Milestones

Ten years ago: Soviet troops stormed the capital of the republic of Azerbaijan, the scene of ethnic unrest, leaving dozens dead and wounded. The space shuttle Columbia returned from an 11-day mission.

Five years ago: The Japanese government, criticized for being slow to respond to Kobe’s devastating earthquake, admitted its initial reaction might have been “confused.” The U.S. State Department announced a partial lifting of economic sanctions against North Korea.

One year ago: For a second day, President Clinton’s legal team argued its case before the Senate, saying that House-passed articles of impeachment were “flawed and unfair.”