1922 – The last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed VI abdicates from his throne in Istanbul, ending the de jure and de facto existence of this Empire for 625 years. Mehmet himself after the abdication from the throne and after the proclamation of Turkey Parliamentary Republic by Ataturk, would emigrate to Sanremo, Italy where he would die 4 years later.
1934 – Umbero Agnelli, the historic President of FIAT and the Juventus football team, is born in Lausanne, Switzerland. The American magazine Forbes would rate him as one of the richest businessmen in Europe with a fortune of 6 billion dollars. He will be remembered for the successful management of these two of his joint stock companies. Agnelli would die at the age of 69 in Piedmont in 2004.
1941 – American photographer Ansel Adams photographs the moonlight in the small American town of Hernandez in New Mexico. By its very visual characteristics, it would be labeled by specialists as one of the most difficult and extraordinary photographs ever shot. This photograph was reproduced in print over 1300 times and sold in 1971 for $ 72,000. It was resold again in 2006 at $ 610,000.
1952 – The United States Armed Forces successfully tests the first Hydrogen Bomb nuclear test called the Ivy Mike. With a striking power of 10.4 megatons, the fire fungus that formed would be seen in the atoll of the Enewetak islands in the Pacific Ocean, with the naked eye at a diameter of 160 km from the site of the explosion. This would be one of the most powerful US nuclear tests during the Cold War.
1955 – The Vietnam War officially begins, a bloody 20-year armed conflict between North and South Vietnam. But then it would feverishly involve the U.S. military. This conflict would cost the lives of 2 million Vietnamese and nearly 100,000 Americans. The Vietnam War would end with the withdrawal of American troops and the unification of Vietnam into a single state in 1975.
1962 – Zahir Pajaziti was born, he was one of the first commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). He was born in the village of Orllan in the Municipality of Podujeva and was martyred on January 31, 1997 in the village of Pestovë in the Municipality of Vushtrri, after falling into an ambush organized by Serbian forces. In January 1997, his group was discovered by Serbian security. On January 31, Zahir Pajaziti was traveling from Pristina towards Vushtrri along with his fellow soldier and nephew Hakif Zejnullahu and another fellow soldier Edmond Hoxha from Juniku, the Serbian forces had set an ambush in the village of Pestovë, where all three heroically fell in the war with them . It is known as the First Rifle of Liberty. After the end of the war, he was declared the Hero of Kosovo.
1963 – A coup d’etat takes place in Saigon, South Vietnam, where South Vietnamese military forces led by General Durong Van Minh and backed by US CIA advisers attack and occupy the Presidential Palace, arresting and executing President Ngo Dinh Diem. along with his brother and a number of staff members.
1968 – Greek Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou dies in Athens at the age of 80. Papandreou during the years of Nazi-Fascist occupation of Greece would be the historical leader of the Greek resistance in exile. After her liberation he would become one of its longest-serving prime ministers leading her until shortly before her death. His son Andrea and young nephew Georgios would become the founders of the Greek liberal left.
1969 – Tahir Domi was born in Ontario, Canada. also known as Tie Domi is an ice hockey player, his parents were of Albanian origin from the city of Bitola, which today is located in the territory of Macedonia. He has played ice hockey since he was a child and became part of the Belle River team and when he was 16 years old with the Windsor Bulldog team. His best season of the game he has made in 2003-2004, where he scores the highest points of his career with 15 goals and 29 points. He also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and N.Y. Rangers. In his career he has been ranked among the 1000 best ice hockey players of all time.
