2015 Event The Japanese Diet enacts a defense policy allowing the nation's troops to aid allies in conflicts that also threaten Japan; Prime Minister Shinzo Abe supports the law, but it is opposed by many who wish to maintain the country's pacifist constitution 2015 Event Stock markets around the world fall after China reports a low value for its purchasing managers' index, suggesting that the nation's economy is slowing; in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average drops by 470 points 2015 Event Japanese protesters gather outside the nation's parliament building to oppose changes proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to allow Japanese combat defense aid to allied nations for cases in which Japan itself is not under attack 2015 Event Greek judge Vassiliki Thanou is sworn in as the nation's interim prime minister after last week's resignation of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras; new elections for the position will be held in September 2015 Event China's central bank takes action to reassure investors that it is attempting to address the nation's economic downturn, reducing interest rates and the amount of reserve funds required to be held by banks 2015 Event A Dutch court ruling binds the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% within 5 years in comparison to 1990 levels; plaintiffs argued that citizens must be protected from climate change, which threatens the low-lying nation 2015 Event The Japanese parliament votes to lower the nation's voting age to 18 from 20; the change will make about 2.4 million people eligible to vote 2015 Event Philippine President Benigno Aquino announces that his nation will enter a 'visiting forces' agreement with Japan, which will allow Japanese usage of Philippine military bases for activities such as refueling 2015 Event A second major earthquake, magnitude 7.3, hits Nepal less than three weeks after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the nation and caused thousands of deaths and injuries; at least 48 people are known to have perished in this second event 2015 Event The World Health Organization declares Liberia free of the Ebola virus after a period of 42 days with no new cases, which is twice the normal quarantine duration; over 4,700 people perished in the nation during the epidemic 2015 Event Lee Kuan Yew, founder of the nation of Singapore and prime minister for 31 years, dies at the age of 91 after suffering for weeks from pneumonia 2015 Event Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale calls for aid after Cyclone Pam decimates homes throughout this nation of over 60 islands, resulting in at least 8 deaths; the full impact of the Category 5 storm is not yet known 2015 Event The last Ebola patient in Liberia, a 58-year-old English teacher, has been released; the nation will be declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization if no new cases of the virus emerge in the next 42 days 2015 Event The Greek Parliament elects Prokopis Pavlopoulos as the nation's next president; Pavlopoulos, preferred by the SYRIZA party, was chosen over opposition party nominee Nicos Alivizatos 2015 Event U.S. President Barack Obama vows to veto additional sanctions proposed by Congress against Iran, citing the delicacy of international talks currently underway with the nation regarding limitations on its nuclear program 2015 Event Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt, may be freed after the nation's high court overturned the sole remaining verdict against him for embezzling public funds; Mubarak has been serving his three-year prison term in a hospital due to poor health 2015 Event The Ezadeen, an abandoned ship carrying 450 Syrians, is rescued from choppy waters and brought safely to shore in Italy; the ship is the second to be abandoned by human traffickers off the nation's coast in the last four days 2014 Event Scottish health officials report the nation's first case of Ebola after diagnosing a health care worker returning from Sierra Leone; the worker did not manifest symptoms until her arrival in Scotland and is currently in stable condition 2014 Event Ukraine exchanges 222 rebel prisoners for 150 Ukrainian soldiers held by separatist forces; for security reasons, the nation also blockades Crimea, the region annexed by Russia, by stopping bus and train service to and from the area 2014 Event Almost 200 nations at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Peru join an emissions reduction accord requiring each nation to post its plan online in 2015; the public can then pressure noncompliant nations to keep and strengthen their commitments 2014 Event Sierra Leone has expanded the regions of the country subject to quarantine as the Ebola virus continues to spread; over 7,000 people in the nation have been infected and over 1,500 have died to date 2014 Event The cabinet of Israel approves a bill stating that the nation is both a democratic state and the Jewish homeland; the bill is meant to address political pressure from groups that deny or ignore Israel�s Jewish identity 2014 Event North Korea threatens nuclear tests, and activity has been detected at one of the nation's nuclear facilities; the threat was made after the U.N. recommended trying North Korean officials in the International Criminal Court for human rights crimes 2014 Event Australia bans all visas from the Ebola-hit nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone; the nation's officials state that this is required to preserve public health, but health experts have criticized the policy 2014 Event A total of 111 people have been identified as having had contact with an Ebola-infected 2-year-old girl before her death in Mali, raising concerns of a potential new epidemic; the girl was the first confirmed Ebola case in the nation 2014 Event A planned demonstration in Iran against recent acid attacks on women has been prevented by a show of police forces; protesters believe the women were attacked due to improper covering in accordance with the nation's dress code 2014 Event An independence referendum for the Spanish region of Catalonia has been cancelled after the nation's constitutional court accepted the case for legal decision, effectively suspending the move until a ruling is given 2014 Event The Spanish region of Catalonia plans to hold a referendum on independence; the Spanish government is moving to challenge the legality of such a move in the nation's Constitutional Court 2014 Event United Nation member states agree to a resolution aiming to prevent their citizens from joining or supporting militant groups, particularly the Islamic State, in Iraq and Syria 2014 Event Muslim Brotherhood followers have been asked to leave Qatar; other Arab states are unhappy with Qatar's support of the group, highlighted by recent charges that the nation received state secrets from member and former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi 2014 Event India has put the INS Kolkata into service; the battleship, built locally, is the second to be commissioned this year and signals the nation's intent to update its military in response to concern regarding China's growth 2014 Event The U.S. and the European Union impose additional sanctions on Russia, focusing on restrictions related to the nation's military, energy, and financial sectors 2014 Event The U.S. is pressing Iraq to put a new government into place as soon as possible in order to keep the nation from being torn apart by sectarian violence; the U.S. plans to send military advisors but not direct military assistance at this time 2014 Event Prince Felipe of Spain is coronated as King Felipe VI, following his father's abdication over two weeks ago; the simple ceremony sought to avoid displays of extravagance in a nation suffering high unemployment and growing disinterest in the monarchy 2014 Event Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin targeting assets stored overseas in an effort to avoid taxes; the Indian government estimates that up to $2 trillion may be in hiding; the nation follows China and Russia in magnitude of offshored wealth 2014 Event India has officially divided the state of Andhra Pradesh to create the nation's 29th state, Telangana; Hyderabad will act as joint capital for both states for the next decade; K. Chandrasekhara Rao will serve as Telangana prime minister 2014 Event Businessman Petro Poroshenko wins the Ukraine's presidential election; election turnout was strong despite the nation's internal conflicts with separatist groups, who kept many voting locations closed in the eastern part of the country 2014 Event Italian officials announce that many of the country's public assets will be sold in an effort to reduce the country's debt; plans to sell part of the nation's air traffic control and postal services have already been approved 2014 Event Japanese banks are promoting women to upper management levels for the first time in history; four women in the nation's top three banks have been promoted in the last year 2014 Event China updates its environmental laws, providing more legal framework for addressing violations; the laws were last changed in 1989, prior to the nation's accelerated growth and rate of environmental degradation 2014 Event Greece returns to the bond market today with 5-year bonds at a coupon rate of 4.75 percent; international sales of 3 billion euros exceeded the nation's expectations 2014 Event The Brazilian government is auctioning part of the nation's television bandwidth spectrum to mobile phone companies, providing much-needed capacity to meet wireless demand 2014 Event GE is focusing on development of wind power in Japan, seeing an opportunity for the nation to expand its renewable energy portfolio after Fukushima; GE has designed a wind turbine capable of weathering the country's distinct weather challenges 2014 Event Indian athletes are granted permission to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics under their nation's flag; the Indian Olympic Association had been suspended when Indian officials were accused of corruption in 2012 2013 Event For reasons of 'strategic national interest', Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announces the nation will cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan but would remain a friend of Taiwan's people 2013 Event Africa, Europe and the United States experience a rare solar eclipse, with the west African nation of Gabon enjoying peak viewing when the total eclipse sweeps across a path nearly 60 kilometers wide 2013 Event A portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protects minority voting rights, is struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling that Congress has not taken into account the nation's racial progress when singling out certain states for federal oversight 2013 Event President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, dies in office in the nation's capital, Caracas; he was 58 2013 Event In Bolivar, Venezuela, the country's government opens a granite processing plant, estimating it will provide 25% of the nation's granite requirements 2012 Event Ceremonies commemorating the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il were held outside the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun mausoleum in Pyongyang; the nation observed three-minutes of silence to honor him 2012 Event Thousands of union employees protest outside of the capital building in Lansing, Michigan, as Michigan's government passes legislation, becoming the nation's 24th right-to-work state, and most highly unionized state in the U.S. to have such laws 2012 Event Egyptian President Morsi plans to address the nation about the decree he enacted which greatly increases his powers 2012 Event With over 42% of the vote, the island nation of Kiribati re-elects President Anote Tong to a third and final term 2011 Event The Arab League agrees to impose sanctions on Syria due to the nation's continued violent uprising; Syria says the move is 'unprecedented' 2010 Event The last death row inmate in Cuba has his death sentence commuted; the nation is against capital punishment and has commuted many death sentences since 2008 2010 Event The U.S. experiences a salmonella scare, with hundreds of people ill from bad eggs; eggs are recalled from stores throughout the nation 1997 Death Terry Nation, writer (Dr. Who, Blake 7) at 66 1996 Death Clay Jones, horticulturalist, broadcaster, Chairman of the program Gardener's Question Time on BBC Radio 4, voted tenth alongside Carol Klein as the nation's all-time favorite gardener, dies at 72 1993 Death Kenneth Burke, philosopher, literary theorist, Agnostic, awarded Guggenheim Fellowship 1935, music critic for 'The Nation', editor, 'The Dial' literary magazine, attended Columbia University, dies of heart failure at his home in Andover, New Jersey 1993 Death Lillian Gish, U.S. actress (Birth of a Nation), dies at 96 1990 Event A rally to save Alien Nation from cancellation held at Statue of Liberty 1979 Event Rhodesia becomes independent nation of Zimbabwe 1979 Event Sioux nation receives $100 million in compensation for Black Hills, South Dakota 1975 Death Elijah Muhammad, leader of Nation of Islam, dies in Chicago at 78 1973 Event Nation Black Network begins operation on radio 1971 Event England becomes 6th nation to have a satellite (Prospero) in orbit 1970 Event Iraq Ba'th Party recognizes Kurd nation 1970 Event Japan becomes 4th nation to put a satellite, Osumi, in orbit 1968 Death Mae Marsh, actress (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance), dies at 72 1967 Birthday Elizabeth Wurtzel, New York City, actress, Prozac Nation 1965 Event 1st French satellite launched, France becomes 3rd nation in space 1964 Event Malcolm X resigns from Nation of Islam 1960 Event Elijah Muhammad, leader of Nation of Islam, calls for a black state 1960 Event France becomes 4th nuclear nation exploding an A-Bomb in Sahara 1959 Event 10 nation soccer league to play all games on New York Randalls Is, announced 1959 Death Madame Sul-To-Wan, Conley, actress (Birth of a Nation), dies at 85 1957 Event Britain becomes the 3rd nation to explode a nuclear bomb 1952 Birthday Mandy Patinkin, born in Chicago, Illinois, actor/singer, Yentl, Alien Nation 1952 Birthday John Lynch, born in Waltham, Massachusetts, politician, Democrat, 90th Governor of New Hampshire, second most popular Governor in the nation 1951 Event United Nation publishes its 1st postage stamps 1950 Death Carl Clinton Van Doren, U.S. literary (The Nation), dies at 64 1948 Birthday Lucius Ross, U.S. pop guitarist, Funkadelic-One Nation Under a Groove 1946 Event President Truman seizes control of nation's railroads to delay a strike 1945 Event Nicaragua becomes 1st nation to formally accept United Nations Charter 1942 Birthday Calvin Simon, U.S. rock vocalist, Funkadelic-1 Nation Under a Groove 1938 Event Orson Welles panics a nation with broadcast of "War of the Worlds" 1933 Birthday Louis Farrakhan, minister, black islam nation, million man march 1930 Event Elijah Muhammad forms Nation of Islam in Detroit 1930 Birthday Terry Nation, writer, Dr. Who, Blake 7 1928 Death George Siegmann, actor (Birth of Nation, Queen of Sheba), dies at 46 1926 Event Spain leaves League of Nation due to Germany joining 1925 Event League of Nation advises against Turk/Iraqi division of Mosoelgebied 1925 Event Miriam (Ma) Ferguson sworn in as Texas gov, nation's 2nd woman governor 1923 Event Nepal changes from British protectorate to independent nation 1923 Birthday Clay Jones, born in England, horticulturalist, broadcaster, Chairman of the program Gardener's Question Time on BBC Radio 4, voted tenth alongside Carol Klein as the nation's all-time favorite gardener 1923 Death Wallace Reid, actor (Birth of a Nation), dies at 31 1921 Birthday Dobrica Cosic, born in Velika Drenova, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, now Serbia, writer, political, national theorist, first president of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1992 - 1993, called 'Father of the Nation' 1920 Birthday Cornelius Ryan, U.S. historian and writer, Italians: Face of a Nation 1915 Event "Birth of a Nation" opens at Clune's Auditorium in LA 1911 Death Carry Amelia Moore Nation, American temperance leader, dies 1903 Event Carrie Nation attempts to address Senate 1900 Event Carrie Nation's 1st public smashing of a bar (Carey Hotel, Wichita KS) 1897 Birthday Kenneth Burke, born in America, philosopher, literary theorist, Agnostic, awarded Guggenheim Fellowship 1935, music critic for 'The Nation', editor, 'The Dial' literary magazine, attended Columbia University 1896 Birthday Lillian Gish, silent film/stage actress, Birth of a Nation 1896 Birthday Elijah Muhammad, U.S., leader of Nation of Islam 1895 Birthday Mae Marsh, Madrid, New Mexico, silent film actress, Birth of a Nation 1893 Birthday Robert Harron, born in New York City, actor, Birth of a Nation, Intolerance 1882 Birthday George Siegmann, actor, Birth of Nation, Queen of Sheba, Oliver Twist 1881 Event U.S. Nation Lawn Tennis Association removes "Nation" from name 1881 Event U.S. Nation Lawn Tennis Association forms 1878 Birthday Henry B. Walthall, born in Shelby City, Alabama, actor, Birth of a Nation, Klondike 1875 Birthday D. W. Griffith, movie producer/director, Birth of a Nation 1860 Event Nation's 1st successful silver mill, Virginia City, Nevada 1846 Birthday Carry Nation, scourge of barkeepers and drinkers 1846 Event Congress charters "nation's attic," Smithsonian Institution 1839 Event Cherokee Nation forms 1822 Event Mexico officially recognized as an independent nation by US
