Tag: This Day in History
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This day in history | 1985 Superpower summit ‘off to good start’
The first meeting in six years between the world’s superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – has begun in Switzerland. Early reports indicate ... -
This day in history | 2000 Hollywood meets Wales in ‘wedding of year’
The film world has celebrated the celebrity wedding of the year in New York, as Hollywood leading man Michael Douglas married Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones. ... -
This day in history | 1997 Egyptian militants kill tourists at Luxor
More than 60 people have been killed after an attack on a group of foreign tourists visiting a temple in southern Egypt. The tourists’ bus was ... -
This day in history | 1960 TV star famed for rudeness dies
British TV personality Gilbert Harding, who achieved fame through his outspoken and often rude behaviour, has died of a heart attack. He collapsed as he was ... -
This day in history | 1951: Murder on Malay rubber estate
Anti-government rebels have ambushed and killed 11 people in an attack on a rubber plantation in Malaya. The dead include a London director visiting the area, ... -
This day in history | 1984 Quid notes out – pound coins in
The English pound note is to disappear after more than 150 years. News of the familiar green £1 note’s withdrawal came when Chancellor Nigel Lawson made ... -
This day in history | 2004 Veteran leader Yasser Arafat is dead
The veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has died in hospital in Paris, France, aged 75. The man who led his people’s struggle for more than 40 ... -
This day in history | 1995 Nigeria hangs human rights activists
The writer and human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, has been executed in Nigeria despite worldwide pleas for clemency. The country’s military rulers ordered the execution of ... -
This day in history | 1985 America welcomes Charles and Diana
Prince Charles and Princess Diana have ended the first day of their much-vaunted trip to the USA at a gala dinner in the Washington, hosted by ... -
This day in history | 2000 Bush and Gore fight to the finish
The result of the American presidential election is still hanging in the balance hours after the last polls officially closed. Votes are still being counted in ... -
This day in history | 1984 Sandinistas claim election victory
Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista Front (FSLN) has claimed a decisive victory in the country’s first elections since the revolution five years ago. Within hours of the count ... -
This day in history | 1980 Reagan beats Carter in landslide
The former Hollywood actor and Republican governor of California Ronald Reagan is to be the next president of the United States. He has defeated Democrat Jimmy ... -
This day in history | 1995 Ex-minister charged with apartheid murders
Former South African defence minister General Magnus Malan has been charged with murder. General Malan was arrested today with 10 other former senior military officers. They ... -
This day in history | 1986 Chemical spill turns Rhine red
There has been a catastrophic fire at a chemicals factory near Basel, Switzerland, sending tons of toxic chemicals into the nearby river Rhine and turning it ... -
This day in history | 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 ... -
This day in history | 1962 World relief as Cuban missile crisis ends
The world has breathed a collective sigh of relief after the superpowers reached an agreement ending the immediate threat of nuclear war. Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev ... -
This day in history | 1950 Hunt for missing atomic scientist
The British intelligence service MI5 has been brought into the hunt for the missing atomic scientist Bruno Pontecorvo who has not been seen for about seven ... -
This day in history | 1979 South Korean President killed
The President of South Korea, Park Chung Hee, has been “accidentally” shot dead by the chief of his intelligence service, Kim Jea Kyu. Five other people, ... -
This day in history | 1983 US troops invade Grenada
United States marines and army rangers have invaded the Caribbean island of Grenada, seized the country’s two airports and taken Cuban and Soviet prisoners. The action, ... -
This day in history | 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 ... -
This day in history | 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 ... -
This day in history | 1967 Thousands join anti-war movement
The biggest demonstration yet against American involvement in the Vietnam War has taken place in the town of Oakland, in California. An estimated 4,000 people poured ... -
This day in history | 1987 Shares plunge after Wall Street crash
The world’s stock market has collapsed after shares on Wall Street suffered a wave of panic selling. The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted by a record ... -
This day in history | 1976 Funeral of Mafia boss held in NY
The funeral of Carlo Gambino, the ‘boss of the bosses’ in the Mafia, has taken place in New York. Mr Gambino, considered the most powerful of ... -
This day in history | 2002: Dozens killed in Bali nightclub explosion
Reports from the Indonesian holiday island of Bali say more than 50 people have been killed in two explosions. At least 10 foreigners died and more ... -
This day in history | 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 ... -
This day in history | 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 ... -
This day in history | 2001 US launches air strikes against Taleban
The United States has begun its military campaign, Operation Enduring Freedom, against al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan. Cruise missiles and bombers have targeted the airports ... -
This day in history | 1986 Nuclear technician missing after secrets leak
Fears are growing for the missing nuclear technician who disappeared in London after revealing details of Israel’s nuclear weapons programme. The American magazine, Newsweek, claimed earlier ... -
This day in history | 1957 British public gets ‘Asian Flu’ vaccine
A vaccine against the strain of influenza currently sweeping around the world has been made available to the British public. The so-called Asian Flu pandemic has ... -
This day in history | 1955 James Dean killed in car smash
The Hollywood film star James Dean has been killed in a road accident in California, USA. The 24-year-old actor was behind the wheel of his German-made ... -
This day in history | 1978 Catholics mourn Pope’s death
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church has died after the shortest papal reign in history. Pope John Paul, the surprise candidate elected just 33 days ... -
This day in history | 2000 ‘Provocative’ mosque visit sparks riots
Palestinians and Israeli police have clashed in the worst violence for several years at Jerusalem’s holiest site, the compound around Al-Aqsa mosque. The violence began after ... -
This day in history | 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 ... -
This day in history | 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 ...
