Wednesday, June 4, 1997
Today's events
The World Economic Forum issues its
world competitiveness report in Zurich
Retrial of soccer stars Bruce
Grobbelaar, Hans Segers and John Fashanu, charged with fixing
top-level soccer matches, takes place in Winchester, England.
Irish Prime Minister John Bruton and main opposition leader
Bertie Ahern are due to take part in a pre-election head-to-head
television debate.
|
On the horizon
On Thursday, June 5, multiparty legislative elections are
scheduled to be held in Algeria, the first since authorities
annulled 1992's general election.
On Friday, June 6, the 44th Sydney Film Festival takes place
in Australia.
On Saturday, June 7, the 129th running of the Belmont Stakes,
third leg of thoroughbred
racing's Triple Crown, will be run at Belmont Park.
On Sunday, June 8, Nordic and Baltic defense ministers are
scheduled to meet in Saaremaa, Estonia.
On Monday, June 9, the Bank for International Settlements,
holds an annual meeting attended by world's senior central
banker in Basle, Switzerland.
|
On this day
In 1738, King George III of Britain was born.
In 1783, brothers Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier made the
first public demonstration of a hot air balloon.
In 1798, Giovanni Casanova, Chevalier de Seingalt, Italian
adventurer, writer, diplomat and spy, died. His name became
synonomous with passion after a series of romantic intrigues
across Europe.
In 1831, the Belgium Congress proclaimed Prince Leopold of
Saxe-Coburg as the first monarch of an independent Belgium.
In 1859, the French defeated the Austrians at the Battle of
Magenta, Italy.
In 1867, Carl Gustav Emil von Mannnerheim, Finnish soldier
and statesman, born. He was responsible for organising the
Mannerheim Line of defence against Russia during World War
Two and was president of Finland from 1944-1946.
In 1896, Henry Ford took his first car to the roads of
Detroit for a trial run.
In 1910, Sir Christopher Cockerell, British inventor of the
hovercraft, was born.
In 1913, British suffragette Emily Davison ran in front of
the King's horse Anmer during the Derby horse race; she died
June 8.
In 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made his
famous "We shall fight on the beaches... we shall never
surrender" speech to the House of Commons.
In 1941, Kaiser Wilhelm II, ninth king of Prussia and third
German emperor from 1888-1918, died in exile in the
Netherlands.
In 1942, the Battle of Midway, the turning point in the sea
war in the Pacific, began.
In 1943, President Ramon Castillo was overthrown by an army
coup in Argentina.
In 1944, Rome was liberated by allied troops with the U.S.
General Mark Clark leading the way into the city. Historic
sites had been left intact.
In 1946, General Juan Peron was inaugurated as president of
Argentina.
In 1951, Conductor Serge Koussevitsky died. Born in Russia,
he conducted the State Symphony Orchestra in Petrograd before
moving to the U.S. to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
In 1968, Sir Walter Nash, veteran New Zealand politician and
prime minister from 1957-60, died.
In 1970, the British protectorate of Tonga became independent
within the Commonwealth.
In 1977, the Soviet Union published its new draft
constitution, which was approved by the Supreme Soviet the
following October.
In 1979, in South Africa, John Vorster resigned as president
after the Erasmus Commission report implicated him in a
scandal involving misappropriation of government funds while
he was
prime minister.
In 1989, hundreds of student dissidents were killed when the
Chinese army moved in to remove them from Tiananmen Square;
some
estimates put the death toll in the thousands.
In 1989, gas from a leaking pipeline exploded, engulfing two
packed passenger trains on the Trans-Siberian railway; 575
people were killed and over 600 injured in the second worst
rail
disaster ever.
In 1991, after a 20-day general strike, the communist
government in Albania under Fatos Nano resigned.
In 1993, the U.N. Security Council agreed to send armed
troops to Bosnia to protect six "safe havens" -- Sarajevo,
Tuzla, Zepa, Srebrenica, Gorazde and Bihac.
In 1994, Bangladesh ordered the arrest of feminist writer
Taslima Nasrin after she told an Indian newpaper the Koran
should be "thoroughly revised."
In 1996, the wife of detained Nigerian presidential claimant
Moshood Abiola was shot and killed by unknown gunmen.
In 1996, Europe's Ariane-5 rocket was blown up by ground
controllers after it veered off course 40 seconds into its
maiden flight.
|
Newslink
On this day in 1783, brothers Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier
made the first public demonstration of a hot air balloon. The
sport is still going strong today. For all the news and
events in the balloon world, check out Hot Air Online.
|
Holidays and more
Today is Revolution Day in Ghana.
It is Yom Yerushalayim in Israel.
It is Emancipation Day in Tonga.
Actor Bruce Dern is 61.
Singer Robert Merrill is 78.
Singer and actress Michelle Phillips is 52.
Actor Parker Stevenson is 44.
Actor Dennis Weaver is 73.
|
Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
|