Monday, September 15, 1997
Today's events
Oslo, Norway, is scheduled to hold parliamentary and local elections.
All-party talks are scheduled to be launched in Belfast on the future of Northern Ireland.
Books of Condolence for Princess Diana at Kensington Palace in London are due to close.
Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Sting and Dire Straits' frontman Mark Knopfler are scheduled to perform at a benefit concert at London's Royal Albert Hall to raise money for the volcano-ravaged island of Montserrat.
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On the horizon
On Tuesday, September 16, the United Nations General Assembly's 52nd session opens in New York.
On Wednesday, September 17, the 28th South Pacific Forum is held in Australia's Cook Islands.
On Thursday, September 18, the devolution referendum for Wales takes place, with Wales voting on whether to give the country independent rule within United Kingdom.
On Friday, September 19, a new anti-smoking law takes effect in Taiwan, with fines administered for smoking in public areas.
On Saturday, September 20, Czech President Vaclav Havel is scheduled to visit Jordan.
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On this day
In 1776, during the American Revolution, British forces under
General William Howe captured New York.
In 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs, created in
1781, changed its name to the Department of State.
In 1821, San Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala declared
themselves independent of Spain.
In 1830, the first railway fatality occurred when British MP
William Huskisson was run down by "Stephenson's Rocket."
In 1864, John Speke, English explorer in Africa, the first
European to reach Lake Victoria, died when he accidentally shot himself while partridge shooting.
In 1916, military tanks, originated by Sir Ernest Swinton,
were first sent into action as part of the allied offensive at the Battle of the Somme.
In 1935, in Germany, the Nazis enacted the Nuremburg Laws,
starting off a program of violent religious and racial
persecution. All Jews were deprived of their citizenship,
ghettos were revived and the Swastika became the national flag.
In 1935, Manuel Luis Quezon was elected first president of the Philippine Commonwealth.
In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew to
Germany to meet Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden, the first of two meetings to try and avoid the crisis over the Sudetenland.
In 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Britain
claimed to have shot down 185 German planes; the day has been
subsequently celebrated as Battle of Britain day.
In 1943, with German support, Benito Mussolini formed a rival
fascist government to the Pietro Badoglio administration.
In 1949, Konrad Adenauer was elected first chancellor of West
Germany and Theodor Heuss first president.
In 1950, in the Korean War, the U.N. landing at Inchon proved
decisive in driving North Korean troops out of the south.
In 1959, Russian Premier Nikita Khruschchev arrived in the
U.S. at the start of a 12-day visit.
In 1972, Spain and the Soviet Union signed a trade agreement,
the first pact between the two since the Spanish Civil War.
In 1972, two former White House aides, Howard Hunt and Gordon
Liddy, were added to the five men already charged with the
break-in at the Watergate building.
In 1982, much to the anger of Israel, Pope John Paul II had a
private audience with Yasser Arafat in the Vatican.
In 1983, Israeli Prime Minister Menachim Begin, founder of the right-wing Likud party, resigned. He was replaced by Yitzhak Shamir.
In 1987, computer hackers in Germany known as the Chaos
Computer Club, said they had tapped into NASA's computer system and planted a program called "Trojan Horse."
In 1994, Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev signed a decree
imposing martial law and a curfew in the breakaway Russian
republic.
In 1994, the last U.S. marine guards left Somalia after 21
months of American intervention.
In 1996, Umberto Bossi, leader of Italy's Northern League,
proclaimed the north of the country the Federal Republic of
Padania.
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Newslink
An Air Force stealth jet broke apart during an air show and crashed into a suburban Baltimore neighborhood Sunday, setting a house on fire and injuring four people on the ground. To find out more about the Air Force and its planes, click here.
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Holidays and more
Today is a Local Holiday in Bolivia.
It's Independence Day in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Today is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan.
It's the Korean Thanksgiving Holiday in Korea.
Today is Independence Eve in Mexico.
It's the Seven Sorrows of Virgin Mary in the Slovak Republic.
Today is Knabenschiessen in Switzerland.
Actor Jackie Cooper is 75.
Prince Harry is 13.
Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 51.
Actress Carmen Maura is 52.
Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen is 57.
Singer Bobby Short is 71.
Director Oliver Stone is 51.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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