World news about “History” published by euronews.
Back in the Day: Maastricht Treaty creates the EU and the euroFebruary 7, 1992 The member states of the European Community sign the Maastricht Treaty in the Netherlands. As a result of the treaty the European Union was… 06/02/2012
Historical gift to the American people unveiled A 715 year old copy of Magna Carta is set to go on display in the National Archives in the U.S. after conservation work. It is owned by a Washington… 03/02/2012
Back in the Day: the day the music diedFebruary 3, 1959 Three of the earliest heroes of Rock and Roll – Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP ‘The Big Bopper’ Richardson – are killed along with their… 02/02/2012
Back in the Day: Federer begins his reign as King of TennisFebruary 2, 2004 A day after winning the Australian Open (see picture), Roger Federer, then aged 22, becomes the world number one of mens’ tennis, overtaking… 02/02/2012
Back in the Day: McDonalds comes to MoscowJanuary 31, 1990: American fast-food restaurant McDonalds opens its first Soviet store in Moscow, marking a symbolic post-Cold War entry of a staple of… 30/01/2012
Back in the Day: assassination of a peace iconJanuary 30, 1948: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the iconic leader of the peaceful Indian independence movement, is shot and killed by Hindu extremist Nathuram… 30/01/2012
Spain’s baby-theft victims want full inquiry In Spain, a movement for answers over an alleged Franco-era baby-stealing policy is gaining momentum. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets… 27/01/2012
Ceausescu memorabilia goes under the hammer Symbols of corruption and opulence in the final years of communism in Romania have been put up for auction. The list includes trinkets and lavish gifts given… 26/01/2012
Back in the Day: discovery of the world’s biggest diamondJanuary 26, 1905 South African mine manager Frederick Wells discovers a 3,106 carat (106.1 gram) diamond in the Premier Mine near Pretoria, South Africa… 26/01/2012
Back in the Day: dawn of the Winter OlympicsJanuary 25, 1924: The French Alpine resort of Chamonix hosts the first edition of the Winter Olympics. The idea of an Olympic Games for winter sports had been… 24/01/2012
Back in the Day: end of WWII comes 28 years late for Japanese soldierJanuary 24, 1972 After 28 years hiding in the jungle in Guam where he had been fighting in World War II, Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi is discovered by local… 23/01/2012
Back in the Day: Trieste plumbs the greatest depthsJanuary 23, 1960 The Trieste bathyscaphe, or ‘deep boat’, reaches the deepest known point of the world’s ocean, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench near… 23/01/2012
German legal threat to stop Hitler memoir extracts A British publisher is controversially planning to publish excerpts of Hitler’s memoir “Mein Kampf” in Germany, along with a critical commentary. But the… 21/01/2012
Germany marks Nazi Wannsee Conference anniversary In Germany, a memorial has taken place to mark the 70th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, the official start of the mass extermination of Jews. It was… 20/01/2012
Back in the Day: Nazis put the Final Solution on the recordJanuary 20, 1942 Fifteen senior officials in the Nazi German regime meet for the Wannsee Conference to make official arrangements for the deportation and… 20/01/2012
Back in the Day: first colonists arrive in AustraliaJanuary 18, 1788 HMS Supply the first of 11 ships carrying British seamen and convicts destined to colonise Australia, arrive in Botany Bay in Sydney (New… 17/01/2012
Back in the Day: the Shah flees IranJanuary 16, 1979 Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, is forced to flee his country by violent protests against him. His removal paved the way for Shia… 13/01/2012
‘Iron Lady’ boycott in English ex-mining townsMeryl Streep may be tipped for an Oscar, but the Iron Lady is not universally popular. Memories of Margaret Thatcher’s era have been revived in the UK with… 13/01/2012
Back in the Day: j’accuse!January 13, 1898 French writer Emile Zola writes an open letter to the president of France, Félix Faure, in which he accuses the government and military of… 12/01/2012
Back in the Day: dead man frozen, just in case…January 12, 1967 James Bedford, a university psychology professor from California, becomes the first person to be cryogenically preserved- frozen after death… 12/01/2012
Back in the Day: the tobacco industry’s ‘smoking gun’January 11, 1964 Surgeon General of the United States, Luther Terry, publishes a report on the adverse health effects of smoking. While not the first official… 10/01/2012
Germany’s Stollen Festival – nocomment German city of Dresden holds the Stollen Festival every Saturday prior to the 2nd Advent. The highlights of the festival are the baking of a Giant Stollen… 04/12/2011
Marie Curie’s granddaughter, Hélène Langevin-Joliot “As I sadly cannot attend the event in Helsinki, I would like to use this opportunity to say that I am very touched by the fact that you have thought of… 18/11/2011
Teabags to tins: the miracle of the mundane If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the 21st century, the Science Museum in London offers an antidote. It is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the… 10/11/2011
Germany: Fall of Berlin Wall marked – nocomment The 22nd anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall has been celebrated in Berlin. Mayor Klaus Wowereit thanked former East German civil rights campaigners… 09/11/2011
Ancient mummy hands over secrets One has to be extra careful when one is dealing with a 3,000-year-old mummy. Researchers in Taipei carried out an X-ray study of the remains and recreated… 29/08/2011
Battle of Warsaw reenactment – nocomment Hundreds of volunteers took part in a reenactment of the Battle of Warsaw. 15/08/2011
The wall that divided the world Work began on the Berlin Wall on 13 August, 1961. Once completed, it would measure 155 kilometres and become one of the most rigorously fortified borders in… 12/08/2011
Museum draws back the Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain Museum has opened in a former Communist police border control building on the Czech/German border. The museum documents the Cold War with… 07/08/2011
Viking FestivalMen dressed up as Vikings take part in the annual Viking festival of Catoira in north-western Spain. REUTERS/Miguel Vidal 07/08/2011
Back in the Day: the end of the Reign of TerrorJuly 28, 1794. Maximilien Robespierre, one of the most prominent leaders in the French Revolution and the key figurehead in Reign of Terror, is executed along… 28/07/2011
Dramatic finds for Mexican archaelogists Mexican archaeologists have found two millennia-old sculptures in the southern Chiapas state which they say could shed new light on the ancient Maya culture… 14/07/2011
Divers uncover train wreck in Lake Baikal Russia’s Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake in the world. It has long been a magnet for divers drawn by tales of a trove of lost gold seized by… 06/07/2011
The women who have made their mark on Monaco Charlene Wittstock will lay her bouquet of flowers after the religious marriage ceremony with Prince Albert II at the church of Sainte Dévote according to… 01/07/2011
China’s ‘Red tourism’ makes revolution fun – nocomment As China marks the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, the country’s multi-billion euro “Red tourism” industry is booming in Yan’an, the Party’s… 30/06/2011
Soviet childhood museum opens in Ukraine Those who grew up in the Soviet Union can step back in time at the newly opened Soviet Childhood Museum in the Ukranian Black Sea Port of Sevastopol. 23/06/2011
A class from the past Teaching history holds many challenges for educators, especially among divided communities or those with a troubled past. They must be careful to have a… 06/06/2011
Mexico: Mayan celebrations – nocomment This is modern day Mexico – but it could just as easily be a scene from the ancient Mayan civilisation. Mayan peoples have lived here for over 3,000… 04/06/2011
When Cleopatra went to Versailles ‘Julius Caesar’, Handel’s masterpiece, has been pulling in the crowds in the extraordinary setting of the ‘Opéra Royal’ in Versailles. Despite its title… 01/06/2011
Back in the Day: Big Ben’s first bongsMay 31, 1859. The hour bell in the Great Clock of Westminster, the UK Houses of Parliament, rang across London for the first time. Ten years after fire… 31/05/2011
A golden reopening for Georgia’s top museum The Georgian National Museum has opened its doors again after a six year refurbishment with a glittering exhibition of ancient gold from the fabled land where… 30/05/2011
Around the World in 80 Years – a travellers tale A remarkable feature film giving a unique look at the 20th century world has been put together from amateur footage shot by an Italian travel agent. The… 30/05/2011
Back in the Day: Joan of Arc burned at the stakeMay 30, 1431 French heroin Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by the English for heresy, aged 19 years old. Inspired by the voices of Catholic saints in her… 30/05/2011
Back in the Day: the evacuation of DunkirkMay 26, 1940. Surrounded by German troops, Allied soldiers began an evacuation from the beaches and harbour of the northern French port of Dunkirk. A German… 25/05/2011
A look at life in and around Russia’s Lake Baikal In South-Eastern Siberia there is an amazing wonder of nature – Lake Baikal. It is so vast and deep that locals call it the sea. But its water is pure and… 25/05/2011
Back in the Day: US police kill Bonnie and ClydeMay 23, 1934. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are shot dead by Texas police after a two-year crime spree together that left 13 people, including nine police… 23/05/2011
Back in the Day: beginnings of the blue jeanMay 20, 1873. Clothing merchant Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis receive a US patent for an ‘Improvement in Fastening Pocket Openings’ for trousers. Davis… 19/05/2011
Back in the Day: Happy Birthday…Mr. PresidentMay 19, 1962. At a birthday tribute to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in New York, Marilyn Monroe sings her famously breathless version of… 18/05/2011
Back in the Day: birth of the New York Stock ExchangeMay 17, 1792. A group of 24 stock brokers create what would become the New York Stock Exchange. They signed the Buttonwood Agreement under a buttonwood… 16/05/2011
Exploring Russia’s UralsTraveller’s diary Denis Loktev – Magnitogorsk, 4 May 2011 The Ural mountain’s (the eastern part is considered a natural boundary between Russia’s Europe… 10/05/2011
Step back in time to the silent movie experience Silent film pianists are not in too much demand nowadays yet some musicians still make a living playing along to old black and white movies. David Watts… 09/05/2011
The Urals: Russia’s backbone The Ural mountains are a natural boundary between Russia’s European and Asian parts. It’s spring but the local climate allows skiing until early May, as we… 07/05/2011
Back in the Day: birth of the Council of EuropeMay 5, 1949. The Council of Europe is created with the signing of the Treaty of London by the ten original member states. Today, the Council comprises 47… 04/05/2011
Back in the Day: the dawn of the family holiday!May 3, 1936: The Front Populaire wins the second round of elections in France. A coalition of communist and other left-wing parties, it was created just two… 02/05/2011
Back in the Day: French student protests spark May ’68 strikesMay 2, 1968: The French government shuts the University of Paris at Nanterre after a student protest against the Vietnam War. Some of the students, who had… 29/04/2011
Back in the Day: mutiny on the BountyApril 28, 1789. Fletcher Christian leads 11 other crew members of the British navy’s HMS Bounty to stage a mutiny. Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors loyal… 27/04/2011
April 26, 1937: the bombing of GuernicaApril 26, 1937. In their effort to help General Franco’s Nationalists win the Spanish Civil War, German and Italian bombers attack the small Basque town of… 25/04/2011
Back in the Day: Portugal’s Carnation RevolutionApril 25, 1974. The playing of a song, ‘Grandola, Vila Morena’, on Portuguese radio at 00:20 gives the signal for rebel army officers to launch their military… 25/04/2011
Back in the Day: meet the SimpsonsApril 19, 1987: The Simpsons is broadcast for the first time as a one-minute short animation on The Tracey Ullman Show. Creator Matt Groening named the… 19/04/2011
Back in the Day: Lincoln shot deadApril 14, 1865. US President Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching ‘Our American Cousin’ in Ford’s Theatre, Washington D.C. His assassin, actor John Wilkes… 13/04/2011
Kenyans sue UK government over colonial tortureFour Kenyan nationals have started legal proceedings against the UK, asking for compensation over the behaviour of colonial British officials half a century… 07/04/2011
Sofia: A tale of modern city life steeped in history The capital of Bulgaria has chosen to enhance its assets with new urban and cultural projects that use the past as a springboard for the future. 13/12/2010
Restoration of a unique Armenian monastery It was once a beacon of light for an entire country, home to 500 monks, a seat of learning and spiritual fulfilment. Little remains of the glorious past of… 25/10/2010
Leipzig-The birthplace of a peaceful revolution Leipzig, the city of Bach and Mendelssohn is also the place that spawned a revolution. On October the 9th 1989, 70,000 citizens defied the guns and the will… 23/09/2009
Russian billionaire to buy Valley of the Temples?Italian newspapers reported on Saturday that a Russian metals mogul wants to buy the ruins of Sicily’s Valley of the Temples. Mikhail Prokhorov, who’s… 08/01/2012
Back in the Day: Egypt begins its quest to control the NileJanuary 9, 1960 Work begins on the construction of the Aswan High Dam, Egypt’s plan to control the power of the world’s longest river, the Nile. The High Dam… 06/01/2012
Salvaged Titanic artefacts to be auctionedMore than 5,000 artefacts retrieved from the wreckage of Titanic are to be auctioned off on the 100 year anniversary of the ship’s sinking. The items, which… 06/01/2012
Back in the Day: the ugly side of figure skatingJanuary 6, 1994 American ice skater Nancy Kerrigan (see picture, left) is attacked during practice for the national Figure Skating Championships in Detroit… 05/01/2012
Iron Lady Streep strides red carpet in LondonOne of Hollywood’s blue-bloods, Meryl Streep, got the red carpet treatment as her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher made its European premiere in London. The… 05/01/2012
Back in the Day: the start of the ‘Prague Spring’January 5, 1968 Alexander Dubcek is elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and immediately goes about implementing liberal reforms… 04/01/2012
Back in the Day: Dubai’s Burj becomes the world’s biggest buildingJanuary 4, 2010 Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building, is officially opened. Standing at 829.84 metres (2,723 feet) tall is rises around 183… 03/01/2012
Back in the Day: Noriega surrenders to US troopsJanuary 3, 1990 Panama’s dictator General Manuel Noriega hands himself over to US soldiers who found him hiding in the Vatican embassy in Panama City, two… 03/01/2012
Rome’s Colosseum – falling apartRome’s Colosseum is dropping to bits – literally. Another small stone fragment is said to have become displaced from the front of the world famous… 28/12/2011
Back in the Day: the beginning of the big screen!December 28, 1895 The Lumière brothers organise the world’s first cinema showing to a paying audience. A total of 33 people came to the Grand Café in Paris… 27/12/2011
French-Turkish-Armenian questionsAt least 20 countries officially recognise the acts of the Ottoman Empire from 1915-1923 against the Armenians as genocide. Others, such as Germany Britain… 22/12/2011
Back in the Day: van Gogh cuts off his earDecember 23, 1888 Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh cuts off his own left ear, or at least part of the earlobe, after a row with fellow artist and close friend… 22/12/2011
Back in the Day: Britain’s biggest ever bank heistDecember 20, 2004 A group of men steal more than £26.5 million (approx. 31 million euros) in sterling, dollars and euros from the headquarters of Northern… 19/12/2011
Armenian book anniversary marked in VeniceAn exhibition in Venice is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the publication there of the first-ever book printed in Armenian. Among those admiring the… 16/12/2011
Back in the day: Andrei Sakharov is released from exileDecember 19, 1986 Soviet nuclear physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov is released from exile in Gorky, along with his wife, Yelena Bonner. As a… 16/12/2011
Back in the Day: the Boston Tea PartyDecember 16, 1773 Dozens of men in the then-British colony of Boston, Massachusetts break into a British merchant ship and throw 342 chests of tea into the… 15/12/2011
Israel displays Eichmann itemsRevisiting a dark period of crime and punishment: a licence plate is among the items vaunting the capture in Argentina more than 50 years ago of Adolf… 14/12/2011
Back in the Day: Pisa’s leaning tower re-opens slightly straighterDecember 15, 2001 The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa re-opens to the public after 11 years of work to make the landmark more secure. The tower had been tilting… 14/12/2011
Back in the Day: team Amundsen reaches the South PoleDecember 14, 1911 A five-man team led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen become the first men to arrive at the South Pole. Amundsen, along with Olav… 13/12/2011
Poles mark 30th anniversary of martial lawDemonstrations have been held across Poland to mark the 30th anniversary of martial law and the crackdown against the Solidarity trade union. It was imposed… 12/12/2011
Back in the Day: the capture of SaddamDecember 13, 2003 Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is found by American soldiers hiding in a hole in a farmyard near his hometown, Tikrit. He had been on… 12/12/2011
Back in the Day: stolen Mona Lisa foundDecember 12, 1913 Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa is found in a hotel room in Florence, Italy two years after being stolen from the Louvre… 09/12/2011
Remembering the USSR and its fallWhen the red flag bearing the hammer and sickle was thrown to the ground in a crowd, it was an action rich in symbolism, the flag of a nation which at times… 08/12/2011
Back in the Day: Man kills diseaseDecember 9, 1979 The World Health Organisation (WHO) certifies the eradication of smallpox, making it the first disease Man had successfully managed to… 08/12/2011
Back in the Day: John Lennon shot deadDecember 8, 1980 John Lennon is shot dead outside his residence in the Dakota building in New York City. He was returning from a recording studio with his… 07/12/2011
Back in the Day: Japan attacks Pearl HarbourDecember 7, 1941 Just before 8:00 in the morning, a fleet of hundreds of Japanese Imperial war planes begins a surprise military attack on a US naval base in… 06/12/2011
Back in the day: the Anglo-Irish TreatyDecember 6, 1921 marks the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the agreement between the British government and representatives of… 05/12/2011
Back in the Day: Montgomery Bus BoycottOn December 5 , 1955 the Montgomery Bus Boycott began in earnest. Led by Dr Martin Luther King Jr, it followed Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat on a bus… 05/12/2011
Huge WWII bomb made safe in KoblenzA huge World War II unexploded bomb was one of two successfully defused on Sunday by German experts after the pair were discovered on the riverbed of the… 05/12/2011
German city evacuated due to RAF bombOfficials in Koblenz in Germany are preparing to evacuate almost half the city following the discovery of an unexploded bomb. The 1.8 tonne explosive… 03/12/2011
Back in the Day: the heart that was built to last longerDecember 2, 1982 Retired American dentist Barney Clark becomes the first person to be implanted with a permanent artificial heart. The Jarvis 7 device… 01/12/2011
Back in the Day: a landmark date for mass productionDecember 1, 1913 A moving assembly line starts rolling at the Ford Motor Company’s production site in Highland Park, Michigan, USA, marking the start of an… 30/11/2011
Back in the Day: the first international football matchNovember 30, 1872 England play Scotland in the first official international football match. The game was held at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Hamilton… 30/11/2011
Franco’s tomb could become a war memorialA commission in Spain has proposed that the remains of the country’s former dictator, General Franco should be removed from a monument were soldiers are… 30/11/2011
Back in the Day: the UN divides PalestineNovember 29, 1947 The UN adopts resolution 181 and its plan to divide Palestine – until then under British control – into “independent Arab and Jewish… 28/11/2011
Back in the Day: Thatcher resigns as British PMOn 28 November, 1990, Margaret Thatcher, dubbed the Iron Lady, resigned as British prime minister after over 11 years in office. Thatcher was replaced by… 28/11/2011
