TODAY is Monday, January 15, the 15th day of 2018. There are 350 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date:

1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist Government. 1951 – Ilse Koch, “The Witch of Buchenwald”, wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, is sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in West Germany. 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe’s oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece. 1966 – The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d’état. 1969 – The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5. 1970 – Nigerian Civil War: After a 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria, Biafra surrenders. 1970 – Muammar Gaddafi is proclaimed premier

of Libya. 1973 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam. 1975 – The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal. 1981 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation from Solidarity (Polish trade union) at the Vatican led by Lech Walesa. 1991 – The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm. 1991 – Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen

of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system. 1992 – The international community recognizes the independence of Slovenia and Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 2001 – Wikipedia, a free Wiki content

encyclopedia, goes online. 2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. All passengers and crew members survive. 2013 – A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.