This Day In History
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1986 Greater London Council abolished
Thousands of people have taken part in festivities to mark the historic final hours of 97 years of local rule in London. A throng ... -
1981 President Reagan is shot
President Ronald Reagan has been shot and wounded after a lone gunman opened fire in Washington. He is currently undergoing emergency surgery at George ... -
1989 Millions of Russians go to the polls
Millions of Russian voters have gone to the polls, with early results suggesting that a number of Communist candidates have been rejected by the ... -
2000 Pope prays for Holocaust forgiveness
Pope John Paul II has prayed for forgiveness of the sins of those involved in the Holocaust. However, he avoided any admission of Church ... -
1975 Saudi’s King Faisal assassinated
King Faisal of Saudi Arabia has died after a gun attack in Riyadh despite the efforts of doctors to save him. The king was ... -
1992 Punch ends 150 years of satire
Punch, Britain’s oldest satirical magazine, is to close after suffering crippling losses of £1.5m a year. The decision ends a publishing tradition dating back ... -
1983 Reagan launches Cold War into space
President Reagan has unveiled plans to combat nuclear war in space. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposes a defensive shield, using laser or particle ... -
2003 US launches missiles against Saddam
American missiles have hit the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, signalling the start of the US-led campaign to topple Saddam Hussein. President George Bush delivered a ... -
1982 Argentine flag hoisted on S Georgia
A group of Argentines have landed at the British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and planted their nation’s flag. About ... -
1974 Violent border clashes at Golan Heights
Two Israeli soldiers have been killed and three others injured in the worst day of violence along the Golan Heights in three months. Initial ... -
1968 Anti-Vietnam demo turns violent
More than 200 people have been arrested after thousands of demonstrators clashed in an anti-Vietnam war protest outside the United States embassy in London. ... -
2001 Teenage woman guilty of rape
An 18-year-old woman has been convicted of rape after she pinned down a victim during a horrific gang sex attack. Claire Marsh is thought ... -
1979 Grenada leader ousted by coup
A coup in the Caribbean island of Grenada has toppled the country’s controversial Prime Minister, Sir Eric Gairy. Sir Eric was at the United ... -
1969 Paul McCartney weds Linda Eastman
Paul McCartney has married Linda Eastman in a civil ceremony in London. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Marylebone Register Office to catch a ... -
1977 Roman Polanski charged with rape
Film director Roman Polanski has been charged with raping a 13-year-old girl at the home of Hollywood star Jack Nicholson. The 43-year-old, who is ... -
1990 Observer ‘spy’ sentenced to die
A court in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has imposed the death sentence on The Observer journalist Farzad Bazoft. He has been convicted of spying ... -
1973 Northern Ireland votes for union
The people of Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly to remain within the United Kingdom. In a referendum on the future of the province, 591,280 ... -
1957 Ghana celebrates independence
The people of Ghana have been celebrating the end of colonial rule and the dawn of their independence. Most workers have been given the ... -
1956 US court victory for black students
The United States Supreme Court has upheld a ban on racial segregation in state schools, colleges and universities. The University of North Carolina was ... -
1975 Comic genius Chaplin is knighted
Silent film legend Charlie Chaplin has become Sir Charles after a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The star of such films as The Kid and ... -
1966 BBC tunes in to colour
The BBC has announced plans to begin broadcasting television programmes in colour from next year. Britain will be the first country in Europe to ... -
1950 Communist spy jailed for 14 years
A top nuclear scientist has been jailed for fourteen years at the Old Bailey for spying for the Soviet Union. Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs, ... -
1953 Spelling bill passes second reading
A proposal to simplify English spelling has cleared its second hurdle in parliament. After a second debate MPs in the House of Commons voted ... -
1993 World Trade Center bomb terrorises New York
A suspected car bomb has exploded underneath the World Trade Center in New York killing at least five people and injuring scores more. The ... -
1986 Corazon Aquino is Philippines president
The new Philippines president Corazon Aquino is sworn in today, bringing to an end years of dictatorship under Ferdinand Marcos. Former leader Mr Marcos, ... -
1959 Macmillan and Khrushchev talk peace
Britain and the USSR have expressed a willingness to expand Anglo-Soviet trade and cultural ties during the first official meeting between British prime minister ... -
1972 Hijackers surrender and free Lufthansa crew
A group of Palestinian hijackers who took over a Lufthansa jet in the skies over India two days ago has released the crew and ... -
1991 US bombers strike civilians in Baghdad
Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have been killed and wounded in Baghdad by American bombers. Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz said: “This was a criminal, ... -
1999 Scientists highlight hazards of GM food
A group of international scientists has reinforced warnings genetically modified food may be damaging to health. The 20 independent scientists have signed a memorandum ... -
1990 Freedom for Nelson Mandela
Leading anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela has been freed from prison in South Africa after 27 years. His release follows the relaxation of apartheid laws ... -
1996 Docklands bomb ends IRA ceasefire
The IRA has admitted planting the bomb that exploded in the Docklands area of London last night. One man was found dead by police ... -
1995 Space pioneers take first small steps
Michael Foale has become the first British-born American to walk in space. Dr Foale – originally from Lincolnshire – and Dr Bernard Harris, the ... -
1983 ‘Butcher of Lyon’ returns to face trial
War criminal and former Gestapo commandant Klaus Barbie has arrived in France to stand trial for crimes committed 37 years ago. The 69-year-old, known ... -
1996 First GM food goes on sale in UK
The first genetically modified, or GM, food goes on sale today in British supermarkets. Genetically modified tomato puree, which will be available in Safeway ... -
1968 More Kenyan Asians flee to Britain
Another 96 Indians and Pakistanis from Kenya have arrived in Britain today, the latest in a growing exodus of Kenyan Asians fleeing from laws ...
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