1915 – Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity. General relativity (GR), also known as the general theory of relativity (GTR), is the geometric theory of gravity published by Albert Einstein in 1915 and the current description of gravity in modern physics. This scientific study made Einstein famous worldwide.
1920 – Qemal Hasan Stafa was born in the city of Elbasan, was a co-founder of the Communist Group of Shkodra, a member of the founding meeting of the party, a member of the Central Committee and political secretary of the youth. Also a writer of poems and literary essays under the pseudonym Brutus, which were collected in the volume “Autumn Reproaches”. The day of his assassination has been designated as a symbolic date to commemorate Martyrs’ Day by the communist regime. The candidate for secretary general of the Albanian Communist Party, Qemal Stafa, was staying at the house of Bije Vokshi in Tirana. On May 4, 1942, he left this house because Enver Hoxha went there, who informed him that he had to go to a safer base. The next day, May 5, 1942, the carabinieri went to the house rented by Beqir Minxhozi, at that time an employee of the National Bank of Labor. The house rental contract had been made only three days earlier. Under unclear circumstances, Minxhozi was arrested. Tied up, he was forced to show the house where Stafa, his fiancée Drita Kosturi, Kristo Themelko, Gjustina Sata (Flora Dishnica) and her cousin Marie Lezhja were staying. In its report on this event, the carabinieri does not mention Themelko.
1956 – Tunisia gains independence from France. The Tunisian Independence Process took place from 1952 to 1956 between France and a separatist movement led by Habib Bourguiba. Bourguiba became the first Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tunisia after negotiations with France successfully ended the colonial protectorate leading to independence. The country was among the last in North Africa to break free from colonialism.
1960 – Born in Dardanë, Bajram Kosumi is an Albanian journalist, albanologist, and politician from Kosovo. He remains a central figure in Kosovo’s political and academic life, initially rising to prominence as one of the key leaders of the 1981 student demonstrations. Due to his political activism against the Yugoslav regime, he served approximately 10 years as a political prisoner. After his release, he became actively involved in the independence movement and was a member of the Kosovar delegation at the Rambouillet talks in 1999. His political career culminated with his tenure as Prime Minister of Kosovo from 2005 to 2006, following the resignation of Ramush Haradinaj. Beyond politics, Kosumi maintains a distinguished intellectual profile, holding a Doctorate in Philological Sciences and having served as the Rector of “Kadri Zeka” University in Gjilan. He is the author of numerous scholarly works on literature, political essays, and diaries documenting his prison experience. Today, he remains a moderate voice in public discourse, focusing primarily on the fields of education and journalism.
1990 – Ferdinand Marcos’ wife, Imelda Marcos, is put on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and extortion. Imelda Romualdez Marcos was First Lady of the Philippines for 21 years, during which time she and her husband are believed to have illegally amassed a multi-billion dollar personal fortune, much of which remains unclaimed. Her fortune was estimated at $24 billion in 1979, and is now estimated to be at least $30 billion.
1995 – The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo carries out a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 people and injuring over 6,200 others. In five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on three lines of the Tokyo subway, and in addition to the deaths and injuries, caused temporary vision problems for nearly 1,000 others. This is considered one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Japan.
2003 – In the early hours of the morning, the United States and three other countries (the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland) begin military operations to invade Iraq. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was the first phase of the war. The invasion phase began on March 19, 2003 (air) and March 20, 2003 (ground) and lasted just over a month, including 26 days of major combat operations.
2017 – David Rockefeller dies at the age of 101. Rockefeller was an American banker who served as chairman and chief executive officer of Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the third generation of the Rockefeller family, and the family patriarch from August 2004 until his death in March 2017. He was noted for his extensive political connections and foreign travel, in which he met with many foreign leaders.
