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A six-alarm arson fire at Kaplan's Surplus burns out of control for more than four hours on Market Street this morning, destroying two six-story buildings and snarling rush-hour traffic. — Jan. 4
BART train catches fire in trans-Bay tube: Toxic smoke that transformed BART's underwater tube into a choking death chamber for an Oakland fireman and injured scores of others was fueled by plastic seat cushions already recognized as fire hazards. — Jan. 18
BART trains, with safety officers aboard and a long list of fire-safety measures completed or planned, resume service through the trans-Bay tube at 5:20 a.m. — April 5
Thousands of anti-nuclear protesters jammed the Civic Center Plaza to hear a parade of speakers denounce PG&E and demand a halt to the construction of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. — April 8
White Night riots: Violence and vandalism raged into the early hours around San Francisco's Civic Center, and a shocked Mayor Feinstein said homosexuals will face heavy police resistance if they allow their anger over Dan White's manslaughter conviction to trigger any more destruction. — May 22
Acting Mayor Gordon Lau signs rent control into law establishing a new city board empowered to deny landlords rent increases of more than 7 percent in a year. — June 13
An earthquake registering 5.9 on the Richter scale, perhaps the mightiest in the Bay Area since the great quake of 1906, shakes wide areas of Northern California, injuring at least 10 persons and causing some property damage. — Aug. 6
Bay Area commuters face the prospect of life without BART after management shuts down the system after a sudden "sickout" by train operators. No talks are scheduled. Major commuting delays are expected. — Sept. 1
A wild-shooting sniper who ranted that he would blow up six blocks in downtown San Francisco was captured quietly by police yesterday after holding them off for 23 hours. His 55-year- old woman hostage was unharmed. — Oct. 7
BART trains will resume full service late next week with last night's settlement of an 80-day work stoppage.
— Nov. 22
Toxic fumes from four-alarm warehouse fire at Folsom and Spear force evacuation of 2,000 nearby workers and close Bay Bridge and Embarcadero Freeway. Warehouse contents: poppers (sexual inhalant) and body lubricant. — Nov. 22
Marin County high school student, a swimmer-gymnast in excellent physical condition, jumps off Golden Gate Bridge, survives and swims to his rescuers. He suffers only minor injuries and is the 12th person known to survive the jump. — Dec. 20