As I write the headlines for this week's edition, calmly noting fears of the Y2K bugs and their resulting confusion, I wonder what the headlines would have read for the year 1000.

I found only general outlines from several history books, but I figure the stories would have looked something like this (translated into modern day English, of course):

• "Beowulf", a heroic poem, is written in Old English.
• Christianity reaches Iceland and Greenland.
• Spiritual center of Judaism switches from Mesopotamia (Iraq) to Spain.
• Climax of Mayan civilization in Yucatan peninsula
• Leif Ericson (allegedly) discovers America (Nova Scotia).
• Indian mathematician, Sridhara, recognizes the importance of the zero.
• Mention of several abortive attempts to fly or float in the air.
• Widespread fear of the End of the World and the Last Judgement.
• Danegeld, a general tax in England, is introduced.
• Potatoes and corn are planted in Peru.
• The Frisians (eventually, the Dutch) build dikes against floods and invasions.
• The Chinese perfect their invention of gunpowder, made up of charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate.

Isn't it odd how some things haven't changed in a thousand years?