On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 2001, the world population was approximately 6,254,936,459 people[†]
2001Kyle Hamilton, American football player[†]
Kyle Devin Hamilton is an American professional football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning consensus All-American honors in 2021 before being selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
2001Bob Wollek, French race car driver (born 1943)[†]
Robert Jean Wollek, nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He won a total of 76 races in his career, 71 in Porsche cars, including four editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona and one edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring. He died in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
2001A series of bomb blasts in the city of Shijiazhuang, China kill 108 people and injure 38 others, the biggest mass murder in China in decades.[†]
The Shijiazhuang bombings, also known as Jin Ruchao bombings and March 16 bombings, were a series of bomb blasts that took place on March 16, 2001, in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province in North China. A total of 108 people were killed, and 38 others injured when within a short period of time several bombs exploded near four apartment buildings. Investigations found that Jin was motivated by hatred for his ex-wife, ex-mother-in-law and a lover; he had previously threatened to blow up their buildings.
Autos on Friday column on solemn ceremony in Rome at which Cardinal Angelo Sodano blesses cars, buses and other vehicles, and asks patron saint of motorists to watch over Rome's drivers; photos (M)
In Russia, Backlash at Iran After Iran's president made a rare state visit, more Russians are questioning the prudence of selling arms and nuclear technology to a country accused of terrorist links. PAGE A8
Population of New York City surges past 8 million for first time; 6 percent growth spurt in last decade outpaces state and suburbs for first time in decades; figures released from 2000 census show city grew by 456,000 people to 8,008,278, accounting for more than two-thirds of total state population gain; analysts say decade of sustained immigration, combined with several years of prosperity, helped drive increase by drawing newcomers and persuading New Yorkers to stay put; it is not clear how much of increase is due to more accurate count; city officials say they believe at least half of city increase reflects actual growth; over all, New York State grew at slower rate of 4 percent; in upstate region, only handful of towns and cities show any growth at all; New York City population began to slip in 1950's and grew only slightly or declined in every 10-year census until 1990; census figures offer preview of more detailed demographic picture to come; map (L)
Vast majority of growth in New York City's population count occurred in Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx, in neighborhoods that are being transformed by arrival of unprecedented number of largely Hispanic and Asian immigrants; proportion of blacks remains stable at just under one-quarter of city's official population count; Latinos now outnumber blacks in city for first time; nearly one in 10 New Yorkers is Asian; whites have dwindled to just over third; largest increase is in Queens, where population count grew by 225,000, more than 11 percent since 1990 census; counts for Brooklyn and Bronx each rise by more than 85,000 people; Staten Island count increased by 60,000, or 15 percent; maps showing previous census counts in boroughs (L)
Shares of Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux SA soar after company reports stronger-than-expected growth of revenue and earnings last year (S)
Prime Min Zhu Rongji makes highly unusual nationally televised apology to people of China for deadly schoolhouse explosion in rural Jiangxi Province, and softens earlier denials that children at school were making fireworks; says he has ordered high-level investigation; government's attempts to contain conflicting accounts of blast were undermined by citizens' rapidly spreading access to Internet and other information channels and by increasingly self-assertive press; explosion killed 42 people, 38 of them children aged 9 to 11 years old; local government had announced that deranged suicide bomber was responsible for blast; bereaved parents and surviving students unanimously rejected this, saying children were forced to make fireworks at school; attempted media blackout only fueled speculation that there was coverup reaching into central government; photo (M)
New York City Council committee votes, 5 to 4, to quash three-month rebellion by Council members who want to defy voters and repeal their own term limits; deciding vote is cast by Stephen J Fiala, first-term Staten Island Republican, who had not said publicly how he would vote, and claims to have changed his mind many times; Fiala, in explaining his vote, says term limits themselves are 'dead wrong,' but that Council's attempt to address wrong by negating results of two voter referendums is 'potentially worse'; Stanley E Michels, sponsor of bill, says he will fight on, but Peter F Vallone, City Council speaker who vigorously opposed bill, contends that issue is now dead; photo (M)
Generations of Mohawks have been ironworkers and New York City's building boom attracts them once again from their homes in Canada; hundreds of workers drive to New York on Sunday night, work during the week and travel back on Friday afternoon to see their families on Kahnawake reservation; photo (M)
Senate votes, 83 to 15, to overhaul nation's bankruptcy laws and make it harder for people to erase their debts; House has passed similar bill, and Pres Bush has signaled that he will sign whatever compromise is reached by House and Senate negotiators; support for overhaul is largely bipartisan; Pres Bill Clinton vetoed similar legislation in his final weeks in office, describing it as too harsh on consumers; bill's quick resurrection after Bush's inauguration is seen as evidence of generous campaign contributions made to each party by credit industry; it also reflects growing power of lobbyists in government in which White House and Congress are run by business-friendly Republicans; bill would end ability of Americans to use bankruptcy system to wipe out credit-card bills and other loans that are not secured by homes or other assets; instead, they would be forced to pay off some or all of those debts under court-supervised plan, even if that puts payment of old credit-card bills in competition with payment of current child support, alimony and other court-ordered expenditures; photos (M)
New York Knickerbockers defeat Toronto Raptors, 88-72; photo (M)
Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool Corp will introduce Personal Valet, cabinet-size clothes refresher made by Whirlpool that removes odors and wrinkles--but not stains--using chemical formula developed by Procter & Gamble; Whirlpool says only 20 percent to 30 percent of garments brought to cleaners have stains and that most need only to be pressed and refreshed; has several new technologies in development, but they are extensions of existing products; photo (M)
Japan's economic policy makers scramble to brake falling stock market and revive flagging economy; appear poised once again to use public funds to prop up stocks, two years after swearing off such interference; solvency of Japanese banking system surges to forefront of investors' concerns; photo (M)