What Happened in June 1998

Historical Events

  • Jun 1 Australian Susie Maroney becomes first person to swim from Mexico to Cuba across shark and jellyfish-infested waters of the Yucatan Straits; swims 123-miles in 38 hours 33 minutes in a cage
  • Jun 1 European Central Bank is founded in Brussels to define and execute the European Union's monetary policy
  • Jun 2 The CIH computer virus is discovered in Taiwan
  • Jun 3 Eschede train disaster: an ICE high speed train derails in Lower Saxony, Germany, causing 101 deaths
  • Jun 4 NHL Eastern Conference Final: Washington Capitals beat Buffalo Sabres, 4 games to 2
  • Jun 4 Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing

The Truman Show

Jun 5 "The Truman Show", starring Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, and Ed Harris, is released

  • Jun 5 A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants (the strike lasted seven weeks)
  • Jun 5 NHL Western Conference Final: Detroit Red Wings beat Dallas Stars, 4 games to 2
  • Jun 6 130th Belmont: Gary Stevens aboard Victory Gallop wins in 2:29

French Open Women's Tennis

Jun 6 French Open Women's Tennis: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario of Spain beats Monica Seles 7-6, 0-6, 6-2; her 4th and last career Grand Slam singles title and 3rd French title

Sex and the City Premieres

Jun 6 TV sitcom "Sex and the City" premieres in the US on HBO, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon

  • Jun 7 52nd Tony Awards: "The Lion King" (musical) and '"Art" (play) win
  • Jun 7 French Open Men's Tennis: In an all-Spanish final Carlos Moya beats Alex Corretja 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 for his lone major title
  • Jun 7 James Byrd, Jr. is dragged to death by Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence Russel Brewer, and John William King in Jasper, Texas in a racially-motivated hate crime

Event of Interest

Jun 9 Abdulsalami Abubakar succeeds Sani Abacha as military President of Nigeria

  • Jun 11 Compaq Computer pays $9.6 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation; largest high-tech acquisition at the time
  • Jun 14 "Comic Relief" benefit comedy show

NBA Finals

Jun 14 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls beat Utah Jazz, 87-86 in Game 6 for their 3rd consecutive title and 6th in 8 seasons; MVP: Michael Jordan for 3rd straight year and 6th time

  • Jun 14 WLAF World Bowl 6, Waldstadion, Frankfurt: Rhein Fire beats Frankfurt Galaxy, 34-10

Music City News Awards

Jun 15 32nd Music City News Country Awards: Neal McCoy, Lorrie Morgan & Billy Ray Cyrus win

  • Jun 16 Stanley Cup Final, MCI Center, Washington, D.C.: Detroit Red Wings go back-to-back, defeating debutant finalists Washington Capitals, 4-1 for a 4-0 series sweep
  • Jun 21 "Don't Be Cruel" second studio album by Bobby Brown is released (Grammy Award Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, 1990)

US Golf Open

Jun 21 US Open Men's Golf, Olympic Club, SF: Lee Janzen recovers from 7 stroke deficit to win his second Open title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Payne Stewart

  • Jun 24 NBA Draft: Pacific center Michael Olowokandi first pick by Los Angeles Clippers
  • Jun 25 In Clinton v. City of New York, the US Supreme Court decides that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 is unconstitutional

Event of Interest

Jun 25 New building for The British Library at Kings Cross, designed by Colin St John Wilson, is opened by Queen Elizabeth II in London

Glastonbury Festival

Jun 26 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Primal Scream, Blur, and Pulp headline; other performers include Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Tori Amos, The Foo Fighters, and Hothouse Flowers

  • Jun 27 NHL Draft: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) center Vincent Lecavalier first pick by Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Jun 27 Opening of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

Music History

Jun 28 Revival of Neil Simon's comedy "The Sunshine Boys", starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, closes at Lyceum Theater, NYC, after 230 performances

  • Jun 30 Sega Channel, cable's 1st on-demand video game service, closes down
1998 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Jun 4 Central Cee [Oakley Caesar-Su], English rapper and songwriter (Doja), born in London, England
  • Jun 5 Dave [David Omoregie], English rapper, singer-songwriter, actor (Psychodrama), born in London, England
  • Jun 16 Jonah Marais, American pop singer (Why Don't We)
Born in 1998

Famous Weddings

Larry Flynt

Jun 20 Magazine publisher Larry Flynt (55) weds Elizabeth Berrios (his fifth and final time)

Macaulay Culkin

Jun 21 "Home Alone" actor Macaulay Culkin (17) weds broadway actress Rachel Miner (17) in Stone Church in New Preston, Connecticut

  • Jun 27 American "Murphy Brown" actress Faith Ford (33) weds personal trainer and writer Campion Murphy (35) on Clint Eastwood's 22-acre Mission Ranch in Carmel, California
  • Jun 27 Prince Michael of Greece daughter Princess Alexandra (29) weds perfume executive Nicolas Mirzayantz (37) in Torcello Island

Famous Deaths

  • Jun 1 Darwin Joston, American actor (Assault on Precinct 13), dies at 60
  • Jun 2 Sylvester Ritter (Junkyard Dog), American professional wrestler, dies at 45
  • Jun 3 Joseph C. Harsch, American newscaster (Background), dies at 93
  • Jun 3 Poul Bundgaard, Danish comic actor (Olsen-banden films) and operetta singer (Royal Danish Theatre, 1958-73), dies at 75
  • Jun 5 Alfred Kazin, American writer and literature critic (The Inmost Leaf), dies at 83
  • Jun 5 Jeanette Nolan, American actress (Richard Boone Show, Virginian), dies following a stroke at 86
  • Jun 5 Sam Yorty, American politician, Mayor of Los Angeles (1961-73), dies at 88
  • Jun 6 Jan Seidel, Czech composer, dies at 89
  • Jun 6 Svend Simon Schultz, Danish composer, dies at 84
  • Jun 7 Thomas Narcejac, French writer (Vertigo), dies at 89
  • Jun 8 Maria Reiche, German-born mathematician and archaeologist (b. 1903)

Sani Abacha (1943-1998)

Jun 8 de facto President of Nigeria (1993-98), dies at 54

  • Jun 9 Jackie McGlew, South African cricket batsman (34 Tests, 7 x 100, HS 255no; Natal), dies at 69
  • Jun 9 Lois Mailou Jones, American painter (Peasants on Parade), dies at 92
  • Jun 10 Hammond Innes, English author (The Wreck of the Mary Deare), dies at 84
  • Jun 10 Jim Hearn, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1954 NY Giants; MLB All Star 1952), dies at 77
  • Jun 10 Steve Sanders, American country baritone singer (Oak Ridge Boys, 1987-95), dies of a self-inflicted gunshot at 45
  • Jun 11 Catherine Cookson, English novelist (Bannaman Legacy), dies at 91
  • Jun 12 Éric Tabarly, French Navy officer and yachtsman (Ostar 1964, 76; Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race 1964), dies from drowning at 66
  • Jun 12 Leo Buscaglia, American psychologist known as "Dr Love" (Love), dies of a heart attack at 74
  • Jun 12 Theresa Merritt [Hines], American singer and actress (The Wiz; That's My Mama), dies of skin cancer at 75
  • Jun 13 Birger Ruud, Norwegian ski jumper (Olympic gold 1932, 36; World C'ship gold 1931, 35, 37), dies at 86
  • Jun 13 Reg Smythe, English cartoonist (Andy Capp), dies at 80
  • Jun 18 Charles Korvin [Geza Korvin Karpathi], Austrian actor (Berlin Express, Ship of Fools), dies at 90
  • Jun 20 Conrad Schumann, East German border guard, committed suicide at 56
  • Jun 21 Al Campanis, Greek baseball second baseman and executive (first Greek player in MLB history; GM LA Dodgers 1968-87), dies from coronary artery disease at 81
  • Jun 23 Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish actress (Tarzan, Pride & Prejudice, Hannah and Her Sisters), dies at 87
  • Jun 23 Paul O'Dwyer, Irish-American politician and President of City Council (D-NYC), dies at 90
  • Jun 25 Lounès Matoub, Kabylian singer-songwriter, guitar and mandole player, and Berber rights activist, assassinated by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) at 42
  • Jun 25 Richard Bales, American composer (National Gallery of Art orchestra), dies at 83
  • Jun 27 Boris Nikolayevich Belousov, Soviet cosmonaut, dies at 67
  • Jun 27 Desmond Heap, British lawyer and authority on British planning law, dies at 90
  • Jun 27 Gilles Rocheleau, French Canadian politician, dies at 62
  • Jun 27 Joyce Wieland, Canadian experimental filmmaker and conceptual artist (1st women to have a retrospective at the Canadian National Gallery), dies at 67 [1]
  • Jun 28 Ralph Perring, British businessman (Lord Mayor of London 1962-63), dies at 95
  • Jun 29 Horst Jankowski, German jazz and easy listening pianist ("A Walk In The Black Forest"), dies of lung cancer at 62
  • Jun 29 Louis Hostin, French weightlifter (Olympic gold 1932, 36), dies at 90