A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggers tsunamis that kill around 230,000 people across many countries.
Following the 1999 referendum and a period of UN administration, East Timor becomes an independent state.
Crown Prince Dipendra shoots King Birendra and several other members of the royal family at Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu.
Vietnam becomes the 150th member of the World Trade Organization.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country, is killed in an attack in Rawalpindi.
The Ho Chi Minh City Securities Trading Center begins trading, launching Vietnam's stock market.
Vietnam's first communications satellite is launched into orbit.