1971 Event People's Republic of South Yemen renames itself People's Democratic Republic of Yemen 1964 Event Elijah Muhammad renames Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali 1949 Event Siam renames itself Thailand 1931 Event Japan takes Manchuria, renames it Manchukuo 1926 Event Abdul-Aziz ibn Sa'ud becomes king of Hejaz; renames it Saudi Arabia 1917 Event U.S. purchases Danish West Indies for $25M and renames them Virgin Islands 1901 Event Theodore Roosevelt renames "Executive Mansion," "The White House" 1776 Event Continental Congress renames "United Colonies," "US" 1630 Event New Amsterdam's governor buys Gull Island from Indians for cargo, renames it Oyster Island, it is later known as Ellis Island
