Sunday, August 31, 1997
Today's events
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The closing ceremony of the Herzl Centennial takes place in Basle, Switzerland, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first Zionist Congress, whose Basle meeting launched a movement that led to the founding of Israel in 1948.
Jerry Lewis is scheduled hosts the annual Muscular Dystrophy telethon.
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On the horizon
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On Monday, September 1, the Beijing-Paris Motor Challenge begins.
On Tuesday, September 2, Romania is scheduled to host the third international conference on "New and Restored Democracies," which is expected to draw representatives from 75 emerging democracies in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America.
On Wednesday, September 3, South African President Nelson Mandela visits Berne, Switzerland, to discuss bilateral and international issues.
On Thursday, September 4, Japan's Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto visits China to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic relations
On Friday, September 5, the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) announces its decision on the venue for the 2004 Olympic Games from a shortlist of five cities, Athens, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Rome and Stockholm.
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On this day
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In 1422, King Henry V of England died of dysentery in France
and was succeeded by his nine-month-old son as Henry VI.
In 1823, the Battle of the Trocadero took place. An invited
French army entered Cadiz, ending a Liberal uprising and
restoring Ferdinand VII to the throne of Spain.
In 1876, Sultan Murad V was deposed in Turkey after suffering
mental collapse. He was succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid II.
In 1888, the body of Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols, the first
victim of murderer "Jack the Ripper," was found in London.
In 1907, the Anglo-Russian Convention was signed in St.
Petersburg, settling differences between the two over Persia,
Afghanistan and Tibet.
In 1920, the first ever news program was broadcast by the
radio station 8MK in Detroit, Michigan. The station started its service August 20.
1928, the "Threepenny Opera" ("Die Dreigoschenoper") with music by Kurt Weill was premiered in Berlin with Lotte Lenya.
In 1944, Russian troops and tanks captured Bucharest and received a huge welcome from the Romanian people.
In 1957, Malaya became an independent Asian member of the British Commonwealth.
In 1962, Trinidad and Tobago became an independent Caribbean
nation within the Commonwealth.
In 1969, Rocky Marciano, former U.S. world heavyweight boxing
champion, was killed in an air crash in Iowa.
In 1977, Ian Smith, espousing racial segregation, won the
Rhodesian general election with 80 percent of the overwhelmingly white electorate's vote.
In 1980, after two months of strikes, the Polish government
agreed to reforms including recognition of the Solidarity trade union.
In 1983, murdered opposition leader Benigno Aquino was buried
in Manila, with over a million mourners being addressed by his widow Cory.
In 1986, a DC-9 airliner collided with a light plane near Los Angeles airport and crashed into suburbs killing 85.
In 1989, Princess Anne and her husband, Capt. Mark Phillips,
separated after 16 years of marriage dogged by constant rumors of estrangement.
In 1990, East and West Germany signed a treaty to harmonize
their legal and political systems after merging Oct. 3.
In 1991, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan declared their independence from the Soviet Union.
In 1994, troops of the former Soviet Union end half a century
of military presence on German soil with a farewell ceremony
presided over by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
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Newslink
Holidays and more
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Kyrgyzstan celebrates Independence Day.
Malaysia celebrates National Day.
Moldova celebrates National Holiday.
Trinidad and Tobago celebrates Independence Day.
Actor James Coburn is 69.
Actor Richard Gere is 48.
Singer Debbie Gibson is 27.
Singer Van Morrison is 52.
Olympic gold medal track athlete Edwin Moses is 42.
Violinist Itzhak Perlman is 52.
Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson is 62.
Journalist Daniel Schorr is 81.
Actor Jack Thompson is 57.
Singer Glenn Tilbrook is 40.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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