11.   A cannon blast marked the start of the ceremony at this sprawling military base deep in the jungles of southern Colombia.

12.   A little irony then that today also marks the start of Stress Awareness Month.

13.   But in the Deep South, cities inundated by new residents, factories, roads and cars also mark the start of smog season.

14.   But the Spanish-American War also marked the start of a strain of American foreign policy guided by crusader or missionary impulses.

15.   But today all throughout the South, cities inundated by more people with more cars mark the start of Smog Season.

16.   Despite her triumphs, Ms. Hodges is troubled that what happened to her might have marked the start of a new era of brutal school violence.

17.   Even so, if all goes well in coming years, this could mark the start for Americans of continuous operations in space as opposed to intermittent shuttle trips.

18.   First notice day marks the start of the delivery period.

19.   For millions of college students, Thanksgiving marks the start of the heaviest workload of the term, with final exams and papers due in a few weeks.

20.   For pundits and pollsters, though, it marked the start of the campaign season proper, and hence a time for basking mainly in scenarios of Democratic doom.