Milestones

Ten years ago: President Bush complained that Panama’s elections were marred by “massive irregularities,” and he called for worldwide pressure on General Manuel Antonio Noriega to step down as military leader.

Five years ago: South Africa’s newly elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the country’s first black president. Mandela promised a South Africa for “all its people, black and white.”

One year ago: Indonesian President Suharto left his troubled country for a summit in Egypt with a warning his army would quell violence over his 32-year rule and the worsening economy.