| 1990 - | Czechoslovakia held its first free elections for 44 years |
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| 1986 - | Kurt Waldheim was chosen as the new Austrian president |
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| 1981 - | IRA prisoners escaped from the Crumlin Road gaol |
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| 1980 - | A Report predicted that 20 million Africans were threatened by famine and war |
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| 1976 - | Syrian troops cut off Lebanons capital, Beiruit |
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| 1975 - | The USSR launched the Venera 9 spacecraft to the planet Venus |
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| 1969 - | Spain closed its border with Gibraltar |
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| 1941 - | British and French forces invaded Syria to stop German bases being built there |
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| 1911 - | Belgium govt of Schollaert falls |
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| 1900 - | Start of Sherlock Holmes Adventure of 6 Napoleons (BG) |
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| 1772 - | Robert Stevenson, English engineer, was born |
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| 1724 - | John Smeaton, English engineer, was born |
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| 1695 - | Christiaan Huygens, Dutch physicist and astronomer, died |
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| 1625 - | Giovanni Cassini, Italian astronomer, was born |
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