2012 Event The European Physical Society's annual Edison Volta Prize is awarded to CERN Director General, Rolf-Dieter Heuer 1984 Event Republic of Upper Volta becomes Bourkina Fasso (National Day) 1973 Event West African Economic Community formed (Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Upper Volta) 1960 Event Burkina (formerly Upper Volta) declares independence from France 1960 Event Ivory Coast, Dahomey, Upper Volta and Niger declare independence 1958 Event Upper Volta (now Bourkina Fasso) gains autonomy from France 1915 Death Luigi Capuana, Sicilian author/critic (C'era una Volta), dies at 76 1827 Death Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist (made 1st battery), dies at 82 1745 Birthday Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta, inventor, battery 1743 Birthday Count Alessandro Volta, Como Italy, physicist
