Thursday, November 20, 1997
Today's events
Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh mark their 50th wedding anniversary in London.
Luxembourg EU presidency is to host an EU summit on unemployment.
The international cooperation conference on
environmental protection projects is to take place in Beijing.
Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov is to visit
Brazil to an sign accord on technical cooperation.
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On the horizon
On Friday, November 21, Japan's Prime Minister Hashimoto and other government leaders are to attend a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to the Japanese.
On Saturday, November 22, The ninth annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministers' meeting is scheduled to open in Vancouver, British Columbia.
On Sunday, November 23, Presidential elections are expected to be held in Slovenia.
On Monday, November 24, Lea Rabin, widow of assassinated Israeli Prime Minister, and composer Marvin Hamlisch are to speak at the opening of 'Shalom Haver (Goodbye, Dear Friend),' an exhibition of artwork commemorating Rabin in Washington D.C.
On Tuesday, November 25, the "Italy Today" exhibition is expected to be held in Beijing.
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On this day
In 1759, in the battle of Quiberon Bay during the Seven Years
War, the British fleet with 23 warships under Admiral Hawke
destroyed the French invasion fleet of 21 warships under Admiral
Conflans.
In 1780, after the Dutch had supplied French and Spanish arms
to American rebels, the British declared war on Holland.
In 1873, in Hungary, the rival cities of Buda and Pesth were
joined together to form the capital of the country.
In 1873, in France, the National Assembly passed the law of
Septennate which gave presidential powers to Maurice Comte de
Mac-Mahon for seven years. He became second president of the
Third French Republic in succession to Adolphe Thiers.
In 1917, 324 tanks under the command of General Elles struck
at the German lines in the battle of Cambrai, France -- the
first major battle to involve tanks. By the end of the battle no
gains had been made and the British lost 43,000 casualties.
In 1922, the Lausanne Conference began in Switzerland to
resolve differences between the Allied powers and Turkey
following World War One.
In 1941, General Rommel with his Afrika Korps checked an
advance of British armor at the battle of Sidi Rezegh.
In 1943, the U.S. army landed on Makin and Tarawa Atolls in
the Gilbert Islands and captured them from the Japanese after
five days.
In 1945, the Allied Control Commission approved the transfer of six million Germans from Austria, Hungary and Poland back to
West Germany.
In 1945, the war crimes trials of 24 German World War II leaders began in Nuremberg.
In 1947, Princess Elizabeth, heir to the British throne,
married Prince Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy agreed to lift the American
blockade of Cuba, ending the Cuban missile crisis.
In 1974, the first crash of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet occurred
when a Lufthansa airliner crashed after takeoff at Nairobi
airport in Kenya, killing 59 people.
In 1979, some 300 armed Shi'ite rebels seized the Great Mosque
at Mecca and occupied it until December 4 when they were driven
out by the army with many casualties.
In 1980, in China, Jiang Qing, widow of Mao Zedong, went on
trial on charges of treason.
In 1981, Anatoly Karpov retained the World Chess Championship,
beating Viktor Korchnoi in Italy.
In 1992, 20 paintings by Adolf Hitler went unsold at an
auction after they failed to attract a single bid.
In 1992, fire swept through Queen Elizabeth's residence at
Windsor Castle, causing extensive damage to its ancient fabric.
In 1995, Polish President Lech Walesa suffered bitter defeat
in a re-election bid at the hands of ex-Communist Aleksander
Kwasniewski.
In 1995, The European Union slapped an arms embargo and aid
freeze on Nigeria to punish it for the execution of nine human
rights activists.
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Newslink
Dying to know where such noteworthy people as anthropologist Margaret Mead or musician Roy Acuff are buried? Check out Find-A-Grave to unearth the resting places of the famous and infamous, searching by their name or location.
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Holidays and more
Mexico marks the Mexican Revolution.
Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl is 43.
Actor Richard Dawson is 65.
Actress Bo Derek is 41.
Former football player Marcus Gastineau is 41.
Writer Nadine Gordimer is 74.
Actress Veronica Hamel is 54.
Concert pianist Ruth Laredo is 60.
Actor Richard Masur is 49.
Actress Estelle Parsons is 70.
Comedian Dick Smothers is 59.
Journalist Judy Woodruff is 51.
Actress Sean Young is 38.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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