|
1421 |
The sea
crashes through dykes at Dort, in the Netherlands, drowning more
than 100,000 people. |
|
1492 |
Christopher
Columbus receives a commission from the Spanish monarchy to
explore the western ocean. |
|
1622 |
Birth of
Henry Vaughan, English composer (died 1695). His works include
nine symphonies, the ballet Job and the opera The Pilgrim’s
Progress. |
|
1790 |
Death of
Benjamin Franklin, US scientist and statesman. He carried out
major research on electricity but is best remembered for his
contributions to the American Declaration of Independence. |
|
1824 |
Russia and
the United States forge an agreement on rights in the Pacific
Ocean and on the north-west coast of America. |
|
1864 |
In the war
between Schleswig-Holstein and Prussia, 16,000 Prussians under
Prince Frederick Charles storm the fortress at Dueppel held by
22,000 Danes. Over 5,500 Danes died in the attack. |
|
1895 |
The Treaty
of Shimonoseki is signed, whereby China and Japan recognise
Korea’s independence, and China cedes Formosa (Taiwan) to
Japan. |
|
1916 |
Birth of
Sirima Bandaranaike, famed Sri Lankan stateswoman. In July 1960,
she became the world’s first woman prime minister. |
|
1943 |
US bombers
attack Palermo, Sicily, during World War II. |
|
1945 |
The
Japanese establish a puppet government in Viet Nam, headed by
Tran Trong Kim. |
|
1946 |
Syria
achieves independence after the last French troops exit the
country. |
|
1948 |
Birth of
Luu Quang Vu (died 1988), Vietnamese writer, poet and
playwright. He is best known for his topical plays written at
the beginning of the renovation period in Viet Nam, including
Hon Truong Ba Da Hang Thit (Truong Ba’s Soul in the Butcher’s
Body), Toi Va Chung Ta (I and We), and Loi The Thu Chin (The
Ninth Oath). |
|
1956 |
The
Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and Romania sign their first
trade agreement. |
|
1961 |
An attempt
to invade Cuba by US-backed right-wing Cuban exiles fails at the
Bay of Pigs. |
|
1969 |
Sirhan B.
Sirhan is found guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of
Robert F Kennedy, who was shot while campaigning in California
in June 1968. |
|
1971 |
Egypt,
Syria and Libya sign an agreement to form a confederation. |
|
1975 |
The Khmer
Rouge take over Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, ending a
five-year rule by a US-backed regime and beginning a reign of
terror in which more than one million people died. |
|
1977 |
Women vote
in Liechtenstein for the first time. |
|
1981 |
Polish
farmers win the right to form a trade union. |
|
1993 |
The ANC
sign an agreement with the South African police aimed at
preventing violence during marches to honour slain activist
Chris Hani in Johannesburg. |
|
1995 |
Death of
Phan Tu, Vietnamese writer (born 1930). He is best known for his
wartime novels, including Gia Dinh Ma Bay (Mother Bay’s
Family) and Man Va Toi (Man and I). |
|
1995 |
Turkey
announces intentions to withdraw some of the 35,000 troops it
sent into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish guerrillas. |
|
1997 |
The
Republic of Korea’s Supreme court upholds verdicts sentencing
former president Chun Doo Hwan to life in prison and his
successor, Roh Tae Woo, to 17 years. They had been found guilty
of abuse of power and corruption. |
|
1999 |
The Indian
nationalist coalition government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee resigns after a vote of no confidence is passed in
parliament. |
|
2001 |
Jury
selection begins in Brussels in the landmark trial of four
Rwandans, including two Roman Catholic nuns, who face charges of
aiding and abetting the murder of Tutsis during the 1994
genocide. |
|
2002 |
The US
District Court in Portland, Oregon rules that the federal
government did not have the authority under the 1970 Controlled
Substances Act to prevent doctors in the state from prescribing
lethal amounts of federally controlled drugs to help terminally
ill patients end their lives. |
|
2003 |
London’s
Metropolitan Police issues a report stating that British agents
had colluded with Protestant paramilitaries in Northern Ireland
to kill Roman Catholics. The unprecedented report of government
collusion arose from an inquiry into the 1989 murder of Patrick
Finucane, a Catholic solicitor who had defended alleged members
of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. — AP/REUTERS/VNS |
