July 1st:
Argentina: Upon his death, Juan Peron is succeeded by his wife, Isabel Peron, as president. (1974)
Burundi: Independence Day celebrated. (1962)
Canada: Independence Day, also known as Dominion Day, celebrated. (1867)
China: Chinese Communist Party is founded. (1921)
Ghana: Republic Day celebrated. (1960)
Indonesia: The Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdek), which opposes the integration of Irian Jaya into Indonesia, declares the territory independent. (1971)
Rwanda: Independence Day celebrated. (1962)
Somalia: Independence Day (South) celebrated. (1962)
Spain: Abu Nidal terrorists bomb a British Airways ticket office in Madrid, killing one person and injuring 27. A TWA office also is destroyed. The bombings apparently are in retaliation against President Reagan's threat the previous day to strike against terrorism. (1985)

July 2nd:
Egypt, United States: Sheikh Omar Abdulrahman, the radical Egyptian cleric, surrenders to U.S. Justice Department officials in Brooklyn, New York. (1993)
Vietnam: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) is proclaimed following the unification of South and North Vietnam. (1976)

July 3rd:
Algeria: France transfers sovereignty. (1962)
Iran, United States: The USS Vincennes mistakenly shoots down an Iranian airbus airliner over the Persian Gulf. (1988)
Kuwait: National Assembly is suspended. (1976)

July 4th:
Israel, Uganda: The Israeli raid on Entebbe Airport in Uganda frees 103 hostages from a hijacked Israeli airliner. (1976)
Philippines, United States: Philippine-American Friendship Day commemorates the day the Philippines became independent from the United States. (1946)
United States: Independence Day celebrated.

July 5th:
Algeria: Independence Day celebrates the date independence from France was formally declared. (1962)
Australia: Unknown terrorists detonate a bomb outside of the Union Carbide factory in Sydney. (1983)
Bolivia: The Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army (EGTK) carries out its first terrorist act - blowing up an electric power pylon in the La Paz suburb of El Alto. (1991)
Cape Verde: Independence Day celebrated. (1975)
Pakistan: Army Chief of Staff Mohammad Zia leads an army coup to seize power and becomes Chief Martial Law Administrator. (1977)
Rwanda: Peace and National Unity Day celebrates the military taking power under General Juvenal Habyarimana. (1973)
Venezuela: Independence Day celebrated. (1811)

July 6th:
Comoros: Independence Day celebrated. (1975)
India: 72 Hindus are killed in an attack by Sikh militants on a bus in the Punjab. (1987)
Malawi: Independence Day celebrated. (1964)

July 7th:
Burma: The Rangoon student union is blown up following the shooting of students by Burmese soldiers. This event is commemorated annually. (1962)
Equatorial Guinea: National Day observed. (1973)
France: France severs ties with Iran. (1987)
Lesotho: Family Day is observed. Serbia-Montenegro: Serbian National Day is observed. Solomon Islands: Independence Day celebrated. (1978)
South Korea: The U.S. Information Service establishes the American Cultural Center in Kwangju. (1947)
Tanzania: Peasants Day observed.

July 8th:
Andorra: The Security Council approves Andorra's application became the 184th member of the United Nations. (1993)

July 9th:
Argentina: Independence Day celebrated. (1816)
Germany: The Red Army Faction (RAF) kills Dr. Karl-Heinz Beckurts of Siemans Corporation. (1986)

July 10th:
Bahamas: Independence Day celebrated. (1973)
Mauritania: Armed Forces Day commemorates the end of the Ould Daddah regime in a bloodless coup. The constitution was abolished by decree on this date. (1978)

July 11th:
Greece: Nine people are killed and 98 are injured in an attack on the cruise ship City of Poros. (1988)
Mongolia: People's Revolution Day celebrates independence from China. (1921)

July 12th:
Sao Tome and Principe: Independence Day is celebrated. (1975)
United Kingdom: Protestants march in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to celebrate "Orange Day," marking the victory of William of Orange's forces over the Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne. (1690)

July 13th:
India: Martyr's Day commemorates the deaths of Kashmiri nationalists during the British raj.

July 14th:
France: Bastille Day celebrated. (1789)
French Guyana: Bastille Day celebrated. (1789)
Greece: Ten military dictatorship which began in April 1967 collapses. Five months later, in December 1974, a referendum ends the Greek monarchy and establishes a republic. (1974)
France: Bastille Day celebrated. (1789)
Guadeloupe: Bastille Day celebrated. (1789)
Iraq: Republic Day celebrates the coup by General Abdul Karim Qasim, during which King Faysal II and Prime Minister Nuri As-Said were killed. (1958)
Martinique: Bastille Day celebrated. (1789)
Saint Martin: For the French half of the island, which is an integral part of France, the most important holiday is July 14, commemorating the fall of the Bastille Prison. (1789)

July 15th:
Brunei: birthday of chief of state Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. (1946)
Burma: founding of the Burmese Communist Party. (1948) Cyprus, Greece: Greek officers of the Cypriot National Guard, acting at the instigation of the Greek government, overthrow President Makarios and his government and establish a new government. This prompts the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey five days later, asserting its right to protect the Turkish minority. (1974)
France: Armenian terrorists exploded a bomb at Orly Airport in Paris. (1983)
Japan: Ultra-radical factions of the new Left join forces as the Combined Red Army, the predecessor of the Japanese Red Army (JRA). (1971)
Lebanon: U.S. Marines are sent to Lebanon in order to thwart the overthrow of the government. (1958)

July 16th:
Bolivia: La Paz City Holiday observed.

July 17th:
Afghanistan: Prime Minister Daoud seizes power in a military coup while King Zair Shah is out of the country. (1973)
Colombia: Colombia Communist Party is founded. (1930)
Indonesia: The Indonesian government formally announces the incorporation of Portuguese East Timor as the 27th province of Indonesia, dashing the hopes of the Fretilin Separatist Movement for independence. (1976)
Iraq: Baath Party seizes power. (1968)
Mauritius: Local leftist groups commemorate this date as the beginning of a process of removing 1,000 to 2,000 island people from Diego Garcia, making way for a U.S. base on the British island, and relocating them on Mauritius. The removals take place in stages between 1966 and 1973. Protests at U.S., British, and Mauritian government facilities have been held over the years. (1966)
Nicaragua: President Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami. (1988)
Pakistan: An airplane carrying President Zia Ul-Haq and U.S. ambassador Arnold Raphel crashes, killing everyone aboard. (1988)
South Korea: Constitution Day observed. (1966)

July 18th:
Pakistan: Shahnawaz Bhutto, son of executed president Zulfikar Bhutto and older brother of Pakistani People's Party leader Benazir Bhutto, dies under mysterious circumstances in France. (1985)
Spain: Generalissimo Franco Day observed. Paraguay: Adoption of First Constitution observed. (1830)

July 19th:
Burma: Martyrs Day commemorates the assassination of Aung San. (1947)
Laos: independence from France is achieved. (1949)
Lebanon: David Dodge, president of the American University of Beirut, is kidnapped. He subsequently was released on July 19,1983. (1982)
Nicaragua: The fallen Somoza dictatorship is succeeded by a coalition government dominated by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). The post-Sandinista government of Violeta Chamorro retained this date as a national holiday marking the fall of the Somozas. (1979)

July 20th:
Colombia: Independence Day celebrated. (1810)
Turkey: Citing its obligations under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, the Turkish government lands military forces on the north coast of Cyprus following the July 15 coup launched by elements of the Cypriot National Guard. (1974)
South Africa: First state of emergency declared. (1985)
Sri Lanka: Sinhalese rioting takes place. (1986)
United Kingdom: Eleven people are killed in Regency Park and Hyde Park in London by bombs planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), a Northern Ireland terrorist organization which is trying to force the U.K. out of Northern Ireland so that Ulster can be united with the Republic of Ireland. (1982)
Vietnam: Signing of Geneva accords marks the end of the eight-year war with France and French colonial rule in Indochina. (1954)

July 21st:
Belgium: Independence Day celebrated. (1831)
Botswana: President's Day observed. United Kingdom: On "Bloody Friday" in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 11 people are killed and 130 injured when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) detonates 26 car bombs. (1972)

July 22nd:
Algeria, Israel, Italy: Members of the Popular Front for the Liberation Palestine (PFLP) hijack an El Al flight en route to Tel Aviv and force it to land in Algiers. The attack marks the first aircraft hijacking by a Palestinian group. The hijackers are said to have believed Israeli General Ariel Sharon was on the flight. The passengers and crew are detained by Algeria for six weeks. (1968)
Poland: Liberation Day marks the Soviet Union's installing a Communistcontrolled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" in Lublin. The following January the Soviet Union recognizes this committee as the Polish government. (1944)
Sudan: Anti-Communist military elements loyal to Gaaf ar Nimeiri lead a successful counter-coup and bring him to power several days after a coup by the Sudan Communist Party. (1971)

July 23rd:
Burma: Ne Win resigns as head of the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP). (1988)
Denmark: A bomb at a Northwest Orient ticket office injurs 27 people. (1985)
Egypt: The Egyptian revolution is celebrated. (1952)
Greece: Power is turned over to civilians. (1974)
Oman: Sultan Qabus Bin Said overthrows his father and takes power. (1970)
Sri Lanka: The killing of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers in an ambush by Tamil militants touches off widespread anti-Tamil violence that leaves 400 Tamils dead and 100,000 homeless. (1983)

July 24th:
Switzerland: A Lebanese terrorist is overpowered by the flight crew during an Air France hijacking after the murder of a Frenchman and an assault on a stewardess. (1987)

July 25th:
Italy: Mussolini is deposed. (1943)
Netherlands: Independence Day celebrated. (1648)
Tunisia: Republic is proclaimed. (1957)

July 26th:
Argentina: Eva Peron dies. (1952)
Chile: Fidel Castro leads a group of revolutionaries in an attack on the Moncada army barracks in Santiago de Cuba. The attack fails, and Castro is imprisoned for two years before being allowed to go into exile in Mexico. Castro slipped back into Cuba in 1956 to begin his final drive for power. (1953)
Cuba: Day of Solidarity With Cuba is celebrated by pro-Cuban front groups as a continental day of solidarity with Cuba and observed with declarations, ceremonies, and marches protesting U.S. policies toward Cuba. (The date is also celebrated in Cuba as the anniversary of Castro's failed attack on the Moncada barracks.)
Egypt: Nationalization of Suez Canal. (1956) Liberia: Independence Day celebrated. (1847)
Maldives: Independence Day celebrated. (1965)

July 27th:
Austria: The Austrian State Treaty comes into effect, restoring all Soviet occupied territory and making Austria a free and independent state. (1955) Iran: Anniversary of the death of the Shah. (1980)
North Korea: Korean Victory Day celebrates signing of Korean War armistice. (1953)
South Korea: Korean War armistice signed. (1953)
Trinidad and Tobago: A black Muslim sect, the Jamaat Al-Muslimeen, captures the prime minister and other officials in an attempt to overthrow the government. Before the coup attempt ends on August 1 with the surrender of the rebels, the capital, Port of Spain, is heavily damaged by rioting and looting. (1990)

July 28th:
Israel, Lebanon: Israeli commandos seize Shaykh Obeid from a village in southern Lebanon and detain him in Israel on allegations of involvement in terrorist activity on behalf of Hizballah. (1989)
Peru: Independence Day celebrated. (1821)
Peru: President Alan Garcia Perez succeeds Fernando Belaunde Terry as president, the first transfer of power from one democratically elected Peruvian president to another in 40 years. (1985)

July 29th:
Nigeria: The Federal Military Government is established after a coup overthrows the previous military government. (1966)
Nigeria: The Federal Military Government is overthrown in a coup and the Federal Executive Council founded. (1975)
Sri Lanka, India: Indo-Sri Lankan peace accords signed. (1987)

July 30th:
Vanuatu: Independence Day celebrated. (1980)

July 31st:
France, Iraq: An Al-Fatah terrorist seizes the Iraqi embassy in Paris. As the man surrenders to police, Iraqi security guards open fire, killing a French policeman and wounding the terrorist. French police return the fire, killing one Iraqi. (1978)
Spain: Feast day of Saint Ignatius, patron of the Basques. (1556)
Spain: The terrorist group Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) is founded. (1969)

August 1st:
Angola: Armed Forces Day observed.
Islamic countries: Ashura (10th of Muharam) marks the martydom of Ali Hussein, the 10th Imam of Islam. Significant to Shi'a Moslems. Marked by emotional processions (involving self-flagellation) in Shi'a areas.
Benin: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)
China: Army Day celebrates the first uprising by the Chinese Communist Party in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, against the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek. (1927)
Saudi Arabia: Iranian pilgrims riot in Mecca, resulting in more than 400 deaths. (1987)
Switzerland: Independence Day celebrated. (1291)

August 2nd:
Iraq, Kuwait: Iraqi forces invade Kuwait and seized control of the country. (1990)
Italy: Neo-Fascists bomb a train station in Bologna. (1980)
Vietnam: Anniversary of the Tonkin Gulf Incident. (1964)

August 3rd:
Cyprus: Makarios Memorial Day observed.
Equatorial Guinea: A military junta takes power. (1978)
Malaysia: Malaysian National Day observed.

August 4th:
Burkina Faso: A coup led by Thomas Sankara overthrows the government.(1960)
Malaysia: Members of the Japanese Red Army (JRA) seize the consular sections of the American and Swedish embassies, taking 52 hostages. The hostages subsequently are released after five JRA members are set free in Japan. (1975)

August 5th:
Burkina Faso: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)
Pakistan: Arif Hussain Al-Hussaini, a leading Shiite religious and political leader in Pakistan, is shot to death in Peshawar. (1988)
South Africa: Nelson Mandela is arrested and subsequently sentenced to life in prison for sabotage and plotting to overthrow the government. (1962)

August 6th:
Bolivia: Independence Day celebrated. (1825)
Jamaica: Independence Day celebrated. (1962)
Japan: Hiroshima is atom-bombed by the United States (1945)
United Arab Emirates: Zayed Al-Nayhan takes power. (1966)

August 7th:
Colombia: Anniversary of the Battle of Boyaca.
Indonesia: Radical Muslim leader S.M. Kartowuwirjo proclaims Darul Islam (Indonesian Islamic state), igniting a religious insurgency in West Java that lasts for 14 years. (1949)
Kenya, Tanzania, United States: Near simultaneous bombings occur at the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. In Nairobi, 291 people are killed and over 5,000 wounded. Ten people are killed and 77 injured in the bombing at Dar Es Salaam. U.S. officials believe Usama Bin Ladin' s al-Qaida organization was responsible for the bombings. (1998)
Turkey: Nine people, including one American, are killed and more than 70 wounded in an attack on the Ankara airport by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia. (1982)

August 8th:
Philippines: Philippine Constabulary/ Integrated National Police (PC/INP)
Day marks the setting up of the Philippines constabulary. (1901)

August 9th:
France: Gunmen throw a grenade into a restaurant in Paris and then open fire with automatic weapons, killing 6 people and wounding 27. Two of the dead and two of the wounded are Americans. Action Directe claims, and then denies, responsibility for the attack. (1982)
India: The head of the Indian security forces that stormed the Sikh Golden Temple of Amritsar is assassinated by Sikh terrorists. (1984)
Japan: Nagasaki is atom-bombed by the United States. (1945)
Japan: the Soviet Union declares war on Japan. (1945)
Singapore: Independence Day celebrates Singapore's secession from Malaysia. (1965)

August 10th:
Greece: Ten members of a U.S. Air Force crew are injured when a bomb explodes near the bus in which they are riding. The November 17 Group subsequently claims responsibility for the bombing. (1987)

August 11th:
Chad: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)
Jordan: King Hussein ascends to the throne. (1952)

August 12th:
China, Japan: A friendship treaty with Japan is signed. (1978)
Ecuador: The leftist terrorist group, Alfaro Vive, Carajo! (AVC) or Alfaro Lives, Damn It!, ends its armed struggle in and becomes a legitimate political party. (1991)
United Kingdom: Protestant commemorative marches mark the day that apprentice boys locked the gates of Derry against the forces of James II. (1689)

August 13th:
Central African Republic: Independence Day is celebrated. (1960)
Chad: Anniversary marks Chad's routing Libyan forces. (1987)
Cuba: Fidel Castro's birthday is celebrated. (1927)
Libya: a temporary union with Morocco is declared. (1984)
Philippines: U.S. forces capture Manila from the Spanish, with the aid of Philippine insurgents led by General Emilio Aguinaldo. (1898)

August 14th:
Burkina Faso: Upper Volta changes its name to Burkina Faso. (1984)
Cyprus: Turkish troops begin an offensive. (1974) Japan: anniversary of World War surrender to the Allies. (1945)
Pakistan: Independence Day celebrates Pakistan's becoming a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth. (1947)
United Kingdom: In response to communal rioting between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, British troops are sent to the province. Initally welcomed by Catholics, the British troops eventually become a target of Catholic terrorist groups, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). (1969)

August 15th:
Bahrain: Independence Day celebrated. (1971)
Bangladesh: Mujibur Rahman is assassinated. (1975)
Colombia: The National Liberation Army (ELN) begins its armed struggle. (1964)
Congo: Independence Day celebrates the overthrow of the Youlou regime. (1960)
India: Independence Day celebrated. (1948)
Indonesia: The Netherlands agrees to transfer administration of Irian Jaya to Indonesia. (1945)
Indonesia: The Revolutionary Front for East Timor Independence (FRETILIN) begins its insurgency aimed at gaining independence for the Portuguese territory. (1975)
Iraq, Turkey: Turkish troops raid Kurdish rebel camps in Iraq. (1986)
North Korea: Independence Day, also known as Liberation Day or Kwang Bok Jul. is celebrated. (1945).
Turkey: Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) elements launch an attack against Turkish government installations for the first time (1984).

August 16th:
Cyprus: Independence Day is celebrated. (1960)

August 17th:
Gabon: Independence Day is celebrated. (1960)
Indonesia: Indonesian leaders Soekarno and Mohammed Hatta, with the acquiescence of Japanese occupation officials, proclaim the independence of Indonesia as World War II ends in the Pacific. (1945)

August 18th:
Sri Lanka: One legislator is killed in a grenade attack on the Sri Lankan parliament. (1987)
Soviet Union: Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who is vacationing in the Crimea, is held incommunicado while senior Soviet officials attempt to stage a coup. (1991)

August 19th:
Afghanistan: Independence Day commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Rawalpindi, in which Britain gave up control of Afghanistan's foreign policy. (1919)
Afghanistan: Army Day observed. (1986)
Cyprus: U.S. Ambassador Roger Davies is killed by a sniper in Nicosia. (1974)
Libya, United States: U.S. aircraft shoot down two Libyan fighters over the Gulf of Sidra. (1981)
Philippines: Manuel Quezon Day commemorates the first President of the Commonwealth.
Soviet Union: Anniversary of the failed coup attempt, which symbolizes the end of Communism in Russia and the breakup of the Soviet Union. Huge demonstrations have occurred in Moscow to commemorate this event. Both pro- and anti-government rallies are held. (1991)
Vietnam: The August Revolution is commemorated. (1945)

August 20th:
Algeria: Algerian independence fighters launch their first armed offensive against French forces in eastern Algeria. (1955)
Hungary: New constitution is adopted. (1949)
North Korea: Air Force Day commemorates the organization of the DPRK Air Force. (1947)
Senegal: The Mali Federation, composed of Senegal and the French Soudan, breaks up when Senegal secedes and proclaims itself a republic. (1960)
South Africa: The United Democratic Front (UDF) is launched to organize opposition to a planned three-house parliament that excludes blacks. The organization subsequently becomes the largest legal anti-apartheid group. (1983)

August 21st:
Czechoslovakia: "Prague Spring" ends when Warsaw Pact forces invade. (1968)
Philippines: Benigno Aquino is assassinated. (1983)
Soviet Union: The coup carried out against Soviet President Gorbachev on August 18,1991 collapses, and its leaders try to flee. (1991)

August 22nd:
Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta dies. (1978)
Soviet Union: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is reinstated as president and returns to Moscow, following the collapse of a coup against him. One of the coup leaders commits suicide, and the others are arrested. (1991)

August 23rd:
Romania: Liberation Day celebrated. (1944)
Bermuda: Empire Day observed.

August 24th:
Ukraine, Soviet Union: In the aftermath of the collapse of the coup against Soviet President Gorbachev, Ukraine declares its independence from the Soviet Union. (1991)

August 25th:
Belarus, Soviet Union: In the aftermath of the collapse of the coup against Soviet President Gorbachev, Belarus declares its independence from the Soviet Union. (1991)
France: Paris is liberated by Allied troops. (1945)
Uruguay: Independence Day is celebrated. (1825)
Uzbekistan: In the aftermath of the collapse of the coup against Soviet President Gorbachev, Uzbekistan declares its independence from the Soviet Union. (1991)

August 26th:
Hong Kong: Liberation Day is observed. (1945)
Japan: The six-year American occupation of Japan begins with the landing of U.S. military forces in Japan. (1945)
Philippines: National Heroes' Day commemorates the revolt against the Spanish. (1847)
Philippines: The Partido Kommunista Ng Pilipinas (PKP) is founded by Evangelista Cristo in Manila. (1930)

August 27th:
Canada, Turkey: The Turkish military attache is assassinated by Armenian extremists. (1982)
Ireland, United Kingdom: Earl Mountbatten is killed off the coast of Ireland by an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb planted on his boat. (1979)
Lebanon: The U.S. ambassador to Lebanon is attacked. (1980)
Moldova: In the aftermath of the collapse of the coup against Soviet President Gorbachev, Moldova declares its independence from the Soviet Union. (1991)
Namibia: The United Nations cancels the previous League of Nations mandate, which gave South Africa administrative control of Namibia in 1920. South Africa rejects the U.N. resolution, and the South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) begins its guerrilla war against South African rule. (1966)
Nigeria: General Ibrahim Babangida seizes power, overthrowing the Buhari regime. (1985)
Philippines: Mutinous soldiers begin attacks on the presidential palace in an unsuccessful bid to overthrow the Aquino government. The next day, rebel military units led by Lieutenant Colonel Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan attack Camp Aguinaldo and television stations in the metro Manila area. (1987)

August 28th:
Colombia: April 19 Movement (M-19) leader Ivan Marino Ospina is killed in a clash with government troops. (1985)

August 29th:
Philippines: Nationalist leader Andres Bonifacio declares war against the Spanish colonial regime in the Philippines. (1896)
Soviet Union: Uzbekistan: In the aftermath of the collapse of the coup against Soviet President Gorbachev, the Soviet legislature, the Supreme Soviet, votes to ban the Communist Party throughout the Soviet Union and freeze its assets. Senior Communist Party officials were implicated in that coup. (1991)

August 30th:
Cyprus: Turkish Victory Day is observed.
Philippines: a mutual defense pact with the United States is signed. (1951)
Turkey: Victory Dayis celebrated. (1991)

August 31st
Malaysia: Independence Day celebrated. (1957)
Philippines: Ramon Magsaysay Day observed.
Poland: the Solidarity Labor Union is formed. (1980)
Trinidad and Tobago: Independence Day celebrated. (1962)

September 1st:
Malta: Independence Day celebrated. (1964)
Argentina: Students Day observed. Central African Republic: A coup brings the Kolingba regime to power. (1981)
Jordan: King Hussein declares Jordanian support for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War. (1980)
Jordan: Jordanian troops drive Palestinian guerrillas out of Jordan. The Black September terrorist group takes its name from this policy. (1980)
South Korea, Soviet Union: Korean Air Lines Flight 007, on a flight from New York to Seoul, is shot down by Soviet fighters after straying into Soviet airspace. All 269 persons aboard are killed. (1983) Libya: Muammar Qadhafi seizes power in a coup (1969)
Poland, Germany: The German attack on Poland marks the beginning of World War II. (1939)

September 2nd:
Estonia: President Bush announces that the United States recognizes the independence of Estonia. This follows receipt on September 1 of a letter from Soviet President Gorbachev saying the Soviet Union has no objection to such action on the part of the United States. The United States subsequently establishes an embassy in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. (1991)
Latvia: President Bush announces that the United States recognizes the independence of Latvia. This follows receipt on September 1 of a letter from Soviet President Gorbachev saying the Soviet Union has no objection to such action on the part of the United States. The United States subsequently establishes an embassy in Riga, the capital of Latvia. (1991)
Lithuania: President Bush announces that the United States recognizes the independence of Lithuania. This follows receipt on September 1 of a letter from Soviet President Gorbachev saying the Soviet Union has no objection to such action on the part of the United States. The United States subsequently establishes an embassy in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. (1991)
South Africa: Settlers Day celebrated. Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh proclaims the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. (1945)

September 3rd:
Burundi: Founding of the Third Republic commemorated. (1987)
Qatar: Independence Day celebrated. (1971)
San Marino: founding of the Republic celebrated.
Tunisia: Memorial Day observed.
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh dies. (1969)

September 4th:
Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka: Dasain Festival held. Chile: Salvador Allende is the first president of Chile elected on a MarxistLeninist platform. (1970)
Japan: Radical leftists found the Sekigunha (Red Army Faction), predecessor of the Japanese Red Army (JRA). (1969)

September 5th:
Burma: The demonetization of Burmese currency results in student riots. (1987)
France, Saudi Arabia: Palestinian terrorists seize the Saudi Arabian embassy in Paris, taking five hostages. One hostage is released in France and the others released later in Kuwait. (1973)
Germany: Hans-Martin Schleyer, president of the West German Employer's Association, is kidnapped and killed in Cologne by Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorists. (1977)
Pakistan: 21 persons, including two Americans, are killed in an abortive hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 by four Arab gunmen. (1986) Senegal: A republic is declared. (1960)

September 6th:
Germany, Israel: Palestinian Black September terrorists massacre Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. (1972)
Pakistan: Defense of Pakistan Day is observed. (1957)
Swaziland: Independence Day celebrated. (1968)
Turkey: 21 Jewish worshipers are killed in Istanbul during an attack on a synagogue by an Abu Nidal terrorist team. (1986)

September 7th:
Chile: Terrorists of the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) attempt, but fail, to assassinate President Pinochet in Santiago. (1986)

September 8th:
Italy: Italy surrenders to the Allies. (1943)
Japan: Japan signs a Mutual Security Pact with the United States, permitting American troops to remain in the country. The date is denounced by leftists. (1951)
September 9th: Bulgaria: A Communist-dominated coalition, the Fatherland Front, seizes power from the coalition government formed to arrange an armistice with the Allies at the end of World War II.
China: Mao Zedong dies. (1976)
Iran: The Shah's troops open fire on protesters in Tehran, killing several hundred demonstrators. (1978)
Israel: The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel sign a mutual recognition agreement. (1993)
North Korea: Independence Day, also known as National Foundation Day, is celebrated. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is proclaimed in Pyongyang. (1948)

September 10th:
Belize: National Day is celebrated.
Ethiopia: A communist regime is proclaimed. (1984)
Guinea-Bissau: Republic Day celebrates independence from Portugal. (1974)
Italy: German troops seize Rome. (1943)
Tajikistan: President Rakhmon Nabiyev resigns on September 7,1992 after Islamic rebels forcefully takes control of government. The Islamic Party is overturned in a bloody coup in late October 1992. September 10 is recognized as the date of Tajikistan's declaration of independence. Islamic rebels have continued fighting since early September 1992. (1992)

September 11th:
Chile: A military coup, led by General Augusto Pinochet, overthrows President Salvador Allende and establishes a government by junta. Allende is killed in the coup. (1973)
Ethiopia: Eritrea is returned to Ethiopia from Italian and British control under a United Nations resolution. (1952)
Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos is born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte Province. (1917)

September 12th:
Ethiopia: Haile Selassie is deposed after a prolonged period of unrest. An escalating series of mutinies in the armed forces, demonstrations, and strikes leads to the seizure of state power by the Armed Forces Coordinating Committee. (1974)
Philippines: The April Six Movement bombs nine buildings in the metro Manila area. (1980)
South Africa: Steve Biko, founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, dies in police custody. (1977)

September 13th:
Israel: Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) sign a peace agreement in Washington, D.C. outlining a plan for Palestinian self-rule in the Israeli-occupied territories. (1993)
Peru: Abimael Guzman, the leader of Sendero Luminoso, is captured by anti-terrorist police. (1992)

September 14th:
Lebanon: President-elect Bashir Gemayel is assassinated. (1982)
South Korea: A bombing at Kimpo Airport in Seoul kills 5 people and injurs 29 others. North Korea has been blamed for the bombing. (1986)

September 15th:
Costa Rica: Independence Day celebrated. (1821)
Egypt, Spain: Black September terrorists seize the Egyptian embassy in Madrid, demanding that Egypt renounce the Sinai Agreement with Israel. The ambassador signs a renunciation, which was later dismissed. (1982)
El Salvador: Independence Day celebrated. (1821)
France: A bomb explodes inside the main police headquarters in Paris, killing one person and wounding 51 others. (1986)
Guatemala: Independence Day celebrated. (1821)
Honduras: Honduras declares its independence from Spain and joins a federation of Central American states. It leaves the federation in 1838. (1821)
Lebanon: Lebanese Christian Phalangists kill hundreds of Palestinian refugees in a camp near Beirut. (1982)
Lebanon: Israel invades West Beirut. (1982)
Nicaragua: Nicaragua declares its independence from Spain as part of a Central American federation. Nicaragua becomes independent in its own right in 1838. (1821)

September 16th:
Malaysia: Malaysia, comprising Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah (North Borneo) is formally established. (1963)
Mexico: Independence Day celebrated. Independence from Spain is declared by Father Miguel Hidalgo. The War for Independence continues until 1822, when the Mexican Republic is established. (1810)
Papua New Guinea: Independence Day celebrates independence from the International Trusteeship system. (1975)
Philippines: The Bases Agreement with the United States ends in accordance with terms of the Philippine constitution. (1991)

September 17th:
Angola: Day of the National Hero honors former president Agostinho Neto.
Egypt, Israel: Camp David Accords are signed. (1978)
Indonesia, Malaysia: The era of "Konfrontasi" begins, a period of quasi-war between Indonesia and Malaysia. (1963)
Indonesia: The Indonesian army ambushes and kills Jose Gusmao, president of FRETILIN. (1981)
Nicaragua: Former president Somoza is assassinated at his place of exile in Paraguay. (1980)

September 18th:
Burma: General Saw Maung seizes power in a military coup, sparking widespread unrest. (1988)
Burundi: Uprona Victory Day celebrated.
Chile: Independence Day celebrated. (1810)
Poland: The last 24 former Soviet soldiers stationed in Poland return to Russia, ending a presence which helped fortify Moscow's military and political domination for almost half a century. (1993)

September 19th:
Chad, Niger: UTA Flight 772 is bombed, killing all on board. The flight originated in Chad and crashed in Niger. (1989)
Iran, Iraq: Iran-Iraq War begins. (1980)
Saint Kitts and Nevis: Independence Day celebrated. (1983)

September 20th:
Central African Republic: Former president Dacko leads a successful and bloodless coup while Bokassa is out of the country, declaring the Imperial State apparatus null and void. (1979)
Germany: The Federal government is established, led by Konrad Adenauer. The following day, September 21, the Occupation Statute comes into force, granting full powers of self-government to the new state. (1949)
Lebanon: 14 people are killed and 70 are wounded when a van loaded with 400 pounds of explosives drives past the checkpoint in front of the U.S. embassy annex in Awkar and explodes. The driver of the van is shot and killed by British security guards. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for the bombing in a call to the media. (1984)

September 21st:
Belize: Independence Day celebrated. (1981)
Philippines: Thanksgiving Day Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos proclaims martial law. (1972)
Philippines: Demonstrators in Escalante, Negros Occidental, are forcibly dispersed by authorities, resulting in the deaths of 20 people. The incident subsequently is dubbed "The Escalante Massacre" by the anti-Marcos opposition. (1985)
Worldwide: Birth of Mohammed, the founder of Islam. (570)

September 22nd:
Mali: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)

September 23rd:
Saudi Arabia: The kingdoms of Nejd and Hejaz are consolidated into a single kingdom under King Abu Al-Aziz Saud. (1932)
United Arab Emirates: An Omani Gulf aircraft en route from Karachi to Abu Dhabi is destroyed by a bomb, killing 111 people, including one American. (1983)

September 24th:
France: Armenian terrorists storm the Turkish consulate, killing one guard, wounding the Vice Consul, and taking several hostages. The hostages are released later and the Armenians surrender. (1981)
Ghana: Inauguration of the Republic observed. (1979)
Guinea-Bissau: Independence Day celebrated. (1973)

September 25th:
Mozambique: Also known as Revolution Day, Armed Forces Day celebrates the formation of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) by anti-Portuguese groups who then began their armed campaign against colonial rule. (1964)

September 26th:
New Zealand: Dominion Day celebrates the declaration of New Zealand as a dominion of the United Kingdom. (1907)
Syria: Abu Nidal terrorists seize the Semiramis Hotel in Damascus, taking 90 hostages. Four hostages and all of the terrorists are killed in a subsequent gunfight, and 34 hostages were injured. (1976)
Yemen: National holiday celebrates the fledgling Yemeni army's destruction of the palace of Imam Badr and the subsequent establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic. (1962)

September 27th:
Burma: The Burmese army takes power, with General Ne Win agreeing to head the new government. (1958)
Greece: The U.S. Commissary is bombed. (1987)

September 28th:
Japan: Japanese Red Army (JRA) leader Fusako Shigenobu is born. (1945)
Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos dies in Honolulu, Hawaii, following a long illness. (1989)
Syria: The Syrian Arab Republic is declared, following a coup d'etat by military officers. (1961)

September 30th:
Philippines: The Subic Bay naval base is returned to the custody of the Philippine government with a flag lowering and raising ceremony. (1992)

October 1st:
Cameroon: Federal Republic proclaimed. (1961)
China: National Day celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China. (1949)
Cyprus: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)
Indonesia: Pancasila Day celebrates the five-point national ideology of the Indonesian state.
Israel, Tunisia: The Israeli air force bombs the headquarters of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Tunis. (1985)
Nigeria: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)

October 2nd:
Guinea: Independence Day celebrated. (1958)

October 3rd:
Australia: Labor Day observed.
Honduras: Birthday of Francisco Morazan, the national hero of Honduras, who was a leader in the unsuccessful effort to keep Central America united.

October 4th:
Lesotho: Independence Day commemorates Moshoeshoe II taking the oath of office as king for life. (1966)
Niger: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)

October 5th:
Chile: Lautaro Youth Movement is founded. The leftist terrorist group has commemorated this anniversary by attacking Chilean and American targets. (1987)
Chile: General Pinochet calls a referendum to win eight more years as Chile's military ruler. When he loses the vote, Pinochet decides to allow the restoration of multi-party democracy. (1988)
Liechtenstein: The Principality of Liechtenstein is established as a hereditary constitutional monarchy. (1921)
Portugal: Proclamation of the Republic celebrated. (1919)

October 6th:
Egypt, Israel, Syria: The Yom Kippur War begins. (1973)
Egypt: Armed Forces Day observed. (1973)
Egypt: Anwar Sadat assassinated. (1981)
Thailand: 38 students are killed in Thammasat during protests against the return of former president Thanom. The government is overthrown the same day. (1976)

October 7th:
Egypt, Italy: Four Palestinian gunmen hijack the Italian cruise ship "Achille Lauro" off Alexandria, Egypt. While off the Syrian port of Tartus, the terrorists kill a wheelchair-bound American. Egypt and Italy negotiate the return of the ship and the remaining passengers. U.S. fighters intercept an Egyptian jet carrying the hijackers and force it down at a NATO base in Italy. (1985)
Libya: Also called Revenge Day, Fascist Evacuation Day celebrates the departure of the last Italian settlers from Libya. (1970)
Pakistan: President Iskander Mirza, supported by senior military officers, seizes power and imposes martial law. (1958) Peru: Communist Party is founded. (1992)
Peru: Abimael Guzman, the founder and leader of Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), is sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court. (1992)

October 8th:
Argentina: Juan Peron's birthday. (1895)
Bolivia, Chile, Cuba: Che Guevara is killed by security forces in eastern Bolivia while trying, unsuccessfully, to spark a Cuban-style uprising. (1967)
Colombia: The Simon Bolivar Guerrilla Coordinating Board (CNG) is founded as an umbrella organization under which the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and a dissident faction of the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) coordinate political positions and organize joint terrorist operations. (1987)
Israel: 18 Arabs die during clashes with police at the Temple Mount religious site. The Arabs reportedly feared Jewish extremists from the Temple Mount faithful were planning to attack the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosque complexes, Islam's third holiest site. (1990)
Poland: The Solidarity Union is outlawed. (1982)

October 9th:
Burma, North Korea: North Korean commandos trying to assassinate the president of South Korea detonate a bomb in Rangoon during a state visit by South Korea officials, killing 21 Burmese and Korean dignitaries. (1983)
Cambodia: the monarchy is abolished, making possible the Khmer Republic. (1970)
Uganda: Independence Day celebrated. (1962)

October 10th:
El Salvador: The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), umbrella organization of the five main leftist guerrilla groups in El Salvador, is founded. (1980)
Fiji: Independence Day celebrated. (1970)
North Korea: Worker's Party Foundation Day.
South Africa: Kruger Day commemorates President Paul Kruger's birthday.
Taiwan: Double Ten, National Day marks the anniversary of the revolution leading to the founding of the Chinese Republic by Sun Yat-sen. (1911)

October 11th:
Israel: The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council approves chairman Yasser Arafat's peace deal with Israel by a vote of 63 to 8, with 11 members abstaining or absent. (1993)
Panama: Constitution Day celebrated. (1972) South Africa: International day of solidarity with South African political prisoners.

October 12th:
Argentina: Columbus Day celebrated. Bahamas: Discovery Day observed. (1492)
Chile: Columbus Day observed. Chile: The Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), one of the most active leftist terrorist groups during the presidency of Salvador Allende, is founded. It is suppressed during the military regime that followed but survives as a political organization. (1965)
Ecuador: The anniversary of Columbus' s landing is marked by official celebrations and protests by Indian communities.
Equatorial Guinea: Independence Day celebrated. (1968)
Latin America and Caribbean: Christopher Columbus sets foot on American soil for the first time on San Salvador (formerly Watling Island) in the Bahamas. This date may be marked by celebrations and protests in many countries. (1492)
Malaysia: A Treaty of Mutual Defense and Mutual Assistance is signed with the United Kingdom. (1957)
Panama: Christopher Columbus' landfall on San Salvador (formerly Watling) Island in the Bahamas may be marked by celebrations and protests.
United Kingdom: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) bombs the Grand Hotel in Brighton during a Conservative Party conference. The goal of the attack is to kill Prime Minister Thatcher. She escapes unharmed, but four others died in the attack. (1984)

October 13th:
Belize: Pan-American Day celebrated.
Iraq: Independence Day celebrated. (1932)

October 14th:
Madagascar: Proclamation of the Republic. (1958)
Thailand: The military dictatorship is overthrown, and there is a return to civilian rule. (1973)
Zaire: Birthday of President Mobutu. (1930)

October 15th:
Burkina Faso: A coup in Ouagadougou overthrows the Sankara government, bringing the Compaore regime to power. (1987)
South Africa: President Frederik de Klerk frees six African National Congress (ANC) members who had been imprisoned for more than 25 years. (1989)
Tunisia: Evacuation Day observed.

October 16th:
Holy See, The (the Vatican): Pope John Paul II is elected. (1978)
Syria: Air Force Day observed.

October 17th:
Argentina: Juan Peron founds labor movement. (1945)

October 18th:
Germany: Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorists in a West German prison commit suicide. (1977)
Germany: West German commandos storm a plane hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), freeing all of the hostages. (1977)
Greece: The Panhellenic Socialist Party (PASP) wins the national elections. (1981)
Vietnam: Republic Proclaimed by Ngo Dinh Diem. (1955)

October 19th:
Mozambique: President Machel is killed in an airplane crash. (1986)
South Africa: The South African government bans 18 organizations and the two largest black newspapers, while also detaining 47 black leaders. (1977)

October 20th:
Greece: Greek police kill Christos Kasimis, member of the ELA terrorist group. (1977)
Guatemala: An uprising led by progressive army officers overthrows the regime of General Jorge Ubico, ushering in 10 years of democratic rule during which social reforms are adopted. (1944)
Kenya: Kenyatta Day commemorates a state of emergency declared following the Mau Mau Rebellion, during which hundreds of future Kenyan leaders are arrested. The British are able to put down the rebellion by the end of 1956. (1952)
Mongolia: Independence Day celebrated. (1921)
Philippines: U.S. forces under General Douglas MacArthur land near Palao on the island of Leyte, beginning the reconquest of the Philippines from the Japanese. An annual commemorative ceremony is held at the site of the landing. (1944)
Thailand: Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, stages a coup d'etat and establishes military rule. (1958)

October 21st:
Honduras: Armed Forces Day is observed. (1966)
Japan: Work begins on Narita Airport. Ten days of demonstrations usually occur around this anniversary. (1966)
Japan: International Anti-War Day observed. Since the end of the Vietnam War, Japanese leftist groups have used this day to espouse various anti-war, anti-nuclear, and anti-security treaty themes. (1966)
Somalia: Siad Barre seizes power. The anniversary of the seizure of power is known as National Day. (1969)

October 22nd:
New Zealand: Labor Day is observed.

October 23rd:
Lebanon: Islamic Jihad bombings in Beirut kill 254 U.S. marines and 58 French paratroopers. (1983)

October 24th:
Egypt: Popular Resistance Day is observed. (1956)
France, Turkey: The Turkish ambassador and his driver are shot and killed in Paris by members of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). (1975)
Syria: Relations with the United Kingdom are broken. (1984)
Zambia: Independence Day celebrated. (1964)

October 25th:
Austria: Revolution Day celebrates the return of Soviet-administered properties under the Austrian State Treaty. All occupation forces are withdrawn, and Austria becomes free and independent. (1955)
Grenada: With the breakdown of law and order following the arrest and subsequent murder of prime minister Maurice Bishop, Grenada's governor general and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States ask the U.S. for assistance. The U.S. sends a military force to the island to restore order and evacuate endangered American citizens. (1983)

October 26th:
Benin: The Benin military seizes power in a coup d'etat, installing Matheiu Kerekou as chief of state. (1972)
South Korea: Pak Chung Hee is assassinated by his intelligence chief. (1979)
Libya: Day of Mourning commemorates Libyan suffering and the deportation of Libyans to Italy during Italian colonial rule. (1943)
Rwanda: Armed Forces Day celebrated.

October 27th:
Czechoslovakia: Independence Day. (1918)
Saint Vincent and Grenadines: Independence Day celebrated. (1979)

October 28th:
Cyprus: Greek Cypriot national holiday observed. (1974)
Greece: Okhi Day, the third most important holiday (after Independence Day and Easter Sunday) in the Greek calendar; commemorates the Greek rejection of Mussolini's ultimatum to the Athens government, which led subsequently to Italy's invasion of Greece from Albania. The Greeks held the Italian army at bay in the mountains of Epirus until military intervention by the Nazis in March. (1941)
Philippines: New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas killed three Americans near Clark Air Base. (1987)

October 29th:
Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Republic Day observed. (1973)
Egypt: Israeli, French, and British forces invade the Sinai and seize control of the Suez Canal following its nationalization by Egypt. (1956)
Turkey: Turkish National Day commemorates the declaration of Turkey as a republic by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his inauguration as its first president. (1923)

October 30th:
Israel: The first round of Arab-Israeli peace talks begin in Madrid, Spain. (1991)

October 31st:
India: Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. Anti-Sikh rioting following the assassination results in thousands of Sikh deaths throughout India. (1984)

November 1st:
Algeria: Revolution Day commemorates the revolt by indigenous Algerians in an attempt to gain rights denied to them under French colonial rule. (1954)
Antigua and Barbuda: Independence Day celebrated. (1981)
Argentina: Veterans Day observed. Bolivia, Chile, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique: All Saints Day Guinea: Armed Forces Day observed.

November 2nd:
Israel, Occupied Territories: Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which promised a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Demonstrations in the occupied territories and the Gaza area have occurred on this date. (1917)

November 3rd:
Hungary: Soviet armed forces invade Hungary following Hungarian premier Imre Nagy's proclamation of Hungarian neutrality. (1956)
Italy: National Unity Day (1918)
South Korea: Students Day commemorates the beginning of student protests in Kwangju against Japanese rule. (1929)
Panama: Independence from Colombia achieved. (1903)

November 4th:
Iran: The Ayatollah Khomeini is exiled to Turkey. (1964)
Iran: Student uprising against Shah begins. (1978)
Iran: The American embassy is seized and many people taken hostage. (1979)
Peru: founding of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), a Cuban-inspired Marxist guerrilla organization. (1982)
Philippines: Imelda Marcos returns from six years in exile. She is promptly arrested and charged with multiple fraud and tax evasion violations, then released on bail. (1991)
Zambia: President Kaunda concedes defeat in the first free elections in years and peacefully transfers power to his successor. (1991)

November 6th:
Morocco: Green March Day marks the date Moroccan citizens marched into the Spanish western Sahara, claiming areas vacated by Mauritania, which signed a peace treaty with the Polisario movement, renouncing all claims on the territory. (1979)

November 7th:
Burkina Faso: A coup overthrows the government. (1982)
Hungary: October Revolution Day celebrates the Bolshevik Revolution in the Soviet Union. (1917)
Russia: Revolution Day marks the Great October Socialist Revolution. Considered by communists as their most sacred day. (1917)

November 8th:
United Kingdom: Thirteen people are killed in the Northern Ireland town of Enniskillen when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) detonates a bomb during the town's observance of Remembrance Day. (1987)

November 9th:
Cambodia: Independence Day. France acknowledges the independence of Cambodia without reservations, after years of persistent lobbying (and public posturing) by Prince Norodom Sihanouk. (1953)
Germany: Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorist Holger Meins died in prison during a hunger strike. (1974)

November 10th:
Philippines: Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leader Jose Maria Sison is captured. (1977)
Turkey: Kemal Ataturk dies. (1938)

November 11th:
Angola: Independence Day celebrated. (1975)
Colombia: The Popular Liberation Army (EPL), a leftist terrorist organization, makes peace with the government and become a legitimate political party. However, a dissident faction continues the armed struggle against the government. (1957)
South Korea: Chon Tae Il, a textile company laborer, burns himself to death in protest against the government crackdown on the free labor union movement. (1970)
Maldives: The sultanate is abolished and a republic declared. (1968)
Mauritania: A coup brings Taya to power. (1980)
Zimbabwe: Prime minister Ian Smith issues a unilateral declaration of independence from the United Kingdom in an attempt to continue minority rule by white Rhodesians. (1965)

November 12th:
Austria: Republic Day observed. (1918)
Indonesia: The first Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)
rebellion erupts in West Java. (1927)
Indonesia: In an apparently unprovoked attack, Indonesian troops kill over 100 East Timorese and at least one New Zealander in a deadly hail of automatic weapons fire aimed at a funeral procession in Dili, East Timor. Reports and video tape indicate no visible provocation. Two American print reporters are severely beaten in the incident. World condemnation follows the attack. (1991)
Japan: The coronation of the emperor Akihito occurs amid threats from youth groups against the imperial succession. (1990)
Taiwan: Birthday of Sun Yat-sen.

November 13th:
Philippines: Leftist labor leader Rolando Alalia is assassinated in Manila. (1986)
Syria: Minister of defense Hafiz Al-Assad seizes power in a bloodless coup following the defeat of Syrian forces during the "Black September" hostilities with Jordan. (1970)

November 14th:
Jordan: Birthday of King Hussein. (1935)
Libya, United Kingdom: The United Kingdom issues indictments against two Libyans for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1989. (1991)

November 15th:
Brazil: Proclamation of the Republic. (1889)
Cyprus: Turkish Cypriots occupying the northern third of the island declare themselves the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC). (1983)
Greece: U.S. Navy captain George Tsantes is shot and killed while on his way to work in Athens. His chauffeur also dies in the attack. The Greek terrorist organization "November 17" subsequently claims responsibility for the killings. (1983)
Palestine: The Palestine National Congress, meeting in Algiers, declares a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. (1988)

November 17th:
France: Members of the Action Directe (AD) terrorist group murder George Besse, president of Renault. (1986)
Greece: An uprising of students at the Athens Polytechnic University against the rule of a military junta in Greece takes place on this date. The Greek terrorist organization "November 17" takes its name from this event. (1973)

November 18th:
Latvia: Independence Day celebrated. (1918)
Morocco: Sultan Mohammed V is allowed to return to Morocco, and negotiations with the French for independence begin. (1955)
Oman: Sultan bin-Said's birthday.(1940)

November 19th:
Ireland: Wolfe Tone, the first Irish revolutionary, dies. (1978)
Mali: Liberation Day. A group of officers led by Moussa Traore stage a bloodless coup and set up the Military Committee for National Liberation (CMLN). (1968)
Philippines: a plebiscite on Muslim autonomy in Mindinao results in only four provinces voting to join the Muslim autonomous region. (1989)

November 20th:
Colombia: The April 19 Movement (M-19), a leftist terrorist organization, is legalized by an amnesty law after the group made peace with the government. The M-19 is now a legitimate political party. (1983)
Saudi Arabia: Approximately 500 Islamic fundamentalists occupy the Grand Mosque. (1979)
Spain: King Juan Carlos assumes power following the death of Francisco Franco. (1975)

November 21st:
Bangladesh: Armed Forces Day observed. (1971)
Libya: Proclamation Day commemorates the United Nations resolution on Libyan independence. (1949)

November 22nd:
Lebanon: Independence Day celebrated. (1943)
Occupied Territories, Israel: UN Security Council Resolution 242 is adopted, calling for a separate Palestinian state. (1967)
Pakistan: The U.S. embassy in Islamabad is attacked and burned by Islamic militants following rumors that the U.S. is involved in the violent takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (1979)
Spain: Juan Carlos is proclaimed king. (1975)

November 23rd:
Burundi: Tutsi rebels based in Rwanda attack the capital of Bujumbura in an attempt to unseat the government. Hundreds are killed and indiscriminate killings are alleged. (1991)
Egypt, Malta: An Egyptian jet is hijacked to Malta. Fifty-nine passengers, including one American, are killed when Egyptian troops storm the plane in Malta. (1985)
Philippines: Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos blocks a coup attempt by dissatisfied military officers. (1986)

November 24th:
Sri Lanka: The founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is born. His birthday is marked by the LTTE as "Heroes Week," which also commemorates LTTE members who have died in battle. (1954)
Zaire: Revolution Day commemorates the establishment of the Second Congolese Republic by General Joseph Mobutu (now Mobutu Sese Seko), following his seizure of control of the government. (1965)

November 25th:
Chile: Birthday of Augusto Pinochet. Czech Republic, Slovak Republic: The parliament of Czechoslovakia votes to end the 74-year-old federation of the Czech and Slovak states. (1993)
Greece: Colonel Papadoupolos and his military junta, which have controlled Greece since April 1967, are themselves overthrown by a military coup. (1973)
Portugal: A coup attempt by leftists fails. (1974)
Portugal: The U.S. embassy is hit by four 60 mm mortar rounds fired by the popular forces of 25 April terrorist group. (1984)
Suriname: Independence Day celebrated. (1975)

November 26th:
Mongolia: Republic Day commemorates the founding of the Mongolian People's Republic. (1924)
Philippines: Political and military elements loyal to president Aquino block a coup attempt by Juan Ponce Enrile. (1986)
Philippines: The U.S. government hands over control of Clark Air Force Base to the government of the Philippines. The base was severely damaged by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Within a month the base was stripped of all useable material by looters and guards. (1991)

November 27th:
Togo: Soldiers out of control start a coup designed to remove interim prime minister Koffigoh and insure the continued power of president Eyadema and his northern-dominated military. (1991)
Turkey: The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) is founded. PKK guerrillas may engage in terrorist attacks in connection with this date. (1978)

November 28th:
Albania: Albania declares its independence from Turkey at the height of the first Balkan War. (1912)
Albania: Liberation Day. The communist-led National Liberation Front (NLF) eliminates other smaller, non-communist resistance groups and gains control of the country. (1944)
Burundi: Proclamation of the Republic. (1966)
Chad: Proclamation of the Republic. (1958)
Indonesia: The Fretilin movement in East Timor declares itself independent from Indonesia. Indonesian forces invade the following week, defeating Fretilin forces and declaring East Timor to be Indonesia's 27th province. (1975)
Mauritania: Independence Day celebrated. (1960)

November 29th:
Serbia-Montenegro: Republic Day observed. (1945)
South Korea: Korean Air Lines Flight 858 is blown up over the Andaman Sea near Burma by two North Korean agents, killing all 115 persons aboard. (1987)

November 30th:
Barbados: Independence Day celebrated. (1966)
Germany: Alfred Herrhausen, the head of Deutche Bank AG and the most influential businessman in Germany, is assassinated by terrorists of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in a Frankfurt suburb as Herrhausen is being driven to work. A very sophisticated light-activated bomb is detonated as Herrhausen's car drives by. The killing shakes Germany. (1989)
Yemen: Independence Day. South Arabia, including Aden, is declared independent by the National Liberation Front (NLF) and is renamed the People's Republic of South Yemen. (1967)

December 1st:
Central African Republic: National Day celebrates the Central African Republic's becoming an autonomous republic within the French community. (1958)
Philippines: The sixth attempt to overthrow the Aquino government is begun by disaffected elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). (1989)
Romania: National Day observed. (1990)
Serbia-Montenegro: an independent state is established (1918)
Thailand: Thai Communist Party is founded. (1940)
Yemen: The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) is declared, following the takeover of the government by a radical wing of the National Liberation Front (NLF). (1970)

December 2nd:
Kenya: The Kenyan African National Union (KANU) party, the only political party allowed in Kenya for years, votes to allow a multiparty democracy in the country. This follows the direction of President Moi to co-opt a rising vocal opposition. (1991)
Laos: The monarchy is abolished, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic is established. (1975)
Spain: Basque terrorists bomb eight U.S. facilities in Spanish Basque territory to protest U.S. involvement in Central America. (1983)
United Arab Emirates: Independence Day. The British protective treaty with the Trucial sheikhdoms ends, and six of the shaikhdoms enter into the Union of the United Arab Emirates. The seventh sheikhdom, Ras AlKhaimah, joins early in the following year. (1971)

December 3rd:
India: A chemical leak at Union Carbide's Bhopal plant results in 2,000 deaths and nearly 150,000 injuries. (1984)
Peru: Abimael Guzman, also known as "President Gonzalo," is the founder and leader of the Sendero Luminoso guerrilla organization. Guzman's followers often "celebrate" his birthday by carrying out attacks or murdering soldiers, public servants, and municipal authorities. (1934)

December 4th:
Cuba: Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) Day, also Regional Defense Day, is observed. (1956)
Indonesia, Kuwait: Hasan de Tiro forms the Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh Movement) in order to gain independence from Indonesia for Aceh state. (1976)
Iran: Four Islamic Jihad terrorists hijack a Kuwaiti airliner bound for Pakistan from Kuwait and order it flown to Tehran. Two U.S. AID personnel are killed during the hijacking, while two others, another U.S. AID official and an American businessman, are tortured during the ordeal. Iranian troops storm the aircraft on December 9, retaking it from the hijackers. (1984)
Spain: Birthday of Francisco Franco. (1892)

December 5th:
Lebanon: Lebanese president-elect Kamal Jumblatt is assassinated. (1981)
Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej is born. (1927)

December 6th:
Finland: Independence Day celebrated. (1917)
India: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, revered leader of India's Dalits (Untouchables), dies and is cremated in Bombay. (1992)
India: Hindu extremists destroy the 16th Century Moslem mosque at Ayodhya in India's Uttar Pradesh state. The subsequent rioting and Moslem-Hindu clashes that engulf India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other nations result in over 1,000 deaths. Hindus claim the mosque was built on the birth site of the Hindu god Rama, a claim disputed by Moslems. (1992)
Mexico: Establishment of the Republic celebrated. (1822)
Thailand: A new constitution is approved, leaving a great deal of direct and indirect power in the hands of the current military leadership and their to-be-appointed successors. (1991)

December 7th:
Burma: Burmese students lead an uprising against British rule. (1920)
Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast): Independence Day celebrated. (1960)
Indonesia: Indonesian military forces invaded East Timor in order to suppress the Fretilin Independence Movement. (1975)
Japan, United States: The Japanese Imperial Navy attacks Pearl Harbor. (1941)

December 8th:
Suriname: 15 prominent opponents of the military-backed regime, including journalists, lawyers and a trade union leader, are executed without trial while in government custody. In response, the Netherlands and the U.S. suspend their economic and military assistance programs in Suriname. (1982)

December 9th:
Israel: Date used to mark the beginning of the Intifada or uprising on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (1987)
Tanzania: Independence of Tanganyika celebrated. (1961)

December 10th:
Angola: The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is founded. Burma: Students demonstrate against the authoritarian government, which sends troops to close the universities and guard the home of the Nobel prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. (1991)
Namibia: Old Location Day commemorates the killing of 12 Namibians by South African colonial authorities during a protest against their forced removal from the old location to Katutura. Shortly after the incident, Sam Nujoma and other Swapo leaders go into exile. (1959)

December 11th:
Bangladesh: President Ershad is forced to resign after massive protests against his government. (1990)
Kenya: Republic Day celebrates Kenya's joining the British Commonwealth one year after its independence. (1964)
Oman: Armed Forces Day observed. (1971)

December 12th:
Gambia: Confederation with Senegal formed. (1981)
Kenya: Independence Day marks Kenya's achieving independence from Britain and joining the Commonwealth one year later. (1963)
Kuwait: The U.S. and French embassies are bombed by Al-Dawa party members. Similar attacks occur at a U.S. housing compound, a Kuwaiti oil facility, an airline terminal, and a Kuwaiti government office. Islamic Jihad claims reponsibility for the bombings. (1983)
Mauritania: Chief of Staff Maayouia Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya leads a bloodless coup that ousts Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, leader of the Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN). This is also known as the CMSN restructuring anniversary. (1984)
Nigeria: President Babangida officially opens the new capital town of Abuja in central Nigeria. Abuja is to serve as a centralized federal capital, hoping to draw all embassies there, while Lagos remains the economic capital. Abuja is 500 miles northeast of Lagos. (1991)

December 13th:
Malta: Republic Day celebrated. (1983)

December 14th:
Chile: The Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR), a leftist terrorist group, is founded. The FPMR announces its abandonment of armed struggle in 1991. (1983)

December 16th:
Bahrain: Rulers Accession Day commemorated. (1971)
Bangladesh: Independence Day, also known as Victory Day. Bangladesh wins independence from Pakistan. (1971)
Haiti: Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide is overwhelmingly chosen as Haiti's first popularly-elected president. (1990)
Israel, Middle East: The United Nations General Assembly repeals the 1975 resolution which said Zionism is a form of racism. (1991)
South Africa: Umkhonto We Sizwe, the military branch of the African National Congress (ANC) is founded. (1961)
United Kingdom: Harrod's department store in London is bombed by the northern Ireland terrorist organization Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). The bombing kills 5, including one U.S. citizen, and injurs 91 others. (1983)

December 17th:
Bhutan: Ugyen Wangchuck becomes Bhutan's first hereditary king. (1907)
Israel, Lebanon: More than 400 suspected members of Hamas are forcibly expelled from Israel into Lebanon following the kidnap-murder of an Israeli border policeman. The expellees are refused entry into Lebanon and are forced to camp in the Israeli-controlled security zone in south Lebanon. (1992)
Italy: U.S. Army general James Dozier is kidnapped in Milan by Red Brigade terrorists. The general subsequently is rescued by Italian counterterrorist squads on January 28,1982 in Padua. Five Red Brigade members are captured. (1981)
Namibia: South Africa begins administration of South-West Africa under the terms of the Covenant of the League of Nations. (1920)

December 18th:
Egypt: Britain declares a formal protectorate over Egypt that lasts until February 28,1922, when Britain unilaterally declares Egypt independent in deference to growing nationalist sentiment. (1914)
Niger: Republic Day celebrated. (1958)

December 19th:
Philippines: Armed Forces Day observed.
Vietnam: Army Day celebrates the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA). (1944)

December 20th:
Panama: U.S. military forces intervene in Panama to protect the 35,000 Americans residing there and to install a democratically-elected government. Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega surrenders to U.S. forces on January 3,1990 after having taken refuge in the papal nunciature. (1989)

December 21st:
Austria: Pro-Palestinian guerrillas attack an OPEC conference in Vienna, killing three people, wounding seven, and taking 81 hostage. Forty-one Austrian hostages are released in Vienna, while the rest are taken to Algeria and released on December 23rd. (1975)
Commonwealth of Independent States: Eleven of the twelve former republics of the Soviet Union meet in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan and found the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), thereby abolishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Founding members are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Byelarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. (1991)
Ireland: Proclamation of the Republic. (1948)
Israel: Geneva Peace Conference opens. (1973)
Nepal: Independence Day celebrated. (1948)
Portugal: Independence Day celebrated. (1640)
United Kingdom, United States: Pan Am Flight 103, outbound from London for New York with 259 people aboard, is destroyed by a bomb while over Lockerbie, Scotland. All aboard the aircraft are killed, as were 11 persons on the ground at Lockerbie. (1988)

December 22nd:
Burma: National Day of the Union of Burma commemorates a boycott launched against the Rangoon University Act of the British, which allowed only the rich and a handful of anglophiles to receive higher education. Considered to be the beginning of the National Education Movement. (1920)

December 23rd:
Egypt: Victory Day celebrates the withdrawal of British, French and Israeli forces from Port Said and the Suez Canal Zone. (1956)
Greece: U.S. embassy official Richard Welch is killed outside of his home in Athens. The Greek terrorist organization "November 17" subsequently takes responsibility for his assassination. (1975)
Japan: Birthday of Emperor Akihito. (1933)
Philippines: The Marcos government signs the Tripoli Agreement, which is to provide for greater autonomy for Muslim regions of the Philippines. (1976)

December 24th:
Libya: Independence Day celebrated. (1951)

December 25th:
Afghanistan, Russia: Soviet troops invade Afghanistan. (1979)
Commonwealth of Independent States: President Bush formally recognizes 12 of the former Soviet republics, 11 of which are members of the CIS. President Bush also indicates that the U.S. will establish as soon as possible diplomatic relations with 6 of the republics but that diplomatic relations with the others will only be established when they meet certain political conditions. (1991)
Cambodia: The Khmer Rouge regime is toppled from power, as Phnom Penh falls to invading Vietnamese forces. Khmer Rouge forces retreat west, and set up base camps on the Thai border and in the Cardamon Mountains to continue resistance against the Vietnamese. (1978)
Russia: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union on and transfers control of the Soviet nuclear arsenal to Russian president Boris Yeltsin. A few hours later, the United States recognizes Russia as the successor state to the Soviet Union. These actions mark the end of the Soviet Union, 74 years after the Bolshevik Revolution. (1991)
Senegal: MFDC, the Casamance Separatist Movement, is founded. Armed attacks by the group have occurred on this date, to mark the anniversary of the founding of the MFDC. (1982)

December 26th:
Algeria: The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) wins the first round of voting in Algeria's parliamentary elections. The second round of elections, scheduled for January 16,1992, are cancelled when Algerian president Benjedid resigns on January 12,1992. (1991)
China: Birthday of Mao Zedong. (1893)
Peru: The birthday of Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong has been marked by the Sendero Luminoso (SL) guerrilla organization by terrorist attacks. Philippines: Founding of the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) by Jose Maria Sison. (1968)
Taiwan: Constitution Day observed.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: Although the Soviet Union effectively ceased to exist on December 25,1991, with the resignation of President Gorbachev and his handing control of the Soviet nuclear arsenal over to Russian president Yeltsin, a small group of members of the Senior Soviet Legislature, the Supreme Soviet, meet on December 26th and formally vote the Soviet Union out of existence. (1991)

December 27th:
Austria: The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) attacks the Vienna airport. (1985)
Indonesia: Sovereignty is transferred from the Netherlands following independence. (1949)
Italy: The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) attacks the Rome airport. (1985)

December 28th:
Israel, Thailand: Black September terrorists take hostages after seizing the Israeli embassy in Bangkok. The hostages are released in exchange for safe conduct. (1972)

December 29th:
Serbia-Montenegro: Commemorates the proclamation of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. (1945)

December 30th:
Philippines: Rizal Day commemorates the execution of national hero Jose Rizal. (1896)
Romania: Republic is proclaimed. (1947)

December 31st:
Congo: President Marien Ngouabi proclaims the People's Republic of the Congo. (1969)
Ghana: Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings and a small group of soldiers launch a coup that succeeds, against little opposition, in toppling President Limann. (1981)
Indonesia: Indonesian military forces surrounded and killed Fretilin President and Supreme Commander Nicolau Dos Reis Lobato. (1978)
Philippines: The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of the Philippines is founded. (1968)
Russia: President Bush on December 25,1991 had recognized the independence of all 12 former Soviet republics and proposed the establishment of full diplomatic relations with 6 of them, including Russia. Russian president Yeltsin responds formally and positively on December 31,1991. The U.S. establishes formal diplomatic relations with Russia on that date. (1991)