2015 Event Pope Francis becomes the first pope in history to speak to the U.S. Congress; the pontiff exhorted the lawmakers to work together to address climate change, immigration reform and other issues that have stalled due to strong political division 2015 Event Stock markets around the world fall drastically due to concerns about an economic slowdown in China; the Dow Jones falls 1,000 points, closing down 588 points, while the Shanghai composite closes down 8.5% 2015 Event The Greek Parliament votes in favor of holding a referendum on July 5th regarding whether the country should accept reforms in exchange for continued bailouts; current bailouts expire on June 30th, the day that a $1.8 billion debt payment is due 2015 Event Philae, the comet lander that was deposited on Comet 67P last year, has awoken after several months in hibernation due to low power; scientists hope that the lander's power will last long enough for them to download data 2015 Event Parts of the U.S. Patriot Act, including authorization of bulk phone data collection by the National Security Administration, expire due to lack of agreement in the Senate regarding extension 2015 Event Aid response to the Nepal earthquake has been hindered due to runway damage at the country's main airport in Kathmandu, requiring airport closure to large jets; the death toll from the disaster has risen to over 7,000 2015 Event GM issues a recall of over 81,000 vehicles due to potential power steering problems; 2006 and 2007 models of the Pontiac G6, Chevrolet Malibu, and Malibu Maxx are affected 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 2014 Event Sony Pictures releases its comedy 'The Interview' today in over 300 theaters and through online channels; the film depicts an attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and was initially canceled due to threats and hacking attacks 2014 Event A live Ebola sample is mistakenly sent to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control laboratory that does not meet safety and security standards for handling the virus; a laboratory worker is being monitored for 21 days due to potential exposure 2014 Event South Korea bans poultry from the U.S. due to potential bird flu concerns; South Korea is working to contain the spread of the virus among its own avian population 2014 Event Negotiations have stalled at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Peru due to disagreement over how to distribute responsibilities for battling climate change across developed and developing nations 2014 Event U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resigns; the resignation may be due to disagreements over current U.S. strategy concerning Islamic State militants and the conflict in Syria 2014 Event A court has ruled that Kaci Hickox, the Maine nurse who has fought against requirements to quarantine herself due to her contact in West Africa with Ebola patients, will not have to restrict her movements; Hickox has shown no signs of the virus 2014 Event Pahoa, a town of about 1,000 people on Hawaii's Big Island, must evacuate due to a stream of lava flowing at 20 yards per hour from the Kilauea volcano; Red Cross Hawaii is assisting residents with temporary shelter 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 Wal Mart announces that, due to the Affordable Care Act, it will increase health benefit costs for all employees and end health benefits for its 30,000 or so workers with fewer than 30 hours per week; the changes will take place in January 2015 2014 Event U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has been suspended for six months from sponsor organization USA Swimming due to a recent drunk driving charge; Phelps plans to enter a treatment program 2014 Event General Motors (GM) issues its 71st recall this year, affecting over 500,000 Cadillac SUVs, Saab SUVs and Chevy Spark cars that may have defective or loose parts; GM is also halting sales of GMC Canyons and Chevy Colorados due to air bag concerns 2014 Event Afghan officials have signed a pact with the U.S. to maintain troops in the country beyond the end of 2014 and provide Afghanistan with funding; former Afghan President Hamid Karzai would not sign the agreement due to his opposition to U.S. presence 2014 Event A large number of children across ten U.S. states are being hospitalized due to Enterovirus, EV-D68; children with asthma are particularly at risk for complications 2014 Event The British government raises its terror threat level to 'severe' due to concern over the number of participants in Middle Eastern conflicts who have been traveling to and from the U.K. and who may seek to instigate terrorist actions inside the country 2014 Event Rafael Nadal, title winner of the 2013 U.S. Open, will not participate in the 2014 championship due to a wrist injury 2014 Event Former Press Secretary James S. Brady dies at age 73; Brady's death has been ruled a homicide due to a gunshot wound made 33 years earlier by John W. Hinckley, Jr.; Hinckley was found to be insane and was not charged with the original crime 2014 Event Tennis champion Serena Williams beats Karolina Pliskova in her first game since leaving the Wimbledon games on July 1st due to illness; Williams will undergo future medical tests to confirm whether the illness was caused by a virus 2014 Event While the world economy is growing, forecasts have been reduced due to weak global investment spending and risks to U.S. growth stemming from potential Federal Reserve attempts to end stimulus efforts 2014 Event Early election tallies show that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will be the next president of Egypt; el-Sisi, the military commander who removed former president Mohamed Morsi from office due to mass protests, resigned his military position to run for president 2014 Event The Nigerian government announces that it has located the 270-plus girls abducted by terrorist group Boko Haram, but it cannot rescue the girls yet due to fears that the abductors will kill them if the military attempts a direct confrontation 2014 Event The Chinese and Russian state energy companies, Gazprom and CPNC, respectively, have entered a deal for Russia to supply China with natural gas; the deal provides a market for Russian gas as European countries seek to reduce their dependence due to Russia's actions 2014 Event The cast has been announced for the next film in the "Star Wars" series, due out in 2015; the cast includes some original cast members as well as actors new to the franchise 2014 Event President Obama awards 24 Medals of Honor to veterans originally overlooked due to ethnic or racial bias 2014 Event Record-low temperatures are expected in the U.S. due to a 'polar vortex'; forecasters anticipate this tunnel of cold air funneling all the way from the North Pole to the U.S. could bring temperatures as low as 15 degrees in Chicago and 25 below zero in Fargo, North Dakota 2013 Event Ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expelled from parliament due to his tax fraud conviction 2013 Event The NASDAQ index was shut down for 44 minutes due to a human error that occurred while performing an operational function; the error resulted in the flawed delivery of date to the NASDAQ distribution system 2013 Event In Colorado, thousands are evacuated due to heavy floods in Boulder County; four people are reported dead and 80 missing 2013 Event The U.S. State Department evacuates staff from the U.S. Consulate in Pakistan due to threats; most officials were moved to the city of Islamabad 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 In Belgium, King Albert II abdicates his throne to son, Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, due to health reasons 2013 Event Dunedin and Christchurch, New Zealand, have roads cut off and flights cancelled due to adverse weather conditions 2013 Event Japan's Honda, Nissan and Mazda automakers announce plas to recall 3.4 million cars due to airbag defects. 2013 Event Canada's Cirque du Soleil cuts 400 jobs due to strong loonie and surging costs 2013 Event Actor Gerard Depardieu is granted citizenship by Russian President, Vladimir Putin; Depardieu renounced his French citizenship due to the country's high taxes 2012 Event Rick Majerus, the head basketball coach at Saint Louis University, announces his retirement due to health issues 2012 Event New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces the cancellation of the New York City Marathon due to the damage and devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy 2012 Event The New York Stock Exchange is reopened after a two-day closure due to Hurricane Sandy; this was the market's first weather-related two-day closure since the late 19th century 2012 Event At least 20 people due from the Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo 2012 Event U.S. pastor Billy Graham is hospitalized for several days at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina due to bronchitis; he recently suffered pneumonia in November, 2011 2012 Event A refugee camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo experiences an outbreak of cholera; thousands have fled there due to fighting between government troops and M23 rebels 2012 Event Over 300 million people are left without power in Delhi, India, due to a power grid failure 2012 Event Residents near Columbia's Nevado del Ruiz volcano are evacuated due to a possible eruption 2012 Event After two decades of being closed due to civil war, the Somali National Theater reopens in Mogadishu 2012 Event After losing power three days ago due to an engine room fire, the Costa Allegra cruise ship arrives at the Seychelles 2012 Event New Corporation announces its launch of 'The Sun on Sunday' to replace 'News of the World' which shut down due to a phone hacking controversy 2012 Event Romania's Prime Minister Emil Boc and his entire cabinet resign due to major social and political unrest in the country 2012 Event Colorado closes its highways, including the I-70, due to heavy snowfall 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' 2011 Event The cargo ship MV Swanland sinks off of north wales due to gale force weather, with two of eight crew members are rescued 2011 Event The Northern Lights become visible over much of North America due to a coronal mass ejection 2011 Event The World Health Organization claims over 5 million Ethiopian are susceptible to developing cholera due to the breakout of acute watery diarrhea 2011 Event Due to a range of safety concerns, all Tiger Airways flights in Australia are grounded until July 9th by the country's Civil Aviation Safety Authority 2011 Event Over 270,000 people in Illinois experience a power failure due to thunderstorms and funnel clouds 2011 Event The U.S. announces it will boycott an anti-racism conference at the United Nations due to concerns over anti-Semetism 2011 Event Japan's economy officially enters a recession, partially due to financial strain caused by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami 2011 Event A state of emergency due to snow is declared in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota 2011 Event All bullet trains in northern and central Japan were temporarily halted due a computer glitch; thousands of passengers are affected 2011 Event In Afghanistan, the Taliban drop their ban on education for females due to a 'cultural change' 2010 Event Paris closes the Eiffel Tower due to snow 2010 Event The World Food Programme announces it will suspend operations in Somalia due to increased instability in the region 2008 Event Iceland takes control of 3 banks due to the global financial crisis 2002 Event China Airlines flight 611 crashes near Taiwan, killing 225, crash probably due to structural failure 1999 Death Payne Stewart, professional golfer, won the U.S. Open, 1991 and 1999, won PGA Championship in 1989, among others, dies in Mina, South Dakota, at age 42, due to hypoxia from depressurization of a Learjet 1998 Event 250-car Italy pile-up due to fog, 4 die and 50 hurt 1997 Event Farm Aid 10 concert cancelled due to weak ticket sales 1997 Event U.S. government forces closure of Hudson Foods due to E Coli break out 1995 Event Baseball exhibition season begins late due to strike 1995 Event Tiger manager Sparky Anderson takes unpaid leave due to baseball strike 1994 Death Brad O'Hare, dies of complications due to AIDS at 43 1994 Death Michael Peters, dies of complications due to AIDS at 46 1994 Event New York Met Pitcher Dwight Gooden suspended for 60 days due to drug charges 1994 Event Chicago Cub 2nd baseman Ryne Sandberg, retires due to poor play, he forfeits $15.7 million of his $25 million contract 1993 Event Marge Schott suspended from baseball for 1 year due to racism 1993 Event Cincinnati Red owner Marge Schott suspended for 1 year due to racist comments 1992 Event Los Angeles Dodgers postpone 3 games due to racial riots due to Rodney King 1992 Event Yankee pitcher Pascual Perez suspended for 1 year due to cocaine 1991 Event 1st scheduled NHL exhibition game in St. Petersburg Fla, is cancelled due to poor ice conditions (New York Islanders vs Boston Bruins) 1991 Event Atlanta's Otis Nixon suspended for rest of 1991 due to cocaine 1991 Event Mo Udall, Representative-D-Arizona, resigns due to Parkinson disease 1991 Event Supreme Court rules jurors can't be barred from serving due to race 1991 Event NFL owners strip Phoenix of 1993 Super Bowl game due to Arizona not recognizing Martin Luther King Day 1990 Event 13 die in 83 vehicle accident in Chattanooga Tennessee I-75, due to fog 1990 Event Due to Persian Gulf crisis gas hits $1.60 per gallon price in New York City 1990 Event Brewers-Blue Jays game is delayed 35 minutes due to gnats 1990 Event Radio Kuwait resigns air, due to Iraqi invasion 1990 Event 8 KS and OK radio stations boycott k d lang, due to her anti-meat ad 1990 Event Pierrer Water pulls product from shelf due to benzine in water 1990 Event Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood goes on trial due to oil spill 1990 Event AT&T experiences long distance problems due to a computer glitch 1989 Event After a weeks delay due to earthquake, World Series game 3 is played 1989 Event Cards outfielder Leon Durham suspended for 60 days due to drugs 1989 Event Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini offers $1M-$3M bounty on Salman Rushdie's death due to his novel, "Satanic Verses" 1989 Event Phoenix Suns cancel game at Miami Heat, due to racial unrest in Miami 1988 Event Chris Evert defaults at U.S. Open due to a stomach flu 1988 Event Expos Pitcher Floyd Youmans suspended for 60 days due to drugs 1988 Event Amateur referees work New Jersey Devil-Boston Bruin playoff games, as NHL referees walk-off, due to a restraining order brought by Devils 1987 Event Gary Hart quits democratic presidential race due to Donna Rice affair 1987 Event U.S. Justice Department bars Austrian Chancellor Kurt Waldheim from entering U.S., due to his aid of Nazi Germany during WW II 1987 Event LaMarr Hoyt is banned from baseball for 1987, due to drug abuse 1987 Event Dick Howser retires from managing Kansas City Royals, due to brain tumor 1986 Event U.S. government closes down due to budget problems 1984 Event West German Chancellor Rainer Barzel resigns due to corruption 1984 Event Centrum party expels 2nd Member of parliament Janmaat due to fraud 1984 Event U.S. government closes down due to budget problems 1984 Event Kuhn announces Vida Blue is suspended due to cocaine conviction 1984 Event Pitcher Vida Blue suspended for rest of 1984 due to drug use 1984 Event Vanessa Williams, 1st black Miss America, resigns due to posing nude 1984 Event Braves pitcher Pascual Perez suspended due to cocaine usage 1983 Event 3 Kansas City Royals suspended due to cocaine usage 1983 Event STS-9 vehicle moves to Vandenberg AFB due to SRB nozzle problem 1982 Event IMF lends Mexico $3.8 billion due to threatened bankrupcy 1982 Event Twins rookie outfielder Jim Eisenreich, who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, removes himself, due to taunts from Red Sox bleacher fans 1982 Event Lord Carrington, British foreign sect resigns due to Falkland Is war 1981 Event Due to strike, Yankees, A's, Philles and Dodgers declared 1st champs 1981 Event China throws out Netherlands ambassador due to submarine sale to Taiwan 1980 Event Senegal routes troops to Gambia due to Libyan threat 1980 Event Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Tichonov succeeds Alexei Kosygin, due to illness 1980 Event Bowie Kuhn suspends Ferguson Jenkins indefinitely due to drug arrest 1980 Event University administraion declares 5 Pac-10 schools ineligible for conference titles and post-season play due to transcript and curriculum abuses 1979 Event South African President Vorster resigns due to scandal 1978 Event CDA-chairman W Aantjes resigns due to his war past 1978 Event Italy's President Leone resigns due to Lockheed affair 1977 Event Bowie Kuhn suspends Braves owner Ted Turner for one year due to tampering charges in Gary Matthews free-agency signing 1976 Event Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz resigns due to telling a racial joke 1975 Event U.S. decides John Lennon won't be deported due to U.K. pot conviction 1974 Event Race riot in Boston due to "busing" 1974 Event Dutch speed limit set at 100km due to oil crisis 1973 Event Greek regime calls emergency crisis due to mass protests 1972 Event British premier Heath proclaims emergency crisis due to harbor strike 1972 Event Baseball season is delayed due to a strike 1971 Event Golden Gate Bridge lights out all night due to power failure 1969 Event Honduras/El Salvador breaks diplomatic relations due to soccer match 1968 Event Yankees and Tigers play 3-3 tie in 19 due to 1 AM curfew 1968 Event Dancer Image DQ due to drugs after winning 94th Kent Derby in 2:02 1968 Event 40th Academy Awards postponed to Apr 10th due to death of Martin Luther King, Jr. 1966 Event Sandy Koufax announces his retirement, due to arthritic left elbow 1966 Event Alabamans burn Beatle products due to John Lennon's anti-Jesus remark 1965 Event 2nd New York Knick game postponed (due to death of opponent 76ers' owner) 1964 Event Singapore limits imports from Netherlands due to Indonesian aggression 1964 Event Rolling Stone concert in Ireland halts after 12 minutes due to riot 1964 Event Emergency crisis proclaimed in Ceylon due to social unrest 1964 Event 24th Amendment to U.S. Constitution goes into effect and states voting rights could not be denied due to failure to pay taxes 1963 Event British Minister of War John Profumo resigns due to Christine Keeler 1962 Event Due to it's no black policy, Phillies leave Jack Tar Harrison Hotel and move to Rocky Point Motel, 20 miles outside Clearwater, Florida 1962 Event Southern University closed due to demonstrations 1961 Event Emergency crisis proclaimed in South Vietnam due to commun attack 1961 Event Roger Maris loses a home run (of his 61) due to a rain-out in 5th 1960 Event Belgium threatens to leave United Nations due to criticism on it's Congo-policy 1960 Event Riot due to school integration in New Orleans 1960 Event Baseball game in Milwaukee postponed due to dense fog 1959 Event Iraq terminates military assistance pact with U.S. due to neutrality 1958 Event Game in Kansas City between A's and Red Sox delayed 29 minutes due to tornado 1958 Event French government of Gaillard falls due to Tunisia crisis 1957 Event French government of Mauroy, resigns due to Algeria 1957 Event Due to lack of funds, Saturday mail delivery in U.S. is temp halted 1956 Event France raises tobacco tax 20% due to war in Algeria 1955 Event Great Britain proclaims emergency crisis due to railroad strike 1953 Event French minister Francois Mitterrand, resigns due to colonial policy 1953 Event American B-47 accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on South Carolina, the bomb doesn't go off due to 6 safety catches 1951 Event Golden Gate Bridge closes due to high winds 1951 Event Hermann Flake sentenced to death due to "hate campaign against GDR" 1950 Event Due to rain, Indy 500 shortened to 345 miles, Johnny Parson wins 1948 Event Greek government disbands due to state of war, press censorship 1947 Event Netherlands ceases political action in Indonesia, due to United Nations pressure 1945 Birthday Jose Feliciano, born in Lares, Puerto Rico, singer, blind due to congenital glaucoma, guitarist, composer, wrote international hits 1945 Event Tigers and A's both have 7 straight games postponed due to rain 1944 Event 1st B-29 bombing raid; 1 plane lost due to engine failure 1943 Event Teams agrees to start season later due to WW II 1942 Birthday Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Due West, South Carolina, news reporter, McNeil-Lehrer 1942 Event Cubs, drop plans to install lights at Wrigley due to WW II 1942 Event Rose Bowl played in North Carolina due to Japanese threat, Oregon - 20, Duke - 16 1941 Event Franklin D. Roosevelt declares state of emergency due to Germany's sinking of Robin Moor 1940 Event Due to beanball wars, Spalding advertises batting helmet with earflaps 1939 Event Franklin D. Roosevelt declares "limited national emergency" due to war in Europe 1939 Event Grens mobilization due to Italian invasion in Albania 1937 Event Belgian government of Zealand falls due to black money 1935 Event 1st scheduled night game, postponed due to rain (Cincinnati) 1930 Event Farmer killed by hail in Lubbock, Texas, only known fatality due to hail 1926 Event German Marx government falls due to cooperation with red army 1926 Event Spain leaves League of Nation due to Germany joining 1925 Event No baseball games played in NL due to Charles Ebbets' funeral 1925 Event Yankees whip Dodgers in exhibition 16-9 but Babe Ruth collapses in North Carolina due to an ulcer 1925 Event German Postal Minister A Hofle resigns due to corruption 1921 Event Due to a technicality, 8 Chicago White Sox accused in Black Sox scandal are acquited, however Landis throws them out of baseball 1919 Event Stanley Cup: Mont (NHL) and Seat (PCHA) win 2 games each with 1 tie, 1919 Stanley Cup not awarded due to flu epidemic 1918 Event Due to WW I, 15th World Series begins a month early 1918 Event Baseball season ends due to WW I 1918 Event Tris Speaker suspended for season due to assault on ump Tom Connolly 1914 Event Westerschelde leaves due to German invasion in Belgium 1913 Event Government -Barthou falls due to overtime conscription 1907 Event Dutch government of De Master falls due to war budget 1903 Event Due to drought the U.S. side of Niagara Falls runs short of water 1901 Event 11 baseball games canceled due to funeral of President William McKinley 1899 Event British "Black Week" due to nederlagen in South Africa 1873 Event Panic sweeps New York Stock Exchange (railroad bond default/bank failure) New York shut banks for 10 days due to a bank scandal 1862 Event 38 Santee Sioux Indians hanged in Mankato Minn, due to their uprising 1848 Event Niagara Falls stops flowing for 30 hours due to an ice jam 1831 Event Erie Canal closes for entire month due to cold weather 1817 Event Curacao prohibits use of white paint due to fierce sunlight 1726 Event People's revolt due to increase in gin/brandy tax 1714 Event People riot due to beer tax in Alkmaar, Netherlands 1693 Event Haarlem people's revolution due to food shortages 1680 Event Tax revolt on Terschelling due to tax on cereal 1680 Event Tax revolt in Gorinchem due to tax on cereal 1601 Event Earl Mauritius ceases siege of De Bosch due to strict monarchy 1205 Event Pope Innocent III states Jews are doomed to perpetual servitude and subjugation due to crucifixion of Jesus
