Milestones

Ten years ago: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega received a coolly polite reception from Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. A Boston-bound Amtrak train derailed in Chester, Penn., injuring 25 people.

Five years ago: President Clinton announced that he was ordering the draft of a formal directive by July 15 to end the longstanding ban on homosexuals in the U.S. military.

One year ago: Threatened with lawsuits across the country, America Online agreed to give refunds to frustrated customers unable to log on after AOL offered a flat $19.95-a-month rate.