2015 Event Scientists announce discovery of a planet in the Kepler-452 solar system that closely resembles Earth in size and orbit; the planet, Kepler 452-b, has a diameter 60% larger than Earth's but an orbit that is 385 days, close to Earth's 365 days 2015 Event NASA's New Horizons probe reestablishes contact to transmit the first close photos of Pluto and its moons; the probe launched in 2006 and has traveled over 3 billion miles; it will continue transmitting data for the next 16 months 2015 Event British Prime Minister David Cameron is re-elected for five more years in a decisive victory that upset predictions of a close election and resulted in the first Conservative majority government since 1992 2015 Event RadioShack, the U.S. electronics retailer founded in 1921, files for bankruptcy; the company plans to sell up to half of its stores to Sprint and close the remainder 2014 Event U.S. officials return four Afghan prisoners to Afghanistan after more than ten years of detention in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the Obama administration is working to clear and release remaining prisoners in order to close the facility 2014 Event The Dow Jones Industrial Average suffers its second largest dip since September 2011, dropping 458 points before regaining much of the loss to close down 173 points at just above 16,141 2014 Event Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient hospitalized for Ebola in the U.S., slips from serious to critical condition in a Dallas hospital; 10 people who had been in close contact with the patient have been placed in isolation 2014 Event Retailer J.C. Penney announces plans to restore profits by cutting 2,000 jobs and close 33 of its 1,100 mid-market department stores 2013 Event Experts observing the Comet ISON sweep 730,000 miles over the surface of the sun believe that that part of the comet survived the close encounter; images suggest a small nucleus may have remained intact 2013 Event Syria's chemical weapons arsenal requires an eradication site; Belgium rejected being a candidate for the destruction, suggesting the stockpile should be destroyed close to Syria 2013 Event In London, the world's first bovine stem cells lab-grown burger is cooked and eaten at a news conference; one food expert said it was 'close to meat, but not that juicy' 2013 Event Britain, France and Germany close embassies in Yemen; Canada closes its embassy in Bangladesh; the U.S. closes 22 embassies in the Middle East and North America due to intelligence of an impending Al-Qaeda attack 2013 Event The NASDAQ hits its highest level in ten years; the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P500 close at record highs 2013 Event A near-earth asteroid, called 99942 Apophis, passes close to Earth; astronomers in Europe estimate 99942 Apophis is larger than previously thought 2012 Event A dense fog near Beaumont, Texas, causes a a 100-vehicle pileup , leaving 120 people injured and 2 killed; the incident forced the Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas to close in both directions 2012 Event The United Kingdom reports its plan to close the U.K. Consulat in Basra, Iraq 2012 Event Funding disputes lead several of Bosnia's cultural institutions to close 2011 Event If Western nations impose more sanctions, Iran threatens to close down the key oil route of the Strait of Hormuz 2011 Event Sears Holding Corporation reveals its plan to close over 100 Sears and K-Mart stores in the U.S. 2011 Event Shortages caused by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami cause Toyota to close several plants in Europe 2010 Event Plans to build 625 more homes in close to the West Bank, adjacent to Arab East Jerusalem, were announced 2010 Event Iceland's volcano causes Britain's two busiest airports to close in addition to Dublin Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 2010 Event Ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano drifts towards Europe, causing air traffic to close over Northern Norway 2008 Event 2008 Summer Olympics come to a close in Beijing, China 1998 Event 18th Winter Olympic games close at Nagano Japan 1996 Event 26th Olympic games close at Atlanta, Georgia (sched) 1995 Event Dean St. Station in Brooklyn, is 6th Metropolitan Transportation Authority station to close since 1904 1995 Event After 120 years the last 15 A and S department stores close 1994 Event Gay Games close in New York City 1989 Death Keith Whitley, country singer (Don't Close Your Eyes), dies at 33 1988 Event 24th Olympic games close at Seoul, Korea 1988 Event 15th Winter Olympic games close at Calgary, Canada 1984 Event "When You Close Your Eyes" by Night Ranger peaks at #14 1984 Event 23rd Olympic games close at Los Angeles, California 1984 Event 14th winter Olympic games close at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 1980 Event 22nd Olympic games close at Moscow, U.S.S.R. 1980 Event 13th Winter Olympic games close at Lake Placid, New York 1976 Event 21st Olympic games close at Montreal Canada 1976 Event Last day of Test Cricket for Brian Close, aged 45 1976 Event 12th Winter Olympic games close at Innsbruck, Austria 1973 Event New York Yankees close 50th year at Yankee Stadium losing 8-5, Ralph Houk 1973 Event Close finish at Trent Bridge, New Zealand Cricket need 479 to win, all out 440 1972 Event 20th Olympic games close at Munich, West Germany 1972 Event 11th Winter Olympic games close at Sapporo, Japan 1970 Event "(They Long to Be) Close to You" reaches #1 1968 Event 19th Olympic games close at Mexico City, Mexico 1968 Event Beatles close Apple Boutique, giving clothes away for free 1968 Event 10th Winter Olympic games close at Grenoble, France 1965 Death Russell Collins, actor (Niagara, Close Up, Shockproof), dies at 68 1964 Event 18th Olympic games close at Tokyo, Japan 1964 Event Greece and Bulgaria close boundaries 1964 Event 9th Winter Olympic games close at Innsbruck, Austria 1961 Birthday Carey Lowell, New York City, actress, Me and Him, Guardian, Dangerously Close 1960 Event 17th Olympic games close in Rome, Italy 1960 Event Broadway theaters close, labor dispute between owners and Actors Equity 1960 Event 8th winter Olympic games close at Squaw Valley, California 1958 Birthday Lydia Cornell, born in El Paso, Texas, actress, Sara Rush-Too Close for Comfort 1956 Event 16th Olympic games close at Melbourne, Australia 1956 Event 7th Winter Olympic games close at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy 1955 Birthday Keith Whitley, Sandy Hook, Kentucky, country singer, Don't Close Your Eyes 1955 Birthday Jm J Bullock, Casper Wyoming, actor, Monroe-Too Close for Comfort 1952 Event 15th Olympic games close in Helsinki Finland 1952 Birthday Deborah Van Valkenburgh, born in Schnectady, actress, Too Close for Comfort 1952 Event 6th Winter Olympic games close at Oslo, Norway 1949 Event Test Cricket debut of Brian Close aged 18 years 149 days 1948 Event 14th Olympic games close at London, Great Britain 1948 Event 5th Winter Olympic games close at St. Moritz, Switzerland 1947 Birthday Steven Spielberg, born in Cincinnati, director, ET, Close Encounters, Jaws 1947 Birthday Glenn Close, born in Greenwich, Connecticut, actress, The Big Chill, Fatal Attraction 1945 Event LA Railway (with 5 streetcar lines) forced to close 1943 Birthday Michael Mann, born in Chicago, Illinois, actor and director, Sexpot, Close Friends 1941 Event Russian government moves from Moscow to Volga as Nazis close in on Moscow 1940 Birthday Abbas Kiarostami, author/director, Under the Olive Trees, Close Up 1939 Birthday Melinda Dillon, Hope, Arkansas, actress, Close Encounters, Slap Shot 1939 Event German Nazi's close last Jewish enterprises 1938 Event Nazi's close theologic department of Innsbruck university 1936 Birthday Nancy Dussault, born in Pensacola, Florida, actress, Muriel-Too Close for Comfort 1936 Event Joe McCarthy is named to manage AL All-Stars, rather than high-strung Mickey Cochrane, who is very close to a nervous breakdown 1936 Event 4th Winter Olympic games close at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1932 Birthday John Grogery Dunne, U.S. writer, Up Close and Personal, True Confessions 1932 Event 3rd Winter Olympic games close at Lake Placid, New York 1931 Birthday Brian Close, cricketer, played for England between 1949 and 1976 1928 Event 9th Olympic Games close in Amsterdam 1928 Event 2nd Winter Olympic games close at St. Moritz, Switzerland 1924 Event 1st Winter Olympic games close at Chamonix France 1923 Birthday Ted Knight, born in Terryville, Connecticut, Mary Tyler Moore, Too Close for Comfort 1920 Event 7th Olympic games close in Antwerp Belgium 1917 Event 3 British warships come close to Holland 1906 Event 10th anniversary Olympic games close at Athens, Greece 1904 Event 3rd Olympic games close in St. Louis 1900 Event After over 5 months 2nd Olympic games in Paris France, close 1896 Birthday Senor Wences, ventriloquist, Close the Door 1896 Event 1st Olympic games close at Athens, Greece 1885 Event U.S. Mint at Carson City, Nevada directed to close 1774 Event Boston Port Bill passes, British close port of Boston to all commerce on June 1st 1774 1755 Event Philippines close all non-catholic Chinese restaurants 1679 Event Great panic occurs in Europe over close approach of a comet
