Milestones

Ten years ago: The White House put aside President Bush’s pledge of no new taxes, saying talks to strike a budget deal with Congress would have “no preconditions.”

Five years ago: Jacques Chirac, the conservative mayor of Paris, won France’s presidency in his third attempt, defeating Lionel Jospin in a runoff to end 14 years of Socialist rule.

One year ago:` NATO jets struck the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people and injuring 20; President Clinton called the attack a “tragic mistake.” A jury in Pontiac, Mich., ordered “The Jenny Jones Show” to pay $25 million to the family of Scott Amedure, a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on Jonathan Schmitz, a fellow guest on the talk show.