Tag: This Day in History
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1957 Lords to admit first women peers
The Government has unveiled plans to reform the House of Lords which include admitting women for the first time. Under the scheme, male and female life ... -
1975 Franco’s 36-year reign ends
General Franco’s dictatorship has effectively ended with the announcement heir designate Prince Juan Carlos will take over as provisional head of state for Spain. The move ... -
1979 Chairman Hua arrives in London
The first Chinese leader to visit Britain, Chairman Hua Kuo-Feng, has arrived in London at the start of a six-day visit. He was welcomed at Heathrow ... -
1984 Europe grants emergency aid for Ethiopia
The EEC is donating £1.8 million to help combat the famine in Ethiopia. Officials from Oxfam, Save the Children, Christian Aid and the Red Cross believe ... -
1986 UK cuts links with Syria over bomb plot
The UK government has broken off diplomatic relations with Syria following revelations of official complicity in Nezar Hindawi’s plot to blow up an El Al airliner. ... -
1951 Churchill denies ‘warmonger’ claims
The Conservative leader, Winston Churchill, has wound up his election campaign with a hard-hitting speech in which he vigorously denied accusations of warmongering. The former prime ... -
1966 Double-agent breaks out of jail
One of Britain’s most notorious double-agents, George Blake, has escaped from prison in London after a daring break-out believed to have been masterminded by the Soviet ... -
2001 Anthrax claims third victim in US
A third person has been diagnosed in the US with the most serious form of anthrax. The unnamed Washington postal worker is being treated for inhalation ... -
1989 East Germany leader ousted
The Communist leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker, has been forced to step down as leader of the country. After 18 years in power he will ... -
1968 Black athletes make silent protest
Two black American athletes have made history at the Mexico Olympics by staging a silent protest against racial discrimination. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and ... -
1996 Handguns to be banned in the UK
The British Government has announced plans to outlaw almost all handguns following the shocking massacre at Dunblane in Scotland. On 13 March Thomas Hamilton walked into ... -
1964 Khrushchev ‘retires’ as head of USSR
Nikita Khrushchev has unexpectedly stepped down as leader of the Soviet Union. The official Soviet news agency, Tass, announced that a plenary meeting of the Communist ... -
1994 Israelis and Arafat share peace prize
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and two Israelis, the Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, have been named the winners of this year’s Nobel ... -
1976 China’s ‘Gang of Four’ arrested
The new chairman of China’s Communist Party, Hua Guofeng, has ordered the arrest of four leading radicals in Peking. It is a sign that China is ... -
1975 Liz Taylor and Richard Burton remarry
Actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor have secretly remarried in Africa only 16 months after getting divorced. The couple who split last year after nearly 10 ... -
1967 Che Guevara ‘shot dead’
Marxist revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara has reportedly been killed during a battle between army troops and guerillas in the Bolivian jungle. A statement issued by the ... -
2003 The Terminator takes on California
The film star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been elected governor of California, ousting the incumbent, Gray Davis, three years before his term was due to end. It ... -
1965 Immigrants feel at home with BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation has announced plans to introduce a new service for Asian immigrants starting next week. The programmes will go out every Sunday on ... -
1975 Muhammad Ali wins ‘Thrilla in Manila’
US boxer Muhammad Ali has retained the world heavyweight boxing championship after defeating his arch-rival, Joe Frazier, in their third and arguably greatest fight. The so-called ... -
2000 Shocking images of boy shot in Gaza
There has been a shocked and angry reaction around the world to TV pictures showing the death of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy caught in Israeli-Palestinian cross-fire ... -
1968 Musical Hair opens as censors withdraw
The American hippy musical “Hair” has opened in London – one day after the abolition of theatre censorship. Until yesterday, some of the scenes in the ... -
1984 UK and China agree Hong Kong handover
Britain and China have finalised an agreement which will end more than 150 years of UK rule in Hong Kong. The proposal – which will hand ... -
1996 Taleban gains threaten Kabul
Opposition fighters in Afghanistan have reached the eastern suburbs of Kabul and are poised to take control of the country’s capital. Taleban fighters have captured the ... -
1975 First Britons conquer Everest
Dougal Haston and Doug Scott have become the first Britons to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain. The men arrived at the top of ... -
1999 UN force arrives in East Timor
A multinational peacekeeping force has landed in East Timor in an attempt to restore law and order to the territory. The UN force has been sent ... -
1970 Rock legend Hendrix dies after party
Guitarist Jimi Hendrix has died after collapsing at a party in London. Police say there was no question of foul play. A number of sleeping pills ... -
1970 Civil war breaks out in Jordan
The Jordanian army has launched a full-scale attack on Palestinian guerrillas in towns all over Jordan following weeks of sporadic fighting between the two sides. King ... -
1978 Thousands dead in Iran earthquake
More than 11,000 people are feared dead after an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale hit the south-east region of Iran. The three-minute quake, the ... -
1993 Rabin and Arafat shake on peace deal
The Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, and the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, have shaken hands before cheering crowds on the White House lawn in Washington. ... -
2001 US declares war on terror
The President of the United States has described the destruction caused in New York and Washington as an act of war against all freedom-loving people. In ... -
2001 US rocked by day of terror
The United States is in a state of shock after a day of attacks which have left thousands dead and New York’s World Trade Center destroyed. ... -
1963 American Express comes to Britain
American Express, one of the world’s largest banking houses, has opened a credit card service in Britain. Holders of the cards will be able to use ... -
1976 Chairman Mao Zedong dies
The chief architect of the Chinese revolution, Chairman Mao Zedong, has died at the age of 82. His death – at 10 minutes past midnight – ... -
1957 Homosexuality ‘should not be a crime’
A report sponsored by the government has suggested homosexual behaviour between consenting adults should no longer be a criminal offence. The proposal is the principal and ... -
1954 UK National Trust buys remote island
The National Trust for Scotland has taken control of Fair Isle, famous for its bird life and knitted sweaters. The remote island situated between Shetland and ...
