TODAY IN HISTORY

• World Autism Day

• 2020 - Worldwide

COVID- 19 pandemic: The total number of confirmed cases reached one million.

• 2018 - S/ Africa

Winnie Madikizela Mandela, former wife of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela and anti- apartheid icon, died.

• 2015 - UK

Four men stole items worth £ 200 million from an underground safe in London's Hatton Garden in what is the "largest burglary in English legal history."

• 2015 - Kenya

148 people were killed as militant group al- Shabaab stormed Garissa University College taking Christians hostage and engaging security forces in a shootout. All four of the gunmen wore suicide vests packed with explosives, detonating themselves in huge blasts as the assault finally ended after 16 hours.

• 2012 - Swaziland

King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch, ordered his impoverished subjects to give him cows for his birthday celebrations. Mswati was rated by Forbes magazine as one the world's 15 richest monarchs, with a fortune of more than $ 100 million. He has 13 wives, each with their own palace.

• 2012 - Hungary

Pres. Pal Schmitt ( 69) resigned because of a plagiarism scandal on a doctoral dissertation he had written 20 years ago.

• 2012 - W/ Africa

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave $ 12- million grant to a project aimed at boosting yam production.

• 2005 - Italy

Pope John Paul II, born in Poland as Karol Wojtyla, died in Rome aged 84. He was elevated to Pope in 1978 and was the first nonItalian pope in 455 years.

• 2002 - Israel

Israel seized control of Bethlehem; Palestinian gunmen forced their way into the Church of the Nativity, traditional birthplace of Jesus, where they began a 39- day standoff.

• 1976 - Cambodia

Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigned as leader of Cambodia and was placed under house arrest.

• 1968 - Mauritius

The British- ruled African island of Mauritius gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations

• 1930 - Ethiopia

After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie was proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.

• 1912 - UK

The ill- fated RMS Titanic began sea trials.