1948: State of Israel proclaimed
On May 14, 1948, with the blessing of the
United Nations, Israel Prime Minister David Ben Gurion proclaims the independent State of
Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in over 2,000 years. The next day,
Britain announced the end of its mandate in
Palestine, and armies from five Arab nations attacked. In 1956 and 1967, war erupted again, but Israel consistently prevailed, broadening its borders and annexing the old part of
Jerusalem. Under the historic
Camp David agreement of 1979, Israel returned some of those territories and made peace with
Egypt, but an accord with the Palestinians was still 14 years away.
1991
In
South Africa, Winnie Mandela -the wife of former
ANC leader Nelson Mandela - is sentenced to 6 years in prison for involvement in the
kidnapping and beating of four youths, one of whom died. She is freed pending an appeal.
1989
Thousands of demonstrators pack
Tiananmen Square, Beijing, campaigning for democratic reforms in
China on the eve of a state visit to China by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
1987
Lieutenant-Colonel
Sitiveni Rabuka seizes power in a bloodless military coup in Fiji.
1973
America's Skylab I space laboratory is launched into orbit around the earth by the last
Saturn Five booster rocket.
1948
Israel is officially established as an independent Jewish state following the
partition of Palestine. The announcement comes at 4pm - eight hours before the British mandate in Palestine is officially over.
1941
World War II: Swiss student
Maurice Bavaud is executed in
Berlin. He had planned to kill
German leader Adolf
Hitler at a
Nazi Rally in November, 1938 but failed to get close enough to carry it out.
1940
World War II: Most of Rotterdam is destroyed by German bombing – killing 1,000 and making more than 50,000 homeless. 1921
British Legion is founded in London by Earl Haig. It becomes the Royal
British Legion in 1971.
1921
In the United States, Florence Allen becomes the first woman
judge to sentence a man to death. Frank Motto is found guilty of murder and executed on August 20th.
1900
Opening of the second Modern Olympic Games in Paris with women allowed to compete for the first time.1847
HMS Driver completes the first
circumnavigation of the world by a steamship when it arrives at Spithead on the Hampshire coast.
1842
The first publication of the British periodical magazine, Illustrated London News.1811
Paraguay proclaims its independence from
Spain. 1796
Edward Jenner is the first British physician to carry out a successful vaccination - inoculating an eight-year old boy against
smallpox. His pioneering work lays the foundation for modern immunology techniques.
1779
Classic English horse race The Oaks is first run at the Epsom Racecourse in southern England.1643
Louis XIV becomes King of
France aged 4 years 231 days. Reigns for more than 72 years.
1998
American singer and
actor Frank Sinatra.
1997
Novelist
Laurie Lee - author of 'Cider with Rosie'
1991
Jiang
Qing, widow of the Chinese Communist Party chairman
Mao Zedong and leader of the 'Gang of Four' commits suicide.
1941
Swiss student
Maurice Bavaud is executed in Berlin for planning to kill
German leader Adolf
Hitler at a
Nazi Rally in November, 1938.
1919
Henry John Heinz, American food manufacturer.1610
Henry IV of
France is assassinated by religious fanatic Francois Ravaillac while travelling through
Paris. 
