.

Two people are shot and killed in separate incidents in the evening in northeast Baltimore, with two people wounded by gunfire. Within the past 24 hours, four people have been shot and killed, and three wounded, in east Baltimore.

So far this year, 57 people have been murdered in Baltimore, 51 of them by shootings. At this time in 2006, 52 people were killed in Baltimore. Baltimore's per-capita murder rate remains the highest in the United States.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 83 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded in Baltimore on any March 14th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy, then cloudy, then mostly cloudy; breezy/windy in the afternoon (29 mph gust at 4:54 pm); High temp. 83 F; Low temp. 42 F; Precipitation: None.

2.14 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the most in Baltimore on any March 16th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy; rain all day; breezy/windy at times (25 mph gusts at 10:10 and 10:54 am); High temp. 39 F; Low temp. 29 F; Precipitation: 2.14 inches.

A strong storm ("nor'easter") occurs in the Baltimore area, causing some trees and tree limbs to fall on power lines. More than 60,000 electric customers are without power at the height of the storm, which continues into the next morning.

2.52 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the most in Baltimore on any April 15th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy; rain until evening, heavy at times; windy/breezy much of the day (33 mph gusts in late evening); High temp. 46 F; Low temp. 44 F; Precipitation: 2.52 inches.

A gunman at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, kills 33 people and injures at least 15 others, in the worst shooting rampage in modern U.S. history (up to this point).

Some schools in the Baltimore region are closed as a result of damage and power failures caused by a strong storm.

The strong storm that hit Baltimore the previous day continues northward and hits New York and New England. More than 8 inches of rain falls on Central Park in New York, NY.

Eight people are killed when an SUV rolls over near Bluff, Utah, after swerving to avoid an animal. There were 15 people in the SUV. The passengers are believed to be undocumented immigrants.

The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to put stricter limits on racial slurs in the workplace. It dismisses the appeal of a Black computer technician, Robert Jordan, under contract to IBM in Maryland who was fired shortly after complaining that a White co-worker loudly described a pair of crime suspects as "two Black monkeys in a cage." A lower court had said that an "isolated racial slur" such as this one does not constitute a "hostile work environment."

A woman is arrested while protesting the Iraq War with a group outside the office of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Tina Richards of Salem, Oregon, is charged with disorderly conduct. She is issued a citation and released. She is the mother of a U.S. Marine who tried to kill himself after two tours of duty in Iraq.

The Wall Street Journal wins two Pulitzer prizes for coverage of a stock-options scandal.

Swiss researchers determine that chondroitin, a dietary supplement widely used to relieve arthritic pain, is no more effective than a placebo.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy to mostly cloudy; light rain in the early morning; windy (48 mph gust at 4:36 pm); High temp. 45 F; Low temp. 41 F; Precipitation: 0.02 inch.

Frank Thomas hits his record-breaking 244th home run as a designated hitter in Toronto's 4-2 loss to Washington. The solo homer in the third inning moved Thomas past Edgar Martinez for the most homers by a designated hitter in major-league history.

Brandon Watson of the minor-league Columbus Clippers baseball team extends his hitting streak to 43 games, breaking a 95-year-old International League record with a base hit in Columbus' 9-8 loss to the Ottawa Lynx. Jack Lelivelt set the International League record with a 42-game hitting streak for the Rochester Hustlers in 1912.

The New York Yankees tie a franchise record by hitting 8 home runs on one game, including two by Hideki Matsui, in a 16-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox. (The Yankees also hit 8 homers in the first game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939.)

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly to mostly cloudy, then clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; breeay at times in the afternoon and early evening (gust to 17 mph at 6:54 pm); High temp. 92 F; Low temp. 68 F; Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during July 2007 is 3.31 inches.

The 8-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapses into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring 135.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly to mostly cloudy, then clear; 16-mph wind gust at 12:54 pm; High temp. 93 F; Low temp. 65 F; Precipitation: None.

Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox hits two home runs and two doubles, including a go-ahead drive that leads the White Sox to a 13-9 win against the New York Yankees. The White Sox and the Yankees each score 8 runs in the second inning. It 's only the second time in major-league history that both teams score 8 or more runs in the same inning of a game.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; 18-mph wind gust at 4:54 pm; ; High temp. 95 F; Low temp. 67 F; Precipitation: None.

Pitcher Tom Glavine, age 41, of the New York Mets earns the 300th victory of his major-league career by defeating the Chicago Cubs 8-3. He becomes the 23rd major-league pitcher overall and the 5th lefthander to win at least 300 games in a career.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy, then cloudy; a thundershower in the early evening; High temp. 87 F; Low temp. 73 F; Precipitation: 0.10 inch.

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits the 756th home run of his major-league career, breaking the record that had been held by Hank Aaron (755 home runs) since July 20, 1976. Barry Bonds ultimately hits 762 home runs in his career, the current record.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then cloudy, then partly cloudy to mostly cloudy; High temp. 97 F; Low temp. 73 F; Precipitation: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 102 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any August 8th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy, then cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy; breezy from mid-morning to early evening (28 mph gusts in mid-afternoon); High temp. 102 F; Low temp. 80 F; Precipitation: None.

Former major-league pitcher Rick Ankiel debuts as an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and hits a 3-run home run in the Cardinals' 5-0 win against the San Diego Padres.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, then cloudy; a thunderstorm with heavy rain in the early afternoon (41-mph wind gusts at 1:06 and 1:09 pm); High temp. 94 F; Low temp. 73 F; Precipitation: 0.43 inch.

Former pitcher Rick Ankiel of the St. Louis Cardinals hits two home runs and drives in three runs as the Cardinals defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, then clear; breezy at times in the afternoon (20 mph wind gust at 1:54 pm); High temp. 85 F; Low temp. 61 F; Precipitation: None.

Pitcher Micah Owings of the Arizona Diamondbacks gets 4 hits in 5 at-bats, including a pair of long home runs, drives in six runs and scores four times in Arizona's 12-6 win against the Atlanta Braves.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, becoming mostly cloudy; 17-mph wind gust at midday; High temp. 82 F; Low temp. 67 F; Precipitation: None.

Garret Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels drives in a team-record 10 runs in an 18-9 defeat of the New York Yankees. Anderson hits a grand slam, a 3-run homer, a 2-run double, and an RBI double to become the 12th player in major-league history to have at least 10 runs batted in, in one game.

Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks ties the major-league record for most consecutive strikeouts by a non-pitcher as he strikes out for the 9th consecutive time. He strikes out twice against Dave Bush of the Milwaukee Brewers to match the record, but then Bush hits him with a pitch to end the streak. The Brewers win the game, 7-4.

The Texas Rangers defeat the Orioles 30-3 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore in the first game of a doubleheader. It's the most runs scored in one game by a major-league baseball team in the modern era (since 1900), and the most ever in the American League (which was established in 1901). The Orioles score the first 3 runs of the game, and Texas doesn't score a run until the 4th inning.  Texas has a 5-run 4th inning, a 9-run 6th inning, a 10-run 8th inning, and a 6-run 9th inning, and has a total of 29 base hits. Rangers batters Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez, batting 8th and 9th in the order, each have 4 hits in 6 at-bats including two home runs and 7 runs batted in. The Rangers hit a total of 6 home runs in this game.

In the second game of a doubleheader at Oriole Park, the Orioles lose to the Texas Rangers, 9-7. The Rangers score 39 runs in this doubleheader.

Bobby Jindal of the Republican Party is elected as the next Governor of Louisiana and becomes the first Indian-American governor in the history of the United States. With 53% of the vote, he defeats five Democrats, a Libertarian and five independents without requiring a runoff.

One of the largest and deadliest fires in U.S. history begins in Southern California, fanned by the Santa Ana winds, and ultimately burning 400,000 acres and destroying 2,000 homes.

Hundreds of thousands of left-wing Italians march in Rome, putting increased pressure on the Prime Minister of Italy, Romano Prodi.

French trains resume service after a two-day strike against President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed welfare reform.

Author J.K. Rowling reveals that the character Dumbledore in her Harry Potter books is homosexual.

Thousands of people flee a fresh outbreak of fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At least seven people die in a bomb blast in the town of Dera Bugti in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Mikhail Gorbachev founds a new political party in Russia, called Union of Social-Democrats.

Karachi, Pakistan police release a photograph of the suicide bomber who killed at least 130 people in the 2007 Karachi bombings.

Riots erupt in the immigrant quarter of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for the sixth night in succession after the death of a Moroccan man the previous weekend.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani criticizes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his support of a possible Turkish attack against Kurdistan Workers Party fighters in the Iraqi Kurdistan.

Saeed Jalili replaces Ali Larijani as Iran's nuclear negotiator.

Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council lifts the curfew it imposed in Yangon and Mandalay on September 26, 2007.

South Africa defeats England to win the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Baltimore weather: Clear to partly cloudy, High temperature 74 degreees F, Low temperature 52 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) is signed by U.S. President George W. Bush. Among many other things, this act bans incandescent light bulbs for general household use, from 40 watts to 150 watts, beginning in 2012. Various specialty bulbs, including appliance bulbs, "rough service" bulbs, colored lights, plant lights, and 3-way bulbs, are exempt from these requirements as well as light bulbs currently less than 40 watts or more than 150 watts. This exempts stage lighting and landscape lighting.

Catonsville weather:  Cloudy. Temperature at 11:54 PM: 30 degrees F.  Precipitation this day: None

Sara Jane Moore is released from the federal women's prison in Dublin, California, after serving 32 years for her attempted assassination of U.S. President Gerald R. Ford (on September 22, 1975). (Ford died from natural causes on December 26, 2006.)

Catonsville weather:  Early-morning rain, then cloudy, then sunny. 36 degrees F at 11:54 PM.  Precipitation this day: 0.06 inch.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during December 2007 is 4.03 inches, including melted snow and ice.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in 2007 is 34.97 inches, about 7 inches below normal.