January to June collapses into the
Douro River below, killing 59 people. In response Prime Minister
António Guterres orders an official inquiry into the incident and accepts the resignation of Jorge Coelho, the Public Works Minister. The government additionally declares two days of national mourning. • 11 March – In motor racing, Finland's
Tommi Mäkinen wins the
2001 Rally de Portugal. • 24 March – Fourteen people are killed and a further 24 are injured when a tour bus crashes down a ravine after leaving the IP3 highway near
Santa Comba Dao in the central
Viseu District. In response local residents stage a protest over the safety of the road, an action which follows similar demonstrations held in the months preceding the crash. • 7 April – The
2001 Globos de Ouro media awards ceremony is held at the
Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon.
Capitães de Abril wins the prize for Best Film and
Vítor Norte (
Tarde Demais) and
Maria de Medeiros (
Capitães de Abril) are awarded Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. • 18 May – In association football,
Boavista F.C. win the
2000–01 Primeira Liga after a 3–0 victory over
C.D. Aves. It is the club's maiden top-flight league championship title and marks the first time in more than five decades that the championship has been won by a team from outside the country's big three clubs of
F.C. Porto,
S.L. Benfica, and
Sporting CP.
July to December • 1 July – A new law decriminalising the use of all previously prohibited drugs, including
cannabis and
cocaine, comes into effect. • 25 August – Eleven people are injured when
Transat Flight 236 carrying 304 passengers from Toronto to Lisbon is forced to make an emergency landing at
Lajes Airport in the Azores after a reported loss of power to all engines. • 1 October – The legal
blood alcohol limit for drivers is lowered from 0.5 to 0.2 milligrams per litre in a bid to reduce the number of road traffic accidents on Portugal's roads, which ranks as the highest in Europe. Fines imposed for speeding offences and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs are also increased. • 13 December – The
historic centre of the town of
Guimarães is declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. • 16 December –
Local elections: The Social Democratic Party wins control of 144 councils in what is seen as a comprehensive defeat for Prime Minister António Guterres'
Socialist Party, which in defiance of pre-election polls loses in its traditional strongholds of Lisbon and Porto. • 17 December – President Jorge Sampaio accepts the resignation of Prime Minister António Guterres following the Socialist Party's defeat in the local elections, opening the possibility of a general election in early 2002. Sampaio nevertheless does not rule out naming an interim Prime Minister until the election's planned date in October 2003. ==Arts and entertainment==