1917: Lenin returns to Petrograd
On this day, Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd to take the reins of the
Russian Revolution. Although exiled to Siberia and Europe because of his revolutionary activities, Vladimir Lenin still managed to strengthen his
Bolshevik party through his oratorical and literary skills. With Russia thrown into chaos by the
First World War and Czar Nicholas II's
abdication, Lenin left
Switzerland and crossed enemy
German lines to arrive at Petrograd on 16th April 1917. Seven months later, under Lenin's leadership, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. He oversaw the creation of the
USSR until his death in 1924.
1993
The Balkan War: The
UN votes to make the Bosnian town of Srebrenica a safe haven.
1987
In England, Conservative
MP Harvey Proctor is charged in court with indecency. Having resigned his seat, he pleads and is fined.
1972
In America, NASA launces the lunar mission,
Apollo 16.
1972
The Vietnam War: After a four year pause, the U.S. resumes bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong in North
Vietnam. 1970
Ian Paisley wins the Bannside by-election and enters the
Northern Ireland Parliament.
1964
In England, 12 men are sentenced between them to a total of 307 years in prison for their parts in the “Great Train Robbery.”1963
Martin Luther King writes his famous 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' protesting against segregation in the U.S.1953
The Queen launches the royal yacht
Britannia in Scotland.
1947
In America, the French freighter Grandcamp explodes in Texas City, killing approximately 600 people and devastating the city. 1947
The term “Cold War”, to describe relations between the West and the
Soviet Union, is first used in a speech by financier Bernard Baruch in America.
1945
The Second World War: The United States Congress extends the Lend-Lease programme. 1922
Germany and the Soviet Union re-establish diplomatic relations by signing the Treaty of Rapallo. 1746
In Scotland,
Jacobite forces are defeated by the Hanoverians at the Battle of Culloden.
1970
Argentinian tennis player Gabriella Sabatini.1963
American singer Jimmy Osmond.1940
British singer Dusty Springfield1924
Composer/conductor Henry Mancini1922
English author Kingsley Amis1921
British
actor Peter Ustinov.
1889
American silent film comedy actor Charlie Chaplin is born in London.
