“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” — Harry S. Truman
Today In History
1. Mali’s Deadliest Aviation Occurred
On this day in 1952, a Société Africaine des Transports Tropicaux (SATT) Lockheed 18-07-01 Lodestar crashed immediately after takeoff from Gao Airport in Gao, Mali, killing 17 of the 21 people on board. It is regarded as the deadliest aviation mishap in the history of Mali.
2. Hutu Intellectuals Including Grégoire Kayibanda Deliver Bahutu Manifesto To Colonial Authorities
On this day in 1957, ten Hutu intellectuals including Grégoire Kayibanda deliver Bahutu Manifesto to colonial authorities, demanding the end of colonialism and the exploitation of the Hutu and Twa peoples by the Tutsi. The ethnic imbalance was not corrected by the colonial power, and this eventually led to cycles of violence after Rwanda’s independence in 1962.
3. The University Of Mauritius Was Opened
On this day in 1972, the University of Mauritius was opened by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
4. Séléka Rebels Captured Central African Republic’s Capital, Bangui
On this day in 2013, during the Central African Republic Civil War, Séléka rebels took power in the Central African Republic by capturing Bangui, the country’s capital city. In the early hours, Djouma Narkoyo announced that rebels had captured the presidential palace and that President François Bozizé had fled. President François Bozizé fled across the Congo River into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
5. Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire
On this day in 1999, transport truck caught fire while driving through the Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy, trapping other vehicles traveling through the tunnel also. 39 lives were lost in the fire.
6. Germanwings Flight 9525 Crash
On this day in 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525, a scheduled international passenger flight from Barcelona–El Prat Airport in Spain to Düsseldorf Airport in Germany crashed 100 km north-west of Nice in the French Alps, killing 144 passengers and six crew members. The crash was reportedly caused by Murder and Suicide by the flight’s co-pilot.
7. Westside Middle School Shooting
On this day in 1998, two students, Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, fatally shot four students and a teacher with multiple weapons at Westside Middle School in unincorporated Craighead County, Arkansas near the city of Jonesboro in the United States.
