1922 – A site called the Valley of the Kings in Egypt becomes one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. It was British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Canarvon who discovered the tomb of the famous Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Following this discovery, the Valley of the Kings would become a place to be explored by thousands of tourists and archaeologists from around the world.
1929 – Archbishop Anastas Janullatos, Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, is born in Piraeus, Greece. On December 22, 2017, President Ilir Meta granted him Albanian citizenship. Janullatos’s name is associated with the rebirth of Orthodoxy in Albania, as the practice of religion was not legally permitted in 1967-1991. He grew in faith and during his formative years actively participated in the Church. At first, he liked mathematics and during his teenage years he wanted to continue his studies in this science. His ideas changed with the start of World War II. During the war years, Anastasios began to experience his faith in a more personal way. He witnessed much of the suffering and destruction of war. Inside the chaos he could find meaning only by digging deep into his faith. For the world and his country to be saved from the evils of war as well as from the consequences of the civil war in Greece, Anastasius realized the urgent need for a message of inner peace, peace that comes through Jesus Christ.
1952 – The National Security Agency, known as the NSA, is established in the United States. The NSA will serve as the intelligence agency in the US Department of Defense. It would be created after the FBI and the CIA, which were established almost two decades ago.
1956 – Soviet Red Army troops invade the streets of Budapest, ending the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. During this revolution, hundreds of thousands of Hungarian citizens and Soviet soldiers lost their lives in fierce fighting to overthrow the communist system in this country.
1966 – One of the largest floods in Italy’s history occurs. It was the Arno River that would flood the city of Florence, destroying a considerable part of its heritage. Simultaneously another tourist city, that of Venice would suffer the same. But these floods caused no casualties.
1972 – Luis Figo, one of the country’s most famous footballers, is born in Almada, Portugal. Figo during his 20-year career would debut with teams of Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter. At the same time, he will be remembered as one of the most prominent players of the Portuguese national team. Luis Figo would win 35 national and international sports awards.
1979 – One of the world’s most famous kidnappings takes place in the Iranian capital, Tehran. 52 US Embassy staff were held hostage by Iranian students and revolutionaries for 444 consecutive days. They were released in 1981 following the intervention of President Jimmy Carter.
1995 – Yitzhak Rabin, 73, dies as a result of an assassination attempt. Rabin would serve as Prime Minister of Israel from 1974-1977, and 1992-1995. He would win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, along with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his political opponent Shimon Perez. Yitzhak Rabin was shot dead by extremist Yigal Amir.
2008 – Barack Obama becomes the first colored President of the United States of America. He won against Republican Party nominee John McCain. Obama will be remembered for his liberal policies in favor of the middle and lower classes. At the same time, during his presidential term, the elimination of the terrorist Osama bin Laden became possible.
