1964 U.S.A. Alaska Earthquake
1964 : A massive earthquake Named the “Good Friday Earthquake,” that measured 8.6 on the Richter scale struck Alaska , flattening buildings and triggering a massive tidal wave.
1952 U.S.A. "Singin' in the Rain"
1952 : The comedy musical starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds debuts at the movies.
1980 U.S.A. Mount St. Helens Erupts
1980 : After a week of small earthquakes below the area, an eruption of Mount St. Helens blasts a mushroom cloud over most of the state of Washington. Just 2 months later St. Helens catastrophically erupted on May 18, 1980 during which 57 people were killed or never found and huge tracts of forest and homes were destroyed.
1998 U.S.A. Viagra
1998 : The FDA approves the drug Viagra produced by Pfizer for use against impotence in men.
2001 California Electricity Price Increase 46%
2001 : California regulators approved electricity rate hikes of up to 46 percent following the partially deregulated California energy system.
1989 Soviet Union Parliamentary Elections
1989 : A high turnout of eighty Percent of Russian people vote in Soviet parliamentary elections with many non-communist members being elected. This is a continuing trend in the Soviet Union of openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions together with freedom of information "glasnost and perestroika."
An important point to note is the percentage of voters in the Soviet Union who used their right to vote compared with other countries in the same decade.
Soviet Union 80 - 85 % of those who had the right to vote did so
U.S.A. Presidential Elections 1988 Closer to 50 % of those who had the right to vote did so
United Kingdom General Elections 1987 Closer to 75% of those who had the right to vote did so
I think the important thing about the percentage of people who waste the vote they have is why. Is it because of apathy or because they feel disenfranchised by US politics
1908 Hong Kong Canada Immigrants
1908 : Hundreds of men in Hong Kong are waiting to come to Vancouver. These men were from Calcutta, India, and already had purchased transportation to Canada as a destination. However, they were held up. Canada was willing to let them in, but it was not so easy in other parts of the world, such as in Hong Kong.
1909 England First Fingerprint Evidence Used in Murder Case
1909 : For the first time fingerprint evidence is used to solve a murder case. The worlds first official Fingerprint Bureau was founded in Scotland Yard in 1901. It should also be noted that the World's first Fingerprint Bureau opened in Calcutta, India in 1897.
1920 Russia Famine
1920 : Famine was just starting in Russia due a food shortage. No wheat flour was available caused by disturbances in agriculture during the World War I and the Russian Revolution and civil war that followed.
1935 Germany Hitler Demands For Guns
1935 : Hitler demanded that Germany have equal military power with other European nations. He wanted this on a gun-for-gun basis. (However, it was also recorded that he wanted superiority over the Russian army.)
1940 Canada Liberal Party Win Elections
1940 : A summary of current Canadian election results was given. The Liberal Party of Canada won the majority of the votes, and Prime Minister MacKenzie King was put in office for another five-year term.
1945 U.S.A. Ella Fitzgerald
1945 : Jazz great Ella Fitzgerald and the Delta Rhythm Boys record the smash hit "It's Only a Paper Moon." Since then, it has become a popular standard for both jazz artists and pop music artists.
1955 U.S.A. Niagara Falls
1955 : A demolition crew using helicopters blasted ice in Niagara Falls. This was considered a fruitless attempt to break up the ice that has caused destruction along the shores of this body of the Niagara River.
1958 Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev
1958 : Nikita Khrushchev becomes the Premier of the Soviet Union today.
1962 U.S.A. Segregation
1962 : Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel of Louisiana, called for all Roman Catholic schools in the city of New Orleans to end their segregation policies.
1963 England 1st Beeching Report
1963 : The chairman of the British Transport Commission, Dr Richard Beeching, says nearly 1/4 of British Rail stations and track need to be closed to make the British Rail Network Viable, this equates to over 2,000 stations and 250 train services which could be withdrawn immediately on economic grounds. The outcome of his first report and a second report in 1965 led to the loss of 2,128 stations closed and many branch lines leading to the loss of 67,700 jobs.
1966 U.S.A. Indira Gandhi
1966 : Following her election as Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi arrives in the U.S. for a meeting with President Johnson.
1967 Indonesia Communist Party
1967 : At least one print publication revealed Indonesia’s decision towards Communist rule in this country. One decision made by the Indonesian parliament on the day before was to not allow former members of the Indonesian Communist Party to run for government office.
1968 Soviet Union Yuri Gagarin
1968 : Yuri Gagarin, the famous Russian cosmonaut who flew the world's first manned space mission, died during a training flight.
1972 Northern Ireland Factory Workers Strike
1972 : Thousands of office and factory workers left their jobs. This action was done in retaliation of British government takeover.
1977 Canary Islands Jumbo Jets Collide
1977 : Two 747 jumbo jets a KLM Boeing 747, attempting to take off, crashed into a Pan Am 747 on the runway at an airport in the Canary Islands, killing 582 passengers and crew members.
1980 U.K. Alexander Kielland Platform
1980 : The Alexander Kielland platform 230 miles off shore from Dundee in Scotland is hit by a giant wave which causes one of the legs supporting it to give way, the platform then capsized throwing those trying to get off into the cold North Sea. RAF and Norwegian helicopters along with any shipping close to the accident have been asked to help with the rescue. The current stormy weather conditions are making rescue difficult and the bitter cold sea combined with the stormy conditions left 123 dead.
1987 U.S.A. Radon Gas
1987 : Radon gas caused a serious health threat in Montgomery County. This case was found in several homes, and it was suspected to be the cause of up to 50 deaths every year.
1990 U.K. Robert Runchie
1990 : The Most Reverend Robert Runchie’s plans to retired were made public in a newspaper. As of the following January, he had plans to step down from his position as Archbishop of Canterbury. He had served in this position for ten years.
1994 U.K. European Fighter Aircraft "Eurofighter"
1994 : The European Fighter Aircraft "Eurofighter" has makes its inaugural test flight. The joint venture plans for the Eurofighter were first conceived in 1983 and is a joint venture between British Aerospace Defence, Dasa in Germany, Alenia in Italy. Casa in Spain. The aircraft which achieves Mach 2 with an expected speed of 1,370mph entered production in 2003 as the Eurofighter Typhoon with 137 so far sold and in use in Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe, Aeronautica Militare, Italiana, Ejército del Aire. Additional orders from Austria and Saudi Arabia have followed.
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