Tag: This Day in History
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This Day in History | 1990: Iraq frees British hostages
The first of the hostages held in the Gulf for four-and-a-half months have arrived in Britain after their release by Saddam Hussein. A total of 100 ... -
This Day in History | 1978 Spain set to vote for democracy
Spaniards have been turning out in force today to cast a vote for democracy and end almost 40 years of dictatorial rule. The majority of the ... -
This Day in History | 1989 – Malta summit ends Cold War
The leaders of the two world superpowers, the USA and the USSR, have declared an end to the Cold War after two days of storm-lashed talks ... -
This Day in History | 1963 Canadian air disaster kills 118
A Canadian jet has crashed within minutes of take-off, killing all 118 people on board. The Trans-Canada Airlines DC8, bound for Toronto, crashed into a field, ... -
This Day in History | 1992 Queen to be taxed from next year
A British monarch is to pay income tax for the first time since the 1930s. The Prime Minister, John Major, told the House of Commons the ... -
This Day in History | 1963 Kennedy shot dead in Dallas
The President of the United States has been assassinated by a gunman in Dallas, Texas. John F Kennedy was hit in the head and throat when ... -
This Day in History | 1995 Balkan leaders agree to peace
A peace settlement for war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina has been brokered in the United States. US President Bill Clinton announced the deal after 21 days of seemingly deadlocked ... -
This Day in History | 1951 British families leave Egypt’s Canal Zone
More than 1,000 families of British servicemen have begun moving out of the Suez Canal Zone town of Ismailia. The move was ordered yesterday following the ... -
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 | 1976 – Bank robbers jailed for 100 years
Seven men who took part in an £8m bank robbery have received jail terms totalling nearly 100 years. The raid at the Bank of America in ... -
This Day in History | 1985 Anglo-Irish agreement signed
Britain and the Republic of Ireland have signed a deal giving Dublin a role in Northern Ireland for the first time in more than 60 years. ... -
This Day in History | 1991 US accuses Libyans of Lockerbie bombing
Two Libyan intelligence officers have been accused of masterminding the Lockerbie bombing. The United States has called on Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi to hand over the ... -
This Day in History | 1979 Times returns after year-long dispute
The Times newspaper has been published for the first time in nearly a year. The paper’s disappearance from news stands followed a dispute between management and ... -
This Day in History | 1954 New York’s Ellis Island closes
New York’s main immigration control centre, Ellis Island, has shut down after 62 years. The site, which has admitted around 15 million people into America from ... -
This Day in History | 2000 – Hillary Clinton is first First Lady in Senate
Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of the president, has won a seat for the Democrats in the Senate to become the only First Lady to win elective ... -
This Day in History | 1999 Australia rejects republic
Australians have rejected a proposal to break ties with the British monarchy and become a republic. In the landmark referendum to decide whether Australia would replace ... -
This Day in History | 1978 Iran’s PM steps down amid riots
Iran’s Prime Minister Jaffer Sharif-Emami has resigned after two days of virtual mob rule. The appointment of Mr Sharif-Emami, a Shia Muslim, by the Shah just ... -
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 | 1990 Howe resigns over Europe policy
The UK’s deputy Prime Minister, Sir Geoffrey Howe, has resigned. He informed the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of his decision at around 1800 on Thursday. Sir ... -
This Day in History | 1984 Indian prime minister shot dead
Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, has been killed by assassins in New Delhi. Mrs Gandhi was thought to have been walking through her gardens ... -
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 | 1956 – Hungarians rise up against Soviet rule
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Hungary to demand an end to Soviet rule. There are believed to have been many ... -
This Day in History | 1990 – Aral Sea is ‘World’s worst disaster’
The Royal Geographical Society has unveiled evidence that the devastated region around the Aral Sea in Central Asia is the world’s worst ecological disaster. Three British ... -
This Day in History | 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 ... -
This Day in History | 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 ... -
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 | 1979 IRA bomb kills Lord Mountbatten
The Queen’s cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, has been killed by a bomb blast on his boat in Ireland. One of the earl’s twin grandsons, Nicholas, 14, ... -
This Day in History | 1985 Live Aid makes millions for Africa
The Live Aid concert for the starving in Africa has raised triple the £10m expected. And as the London event draws to a close at Wembley ... -
This Day in History | 1997 Mars buggy starts exploring Red Planet
Nasa scientists have freed a robot from the space probe Mars Pathfinder, allowing it to begin its exploration of the Red Planet at last. The rover, ... -
This Day in History | 1974 First female president or Argentina
Maria Estela Isabel Martinez de Peron has been sworn in as interim leader of the Argentine Republic. Her husband President Juan Peron delegated responsibility after doctors ... -
This Day in History | 2000 British marines leave Sierra Leone
The major contingent of the British military task force sent to help restore order in the West African state of Sierra Leone has left the country. ... -
This Day in History | 2000 Blair ‘handbagged’ by the WI
Prime Minister Tony Blair has been given a hostile reception by Women’s Institute members, who heckled and slow hand-clapped a speech he gave to their conference. ... -
This Day in History | 1970 British Prime Minister hit by flying egg
The Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, has been hit in the face with an egg thrown by a Young Conservative demonstrator. The raw egg, thrown at close ... -
This Day in History | 1971 Britain’s oldest tabloid closes
The Daily Sketch newspaper which was founded in 1909 has been published for the last time. Enclosed in today’s souvenir issue was a copy of its ... -
This Day in History | 1972 – Israeli commandos storm hijacked jet
Twelve Israeli soldiers disguised as maintenance staff have stormed a hijacked Sabena Boeing at Lod airport in Tel Aviv and released the 100 people on board. ...
