Timeline October 2001

Events in October 2001 12

• 2001 Anthrax letters mailed in the United States Powder-filled envelopes kill five people Beginning in September 2001, letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to news organisations and two US senators, killing five people and infecting seventeen others. The attacks disrupted mail service and Congress and deepened fears after 9/11. The FBI later concluded that a government biodefence researcher was responsible.
• 2001 A hair from the scene is matched to Wolfgang Grams DNA technology that did not exist in 1991 Grams, an RAF member, had died in a shootout with police at Bad Kleinen in 1993.
• 2001 Beautiful Garbage -- pop ambitions and critical division Beautiful Garbage (October 2001) is the band's most explicitly pop-oriented album -- influenced by 1960s girl groups, glam rock and dance music. Manson wears vintage glamour; the production is more melodic and less abrasive than previous albums. Critical reception is divided: some praise the evolution, others feel the aggressive edge that defined Garbage has been smoothed away. The album reaches Number 6 in the US and Number 5 in the UK -- commercially respectable but a slight decline. It contains 'Androgyny' and 'Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)' -- both inventive but neither matching the impact of earlier singles.
• 2001 Barry Bonds sets the single-season home run record 73 home runs in one Major League season San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds hit his 71st, 72nd and 73rd home runs in early October 2001, breaking Mark McGwire's three-year-old record. The mark still stands. It was later shadowed by evidence of performance-enhancing drug use in the sport.
• 2001 War in Afghanistan begins US invades following 9/11 The United States and NATO allies launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, in response to the 9/11 attacks and the Taliban's refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
• 2001 Grand Theft Auto III released Open-world crime game in three dimensions Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto III for the PlayStation 2 in October 2001, moving the series into a fully three-dimensional open world. Players could roam a fictional city freely between missions. It was a commercial phenomenon and drew political criticism over its violence.
• 2001 iPod launched Apple revolutionises music Apple launched the iPod on October 23, 2001, a portable digital music player that could hold 1,000 songs. It transformed the music industry and paved the way for the iPhone.
• 2001 Gotthard Road Tunnel fire Head-on lorry crash kills eleven in Switzerland On 24 October 2001 two lorries collided head-on inside the Gotthard Road Tunnel in Switzerland, igniting a fire that filled the tunnel with toxic smoke. Eleven people died, most from the fumes. The tunnel was closed for two months and safety rules for Alpine tunnels were tightened.
• 2001 Microsoft releases Windows XP Consumer and business Windows lines merge Microsoft launched Windows XP on 25 October 2001, uniting its home and professional operating systems on the Windows NT core. Its stability and interface made it hugely popular, and it stayed widely used for more than a decade. Extended support did not end until 2014.
• 2001 Lockheed Martin wins the JSF contract X-35 over X-32 The Pentagon selects the X-35 over Boeing's X-32 in what was then the largest defence contract ever awarded.
• 2001 USA PATRIOT Act signed into law Sweeping expansion of US surveillance powers President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act on 26 October 2001, six weeks after the 9/11 attacks. It broadened the government's authority to conduct wiretaps, access records and detain non-citizens. Several provisions stayed controversial and were revised or allowed to lapse in later years.
• 2001 NBA comeback with Washington Wizards At age 38, Jordan returns to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards.