Timeline April 2001

Events in April 2001 11

• 1951 – 2001 Joey Ramone (1951-2001) Died 15 April 2001, aged 49 Joey Ramone, born Jeffry Hyman, was the singer of the Ramones, the New York band widely credited with launching punk rock. His deadpan delivery fronted fast, short songs such as Blitzkrieg Bop. He died of lymphoma shortly before the band entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 2001 Completes the "Tiger Slam" with Masters win Holds all four majors at once Woods won the Masters Tournament to complete the "Tiger Slam," becoming the first golfer in history to hold all four major championship titles simultaneously, though not within a single calendar year. The achievement is regarded as one of the most remarkable feats in the sport's history.
• 2001 First country to legalise same-sex marriage A social first The Netherlands becomes the first country in the world to open civil marriage to same-sex couples, reflecting its long liberal-progressive tradition.
• 2001 Hainan Island incident US spy plane and Chinese fighter collide On 1 April 2001 a US Navy EP-3 surveillance aircraft collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea, killing the Chinese pilot. The damaged US plane made an emergency landing on Hainan Island, where its 24 crew were detained for eleven days. The standoff strained US-China relations early in the Bush presidency.
• 2001 Netherlands legalises same-sex marriage First country to open civil marriage to same-sex couples On 1 April 2001 a Dutch law took effect allowing same-sex couples to marry with the same rights as opposite-sex couples, including adoption. Four couples wed in Amsterdam city hall at midnight. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to take the step.
• 2001 Slobodan Milošević arrested Former Yugoslav leader detained in Belgrade Serbian police arrested former president Slobodan Milošević at his Belgrade villa on 1 April 2001 after an armed standoff, initially on corruption charges. In June he was transferred to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. He became the first former head of state to face an international court.
• 2001 – present Oscar Piastri The Calm Rookie One of the most successful junior drivers in history who quickly became an F1 race winner for McLaren.
• 2001 Netherlands legalises euthanasia First country to regulate physician-assisted dying On 10 April 2001 the Dutch parliament passed a law formally legalising euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide under strict conditions, with effect from 2002. Doctors had to confirm unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement and obtain a second opinion. The Netherlands was the first country to codify the practice.
• 2001 2001 World Snooker Championship O’Sullivan First Title The first world title for Ronnie O’Sullivan. Winner: Ronnie O’Sullivan; Runner-up: John Higgins. Score: 18–14.
• 2001 Junichiro Koizumi becomes Prime Minister of Japan Reformist takes over a struggling economy Junichiro Koizumi won the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party and became prime minister on 26 April 2001, promising to privatise the postal system and restructure the banks. His popular style made him one of Japan's longest-serving postwar leaders. He held office until 2006.
• 2001 Dennis Tito becomes the first space tourist US businessman pays to visit the ISS On 28 April 2001 American businessman Dennis Tito launched aboard a Russian Soyuz to the International Space Station, having reportedly paid around 20 million dollars for the trip. He spent about a week in orbit. NASA had objected to the flight, but it opened the way for commercial spaceflight.