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19th October

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1935: Ethiopia stands alone


The League of Nations votes to impose deliberately ineffectual economic sanctions against Fascist Italy for its invasion of Ethiopia. Steps that would impede the progress of the invasion, such as banning the sale of oil to Italy and closing the Suez Canal, were not taken out of fear of igniting hostilities in Europe. In the first loss of Ethiopian independence in its long history, tens of thousands of Ethiopians were killed as the Italian army employed poison gas and other modern atrocities to suppress the country. By the end of 1936, the Italian conquest of Ethiopia was complete. Ethiopia’s leader, Emperor Haile Selassie, went into exile but returned in 1941 when British and Ethiopian troops liberated the country. Ignoring the British occupation authorities, Selassie quickly organized his own government.

1989

In Britain, the 'Guildford Four' have their convictions quashed after wrongly serving 14 years in prison for the IRA bombings at Guildford and Woolwich.

1987

Black Monday. Millions of dollars are wiped off the value of shares on Wall Street and other financial markets around the world. Wall Street ends the day down 22% lower than the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

1978

For the first time in Britain, the International Motor Show is held outside London. Its new home is the newly-completed National Exhibition Centre (NEC) near Birmingham.

1963

In Britain, following the resignation of Harold MacMillan, new Conservative leader Sir Alec Douglas-Home becomes prime minister.

1926

In Russia, following the election of Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky and Grigory Zinoviev are expelled from the Politburo of the Communist Party.

1914

During World war I, trhe start of the First Battle of Ypres.

1904

In USA, James Buchanan Duke unites several of his companies into the American Tobacco Company.

1872

The 630lb 'Holtermann Nugget' - the largest gold-bearing nugget ever found, is mined at Hill End in New South Wales, Australia.

1860

The first company to manufacture internal combustion engines is formed in Florence. The engines are designed by Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci.

1812

Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army begins its retreat from Moscow.

1781

The American War of Independence comes to an end when British commander Lord Cornwallis surrenders his 8,000 troops to George Washington at Yorktown,in Virginia after a three week seige.

1962

American heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield is born in Alabama.

1931

English writer John Le Carre (pseudonym of David John Cornwell) born in Poole, Dorset. Uses his experiences working the the British Foreign Service in Germany to write a series of 'spy novels' around the character of 'George Smiley'including 'Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy' (1974); 'Smiley's People' (1980) and 'The Secret Pilgrim' (1992). Other novels which are also adapted for film and TV, include 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' (1963) and 'The Looking-Glass War' (1965).

1862

French industrial chemist and cinema pioneer Auguste Lumiere.Along with his brother Louis, he invents the cinematograph (1895) - the first machine which can project moving pictures onto a screen. Opens the first fee-paying cinema on December 28th, 1895 at the Grand Cafe in Paris. Directs more than 2,000 films during the next 30 years and is responsible for much of the newsreel footage shot around the world early in the 20th century. Dies in 1954.

1667

English writer and satarist Jonathan Swift is born in Dublin. Best-known work, among many essays and poems, is the satirical novel 'Gulliver's Travels' (1726) now recognised for its attacks on politics, religion and mankind in general.