TODAY IN HISTORY

• 2020 - USA

U. S. Pres. Donald Trump was acquitted by the U. S. Senate in his first impeachment trial

• 2019 - UAE

Pope Francis became the first Pope in history to visit and perform papal mass in the Arabian Peninsula during his visit to Abu Dhabi.

• 2018 - Nigeria

Zinox Group annouced its acquisition of e- commerce firm, Konga, after negotiation with major investors, Naspers and AB Kinnevik. • Federal government paid the U. S. $ 496 million for acquisition of 12 Super Tucano fighter jets to be used by the Nigerian Air Force in its fight against Boko Haram .

• 2016 - Nigeria

A report said Nigerians may starve to death by 2050 if nothing was done to ensure all- year round farming and with growth rate of Nigeria, the population will by 2050 rise to 509 million

• 2014 - Germany

A newspaper reported that the US National Security Agency bugged the phone of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder from 2002, compounding the row between the allies.

• 2013 - Germany

Germany's education minister Annette Schavan was stripped of her doctorate after it was discovered she plagiarized substantial parts of her 1980 thesis, which dealt with the formation of conscience. She resigned February 9.

• 2005 - Togo

Pres. Gnassingbe Eyadema died of a heart attack. The military said his son will replace him as head of state though the constitution called for the speaker of parliament to succeed the president in event of death

• 2004 - Zimbabwe

Journalists at Zimbabwe's only independent newspaper left their offices after the Supreme Court upheld it was a crime to work without a government license.

• 2002 - Nigeria

Troops cracked down on ethnic fighting in Lagos following 3 days of clashes that left over 100 dead.

• 1999 - Jordan

King Hussein was pronounced clinically dead but his heart continued. He was kept on life support.

• 1998 - S/ Leone

In Sierra Leone fighting began as Nigerian led intervention forces moved to oust the military junta.

• 1994 - Nigeria

Ben Enwonwu ( b. 1921), painter and sculptor, died He was the first Nigerian artist to win international acclaim. His work has been exhibited around the world. The Enwonwu crater on planet Mercury is named in his honour.