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Thursday, August 14, 1997

  • Today's Events
  • On Horizon
  • On This Day
  • Newslink
  • Holidays & more
  • Almanac archive
  • "The situation here is unquestionably dire. What makes this famine unique is that the entire country is being affected, the entire populace."

    -- CNN's Eason Jordan





    Today's events


  • The parliaments of India and Pakistan meet in their respective capitals to mark the 50th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule.

  • Timothy McVeigh, convicted in June for the Oklahoma City bombing, is scheduled to be formally sentenced in Denver.

  • Russian Cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliyev and Alexander Lazutkin are scheduled to head back to Earth after six months of mishaps aboard the space station Mir.

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    On the horizon


  • On Friday, August 15, the Japanese government holds a memorial service to mark the 52nd anniversary of the end of World War II.

  • On Saturday, August 16, President Suharto is scheduled to give the state-of-the-nation Independence Day address in Jakarta, Indonesia.

  • On Sunday, August 17, the "first-ever Elvis Conference cruise" of the Caribbean leaves port, hosted by the International Conference on Elvis Presley.

  • On Monday, August 18, the first female cadets are scheduled to arrive at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.

  • On Tuesday, August 19, U.S. President Bill Clinton celebrates his 51st birthday. Second Lady Tipper Gore celebrates her 49th birthday.

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    On this day


  • In 1040, King Duncan of Scotland was murdered by Macbeth, who then became king and ruled for 17 years.

  • In 1385, Portuguese forces thwarted an attempted invasion by John I of Castille at the battle of Aljubarrota, securing independence for the Portuguese.

  • In 1551, Turkish forces captured Tripoli, Libya.

  • In 1678, William of Orange attacked the French army near Mons. The French, caught by surprise, rallied and repulsed William who lost several thousand men.

  • In 1893, France became the first country to introduce motor vehicle registration plates.

  • In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion, a peasant uprising aimed at forcing all foreigners from China, was finally defeated when an international force captured Beijing.

  • In 1908, the world's first international beauty contest was held at the Pier Hippodrome at Folkestone, England.

  • In 1912, U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua to protect American economic interests there.

  • In 1920, King Albert of Belgium opened the seventh Olympic Games in Antwerp.

  • In 1935, the Social Security Act, establishing old age benefits and unemployment insurance, was passed by the U.S. Congress.

  • In 1941, the Atlantic Charter was signed by U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill. The charter was later included in the United Nations Declaration.

  • In 1945, Japan accepted the Allies' terms of unconditional surrender, ending World War II.

  • In 1949, Konrad Adenauer was appointed first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  • In 1962, after three and a half years of digging, Italian and French workers completed the road tunnel under Mont Blanc, when the last nine feet separating the two sides was dynamited.

  • In 1970, Yugoslavia and the Vatican announced the resumption of full diplomatic relations after an 18-year break.

  • In 1971, Bahrain declared itself a fully independent and sovereign state.

  • In 1974, fighting resumed in Cyprus after peace talks in Geneva broke down over a Turkish demand for autonomous regions on the island.

  • In 1986, riots broke out across Pakistan against the government of President Zia ul-Haq; three people were shot dead and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was arrested.

  • In 1987, a Sri Lankan soldier in a guard of honor for visiting Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi broke ranks and struck him with his rifle butt.

  • In 1989, P.W. Botha resigned as South African president.

  • In 1996, the National Party, the architects of South African apartheid, moved to the opposition benches for the first time in 48 years.

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    Newslink


    Want to know the latest in the ongoing UPS strike? Well, at least the management's point of view? Check out UPS online for updates and company information galore. The Teamsters Union, surprise, is just as well organized on the Internet as UPS is. Check them out at the Teamsters Union Home Page for another side to the story.


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    Holidays and more


  • Today is Assumption Eve in Italy.

  • It's Oued-Ed-Dahab Day in Morocco.

  • Today is Independence Day in Pakistan.

  • Chef Julia Child is 85.

  • Singer David Crosby is 56.

  • Actor Antonio Fargas is 51.

  • Actress Alice Ghostly is 71.

  • Singer Buddy Greco is 71.

  • Former basketball player Magic Johnson is 38.

  • Cartoonist Gary Larson is 47.

  • Comedian Steve Martin is 52.

  • Actress Susan Saint James is 51.

  • Author Danielle Steel is 50.

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    Sources: Associated Press,
    Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan



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