Today in History

July 20

1810 - Colombia declares its independence from Spain.

1870 - France declares war on Prussia, heralding the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War

1871 - British Columbia enters Confederation as a Canadian province.

1913 - Turkey recaptures Adrianople from Bulgaria.

1917 - Serbs, Croats and Slovenes agree to the Pact of Corfu, forming a union called Yugoslavia.

1923 - Revolutionary leader Francisco Villa is assassinated in Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico.

1940 - Denmark leaves the League of Nations.

1951 - Jordan’s King Abdullah is assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman.

1956 - Tunisia’s independence is recognised by France.

1958 - United Arab Republic severs relations with Jordan.

1965 - The song Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan is released.

1969 - US astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin take first walk on the moon.

1976 - US spacecraft Viking I lands on Mars after an 11-month flight and begins sending back clear pictures of the planet.

1983 - Polish authorities announce an end to 19 months of martial law in the country.

1988 - South Africa, Angola and Cuba formally accept agreement on withdrawal of foreign troops from Angola.

1989 - Myanmarese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest.

1993 - A Dh200 million dhow wharfage, providing berths for more than 200 traditional trading dhows, is inaugurated in Dubai.

1994 - South Africa rejoins Commonwealth.

2002 - A fire rips through a packed disco in the Peruvian capital after a fire-eater ignited curtains when he blew out a plume of flames, killing at least 25 people.

2005 - Hurricane Emily slams into northeastern Mexico.

2012 - A masked gunman opens fire at a crowded cinema and kills 12 people in Colorado.

2015 - The UN Security Council unanimously endorses the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.

Zayed visits Sharjah

1987 - President His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan made a visit to Sharjah and met His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. They discussed matters concerning Sharjah, consolidating the federation and promoting action to serve the citizens and achieve further progress and prosperity for the country. The meeting reaffirmed Shaikh Sultan’s recent decision, which was endorsed by the President and the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, concerning his brother with a view to reconcile the issue on the basis of affection and sincerity.