1998
Puerto Rican voters decided against becoming a US state .
1989
South African President F.W. de Klerk met imprisoned African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela for the first time
1988
Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), recognised the right of Israel to exist and renounced terrorism.
1983
Death of Mary Renault, British novelist .
1981
Martial law was imposed in Poland
1959
Archbishop Makarios was elected as the first President of Cyprus as the country prepared for independence from Britain in August 1960
1949
Jerusalem became the capital of Israel
1939
World War II: Battle of the River Plate a naval battle in the South Atlantic. The British defeated the Germans by using misinformation, tricking them into scuttling their battleship Admiral Graf Spee
1928
George Gershwin’s musical ‘An American in Paris’ premiered in New York City.
1918
US President Woodrow Wilson visited France, becoming the first president to leave the USA while in office.
1906
Birth of Laurens van der Post, South African-born British writer
South Africa
1643
Battle of Alton – victory for Parliamentarians – Sir Richard Bolle killed in St Lawrence's church
1577
Drake Starts round the world voyage
1545
Start of the Council of Trent (Trento, Italy) – convened by the Catholic Church three times, ending 4 Dec 1563, as a response to the Protestant Reformation