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Events on February 14 in history

Yaoundé train explosion
1998Feb, 14

An oil tanker train collides with a freight train in Yaoundé, Cameroon, spilling fuel oil. One person scavenging the oil created a massive explosion which kills 120.

The Yaound train explosion was the catastrophic fire following the derailment and collision of two tanker trains hauling fuel oil through the capital of Cameroon, Yaound. At least 200 people were killed in the accident, which happened on February 14, 1998.

Yaoundé (UK: ; US: , French pronunciation: ​[ja.unde]) is the capital of Cameroon and, with a population of more than 2.8 million, the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,500 ft) above sea level.

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Events on 1998

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    Unabomber

    A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
  • 6May

    Houston Astros

    Kerry Wood strikes out 20 Houston Astros to tie the major league record held by Roger Clemens. He threw a one-hitter and did not walk a batter in his fifth career start.
  • 26May

    Ellis Island

    The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.
  • 4Jun

    Oklahoma City bombing

    Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
  • 5Jun

    General Motors

    A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants. The strike lasts seven weeks.