TODAY IN HISTORY
• World Water Day
• 2020 - Greece
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced Greece’s first- ever imposed curfew, in an effort to fight the spread of COVID- 19.
• 2020 - India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s largest ever self- imposed curfew, in an effort to fight the spread of COVID- 19.
• 2019 - Algeria
Thousands of Algerians rallied to demand immediate resignation of Pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, fighting for his political survival in the face of desertion of long- time allies.
• 2017 - Nigeria
Chairman, Bill and Melinda Foundation, Bill Gates, in Abuja criticised the federal government Economic Recovery and Growth Plan as not addressing Nigerians’ needs.
• Two aides to Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu were sacked as a result of a memo addressed to him demanding payment of their emoluments. The memo, which went viral on social media, made disclosures of the Minister’s sudden wealth.
• 2017 - Nigeria
The face- off between the Senate and ComptrollerGeneral of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali ( rtd) took a turn for the worse as lawmakers declared him unfit to hold public office, while raising alarm that failure of the executive to answer legislative summons would end democracy in Nigeria
• 2005 - Nigeria
Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo fired his education minister, Fabian Osuji, accusing him of bribing lawmakers.
• 2004 - Palestine
Israel killed Hamas founder, Ahmed Yassin and seven others in a missile strike in Gaza mosque, prompting threats of revenge by the Palestinians. Sheik Yassin, a quadriplegic preacher, founded the Islamic militant group in 1987 and presided over its rise to a violent, radical alternative to Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority.
• 2001 - USA
William Hanna, animation pioneer, died in Los Angeles. Cartoon characters he helped create included Yogi Bear and Tom & Jerry.
• 1963 - UK
Beatles' first album, Please Please Me, was released in the United Kingdom.
• 1943 - Belarus
World War II: the entire population of Khatyn was burnt alive by German occupation forces.
• 1935 - Iran
Persia was renamed Iran.