Damascus, SANA-
1880 – Building of Panama Canal begins.
1901- Commonwealth of Australia established.
1917- British forces enter Palestine through Rafah during the World War I.
1948- General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Tariffs “Gat” comes into effect.
1956- Sudan gains independence and declares establishment of the republic.
1958- Establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market.
1959- Victory of Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro.
1985- Britain’s first mobile phone call.
1992- Egyptian Boutros Boutros-Ghali becomes the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations.
1995- Establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
2007- Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union “EU”.
Born Today:
1934- Algerian politician and diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi.
1944- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
1956- Lebanese musician Ziad al-Rahbani.
Passed away:
1921- German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg.
Occasions:
New Year’s Day
Liberation Day in Cuba
R. al-Jazaeri/ Barry