{"id":54154,"date":"2015-02-23T12:00:36","date_gmt":"2015-02-23T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=54154"},"modified":"2015-05-05T21:26:04","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T20:26:04","slug":"this-week-in-history-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2015\/02\/this-week-in-history-12\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in History"},"content":{"rendered":"

February 23\u2013March 1 <\/em><\/p>\n

Quote of the Week:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing is impossible; the word itself says, ‘I’m possible’!<\/a><\/em>\u201d — Audrey Hepburn<\/a><\/p>\n

FEBRUARY 23 <\/strong><\/p>\n

2014<\/strong>\u00a0 The closing ceremony<\/a> of the Winter Olympics<\/a> take place in Sochi<\/a>, Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2013<\/strong>\u00a0 Leaks from Nuclear Waste Tanks at Hanford<\/strong>. \u201cThe Washington Post<\/em> reported that Governor Jay Inslee had publicly announced that six of the 177 million gallon nuclear waste tanks at Hanford Reservation in south-central Washington state were experiencing significant leaks. The tanks are long-past their 20-year life span and the federal government is spending just a few billion dollars annually cleaning up dozens of legacy nuclear bomb-making sites nationally.\u00a0\u00a0 Comments:\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to the large military nuclear waste problem at sites like Hanford, Paducah, Kentucky, Fernald, Ohio, Oak Ridge, Tennessee and other locations, civilian nuclear power plant wastes, including thousands of spent fuel rods kept in water storage pools at nuclear reactor sites, and wastes shipped to the flawed Waste Isolation Pilot Project facility in New Mexico, represent a decades-long growing problem for not only the United States but for dozens of other nations that oversee the world\u2019s 400 civilian nuclear power plants. This is yet another reason to call for not only the elimination of thousands of nuclear weapons but also the dangerous, economically unsustainable, and unhealthy global civilian nuclear power infrastructure. The huge clean up conundrum is growing exponentially worse year after year but policymakers continue to ignore or downgrade this crisis.\u201d Quoted from http:\/\/www.wagingpeace.org\/february-this-month-in-nuclear-threat-history\/<\/a> .<\/p>\n

2012<\/strong>\u00a0 A series of attacks<\/a> across Iraq<\/a> leave at least 83 killed and more than 250 injured.<\/p>\n

2005<\/strong>\u00a0 The controversial French law on colonialism<\/a> is passed, requiring teachers to teach the “positive values of colonialism”. After public outcry, it is repealed at the beginning of 2006<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1999<\/strong>\u00a0 Kurdish<\/a> rebel leader Abdullah \u00d6calan<\/a> is charged with treason<\/a> in Ankara<\/a>, Turkey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 In Thailand<\/a>, General Sunthorn Kongsompong<\/a> leads a bloodless coup d’\u00e9tat<\/a>, deposing Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 Gulf War<\/a>: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian<\/a> border and enter Iraq<\/a>, thus beginning the ground phase<\/a> of the war.<\/p>\n

1981<\/strong>\u00a0 In Spain, Antonio Tejero<\/a> attempts a coup d’\u00e9tat<\/a> by capturing the Spanish Congress of Deputies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1980<\/strong>\u00a0 Iran hostage crisis<\/a>: Supreme Leader<\/a> Ayatollah<\/a> Ruhollah Khomeini<\/a> states that Iran’s parliament will decide the fate of the American embassy hostages.<\/p>\n

1974<\/strong>\u00a0 The Symbionese Liberation Army<\/a> demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1966<\/strong>\u00a0 In Syria<\/a>, Ba’ath Party<\/a> member Salah Jadid<\/a> leads an intra-party military coup<\/a> that replaces the previous government of General Amin Hafiz<\/a>, also a Baathist.<\/p>\n

1955<\/strong>\u00a0 First meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization<\/a> (SEATO).<\/p>\n

1947<\/strong>\u00a0 The International Organization for Standardization<\/a> (ISO) is founded.<\/p>\n

1945<\/strong>\u00a0 World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima<\/a>, a group of United States Marines<\/a> and a commonly forgotten U.S. Navy Corpsman, reach the top of Mount Suribachi<\/a> on the island and are photographed raising the American flag<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1944<\/strong>\u00a0 The Soviet Union<\/a> begins the forced deportation<\/a> of the Chechen<\/a> and Ingush people<\/a> from the North Caucasus<\/a> to Central Asia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1943<\/strong>\u00a0 Greek Resistance<\/a>: The United Panhellenic Organization of Youth<\/a> is founded is Greece.<\/p>\n

1941<\/strong>\u00a0 Plutonium<\/a> is first produced and isolated by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1927<\/strong>\u00a0 German<\/a> theoretical physicist<\/a> Werner Heisenberg<\/a> writes a letter to fellow physicist Wolfgang Pauli<\/a>, in which he describes his uncertainty principle<\/a> for the first time.<\/p>\n

1917<\/strong>\u00a0 First demonstrations in Saint Petersburg<\/a>, Russia. The beginning of the February Revolution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1903<\/strong>\u00a0 Cuba<\/a> leases Guant\u00e1namo Bay<\/a> to the United States “in perpetuity”.<\/p>\n

1900<\/strong>\u00a0 Second Boer War<\/a>: Boers<\/a> and British troops fight in the Battle of Hart’s Hill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1898<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00c9mile Zola<\/a> is imprisoned in France after writing “J’accuse<\/a>“, a letter accusing the French government<\/a> of antisemitism<\/a> and wrongfully imprisoning Captain<\/a> Alfred Dreyfus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1885<\/strong>\u00a0 Sino-French War<\/a>: French Army gains an important victory in the Battle of \u0110\u1ed3ng \u0110\u0103ng<\/a> in the Tonkin<\/a> region of Vietnam.<\/p>\n

1854<\/strong>\u00a0 The official independence<\/a> of the Orange Free State<\/a> is declared.<\/p>\n

1847<\/strong>\u00a0 Mexican\u2013American War<\/a>: Battle of Buena Vista<\/a> \u2013 In Mexico, American troops under future president General Zachary Taylor<\/a> defeat Mexican General Antonio L\u00f3pez de Santa Anna<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1836<\/strong>\u00a0 Texas Revolution<\/a>: The Battle of the Alamo<\/a> begins in San Antonio, Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1821<\/strong>\u00a0 Alexander Ypsilantis<\/a> starts the Greek War of Independence<\/a> in Ia\u0219i<\/a>, Wallachia<\/a> (now part of Romania<\/a>).<\/p>\n

FEBRUARY 24 <\/strong><\/p>\n

2008<\/strong>\u00a0 Fidel Castro<\/a> retires as the President of Cuba<\/a> after nearly fifty years.<\/p>\n

2007<\/strong>\u00a0 Japan launches its fourth spy satellite<\/a>, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2006<\/strong>\u00a0 Philippine President<\/a> Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo<\/a> declares Proclamation 1017<\/a> placing the country in a state of emergency<\/a> in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 Gulf War offensive begins. Visit http:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/gulf-war-ground-offensive-begins<\/a>;_and_http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1991\/02\/24\/world\/war-in-the-gulf-war-summary.html<\/a>._ For more information on the Gulf War, visit http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gulf_War<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1989<\/strong>\u00a0 Ayatollah<\/a> Ruhollah Khomeini<\/a> offers a US$3 million bounty for the death<\/a> of The Satanic Verses<\/a><\/em> author Salman Rushdie<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1976<\/strong>\u00a0 Cuba<\/a>: national Constitution<\/a> is proclaimed.<\/p>\n

1968<\/strong>\u00a0 Vietnam War<\/a>: The Tet Offensive<\/a> is halted; South Vietnam<\/a> recaptures Hu\u00e9<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1944<\/strong>\u00a0 Merrill’s Marauders<\/a>: The Marauders begin their 1,000-mile journey through Japanese occupied Burma.<\/p>\n

1942<\/strong>\u00a0 An order-in-council passed under the Defence of Canada Regulations<\/a> of the War Measures Act<\/a> gives the Canadian federal government<\/a> the power to intern all “persons of Japanese racial origin”<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1942<\/strong>\u00a0 The Battle of Los Angeles<\/a>, one of the largest documented UFO sightings in history; the event lasted into the early hours of February 25.<\/p>\n

1920<\/strong>\u00a0 The Nazi Party<\/a> is founded. Visit, for instance, http:\/\/www.historyplace.com\/worldwar2\/riseofhitler\/party.htm<\/a>;_ http:\/\/www.ushmm.org\/learn\/timeline-of-events\/before-1933\/nazi-party-platform<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/jsource\/Holocaust\/hitler02241941.html<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/on-this-day\/february-24-1920-hitler-launches-the-twenty-five-point-program-of-the-nazi-party-in-munich-germany<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/jsource\/Holocaust\/nsdap.html<\/a>;_and http:\/\/users.stlcc.edu\/rkalfus\/PDFs\/026.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1918<\/strong>\u00a0 Estonian Declaration of Independence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1917<\/strong>\u00a0 World War I<\/a>: The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram<\/a>, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico<\/a>, Texas<\/a>, and Arizona<\/a> to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.<\/p>\n

1895<\/strong>\u00a0 Revolution<\/a> breaks out in Baire, a town near Santiago de Cuba<\/a>, beginning the Cuban War of Independence<\/a>, that ends with the Spanish\u2013American War<\/a> in 1898.<\/p>\n

1881<\/strong>\u00a0 China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1831<\/strong>\u00a0 The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek<\/a>, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act<\/a>, is proclaimed. The Choctaws<\/a> in Mississippi<\/a> cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.<\/p>\n

1826<\/strong>\u00a0 The signing of the Treaty of Yandabo<\/a> marks the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FEBRUARY 25 <\/strong><\/p>\n

2011<\/strong>\u00a0 In China, Jia Qinglin, senior leader of the People’s Republic of China, calls for controls over Tibetan Buddhism and a renewed struggle against the Dalai Lama. Visit, for instance, http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-pacific-12575470?print=true<\/a>;_ http:\/\/www.thetibetpost.com\/en\/news\/international\/1490-china-calls-for-renewed-fight-against-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama<\/a>;_ an_ http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tibet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2010<\/strong>\u00a0 After being delayed by the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, Victor Yanukovych is sworn in as the 4th President of Ukraine. For Victor Yanukovych, visit, for instance, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Viktor_Yanukovych<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1994<\/strong>\u00a0 Mosque of Abraham massacre<\/a>: In the Cave of the Patriarchs<\/a> in the West Bank<\/a> city of Hebron<\/a>, Baruch Goldstein<\/a> opens fire with an automatic rifle, killing 29 Palestinian<\/a> worshippers and injuring 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors.<\/p>\n

1992<\/strong>\u00a0 Khojaly massacre<\/a>: about 613 civilians are killed by Armenian<\/a> armed forces during the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh<\/a> region of Azerbaijan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 The Warsaw Pact<\/a> is declared disbanded.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 Gulf War<\/a>: An Iraqi<\/a> scud missile<\/a> hits an American military barracks in Dhahran<\/a>, Saudi Arabia<\/a> killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists<\/a> from Pennsylvania<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1986<\/strong>\u00a0 People Power Revolution<\/a>: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos<\/a> flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino<\/a> becomes the Philippines<\/a>‘ first woman president.<\/p>\n

1981<\/strong>\u00a0 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.<\/p>\n

1980<\/strong>\u00a0 The government of Suriname<\/a> is overthrown by a military coup<\/a> which is initiated by the bombing of the police station from an army ship off the coast of the nation’s capital, Paramaribo<\/a><\/p>\n

1971<\/strong>\u00a0 The first unit of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station<\/a>, the first commercial nuclear power<\/a> station in Canada, goes online.<\/p>\n

1968<\/strong>\u00a0 Vietnam War<\/a>: 135 unarmed citizens of H\u00e0 My village in South Vietnam<\/a>‘s Qu\u1ea3ng Nam Province<\/a> are killed and buried en masse<\/em> by South Korean troops<\/a> in what would come to be known as the H\u00e0 My massacre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1964<\/strong>\u00a0 North Korean<\/a> Prime Minister Kim Il-sung<\/a> calls for the removal of feudalistic<\/a> land ownership aimed at turning all cooperative<\/a> farms into state-run ones.<\/p>\n

1956<\/strong>\u00a0 In his speech On the Personality Cult and its Consequences<\/a><\/em>, Nikita Khrushchev<\/a>, leader of the Soviet Union<\/a> denounces the cult of personality<\/a> of Joseph Stalin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1954<\/strong>\u00a0 Gamal Abdel Nasser<\/a> is made premier of Egypt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1948<\/strong>\u00a0 The Communist Party<\/a> takes control<\/a> of government in Czechoslovakia<\/a> and the period of the Third Republic<\/a> ends.<\/p>\n

1947<\/strong>\u00a0 The State of Prussia<\/a> ceases to exist.<\/p>\n

1945<\/strong>\u00a0 World War II<\/a>: Turkey<\/a> declares war on Germany.<\/p>\n

1941<\/strong>\u00a0 February Strike<\/a>: In occupied Amsterdam<\/a>, a general strike<\/a> is declared in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1933<\/strong>\u00a0 The USS\u00a0Ranger<\/em><\/a> is launched. It is the first US Navy ship to be built solely as an aircraft carrier<\/a>. For history of aircraft carriers, visit, for instance, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_the_aircraft_carrier<\/a>. For aircraft carriers in general, visit, for instance, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aircraft_carrier<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1932<\/strong>\u00a0 Adolf Hitler<\/a> obtains German citizenship by naturalization<\/a>, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspr\u00e4sident<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1921<\/strong>\u00a0 Tbilisi<\/a>, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia<\/a>, is occupied<\/a> by Bolshevist Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1916<\/strong>\u00a0 World War I<\/a>: the Germans capture Fort Douaumont<\/a> during the Battle of Verdun<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1912<\/strong>\u00a0 Marie-Ad\u00e9la\u00efde<\/a>, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV<\/a>, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess<\/a> of Luxembourg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1875<\/strong>\u00a0 Guangxu Emperor<\/a> of China<\/a> begins his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi<\/a>‘s regency.<\/p>\n

1870<\/strong> Hiram Rhodes Revels<\/a>, a Republican<\/a> from Mississippi<\/a>, is sworn into the United States Senate<\/a>, becoming the first African American<\/a> ever to sit in the U.S. Congress<\/a>. Visit http:\/\/history.house.gov\/Exhibitions-and-Publications\/BAIC\/Black-Americans-in-Congress\/<\/a>;_ http:\/\/www.myblackhistory.net\/Politics.htm<\/a>;_ http:\/\/www.tshaonline.org\/handbook\/online\/articles\/wmafr<\/a>;_and\/or_http:\/\/www.blackpolitics.org\/african-american-politics-a-history-of-struggle\/<\/a>. For African American women in the US politics, visit, for instance, http:\/\/americanpoliticswiki.com\/African_American_women_in_politics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1856<\/strong>\u00a0 A Peace conference<\/a> opens in Paris after the Crimean War<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1848<\/strong>\u00a0 Provisional government in revolutionary<\/a> France, by Louis Blanc<\/a>‘s motion, guarantees workers’ rights.<\/p>\n

1843<\/strong>\u00a0 Provisional Cession of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands<\/a> established by Lord George Paulet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1836<\/strong>\u00a0 Samuel Colt<\/a> is granted a United States patent<\/a> for the Colt<\/a> revolver<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1831<\/strong> Battle of Olszynka Grochowska<\/a>, part of Polish November Uprising<\/a> against Russian Empire.<\/p>\n

1821<\/strong>\u00a0 Greek War of Independence<\/a>: Alexander Ypsilantis<\/a> issues a proclamation at Ia\u0219i<\/a>, announcing that he had “the support of a great power” (i.e. Russia).<\/p>\n

1797<\/strong>\u00a0 Colonel William Tate<\/a> and his force of 1000-1500 soldiers surrender after the Last invasion of Britain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FEBRUARY 26 <\/strong><\/p>\n

1995<\/strong>\u00a0 The United Kingdom’s oldest investment banking institute, Barings Bank<\/a>, collapses after securities broker Nick Leeson<\/a>, loses $1.4 billion by speculating on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange<\/a> using futures contracts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1993<\/strong>\u00a0 World Trade Center bombing<\/a>: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower<\/a> of the World Trade Center<\/a> explodes, killing six and injuring over a thousand.<\/p>\n

1992<\/strong>\u00a0 Nagorno-Karabakh War<\/a>: Khojaly Massacre<\/a>: Armenian armed forces open fire on<\/a> Azeri civilians at a military post outside the town of Khojaly leaving hundreds dead.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 Gulf War: United States Army forces capture the town of Al Busayyah<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1990<\/strong>\u00a0 USSR agrees to withdraw all 73,500 troops from Czechoslovakia by July, 1991. Visit, for instance, http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1990\/02\/27\/world\/upheaval-east-czechoslovakia-gorbachev-sees-havel-agrees-speed-withdrawal-troops.html<\/a>;_and_http:\/\/timelines.ws\/countries\/CZECHOSLOVAKIA.HTML<\/a>_and\/or_http:\/\/www.cs.mcgill.ca\/~rwest\/link-suggestion\/wpcd_2008-09_augmented\/wp\/1\/1990.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1987<\/strong>\u00a0 Iran\u2013Contra affair<\/a>: The Tower Commission<\/a> rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.<\/p>\n

1980<\/strong>\u00a0 Egypt and Israel establish full diplomatic relations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1976<\/strong>\u00a0 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.<\/p>\n

1971<\/strong>\u00a0 U.N. Secretary General<\/a> U Thant<\/a> signs United Nations<\/a> proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1967<\/strong>\u00a0 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh\/Semipalitinsk USSR.<\/p>\n

1966<\/strong>\u00a0 Vietnam War<\/a>: The ROK Capital Division<\/a> of the South Korean Army<\/a> massacres<\/a> 380 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1946<\/strong>\u00a0 Finnish observers report the first of many thousands of sightings of ghost rockets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1936<\/strong>\u00a0 In the February 26 Incident<\/a>, young Japanese military officers attempt to stage a coup<\/a> against the government<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1935<\/strong>\u00a0 Robert Watson-Watt<\/a> carries out a demonstration near Daventry<\/a> which leads directly to the development of radar<\/a> in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

1935<\/strong>\u00a0 Adolf Hitler<\/a> orders the Luftwaffe<\/a> to be re-formed, violating the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1910<\/strong>\u00a0 Gandhi<\/a> supports the African People’s Organisations resolution to declare the day of arrival of the Prince of Wales in South Africa as a day of mourning in protest against the South Africa Acts disenfranchisement of Indians, Coloureds and Africans in the upcoming Union of South Africa. Visit, for instance, http:\/\/www.sahistory.org.za\/1900s\/1910s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1909<\/strong>\u00a0 Austria and Turkey conclude an agreement in which Turkey recognizes Austria’s 1908 annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is to receive compensation. For more information on this event, visit, for instance, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bosnian_crisis<\/a>;_and_http:\/\/www.archive.org\/stream\/austrianforeignp00pribuoft\/austrianforeignp00pribuoft_djvu.txt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1876<\/strong>\u00a0 Japan<\/a> and Korea<\/a> sign a treaty<\/a> granting Japanese citizens extraterritoriality<\/a> rights, opening three ports to Japanese trade, and ending Korea’s status as a tributary state<\/a> of Qing dynasty<\/a> China.<\/p>\n

1815<\/strong>\u00a0 Napoleon Bonaparte<\/a> escapes from Elba<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FEBRUARY 27 <\/strong><\/p>\n

2012<\/strong> Wikileaks begins releasing 5 million emails from Stratfor, a private intelligence company. For more information on Wikileaks, visit http:\/\/wikileaks.org\/About.html<\/a>;_http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/WikiLeaks<\/a>;_http:\/\/wikileaks.org\/<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/wikileaks<\/a>;_http:\/\/mirror.wikileaks.info\/<\/a>;_and\/or_http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/news\/wikileaks\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2004<\/strong>\u00a0 A bombing of a Superferry<\/a> by Abu Sayyaf<\/a> in the Philippines<\/a>‘ worst terrorist attack kills 116.<\/p>\n

2002<\/strong>\u00a0 Godhra train burning<\/a>: A Muslim<\/a> mob torches a train returning from Ayodhya<\/a>, killing 59 Hindu<\/a> prigrims.<\/p>\n

1995<\/strong>\u00a0 Zakho<\/a>: A terrorist explosion in a market in the city of Zakho leaves about 100 dead and 150 wounded.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 Gulf War<\/a>: U.S. President<\/a> George H. W. Bush<\/a> announces that “Kuwait<\/a> is liberated”.<\/p>\n

1989<\/strong>\u00a0 Venezuela<\/a> is rocked by the Caracazo<\/a> riots.<\/p>\n

1988<\/strong>\u00a0 Sumgait pogrom<\/a>: The Armenian<\/a> community of Sumgait<\/a> in Azerbaijan is targeted in a violent massacre.<\/p>\n

1982<\/strong>\u00a0 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island.<\/p>\n

1976<\/strong>\u00a0 The formerly Spanish<\/a> territory of Western Sahara<\/a>, under the auspices of the Polisario Front<\/a> declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1973<\/strong>\u00a0 The American Indian Movement<\/a> (AIM) occupies<\/a> Wounded Knee, South Dakota<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1963<\/strong>\u00a0 The Dominican Republic<\/a> receives its first democratically elected president<\/a>, Juan Bosch<\/a>, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1962<\/strong>\u00a0 Two dissident Vietnam Air Force<\/a> pilots bomb the Independence Palace<\/a> in Saigon<\/a> in a failed attempt to assassinate South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1943<\/strong>\u00a0 The Rosenstrasse protest<\/a> (= nonviolent protest in Rose street) starts in Berlin.<\/p>\n

1942<\/strong>\u00a0 World War II<\/a>: During the Battle of the Java Sea<\/a>, an Allied<\/a> strike force is defeated by a Japanese task force in the Java Sea<\/a> in the Dutch East Indies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1902<\/strong>\u00a0 Second Boer War<\/a>: Australian soldiers Harry ‘Breaker’ Morant<\/a> and Peter Handcock<\/a> are executed in Pretoria<\/a> for war crimes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1900<\/strong>\u00a0 Second Boer War<\/a>: In South Africa<\/a>, British<\/a> military leaders receive an unconditionapl notice of surrender from Boer<\/a> General<\/a> Piet Cronje<\/a> at the Battle of Paardeberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1881<\/strong>\u00a0 First Boer War<\/a>: The Battle of Majuba Hill<\/a> takes place.<\/p>\n

1844<\/strong>\u00a0 The Dominican Republic<\/a> gains independence from Haiti<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1829<\/strong>\u00a0 Battle of Tarqui<\/a> is fought.<\/p>\n

1812<\/strong>\u00a0 Argentine War of Independence<\/a>: Manuel Belgrano<\/a> raises the Flag of Argentina<\/a> in the city of Rosario<\/a> for the first time.<\/p>\n

1700<\/strong>\u00a0 The island of New Britain<\/a> is discovered.<\/p>\n

1617<\/strong>\u00a0 Sweden<\/a> and Russia<\/a> sign the Treaty of Stolbovo<\/a>, ending the Ingrian War<\/a> and shutting Russia<\/a> out of the Baltic Sea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FEBRUARY 28<\/strong><\/p>\n

2013<\/strong>\u00a0 Pope Benedict XVI<\/a> resigns<\/a> as the pope of the Catholic Church<\/a> becoming the first pope to do so since 1415.<\/p>\n

2005<\/strong>\u00a0 A suicide bombing<\/a> at a police recruiting centre in Al Hillah<\/a>, Iraq<\/a> kills 127.<\/p>\n

2004<\/strong>\u00a0 Over one million Taiwanese<\/a> participating in the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally<\/a> form a 500-kilometre (310\u00a0mi) long human chain to commemorate the 228 Incident<\/a> in 1947<\/a><\/p>\n

2003<\/strong>\u00a0 United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said there is no evidence that Iraq has any weapons of mass destruction. For more information on this issue, visit, for instance, http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2003\/02\/28\/world\/threats-responses-inspections-principle-iraq-agrees-destroy-forbidden-missiles.html<\/a>;_http:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2003\/US\/03\/07\/sprj.irq.un.transcript.blix\/<\/a>;_http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.berkeley.edu\/news\/media\/releases\/2004\/03\/18_blix.shtml<\/a>;_and_http:\/\/worldnews.nbcnews.com\/_news\/2013\/03\/19\/17374226-iraq-war-10-years-later-where-are-they-now-hans-blix-un-weapons-inspector?lite<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2002<\/strong>\u00a0 During the religious violence in Gujarat<\/a>, the 97 people killed in the Naroda Patiya massacre<\/a> and 69 in Gulbarg Society massacre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1998<\/strong>\u00a0 Kosovo War<\/a>: Serbian<\/a> police begin the offensive against the Kosovo Liberation Army<\/a> in Kosovo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1998<\/strong>\u00a0 First flight of RQ-4 Global Hawk<\/a>, the first unmanned aerial vehicle<\/a> certified to file its own flight plans and fly regularly in U.S. civilian airspace.<\/p>\n

1997<\/strong>\u00a0 Military Coup<\/a> in Turkey<\/a><\/p>\n

1997<\/strong>\u00a0 GRB 970228<\/a>, a highly luminous flash of gamma rays<\/a>, strikes the Earth for 80 seconds, providing early evidence that gamma-ray bursts<\/a> occur well beyond the Milky Way<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1991<\/strong>\u00a0 The first Gulf War<\/a> ends.<\/p>\n

1986<\/strong>\u00a0 European Economic Community sign “Single European Act\u201d for Europe free trade. Visit, for instance, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Single_European_Act<\/a>;_http:\/\/europa.eu\/legislation_summaries\/institutional_affairs\/treaties\/treaties_singleact_en.htm<\/a>;_and_http:\/\/www.wisegeek.com\/what-is-the-single-european-act.htm#didyouknowout<\/a>. Also see the section of Towards Maastricht <\/em>in http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Economic_Community<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1986<\/strong>\u00a0 Olof Palme<\/a>, prime minister of Sweden, is assassinated<\/a> in Stockholm.<\/p>\n

1985<\/strong>\u00a0 The Provisional Irish Republican Army<\/a> carries out a mortar attack<\/a> on the Royal Ulster Constabulary<\/a> police station at Newry<\/a>, killing nine officers in the highest loss of life for the RUC on a single day.<\/p>\n

1980<\/strong>\u00a0 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.<\/p>\n

1980<\/strong>\u00a0 Andalusia<\/a> approves its statute of autonomy<\/a> through a referendum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1975<\/strong>\u00a0 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.<\/p>\n

1972<\/strong>\u00a0 Sino-American relations<\/a>: The United States and People’s Republic of China sign the Shanghai Communiqu\u00e9<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1953<\/strong>\u00a0 James D. Watson<\/a> and Francis Crick<\/a> announce to friends that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA<\/a>; the formal announcement takes place on April 25<\/a> following publication in April’s Nature<\/a><\/em> (pub. April 2<\/a>).<\/p>\n

1948<\/strong>\u00a0 Christiansborg Cross-Roads shooting in the Gold Coast<\/a>, when a British police officer opens fire on a march of ex-servicemen, killing three of them and sparking major riots in Accra<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1947<\/strong>\u00a0 228 Incident<\/a>: In Taiwan<\/a>, civil disorder is put down with the loss of an estimated 30,000 civilians.<\/p>\n

1942<\/strong>\u00a0 The heavy cruiser USS\u00a0Houston<\/em><\/a> is sunk in the Battle of Sunda Strait<\/a> with 693 crew members killed, along with HMAS\u00a0Perth<\/em><\/a> which lost 375 men.<\/p>\n

1939<\/strong>\u00a0 Great-Britain recognizes Franco-regime in Spain.<\/p>\n

1935<\/strong>\u00a0 DuPont<\/a> scientist Wallace Carothers<\/a> invents nylon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1933<\/strong>\u00a0 Gleichschaltung<\/a><\/em>: The Reichstag Fire Decree<\/a> is passed in Germany a day after the Reichstag fire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1922<\/strong>\u00a0 The United Kingdom ends its protectorate<\/a> over Egypt<\/a> through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1914<\/strong>\u00a0 The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus<\/a> is proclaimed in Gjirokast\u00ebr<\/a>, by the Greeks living in southern Albania<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1900<\/strong>\u00a0 The Second Boer War<\/a>: The 118-day “Siege of Ladysmith<\/a>” is lifted.<\/p>\n

1897<\/strong>\u00a0 Queen Ranavalona III<\/a>, the last monarch of Madagascar<\/a>, is deposed by a French military force.<\/p>\n

1870<\/strong>\u00a0 The Bulgarian Exarchate<\/a> is established by decree of Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz of the Ottoman Empire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1867<\/strong>\u00a0 Seventy years of Holy See-United States relations<\/a> are ended by a Congressional<\/a> ban on federal funding of diplomatic<\/a> envoys<\/a> to the Vatican and are not restored until January 10<\/a>, 1984<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1847<\/strong>\u00a0 The Battle of the Sacramento River<\/a> during the Mexican\u2013American War<\/a> is a decisive victory for the United States leading to the capture of Chihuahua<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1811<\/strong>\u00a0 Cry of Asencio<\/a><\/em>, beginning of the Uruguayan War of Independence<\/p>\n

1710<\/strong>\u00a0 In the Battle of Helsingborg<\/a>, 14,000 Danish invaders under J\u00f8rgen Rantzau<\/a> are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock<\/a>. This is the last time Swedish and Danish troops meet on Swedish soil.<\/p>\n

MARCH 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

2007<\/strong>\u00a0 “Squatters”<\/a> are evicted<\/a> from Ungdomshuset<\/a> in Copenhagen<\/a>, Denmark<\/a>, provoking the March 2007 Denmark Riots<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2004<\/strong>\u00a0 Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum<\/a> becomes President of Iraq<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2003<\/strong>\u00a0 The International Criminal Court<\/a> holds its inaugural session in The Hague<\/a>. Visit the website of the International Criminal Court, http:\/\/www.icc-cpi.int\/EN_Menus\/icc\/Pages\/default.aspx<\/a>. Also visit http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rome_Statute_of_the_International_Criminal_Court<\/a>. See the full text of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, http:\/\/legal.un.org\/icc\/statute\/romefra.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2002<\/strong>\u00a0 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan<\/a>: Operation Anaconda<\/a> begins in eastern Afghanistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2002<\/strong>\u00a0 The Constitution of Finland<\/a> is rewritten.<\/p>\n

1999<\/strong>\u00a0 Ottawa Treaty<\/a> (= Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention) enters into force. See the full text of this treaty http:\/\/www.icbl.org\/media\/604037\/treatyenglish.pdf<\/a>_or_http:\/\/www.icbl.org\/en-gb\/the-treaty\/treaty-in-detail\/treaty-text.aspx<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1995<\/strong>\u00a0 Prime Minister of Poland<\/a> Waldemar Pawlak<\/a> resigns from parliament and is replaced by ex-communist<\/a> J\u00f3zef Oleksy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1992<\/strong>\u00a0 Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a> declares its independence from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1981<\/strong>\u00a0 Provisional Irish Republican Army<\/a> member Bobby Sands<\/a> begins his hunger strike<\/a> in HM Prison Maze<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1974<\/strong>\u00a0 Watergate scandal<\/a>: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.<\/p>\n

1973<\/strong>\u00a0 Black September<\/a> storms the Saudi<\/a> embassy in Khartoum<\/a>, Sudan<\/a>, resulting in the assassination of three Western hostages<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1971<\/strong>\u00a0 President of Pakistan<\/a> Yahya Khan<\/a> indefinitely postpones the pending national assembly session, precipitating massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1966<\/strong>\u00a0 The Ba’ath Party<\/a> takes power in Syria<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1961<\/strong>\u00a0 Uganda<\/a> becomes self-governing and holds its first elections.<\/p>\n

1961<\/strong>\u00a0 American President<\/a> John F. Kennedy<\/a> establishes the Peace Corps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1958<\/strong>\u00a0 Samuel Alphonsus Stritch<\/a> is appointed Pro-Prefect<\/a> of the Propagation of Faith<\/a> and thus becomes the first American<\/a> member of the Roman Curia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1956<\/strong>\u00a0 Formation of the East German<\/a> Nationale Volksarmee<\/a> (= National People\u2019s Army).<\/p>\n

1954<\/strong>\u00a0 Nuclear testing<\/a>: The Castle Bravo<\/a>, a 15-megaton<\/a> hydrogen bomb<\/a>, is detonated on Bikini Atoll<\/a> in the Pacific Ocean<\/a>, resulting in the worst radioactive contamination<\/a> ever caused by the United States<\/a>. Also visit http:\/\/www.wagingpeace.org\/march-this-month-in-nuclear-threat-history\/<\/a> . [Note that some websites and documents indicate that the date of this event of the nuclear testing was \u201cFebruary 28\u201d, 1954. This is because of time difference between the local time in Bikini Atoll and that in most Western countries, especially that in the American Continent. When this nuclear testing was conducted, the date of the United States, for instance, was \u201cFebruary 28\u201d, 1954. In Bikini Atoll, however, the date was \u201cMarch 1\u201d. Bikini Atoll is located in Marshal Islands whose local time is UCT +12h. Washington D.C., for instance, is in the Eastern Standard Time Zone; UCT -5h. This means that the time difference between Bikini Atoll and Washington D.C. is 17h. The date difference may be found in some historical records, due to that in which time zone the record\/document in question was prepared.<\/em>]<\/p>\n

– For the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, visit, for instance, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_Castle<\/a>;_ http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nuclear_testing_at_Bikini_Atoll<\/a>;_ http:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/1339<\/a>;_http:\/\/www-ns.iaea.org\/appraisals\/bikini-atoll.asp<\/a>;_http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_Crossroads<\/a>;_http:\/\/io9.com\/5929562\/rare-photographs-of-atomic-bomb-testing-at-bikini-atoll<\/a>;_http:\/\/military.wikia.com\/wiki\/Nuclear_testing_at_Bikini_Atoll<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/travel\/2002\/aug\/06\/travelnews.nuclearindustry.environment<\/a>;_and\/or_http:\/\/toxipedia.org\/display\/wanmec\/Atomic+Bomb+Tests+in+the+Bikini+Atoll<\/a>.<\/p>\n

– For Dai Go Fukuryu Maru<\/em> (= S.S. Lucky Dragon No. 5<\/em>), visit http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Daigo_Fukury%C5%AB_Maru<\/a>;_and http:\/\/www1.american.edu\/TED\/LUCKY.HTM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

– For film (movie) Lucky Dragon No.5<\/em>, visit http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lucky_Dragon_No._5_%28film%29<\/a>;_http:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/song\/lucky-dragon-no-5-mt0043908785<\/a>;_and watch it, http:\/\/www.vioozmoviesonline.com\/movie\/108776\/lucky-dragon-no–5-1959<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1953<\/strong>\u00a0 Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin<\/a> suffers a stroke and collapses; he dies four days later.<\/p>\n

1950<\/strong>\u00a0 Cold War<\/a>: Klaus Fuchs<\/a> is convicted of spying for the Soviet Union<\/a> by disclosing top secret atomic bomb<\/a> data.<\/p>\n

1947<\/strong>\u00a0 The International Monetary Fund<\/a> begins financial operations.<\/p>\n

1946<\/strong>\u00a0 The Bank of England<\/a> is nationalised.<\/p>\n

1941<\/strong>\u00a0 World War II<\/a>: Bulgaria<\/a> signs the Tripartite Pact<\/a>, allying itself with the Axis powers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1919<\/strong>\u00a0 March 1st Movement<\/a> begins in Korea under Japanese rule<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1917<\/strong>\u00a0 The U.S. government<\/a> releases the unencrypted text<\/a> of the Zimmermann Telegram<\/a> to the public.<\/p>\n

1901<\/strong>\u00a0 The Australian Army<\/a> is formed.<\/p>\n

1896<\/strong>\u00a0 Henri Becquerel<\/a> discovers radioactivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1896<\/strong>\u00a0 Battle of Adowa<\/a>: an Ethiopian<\/a> army defeats an outnumbered Italian<\/a> force, ending the First Italo-Ethiopian War<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1893<\/strong>\u00a0 Electrical engineer Nikola Tesla<\/a> gives the first public demonstration of radio<\/a> in St. Louis<\/a>, Missouri<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1886<\/strong>\u00a0 The Anglo-Chinese School<\/a>, Singapore<\/a> is founded by Bishop<\/a> William Oldham<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1873<\/strong>\u00a0 E. Remington and Sons<\/a> in Ilion, New York<\/a> begins production of the first practical typewriter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1872<\/strong>\u00a0 Yellowstone National Park<\/a> is established as the world’s first national park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1847<\/strong>\u00a0 The state of Michigan<\/a> formally abolishes capital punishment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1815<\/strong>\u00a0 Napoleon<\/a> returns to France<\/a> from his banishment on Elba<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1811<\/strong>\u00a0 Leaders of the Mameluke dynasty<\/a> are killed by Egyptian<\/a> ruler Muhammad Ali<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1565<\/strong>\u00a0 The city of Rio de Janeiro<\/a> is founded.<\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

Satoshi Ashikaga is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment originally from Japan.<\/em><\/p>\n

(Sources and references: http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/February_23<\/a> to March_1;_http:\/\/www.brainyhistory.com\/days\/february_23.html<\/a> to March_1; http:\/\/www.historyorb.com\/events\/february\/23<\/a> to March\/1; and other relevant websites and documents, mentioned above.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

February 23\u2013March 1 – Quote of the Week: \u201cNothing is impossible; the word itself says, ‘I’m possible’!\u201d — Audrey Hepburn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[148],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54154\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}