The Burmese military opens fire on anti-government demonstrators, the Syrian army launches a major assault on Beirut, and the United States reveals harrowing evidence of the Srebrenica massacre. Yet somewhere, the sun is still shining. Sort of. As we prepare for our own upcoming eclipse this week, we look back to 1999 when Europe was captivated by two minutes of totality. Meanwhile, a bizarre 2003 blackout brings a different kind of awe to New York, replacing the city lights with a rare, starlit Manhattan sky.
