Clue: A famous museum started the new millenium with its own Y2K problem.
Solution: In the early hours of New Year's Day 2000 a thief broke into the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. He got in through a skylight via scaffolding surrounding a next door building and then lowered himself by rope before throwing a smoke cannister into the Hindley Smith Gallery. The room filed with smoke causing chaos and obscuring the view of the security cameras. This gave him the opportunity to steal one painting: 'View of Auvers-sur-Oise,' by Cezanne.
He then melted into the night amongst the New Year revellers in the streets of Oxford.
The painting, worth approx. £4 million, has never been recovered and as there hasn't been a ransom demand or any evidence of it being offered for sale it is assumed it was stolen to order.

Clue: In 1990 the end of the long walk to freedom started here.
Solution: Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and much of this was on on Robben Island. He was eventually released on 11th February 1990, although by then he had been moved to Victor Verster prison in the Western Cape. His extraordinary support for reconciliation and negotiation with the ruling National Party of South Africa led to the fall of apartheid in 1993. He has received over 250 awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His autobiography, released in 1996, was titled 'Long Walk to Freedom'.

Clue: 2001 saw the tenth release of this non-PC big cat.
Solution: ?

Clue: After 1993 the books became less important.
Solution: ?

Clue: Last year they were in the dog house because of a duck house.
Solution: ?

Clue: A bolt from the blue in 1997.
Solution: ?

Clue: In 1996 you might have thought you were seeing double.
Solution: ?

Clue: 2003 and Phew! What a Scorcher!
Solution: ?

Clue: Strewth mate, howzat!
Solution: ?

Clue: In 1995 they tried to squeeze the truth out of him.
Solution: ?

Clue: That day trip to New York got a bit longer this year.
Solution: ?

Clue: 1991 and The Party came to an end.
Solution: ?