2015 Event Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen, resigns in the midst of a scandal in which the company confessed to installing software in its cars for the last 7 years in order to fool emissions test devices while violating U.S. clean air standards 2015 Event G.M. will pay $900 million and will undergo compliance monitoring to settle charges that it knew about faulty ignition switches in certain autos for years but neither reported nor fixed the problem; over 120 people died in crashes as a result 2015 Event Scientists discover a cache of skeletons of a new species of human ancestor, named Homo naledi, in a South African cave; the hominids are thought to have possibly lived up to three million years ago 2015 Event Queen Elizabeth II surpasses her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the U.K.'s longest-reigning royal with 63 years on the throne; Elizabeth II was installed on the throne at age 25 in 1952 after the sudden death of her father, George VI 2015 Event Scientists using geophysical methods to map underground archaeological sites have discovered a set of stone monoliths buried 3 feet deep near Stonehenge; the stones are estimated to be 4,500 years old 2015 Event France and the U.K. agree to share responsibility for taking in immigrants fleeing Syria and other conflict-ridden nations; France agrees to accept 24,000 people over the next two years, and the U.K. will accept 20,000 2015 Event The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to reduce greenhouse gases from oil and gas operations, proposing a rule to cut methane emissions from these sources by 40 to 45 percent of 2012 baseline levels over the next 10 years 2015 Event North Korea reverts its time zone to that used prior to Japanese colonialization in 1910 in order to commemorate 70 years of liberation from the �wicked Japanese imperialists� 2015 Event The Brain Kids, a team of robots from Japan's Chiba Institute of Technology, wins this year's RoboCup, a robotic football (soccer) tournament started 18 years ago to encourage new developments in the robotics field 2015 Event British Petroleum (BP) reaches a settlement with U.S. federal, state and local government entities regarding damages from its Deepwater Horizon rig explosion five years ago; BP will pay USD $18 billion through the year 2030 2015 Event A Dutch court ruling binds the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% within 5 years in comparison to 1990 levels; plaintiffs argued that citizens must be protected from climate change, which threatens the low-lying nation 2015 Event Golfer Jordan Spieth, 21 years old, wins the U.S. Open, making him the youngest to win since Bobby Jones over 90 years ago 2015 Event Juan Felipe Herrera, age 66, has been named by U.S. Congress as this year's national poet laureate; Herrera, who is the first Latino to be given the title, has served for the past three years as California poet laureate 2015 Event Harriette Thompson, at 92 years and three months, becomes the oldest person to finish a marathon, beating the previous record holder of 92 years and 19 days 2015 Event Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel, is sentenced to eight months in prison after new evidence emerges proving corruption charges for which he had been acquitted three years ago 2015 Event Myanmar President Thein Sein implements a population control law requiring women to wait three years between children; critics believe the law can be used to oppress women as well as minority religion and ethnic populations in the country 2015 Event Archaeologists report on the findings in Kenya of stone tools over a half-million years older than known species of human ancestors, raising questions regarding human evolution and use of tools 2015 Event British Prime Minister David Cameron is re-elected for five more years in a decisive victory that upset predictions of a close election and resulted in the first Conservative majority government since 1992 2015 Event NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft ends its three-year orbit around Mercury with a planned crash into the planet's surface; originally, the probe was to orbit and collect data for one year, but fuel saving efforts extended its mission for two more years 2015 Event A new birdlike dinosaur, Yi qi, has been discovered in China; the fossils suggest that it lived about 160 million years ago and had membranous, bat-like wings that not been seen in other dinosaur species 2015 Event Scientists discover a huge magma reservoir under Yellowstone National Park that feeds the magma chamber heating the park's geothermal features; though no volcanic eruption is likely for thousands of years, such an event would dwarf all others to date 2015 Event The Cairo Criminal Court convicts Egyptian ex-President Mohammed Morsi for his role in illegal detentions and violent responses to protests against him three years ago; he and other Muslim Brotherhood defendants will serve a 20-year prison term 2015 Event The Vatican ends a five-year investigation into a key organization of U.S. nuns two years ahead of schedule and recommends no major changes; the group was under scrutiny for practices considered out of line with Catholic Church teaching 2015 Event Lee Kuan Yew, founder of the nation of Singapore and prime minister for 31 years, dies at the age of 91 after suffering for weeks from pneumonia 2015 Event U.S. President Barack Obama states that he did not know that former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton solely used a personal email address for government business, possibly violating federal law; Clinton served under Obama for four years 2015 Event AT&T will be replaced with Apple Inc. on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), reflecting shifts in the U.S. economy between telecommunications and technology; AT&T had been part of the DJIA for over 100 years 2015 Event Scientists uncover a 2.8-million-year-old jawbone of a primitive human; the find suggests that humans may have evolved from hominins, or humanlike primates, about 400,000 years earlier than previously thought 2015 Event The International Energy Agency estimates that oil prices will remain relatively low for the next five years, potentially dipping this year to an average of $55/barrel before increasing to about $73/barrel by the year 2020 2015 Event Harper Lee will release her second novel, 'Go Set a Watchman,' after 55 years; Lee wrote this novel first, presenting Scout as an adult, but editors convinced Lee to write instead about Scout as a child, resulting in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' 2015 Event American skier Lindsey Vonn wins her 63rd World Cup, setting a new record after 35 years; the previous record of 62 wins was held by Austrian skier Annemarie Moser-Proell 2014 Event U.S. officials return four Afghan prisoners to Afghanistan after more than ten years of detention in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the Obama administration is working to clear and release remaining prisoners in order to close the facility 2014 Event The NASA Mars rover Curiosity has returned images from the red planet's Gale Crater showing evidence of sediment deposits, suggesting that lakes and rivers potentially existed across the planet millions of years ago 2014 Event NASA awakens its New Horizons craft from hibernation for the last time; the vessel was launched 9 years ago to travel over 3 billion miles to Pluto and will be within range to begin data collection on the planet in January 2015 2014 Event NASA successfully tests its unmanned Orion spaceship for potential human flight over 3,500 miles from Earth; several years and more tests will be needed before the vessel is ready for human travel, potentially paving the way for manned trips to Mars 2014 Event U.S. President Barack Obama announces plans to delay deportation of about 4 million undocumented immigrants who have lived in the country for at least 5 years and have children who are legal residents or U.S. citizens 2014 Event The Church of England announces that it has changed its rules to allow female bishops; the church has allowed female priests for the last 20 years but has not allowed women to serve in higher positions until now 2014 Event The G-20 summit in Australia ends with a commitment by leaders of the 20 nations to take steps to raise their collective GDP by $2 trillion over the next four years; critics say that proposed measures are not specific enough to achieve this goal 2014 Event After two years of hostility between Japan and China over control of certain islands in the East China Sea, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Linping shake hands during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit 2014 Event North Korea releases Americans Matthew Todd Miller and Kenneth Bae; Bae was imprisoned for two years after arrest for missionary actions, while Miller was detained in April for 'hostile acts' after tearing up his visa and requesting asylum 2014 Event One World Trade Center opens today, 13 years after terrorists destroyed the twin towers of the original World Trade Center; the tower is one of 5 to be built on the same site and, at 1,773 feet high, is now the tallest building in the United States 2014 Event The San Francisco Giants are this year's World Champions of Baseball after winning the World Series over the Kansas City Royals with a score of 3-2; this marks the third title by the Giants in the last 5 years 2014 Event Four former guards of security company Blackwater have been convicted of manslaughter and murder charges in the shooting of 31 unarmed Iraqi civilians seven years ago in Baghdad; the incident resulted in 14 deaths and 17 injuries 2014 Event Dominican fashion designer Oscar de la Renta dies at age 82 at his home in Kent, Connecticut, after battling cancer for 8 years 2014 Event Palestine will be officially recognized as a sovereign state by the new government of Sweden; though the U.N. General Assembly supported such recognition two years ago, few nations have officially extended this recognition 2014 Event American freelance videographer Ashoka Mukpo tests positive for Ebola while working in Liberia; the cameraman has been working in the country for the past three years but became symptomatic the day after beginning an assignment for NBC News 2014 Event U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announces his resignation after six years of service in the Obama Administration; Holder's resignation will take effect upon selection and confirmation of a successor 2014 Event The U.N. will remove peacekeepers from the Syrian side of Golan Heights after the recent capture and release of 45 U.N. troops from Fiji by Syrian rebel forces; the U.N. has worked in the area for 40 years to keep peace between Syria and Israel 2014 Event 24-year-old Matthew Miller, one of three Americans currently held in North Korea, has been convicted of unlawful entry into the country for the purpose of spying; he has been sentenced to six years of hard labor 2014 Event Bruce Levenson will sell his stake in the Atlanta Hawks after stating earlier this week that he sent a racially biased email two years ago; Levenson is freely following the path of Don Sterling, who was forced to sell the Clippers for similar reasons 2014 Event Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten is seeking to buy U.S. online rebate service Ebates Shopping.com Inc. for $950 million; in recent years, Rakuten has been making acquisitions to expand its interests outside of Japan 2014 Event U.S. officials have validated claims by the Islamic State (IS) that journalist James Foley, held in captivity for two years, has been killed; President Obama vows to continue airstrikes in Iraq against IS militants 2014 Event Fossils of a new species of giant penguin, named Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, have been found on Seymour Island in Antarctica; the penguins lived about 40 million years ago and likely weighed about 250 pounds 2014 Event Former Press Secretary James S. Brady dies at age 73; Brady's death has been ruled a homicide due to a gunshot wound made 33 years earlier by John W. Hinckley, Jr.; Hinckley was found to be insane and was not charged with the original crime 2014 Event 29-year-old Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali wins the Tour de France, becoming the first winner from Italy in 16 years; the victory makes Nibali one of only six cyclists to have won the Grand Tours of Italy, Spain and France 2014 Event Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, is found guilty of bribery and corruption charges; Nagin has been sentenced to 10 years in prison 2014 Event The U.S. Patent and Trademark office has canceled trademarks of the Washington Redskins, ruling that the name and trademarks are 'offensive to Native Americans'; the team has been under pressure for years to change its name 2014 Event The world's oldest man, Alexander Imich, passes away at age 111 in New York; the oldest living woman is currently 116 years old and lives in Japan 2014 Event After nearly 40 years on the throne, King Juan Carlos of Spain is abdicating and installing his son Felipe; unfavorable opinion, health issues and investigation of daughter Cristina in a public funds theft scandal have taken their toll on the king 2014 Event President Barack Obama proposes a plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants up to 25% over 15 years in order to address climate change; the legislation would give states the freedom to determine how to implement the emission reductions 2014 Event President Barack Obama plans to keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015 and then reduce this number over the following two years to a small force; the troops will train Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism operations 2014 Event The 'New York Times' fires its first female executive editor Jill Abramson after three years in the position; Abramson has been replaced by Dean Baquet, the newspaper's first African-American executive editor 2014 Event A shipwreck off of Haiti may be that of the Santa Maria, one of the three ships led by Christopher Columbus; the wreck was discovered about 10 years ago, but has only now been tentatively identified in light of Columbus' writings and other evidence 2014 Event Colombian coffee company Juan Valdez announces plans to go public in a couple of years; in the meantime, the company plans to expand its higher-end coffee shops around the globe in direct competition with Starbucks 2014 Event Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar winner for best supporting actress in '12 Years a Slave', will join Lancome as its newest brand ambassador 2014 Event Greenpeace releases its annual energy efficiency report praising several Internet companies, including Apple, which scored poorly a couple of years ago; Amazon was noted as lagging behind in use of renewable energy for its data centers 2014 Event Tiger Woods will miss the Masters Tournament for the first time in 20 years as he recovers from surgery for a pinched nerve 2014 Event Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin announce their intention to divorce after 11 years of marriage; the announcement on Paltrow's website was titled 'Conscious Uncoupling' 2014 Event The 86th Academy Awards is hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. 'Gravity,' '12 Years a Slave,' and 'Dallas Buyers Club' win the most awards. The broadcast received the highest views of any Oscars ceremony since the year 2000 2014 Event Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wins his second Daytona 500 race, 10 years after his first win, in a race postponed for hours by heavy rain 2014 Event Coca Cola Company announces that it plans to reduce its costs by $1 billion over the next few years in an effort to counteract slowing demand 2014 Event '12 Years a Slave' and 'Gravity' dominate wins at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards ceremony; Chiwetel Ejiofor ('12 Years') and Cate Blanchett ('Blue Jasmine') receive leading actor and actress awards, respectively 2014 Event Twenty-eight years after Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted, the Philippine government recovers $29 million from Swiss accounts, bringing the total Marcos' secret accounts now recovered and in government hands to $712 million 2014 Event Scientists from Australian National University observe the oldest star in the universe for the first time. The star, located 6,000 light years from Earth, serves as a fingerprint of the first stars in the universe; it is believed to be 13.7 billion years old 2014 Event The U.S. Congress will as for $4.5 billion for additional missile defense spending over the next five years; the funds would partially pay for new radar in Alaska, indicating safety concerns regarding missiles from Iran and North Korea 2014 Event Jay Leno, entertainer and host of 'The Tonight Show', says goodbye after 22 years of hosting the show; he will be replaced with Jimmy Fallon beginning February 17 2014 Event The 2011 abortion rate reportedly is at its lowest in 30 years; the rate of 16.9 abortions per thousand women of childbearing age was 19.4 per thousand in 2008, and 29.3 per thousand in 1981 2014 Event The Superbowl takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; the Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8, a historic win for the Seahawks, who haven't won a major championship in 30 years 2014 Event Google sells Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for $2.91 billion after purchasing it three years ago for $12.5 billion, and selling off it's cable-box division for $2.4 billion 2014 Event The U.S House of Representatives and Senate finalized a long-delayed farm bill designed to cut $19 billion in farm subsidies, and reduce the $8 billion spent on food stamps over the next ten years 2014 Event Prominent Chinese legal activist, Xu Zhiyong, is sentenced to four years in prison; convicted of 'gathering a crowd to disturb public order,' the case is seen as evidence that Communist Party leaders wish to expunge any challenges to the power or leadership 2014 Event U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry criticizes Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, for legislation he signed last week to ban same-sex marriage and criminalize gay rights groups and their activities; the law includes penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment 2014 Event At the 71st Golden Globe Awards, Best Motion Picture is awarded to '12 Years a Slave'; 'American Hustle is receives the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy award, with actress Amy Adams honored as Best Actress 2014 Event After eight years in a coma following a stroke in 2006, Ariel Sharon, Israel's former Prime Minister, dies at the age of 85 2013 Event Author J.K. Rowling announces she is producing a play based on the life of her character Harry Potter; the play tells the previously untold story of life before the boy wizard goes to Hogwarts; the play will premiere in London's West End within the next two years 2013 Event After years of receding, scientists report that the Arctic sea ice has rebounded in extent and volume 2013 Event Paleontologist Philip Currie reveals the fully-intact baby Chasmosaurus dinosaur fossil he excavated at Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park; the 72 million-year-old dinosaur is about 1.5 meters long and estimated to have been three years old when it died 2013 Event One of the rarest mammals on earth, the saola, an Asian unicorn is released by WWF; the photo was taken by a camera trap in a forest in central Vietnam in September 2013, last seen 15 years ago 2013 Event Disney and Netflix announce a deal in which ABC Television Studios and Marvel TV will produce four serialized programs run over multiple years; the programs will feature popular Marvel characters Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Johns 2013 Event A railway under the sea, first proposed by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid 150 years ago is completed; the sea tunnel, connecting Europe and Asia is the deepest submerged railway tunnel of its kind in the world 2013 Event Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray is released from prison, two years after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter 2013 Event The war-torn city of Deir Ezzor, Syria experiences the first outbreak of polio in 14 years, with 22 people suspected of having the viral disease 2013 Event Sydney, Australia welcomes Harry, the Prince of Wales, who has come to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy 2013 Event In Greenland. a canyon over 800km long is discovered up to 800m deep in different places below the ice sheet covering the country; the canyon is longer than Arizona's Grand Canyon; it was carved out by a river over four million years ago 2013 Event The olinguito becomes the first mammal to be discovered in the past 35 years; the adorabel creature is described as a mini-raccoon with a teddy bear face 2013 Event In one of the largest jewelry heists in recent years, nearly 103 million euros in diamonds and other jewels were stolen from the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel diamond show in Cannes, France 2013 Event Scientists in Britain identify the mechanism causing human allergy to cats; they believe a general cure for the condition could be available in the next five years 2013 Death Helen Thomas, an American Journalist who reported on the White House for nearly fifty years, dies at the age of 92 2013 Event The NASDAQ hits its highest level in ten years; the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P500 close at record highs 2013 Event The worst monsoon season in 50 years rages on as Northern India prepares for more rain 2013 Event The Canterbury Region of New Zealand experiences the worst flooding in 20 years; Leeston and Lyttelton are the towns hardest hit 2013 Event Russia's President, Vladimir Putin and his wife appear on live television to announce they have divorced after thirty years of marriage 2013 Event Scientists reveal new studies suggesting the turtles evolved in a shell 40 million years prior than what was previously thought 2013 Event The oldest water ever found is discovered in a Canadian mine; the water dates back 2.6 billion years 2013 Event A new study reports that all Europeans are related to a small group of ancestors dating back only 1,000 years; researchers believe it's likely that everyone in the world is related over the past few thousand years 2013 Event In Japan, optimism for economic revival sparked Bank of Japan's stimulus plan, impacts Japan's stock market index; following its release, the Nikkei 225 hits its highest level in nearly five years 2013 Event Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan for over 25 years, announces he will step down in 2015 2013 Event By a margin of 50-49, the U.S. Senate passes its first budget in four years 2013 Event JPMorgan reveals it plans to cut 17,000 jobs, mostly from its mortgage department, in the next two years 2013 Event Seven years after Apple Inc. submitted its request to sell their iPhone under the name "iPhone" in Brazil, regulators denied their request, favoring IBG Electronica, who filed for the trademark in 2000, and was granted permission in 2008 2013 Event In Saudi Arabia, Egyptian human rights lawyer Ahmed al-Gizawi is sentenced to five years in prison and 300 lashes, for possession of Xanax anti-anxiety pills 2013 Event The 1950's American pop singer Patti Page, known for the songs, '(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window' and "Tennessee Waltz', dies in Encinitas, California at 85 years old 2012 Event At 115 years old and 266 days, Jiroemon Kimura of Japan becomes the world's oldest living person 2012 Event Scientists discover the closest known rogue planet to Earth, known as CFBDSIR 2149-0403, the planet is about 100+ light years away 2012 Event After being convicted of corruption, Jordan's former spy chief, Mohammad al-Dahabi, is sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment 2012 Event Light from the first stars in the universe is detected by astronomers studying high-energy radiation data; the data suggests these stars existed as early as 500 million years after the 'big bang' 2012 Event Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi receives a sentence of four years for fiscal fraud 2012 Event Sergei Udaltsov, a Russian leftist protest leader is charged with plotting 'mass disorder', facing a sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted 2012 Event At the 2012 U.S. Open, Andy Murray of the U.K. wins the Men's Singles, defeating Serbia's Novak Djokovic; Murray becomes the first British player to win a Grand Slam singles title since Fred Perry 76 years ago 2012 Event Jamaican runner Usain Bolt wins his third gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, anchors the sprint relay team to a world record; Bolt is 25 years old and now holds six Olympic gold medals 2012 Event Illegally excavated Buddhist relics that were recovered by Pakistani police were stolen from a police station in Karachi; the pieces date back to the Gandhara civilization which existed over 2,000 years ago in Pakistan 2012 Event London's West End closes it's longest-run musical, 'Chicago' which ran for 15 years 2012 Event The People's Republic of China economic growth rate experiences to its lowest level in three years, 7.6 per cent 2012 Event After five years of marriage, American actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announce their plans to divorce 2012 Event Scientists successfully sequence the tomato genome, and announce that tastier, more pesticide-resistant tomato varieties can be engineered for use in the next five years 2012 Event The China Central Television Headquarters, designed by the Officer for Metropolitan Architecture, a firm based in Rotterdam ten years ago, is finally completed in Beijing 2012 Event Less than three years after accepting the position of Chairman of Disney Studios, Rich Ross, resigns 2012 Event After 70 years, two papers on Alan Turing's theory of code-breaking are released to the U.K.'s National Archives 2012 Event After three years without an elected head of state, Nicolae Timofti is named President of Moldova 2012 Event The largest solar flare in five years, occurring March 6, 2012, nears the Earth, threatening to disrupt airline flights, GPS systems and power grids 2012 Event The U.S. unemployment rate drops to 8.3%, the lowest in three years after employers added 240,000 jobs in January 2012 Event For the first time in nearly 17 years, Spain's unemployment number passes five million 2012 Event fter three years in exile, Madagascar's President, Marc Ravalomanana announces he will return to the country 2011 Event Rod Blagojevich, the former Governor of the State of Illinois, is issued a sentence of 14 years in jail for corruption 2011 Event In Koblenz, Germany, 45,000 citizens wait to return home after bomb squads diffuse World War II bombs that were hidden under the Rhine River for nearly 65 years 2011 Event Tiger Woods wins the Chevron World Challenge, the first tournament he has won in over two years 2011 Event The U.S. has its deadliest foodborne illness outbreak in 25 years; the listeriosis outbreak totals 23 dead, with 116 affected 2011 Event The EU Council votes; the copyright on sound recordings is extended from 50 to 70 years 2011 Event In South Africa, scientists find Australopithecus sediba skeletons are 2 million years old, suggesting the hominid species could be a transitional fossil between apes and humans 2011 Event New England's state of Vermont experiences the worst flooding in 100 years 2011 Event The world's potentially oldest fossils, thought to be 3.4 billion years old, are found in the Strelley Pool rock formation in Western Australia's outback 2011 Event In England, two men who created a Facebook site to incite violence during the riots are sentenced to four years imprisonment 2011 Event Typhoon Muifa approaches Japan's island of Okinawa; the typhoon is expected to be one of the most powerful storms to hit China in recent years 2011 Event A skull believed to be 20-million years old is discovered in a Uganda; the skull is believed to be from a tree-climbing ape 2011 Event Venezuelans celebrate 200 years of independence from Spain with a military parade and parties in the streets 2011 Event The U.N. reports 10 million people are effected by the worst drought in 60 years, forcing Somalians to flee to Kenya and Ethiopia to avoid starvation 2011 Event The NOAA declares 2011 one of the most extreme weather years on record 2011 Event In efforts to fund rising social security costs, the Government of Japan plans to double its sales tax over four years 2011 Event After 23 years running and 1151 fugitives caught, the FOX network cancels America's Most Wanted 2011 Event Rejean Hinse, a Quebec man wrongly convicted of a crime in the 1960s and acquitted 30 years later, receives $13.1 million in compensation 2011 Event Amid unrest in the Mideast, activists claim China has launched the largest crackdown on dissenters in recent years 2011 Event Peruvians reclaimed 45,000 Inca artefacts taken by Yale University from Machu Picchu over a hundred years ago, finally successful in their campaign to return of 'the dignity and pride of Peru' 2011 Event After 300 years in Sweden, the oldest copy of Codex Holmiensis, dating from 1280, is returned to Denmark 2011 Event The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) states it could save $5.5 billion in 30 years if dollar bills are replaced with coins 2011 Event The United Nations releases a report stating world food prices are at the highest in 20 years 2011 Event Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appoints Omar Suleiman Vice President, the first office existing under the President in 30 years 2011 Event Scientists claim 2010 was the warmest year ever recorded, and the last decade the warmest ever recorded, in 200 years 2011 Event After 41 years in power, Libya's Muammar al-Gaddafi is less than 24 months away from being world's longest-serving leader 2011 Event In Canada, Kathryn Gray becomes the youngest person to ever discover a supernova; she is ten years old 2010 Event Remains of a human that lived 400,000 years ago are discovered in Israel, challenging the theory that humans originated in Africa 2010 Event Lawyers for Allen Stanford, a man charged with running a $7 billion ponzi scheme, seek to postpone his trial for two years 2010 Event The first snowfall in the last 128 years occurs in the U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia; 500 flights are affected 2010 Event The United Kingdom gives prisoners serving less than four years the right to vote 2010 Event Ghana begins pumping oil after its discovery of an offshore oil field three years ago 2010 Event For the first time in ten years, Burmese pro-Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is reunited with her son 2010 Event Germany holds its first pirate trial in 400 years, placing ten Somalia�s on trial for attacking a German ship 2010 Event The oldest type of stone axe in the world is dated at 35,500 years old; it was found in Australia's Northern Territory in the lands of the Jawoyn people 2010 Event The People's Republic of China announces it is taking its first census in ten years 2010 Event The Australian dollar reaches the highest level in 27 years against the U.S. dollar 2010 Event Scientists working near Kokoda, Papua New Guinea uncover world's oldest known high altitude human settlement, estimated to be 49,000 years old 2010 Event Archaeologists at a site on the Egypt-Gaza border unearth parts of a possible hidden city believed to be over 2,000 years old 2010 Event For the first time in two years, South Korea and North Korea reach an agreement to hold working-level military talks 2010 Event Sumatra's Sinabung volcano erupts for the first time in 400 years, killing one and causing Indonesia to evacuate thousands of people 2010 Event The German economy reports 2.2 percent quarterly growth, the fastest quarterly growth in over 20 years 2010 Event South Africa's top police officer, Jackie Selebi, former chief of Interpol, is sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption 2010 Event Convicted for transporting soldiers during the Rwandan Genocide, Dominique Ntawukuriryayo is sentenced to 25 years in prison 2010 Event The Stonehenge World Heritage Site announces the discovery of a possible new henge, the biggest discovery at a major monument in over 50 years 2010 Event German Chancellor Angela Merkel agrees to spread $80 million pounds in savings across four years with her coalition cabinet 2010 Event After five years of research by the Dresden Historians' Commission, a report stated a reduced figure of 25,000 people died in the 1945 Dresden bombing 2010 Event According to Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States, relations between the U.S. and Israel are the worst in 35 years 2009 Event For the first time in 17 years, North Korea raises the value of its currency 2009 Event A new kind of flying reptile fossil, Darwinopterus, lived over 160 million years ago, is found in China 2009 Event Former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, receives 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces 2009 Event After two years of trying to maintain order, Ethiopian military forces start pulling out of Somalia 2008 Death Charlton Heston, dies at 84, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, by his side 2006 Event Bob Barker, from The Price is Right, retires after 35 years as host 2006 Event Stephen Harper, wins the election in Canada and is the first conservative Prime Minister in 12 years 2004 Event Earthquake, greatest in over 40 years, strikes the Pacific Ocean near Sumatra, triggering a massive Indian Ocean tsunami, killing as many as 266,000 in coastal regions of Asia and Africa 2004 Death Alexandra Scott, young philanthropist, raised over $700,000 for cancer research in 4 years by selling lemonade, dies at 8 2004 Death Hugh Cave, pulp writer, a professional writer for over 70 years, dies at 95 2004 Death Charlotte Benkner, the world's second oldest person for a few years, dies at 114 2003 Death Kamato Hongo, old man, world's oldest well-documented man for almost four years, dies at 116 2002 Death Harold Russell, Oscar winner, The Best Years of Our Lives, dies at 88 2000 Death David Brower, ecological activist, executive director of the Sierra Club for nearly 20 years, dies at 88 2000 Event After years of preparation for Y2K, only minor computer-related problems were reported (a problem with Hotmail, with a nuclear power plant in Japan and with apartment heating in Korea) 1998 Event Russia buries tsar Nicholas II and family, 80 years after they died 1998 Event Mary Kay LeTourneau, 36, former teacher, who violated probation by seeing 14 year old father of her baby, sentenced to 7 years 1997 Event Newscaster David Brinkley, 74, retires after 54 years in broadcasting 1997 Death William J. Brennan, jurist, served on the Supreme Court for 34 years (1956-90), dies at 91 1997 Event Russia and Chechnya sign peace deal after 400 years of conflict 1996 Event After 24 years, Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade, ends 1996 Event Hasan Raza makes Test Cricket debut for Pakistan age 14 years 238 days 1996 Event Alvaro Arzu aimed at ending 35 years of civil war 1996 Event Highest scoring baseball game in 17 years - Twins 24, Tigers 11 1996 Event Winnie Mandela divorces Nelson after 38 years of marriage 1996 Event For 1st time in 25 years no one is elected to Baseball Hall of Fame 1996 Event After 27 years, Betty Rubble debuts as a Flintstone vitamin 1995 Event Paul Adams becomes South Africa's youngest Test Cricket player, 18 years 340 ds 1995 Event Keith Moore sentenced to 6 years for robbing Sting of $9,000,000 1995 Event Worst fire in New York in 80 years ends after 4 days 1995 Death Henning Kronstam, ballet dancer, performed over 120 roles with Royal Danish Ballet for over 20 years, dies at 60 of a pulmonary embolism 1995 Event After 120 years the last 15 A and S department stores close 1995 Event Houston Post folds after 116 years 1995 Event Boxer Mike Tyson released from jail after serving 3 years 1995 Event Beatles song, "Baby It's You," with late John Lennon as lead singer, is released, 1st Fab Four single in more than 30 years 1995 Event 1st New York City Mayor Trophy's High school track meet in 19 years 1995 Event Most distant galaxy yet discovered found by scientists using Keck telescope in Hawaii (est 15 billion light years away) 1994 Event Beatles' 1st album in 25 years, Live at BBC, is released in Britain 1994 Event Jeff Gillooly sentenced to 2 years for attack on Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Event St. Maarten "Godfather" Claude Wathey sentenced to 1 years 1994 Event PLO-leader Yasser Arafat returns to Gaza after 27 years 1994 Event Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after 20 years in exile 1994 Event Barbra Striesand's begins 1st concert tour in 30 years 1994 Event Medgar Evers' murderer Byron De La Beckwith sentenced to life, in Jackson Miss, 30 years after the crime 1993 Event Barbra Striesand does her 1st live public concert in 20 years 1993 Event Tom Glavine wins 20 games in 3 straight years 1993 Death Kelly Ahrendt, 1st NYer to die of rabies in 40 years, dies at 14 1993 Death John Castrios, 1st murder in Washington, New Hampshire in 200 years, killed at 45 1993 Event Final episode of 6 year run of ABC's "Wonder Years" in Netherlands 1993 Event Paraguay holds its 1st President and parliamentary elections in 50 years 1993 Event Uranus passes Neptune (once every 171 years) 1993 Event Ricky Ponting hits twin tons for Tasmania aged 18 years 84 days 1993 Event Sears announces it is closing its catalog sales department after 97 years 1992 Death Dana Andrews, actor (Best Years of Our Lifes), dies at 83 1992 Event WNEW AM radio on 1130 in New York City ends transmitting after 58 years 1992 Event Amy Fisher sentenced 5-15 years for shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco 1992 Event New York Giants announce they will quit WNEW Radio after 32 years for WOR 1992 Event Roman Catholic church reinstates Galileo Galilei after 359 years 1992 Event 1st Berlin Air Show in 60 years 1992 Event Eric Houston kills 4 in a California HS where he failed history 4 years prior 1992 Event "Who's The Boss," final episode after 8 years on ABC TV 1992 Event After 151 years Britain's "Punch Magazine" final issue 1992 Event Last defendant in St. John sex assault case sentenced to 3 years prob 1992 Event NHL New York Rangers clinch 1st NHL regular season championship in 50 years 1992 Event Leona Helmsley sentence to 4 years for tax evasion 1992 Death Steven Brian Pennell, 1st execution in Delaware in 45 years at 34 1992 Event Tiger Woods, 16, becomes youngest PGA golfer in 35 years 1991 Event Chuck Knolls retires as NFL coach after 23 years 1991 Event Howard Spira sentenced to 2 years in prison for trying to extort money from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner 1991 Event Muslim Shites release last U.S. hostage Terry Anderson (held 6 years) 1991 Event Poet Maria Elene Cruz Varela sentenced to 2 years (Cuba) 1991 Event U.S. hostage Jesse Turner released from 5 years in captivity in Beirut 1991 Event NCAA places Tenn on 2 years probation for football recruting violations 1991 Event 1st South African international competition in 25 years, gymnastics 1991 Event Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) erupts for 1st time in 600 years 1991 Event Winnie Mandela sentenced to 6 years for complicity in kidnapping and beating of four youths, one of whom died, She is freed pending appeal 1991 Death Willi Boskovsky, Austrian conductor (new years concert), dies at 81 1991 Event Chicago Blackhawks becomes 1st NHL regular season champion in 20 years to lose in 1st round of the playoffs (To Minnesota North Stars) 1991 Event Iran releases British hostage Roger Cooper after 5 years 1991 Event Albania offers 1st multi-party election in 50 years 1991 Event All American Bowl ends after 14 years 1991 Event Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi meet after 28 years 1991 Event Israel reopens consulate in U.S.S.R. after 23 years 1990 Event Salman Rushdie, author, ordered to death by Iran for blasphemy, appears in public for 1st time in 2 years 1990 Event Michael Milken is sentenced to 10 years for security law violations 1990 Event 1st Russian Orthodox service in 70 years held in St. Basil's Cathedral 1990 Event Washington National Cathedral construction is completed after 83 years 1990 Event Oakland A's Bob Welch becomes 1st 25 game winner in 10 years 1990 Death Werner Janssen, U.S. composer (New Years Eve in New York), dies at 91 1990 Event Justice William Brennan resigns from Supreme Court after 36 years 1990 Event U.S. hostage Frank Reed freed after 4 years in hands of pro-Iranians 1990 Event John Stockton reaches 1000-assist mark for NBA record 3 years in a row 1990 Event No one elected to Hall of Fame for 2nd time in 3 years 1990 Event Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, freed in South Africa 1989 Event After 23 years of dictatorial rule, Romania ousts Nicolea Ceausescu 1989 Event "I Love Lucy" Christmas episode, shown for 1st time in over 30 years 1989 Event Tendulkar scores a Test Cricket fifty age 16 years 214 days, a record 1989 Event Brazil holds 1st free presidential election in 29 years 1989 Death Conrad Beck, composer, studied with Jacques Ibert, head of Radio Basel music department for 30 years, dies at 88 1989 Event Reverend Jim Bakker is sentenced to 50 years for fraud 1989 Event Wayne Gretzky wins his 9th NHL Hart (MVP) Trophy in 10 years 1989 Event Mets turn their 1st triple play in 7 years but lose to Cubs 8-4 1989 Event Eastern Europe's 1st somewhat free election in 40 years held in Poland 1989 Event Joel Steinberg sentenced to 25 years for killing his adopted daughter 1989 Event Pete Rozelle announces retirement as NFL commissioner after 29 years 1989 Event Robert McFarlane gets $20,000 fine, 2 years probation for Iran-Contra 1989 Event Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden separate after 16 years of marriage 1989 Event Oklahoma football player Charles Thompson is charged with selling cocaine; he is later sentenced to 2 years in prison 1989 Event Test Cricket debut of Aaqib Javed, Pak vs. New Zealand age 16 years 189 days 1989 Event Game-winning RBI, official statistic dropped after 9 years of use New York Mets Keith Hernandez is the all-time leader with 129 1989 Event AT&T reports 1st loss in 103 years; $1.67 B in 1988 1988 Event NBC signs lease to stay in New York City, 33 more years 1988 Event Benazir Bhutto wins 1st free Pakistani elections in 11 years 1988 Event 40th Emmy Awards: 30something, Wonder Years and Richard Kiley 1988 Event Cease fire between Iran and Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war 1988 Event Renovated Central Park Zoo reopens after 4 years 1988 Event Jose Canseco is 1st to hit 30 home runs in 1st 3 years 1988 Event Israeli diplomats arrive in Moscow for 1st visit in 21 years 1988 Event Boston's worst traffic jam in 30 years 1988 Event Rascals begin 1st tour in 20 years 1988 Event Women sentenced to 90 years in 1st product tampering murder case 1988 Event 1st non-pitcher, Jose Oquendo, in 20 years to get a decision in a baseball game, he and St. Louis Cardinals lose to Braves 7-5 in 19 inn 1988 Event New York Met Davey Johnson becomes 2nd manager to record 400 victory in 1st 4 years (Al Lopez did it 1st) 1988 Event Andre beats Hulk Hogan in 1st prime-time wrestling match in 30 years 1987 Event Ivan F. Boesky sentenced to 3 years for insider trading 1987 Death Rudolph Hess, Nazi (46 years in Spandau Prison), commits suicide at 93 1987 Event Red Sox waive Bill Buckner, the goat of last years World Series 1987 Event Taiwan ends 37 years of martial law 1987 Event 1st time in 20 years a delegation from U.S.S.R. lands in Israel 1987 Event Kitty Dukakis, revealed addiction to amphetamines for 26 years 1987 Event "A Team," last aired on NBC-TV after 4 years 1987 Event Margaret Thatcher is 1st British Prime Minister in 160 years to win 3rd term 1987 Event Al Campanis, Dodger executive for more than 40 years, resigns, after making racial remarks on "Nightline" 1987 Event David Hartman quits ABC's "Good Morning America," after 11 years 1987 Event 7 top New York Mafia bosses sentenced to 100 years in prison each 1986 Event Cathy Evelyn Smith sentenced to 3 years for death of John Belushi 1986 Event U.S. Navy officer Jerry A Whitworth sentenced to 365 years for spying 1986 Event Jim Kelly signs with NFL Buffalo Bills ($75 million for 5 years) 1986 Event Guy Hunt elected 1st Republican governor of Alabama in 112 years 1986 Event Anti-apartheid activist Helene Pastoors sentenced to 10 years in South Africa 1986 Event Argentine ex-president Galtieri sentenced to 12 years 1986 Event U.S. Senate ratifies UN's anti-genocide convention 37 years later 1985 Event Howard Cosell retires from television sports after 20 years with ABC 1985 Event Mary Joe Fernandez, 14 years and 8 days old is youngest to win a U.S. Tennis Open match (beats Sara Gomer in 1st round) 1985 Event Tancredo Neves becomes 1st elected president of Brazil in 21 years 1984 Event Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old 1984 Event After 518 goals and 14 years with Mont Canadiens, Guy LaFleur retires 1984 Event Nicaragua holds 1st free elections in 56 years; Sandinistas win 63% 1984 Death Margie V Barfield, U.S. murderer, 1st woman electricuted in 22 years 1984 Event Nigerian singer Fela Kuti sentenced to 2 years 1984 Event Derek Underwood's maiden FC century after 22 years of trying 1984 Event South Africa prisoner Nelson Mandela sees his wife for 1st time in 22 years 1984 Event Edwin Newman retires from NBC News after 35 years with the network 1984 Event U.S. establishes full diplomatic relations with Vatican after 117 years 1983 Event South Africa worker's union leader Curnick Ndlovu freed after 19 years 1983 Event Everly Brothers reunite after 10 years (Royal Albert Hall) 1983 Event U.S. Mint strikes 1st gold coin in 50 years (Olympic Eagle) 1983 Event LSU footballer Billy Cannon sentenced to 5 years for counterfeiting 1983 Event Undefeated middleweight boxer Tony Ayala gets 35 years on sex assault 1983 Event Oldest human skeleton, aged 80,000 years, discovered in Egypt 1983 Event OPEC cut oil prices for 1st time in 23 years 1983 Event IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semipro baseball 1982 Event CBS Mystery Theater final episode on radio after 8 years 1982 Death Artur Rubinstein, pianist (My Young Years), dies in Geneva at 95 1982 Event Streetcars stop running on Market St. after 122 years of service 1982 Death Tom Drake, actor (Green Years, Warkill), dies of lung cancer at 63 1982 Event Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 1st visit to U.S. in almost 11 years 1981 Event Former Dolphin, Mercury Morris, is sentenced to 20 years for drug trafficing, conspiracy, and possession of cocaine 1981 Event 1st live radio drama in 25 years (Halloween Story on NBC) 1981 Event Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, is sentenced to 20 years 1981 Event Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life for Lennon's murder 1981 Death Arthur O'Connell, actor (Mr Peepers, 2nd Hundred Years), dies at 73 1981 Event George Harrison releases "All Those Years Ago" in the United Kingdom 1981 Death Dixie, a mouse who lived 6 years, dies 1981 Event Argentine ex-president Isabel Peron sentenced to 8 years 1980 Event New York Yankee Dave Winfield becomes highest-paid player, 10 years $15M 1980 Event ZBZ Sangha registered after 5 years of administrative hassles in Warsaw 1980 Event 1st (& only) time Phillies win World Series (in 98 years) 1980 Event Michael Myers (D-Pa), is 1st rep expelled in over 100 years (ABSCAM) 1980 Event Dutch war criminal Pieter Menten sentenced to 10 years 1980 Event Mount St. Helens becomes active after 123 years 1980 Event Bombay gets its 1st rock concert in 10 years (The Police) 1980 Event Studio 54 owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager sentenced to 3 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $20,000 1979 Death Robert Karnes, actor (Max-The Lawless Years), dies at 62 1979 Event U.S. returns Canal Zone to Panama after 75 years 1979 Event Jackie Mercer wins her 4th golf title 31 years after her 1st 1979 Event End of last 3+day D/N game for 15 years (WSC, SCG) 1979 Event Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile 1979 Event Emerson, Lake and Palmer disband after 10 years together 1979 Event President Carter commuted Patricia Hearst's 7 year sentence to 2 years 1978 Event Reds fire manager Sparky Anderson after 9 years 1978 Event Reggie Jackson is 19th player to hit 20 home run in 11 straight years 1978 Event Alexander Ginzburg sentenced by Soviet court to 8 years 1978 Event David Berkowitz sentenced in New York Supreme Court to 25 years to life 1978 Event 1st class postage now 15 cents (13 cents for 3 years) 1977 Event RAF-terrorist Knut Folkerts sentenced to 20 years 1977 Event War criminal Pieter Menten sentenced in Amsterdam to 15 years 1977 Event Yankees beat Dodgers 8-4 for 21st world championship, 1st in 15 years 1977 Event Christmas Tinto sentenced to 7 years in Robbeneiland South Africa 1977 Event Tiger rookies Lou Whitaker and Allan Trammell debut together and will play together for 19 years 1977 Event Spain's 1st free elections since 1936 (41 years) 1977 Event Final European scheduled run of Orient Express (94 years) 1977 Event Andreas Baader and members of Baader-Meinhoff jailed for life after a trial lasting nearly 2 years in Stuttgart, Germany 1977 Event Communist party in Spain allowed legally after 40 years 1976 Death George, a goose that lived to 49 years 8 months, dies 1976 Event Spain's parliament establishes democracy after 37 years of dictatorship 1976 Event Former Twins relief ace Bill Campbell is 1st free-agent to sign with a new team, joining the Red Sox for $1 million over 4 years 1976 Event Javed Miandad, 206 vs. New Zealand, age 19 years 141 days (29 fours 1 six) 1976 Event Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst sentenced to 7 years for her part in a 1974 bank robbery. Released after 22 months by President Carter 1976 Event Allman Brother's roadie Scooter Herring sentenced to 75 years for providing drugs for the group, based on Gregg Allman's testimony 1976 Event Rock duo Loggins and Messina break-up after 6 years 1976 Birthday Fred Savage, born in Illinois, actor, Kevin-Wonder Years, Vice Versa 1976 Event After 12 years, Brian Wilson performs with the Beach Boys 1976 Event Lowell Thomas ends 46 years as radio network reporter 1976 Birthday Josh Saviano, actor, Paul Pfeiffer-Wonder Years 1976 Event Princess Margaret separates from the Earl of Snowdon, after 16 years 1975 Event Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas retired after 36 years 1975 Event Cape Verde Is gain independence after 500 years of Portuguese rule 1975 Event University of California reports galaxy 3C123 at 8 billion light years distance 1975 Event One-day international cricket debut, Javed Miandad age 17 years 364 days 1975 Event Last South Vietnam president Nguyen Van Thieu resigns after 10 years 1975 Event Ethiopia ends monarchy after 3000 years 1975 Birthday Michael Tricario, actor, Randy-Wonder Years 1975 Birthday Danica McKellar, born in LaJolla, California, actress, author, mathematician, appeared on 'The Wonder Years' television show, wrote, 'Math Doesn't Suck' and 'Kiss My Math' 1974 Event New York Yankees sign Jim "Catfish" Hunter to 5 years for record $3.75 million 1974 Event Beatles are legally disbanded (4 years after suit was brought) 1974 Event Dear Abby show ends run on CBS radio after 11 years 1974 Event Johnson Grigsby freed after 66 years in jail 1974 Event Bowie Kuhn suspends George Steinbrenner for 2 years 1974 Event 1st intentional interstellar radio message sent, Arecibo telescope towards M 41, a cluster of stars some 25,000 light years away 1974 Event Last Japanese soldier, a guerrilla operating in Philippines, surrenders, 29 years after World War II ended 1974 Event U.S. and Egypt re-form diplomatic relations after 7 years 1973 Event Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorce after 6 years 1973 Event Turkey's state of siege ends (after 2 years) 1973 Event Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell play together for 1st time, set record of staying together as an infield for 8 years (Los Angeles Dodgers) 1973 Event U.S. troops leave Vietnam, 9 years after Tonkin Resolution 1973 Event Susan Shaw, is 1st woman in 171 years in London's Stock exchange 1972 Event Worst U.S. rail accident in 14 years; 45 die in Chicago 1972 Event Baltimore Roric Harrison is last AL pitcher to homer until interleague play 25 years later 1972 Event Arthur Bremer jailed for 63 years for shooting Alabama Governor Wallace 1972 Event Ryukyu Is and Daito Is returned to Japan after 27 years of U.S. control 1972 Birthday Jason Hervey, actor, Wayne Arnold-Wonder Years 1972 Event Adolph Rupp retires after 42 years of coaching University of Kentucky 1972 Birthday Dane Cook, born in Boston, Massachusetts, Dane Jeffrey Cook, comedian, stand up comic, released five comedy albums, 'Retaliation' went double platinum, the highest charting comedy album in 28 years, appeared in 15 films since 1997, including 'My Best Friend's Girl' 1972 Event 1st airship flown over Britain in 20 years (Europa) 1971 Event Bahrain proclaims independence after 110 years of British rule 1971 Event After 1,200 years Britain abandons 12-shilling system for decimal 1970 Event RAF-leader Andreas Baader freed after serving 2 years in West Berlin 1970 Event Supreme Court ruled draft evaders can not be penalized after 5 years 1970 Birthday Adam Keefe, born in Irvine, California, professional basketball player, power forward, played in the National Basketball Association with the Utah Jazz for nine years 1969 Event 31st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Purdue 92-72 UCLA wins its 5th national championship in 6 years 1969 Event Noordiers vicar Ian Paisley sentenced to 3 years 1968 Event Baseball dismisses Commissioner William Eckert after 3 years 1968 Event After 5 years Russia once again jams Voice of America radio 1968 Event Washington Senator Ron Hansen makes 1st unassisted triple-play in 41 years 1968 Event RAF-leader Andreas Baader sentenced to 3 years in West Berlin 1968 Event Bobby Simpson takes 5-59 vs. India in his last Test for ten years 1967 Event French author Regis Debray sentenced to 30 years in Bolivia 1967 Event Shah of Iran crowns himself after 26 years on Peacock Throne 1967 Death Carl Sandburg, poet (Abraham Lincoln: Prairie Years), dies at 89 1967 Event Mohammed Ali, Cassius Clay, sentenced to 5 years 1967 Event Beatles sign a contract to stay together for 10 years 1967 Event Yugoslav author Mihaljo Mihaljov sentenced 4 years 1967 Birthday Olivia d'Abo, born in London, England, actress, Wonder Years, Single Guy 1966 Event Dr. Sam Sheppard freed after 9 years in jail, by a jury 1966 Birthday Olga Bicherova, gymnastics, won title at 15 years 33 days 1966 Event Los Angeles Dodgers Sandy Koufax clinches 3rd Los Angeles pennant in 4 years 1966 Event 1st official meeting after 400 years of Catholic and Anglican Church 1966 Event Jockey Johnny Longden retires after 40 years (6,032 wins) 1965 Event Casey Stengel announces his retirement after 55 years in baseball 1965 Event Jim Clark becomes 1st foreigner in 49 years to win Indy 1965 Event South Africa worker's union leader Henry Fazzie sentenced to 10 years 1964 Event Jesus Alou is 1st Giant in 40 years to get 6 hits in a game 1964 Event Supreme Court rules unconstitutional to deprive naturalized citizens of citizenship if they return to home country for more than 3 years 1964 Event 9 men sentenced 25-30 years for Britain's 1963 "Great Train Robbery" 1964 Event John Lennon is reunited with his father Freddie after 17 years 1964 Event Great Train Robbers sentenced to a total of 307 years behind bars 1964 Event Jimmy Hoffa sentenced to 8 years 1963 Event Dear Abby show premieres on CBS radio (runs 11 years) 1963 Event Los Angeles ends streetcar service after 90 years 1962 Event Doug Walters makes 1st-class debut for NSW 17 years 8 days 1962 Event Hunters Point (SF) jitney ends service after 50 years 1962 Event Jamaica becomes independent after 300 years of British rule 1962 Event Algeria gains independence after 132 years of French rule 1962 Event Ex-president Milovan Djilas sentenced to 5 years 1962 Event Jockey Eddie Arcaro retires after 31 years (24,092 races) 1962 Event Nawab of Pataudi captains India cricket vs. WI age 21 years 77 days 1962 Event Algerian War ends after 7 years (250,000 die), Ben Bella flees 1962 Event 8 of 9 planets align for 1st time in 400 years 1961 Death Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House for 17 years, dies at 79 1961 Event Last trip (Paris to Bucharest) on Orient Express (after 78 years) 1961 Event Mushtaq Mohammad scores 1st Test Cricket century at 17 years 82 days 1960 Event Italy beats U.S. in Davis cup (1st time in 24 years U.S. not in finals) 1960 Event Casey Stengel retired by New York Yankees (won 10 pennants in 12 years) 1960 Event John Reynolds sets age of solar system at 4,950,000,000 years 1959 Event Dr. Leakey discovers oldest human skull (600,000 years old) 1959 Event Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years 1959 Event Test debut for Mushtaq Mohammad vs. WI age 15 years 124 days 1959 Event Archbishop Makarios returns to Cyprus after 3 years 1958 Event Dale Long becomes 1st major league lefty catcher in 52 years 1958 Event 1st class postage up to 4 cents (had been 3 cents for 26 years) 1958 Event Federal judge rules race separation must end in 2 years in Little Rock 1958 Birthday Ian Woosnam, born in Oswestry, England, nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Wee Welshman', 'Woosers', Welsh, professional golfer, played first European Tour, 1979, won Swiss Open, 1982, number one in Official World Golf Rankings in 1991, awarded O.B.E. 2007 New Years Honors List 1957 Event U.S. sentences Soviet spy Rudolf Ivanovich Abel to 30 years and $3,000 1957 Event Soviet spy Jack Sobel sentenced to 7 years (New York City) 1957 Event Yugoslav dissident Milovan Djilos sentenced to 7 years 1957 Birthday Daniel Stern, Stamford, Connecticut, actor, City Slickers, Wonder Years 1956 Birthday Murphy Morobe, South Afr UDF leader, spent 3 years in Robbeneiland Jail 1956 Event After 72 years, Britain gives up Suez Canal to Egyptian control 1955 Event Columbia U scientists develope an atomic clock accurate to within one second in 300 years 1954 Event Tonight Show premieres on NBC (Johnny takes over 8 years later) 1954 Event Formal peace takes place, ending 7+ years of fighting in Indochina between French and Communist Vietminh 1954 Event Test Cricket debut of Khalid Hassan, 16 years 352, then world record 1953 Event Jomo Kenyatta sentenced to 7 years in Kenya 1953 Event Census indicates 239,000 farmers gave up farming in last 2 years 1953 Event Ian Craig makes Test Cricket debut at 17 years 239 days, youngest Aussie 1953 Event Bobby Simpson makes 1st-class debut for NSW 16 years 357 days 1952 Event Ian Craig makes NSW cricket debut aged 16 years 249 days (NSW record) 1951 Birthday Dan Duva, boxing promoter/producer, Howard Stern New Years Party 1951 Event Romanian bishop A Pacha of Timisoara sentenced to 18 years 1951 Birthday Alley Mills, born in Chicago, Illinois, actress, Norma Arnold-Wonder Years 1950 Event After 9 years, Cleveland Indians fire manager Lou Boudreau 1950 Event Connie Mack retires as manager of A's after 50 years 1950 Event King Leopold, after 6 years in exile, returns to Belgium 1950 Event Klaus Fuchs sentenced to 14 years for atomic espionage (London) 1949 Event Amsterdam Telegraph-director/SS'er Henri Holdert sentenced to 12 years 1949 Event Iva Toguri D'Aquino (Tokyo Rose) sentenced to 10 years and $10,000 fine 1949 Event Test Cricket debut of Brian Close aged 18 years 149 days 1949 Birthday Chick Churchill, Wales, keyboardist, Ten Years After-I'm Going Home 1947 Event Schilderijenvervalser Han of Meegeren to 1 years jail sentenced 1947 Birthday Jack Arnold, character on Wonder Years 1947 Event Radio rights for the World Series sell for $475,000 for 3 years 1947 Birthday David Hughes, born in Newton-le-Willows, England, cricketer, right batsman, made 10,419 first-class runs in 20 years for Lancashire 1947 Birthday Dan Lauria, actor, Jack Arnold-Wonder Years, 1947 approx 1947 Event 19th Academy Awards - "Best Years of Lives," De Havilland, March win 1947 Birthday Derek Shulman, born in Glasgow, Scotland, musician, singer, rocker, instrumentalist, vocalist for band Gentle Giant, recorded twelve albums with them in ten years 1947 Birthday Chose Alberts, Krommenhoek, vocalist, Yet Many Years 1947 Birthday Koos Alberts, Krommenhoek, Dutch vocalist, Many More Years to Come 1946 Event Court martial convicts Henry de Man to 20 years, in Brussels 1946 Event Dutch Nazi collaborator Arnold Meijer sentenced to 5 years 1946 Event NSB mayor of Rotterdam, Netherlands, FE Muller sentence to 100 years in jail 1946 Event British Government takes control of Bank of England, after 252 years 1945 Death Robert Benchley, U.S. humorist (My 10 years in a quandary), dies at 56 1945 Event 1st ball point pen goes on sale, 57 years after it is patented 1945 Birthday Ric Lee, rock drummer, Ten Years After-Cannock, Staffs 1944 Birthday Alvin Lee, Nottingham England, rock vocals/guitarist, 10 Years After 1944 Event Tommy Brown, just 16 years and 8 months old, plays shortstop for Dodgers 1944 Birthday Tom Okker, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, tennis player, nickname, The Flying Dutchman, world's top doubles player, 1969, world's top ten singles player for 17 years 1943 Birthday Leo Lyons, Standbridge Beds, rock bassist, Ten Years After 1942 Event 1st legal New Jersey horse race in 50 years; Garden State Park track opens 1942 Event 1st twilight game in 24 years, the Dodgers top Giants 7-6 raising $60,000 for Navy Relief Fund 1941 Event Last day of first-class cricket in Australia for 4 years 1941 Birthday Marina Ripa, Rome, Italy, countess/writer, My First 40 Years 1941 Event Brooklyn Dodgers win their 1st pennant in 21 years 1941 Event Britain leases defense bases in Trinidad to U.S. for 99 years 1940 Event Reds Bucky Walters is 1st pitcher in 14 years to homer in World Series 1939 Event Yeshiva of Mir closes after 124 years 1939 Event Last day of 1st-class cricket in England for 6 years 1939 Event Connecticut finally approves Bill of Rights (148 years late) 1939 Event Massachusetts Legislature vote to ratify the Bill of Rights - 147 years late 1939 Birthday Michael Rudman, English theater director/producer, Donkeys' Years 1938 Event Rugers beats Princeton 1st time in 60 years as Rutgers Stad dedicated 1938 Birthday Kenny Rogers, singer, Through the Years, actor, Coward of the County 1938 Event Compton scores 1st Test Cricket ton (102 vs. Australia) aged 20 years 19 days 1937 Event 1st Inauguration day on Jan 20th, (held every 4th years there-after) 1936 Birthday Neville E Alexander, South african, 10 years in Robbeneiland Jail 1935 Death Frans, MJ Francois, Erens, literary (Years Gone By), dies at 78 1935 Death Maria H "Mina" Beersmans, Flemish actress (After 30 Years), dies at 72 1935 Event King George II returns to Greece after 12 years 1935 Birthday Monte Markham, born in Manatee, Florida, actor, Second Hundred Years, Dallas 1935 Event Frank Boucher is given NHL's Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship permanently for winning it 7 of 11 years 1934 Birthday Henning Kronstam, born in Copenhagen, Denmark, ballet dancer, performed over 120 roles with Royal Danish Ballet for over 20 years 1934 Event Hobbs scores his 197th and last FC cricket ton at 51 years 163 days 1934 Event Bert Ironmonger ends Sheffield Shield career age 51 years 298 days 1934 Event Nazi Germany and Poland sign non-attack treaty for 10 years 1933 Birthday Reiner Kunze, born in Oelsnitz, Germany, writer, dissident of the German Democratic Republic, book, 'The Lovely Years', published in West Germany 1933 Event Most powerful earthquake in 180 years hit Japan 1932 Event Mussolini promises to remain dictator for 30 years 1931 Event Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years for tax evasion 1930 Event Bandung, Java: ir Sukarno 4 years jail sentenced 1930 Event Yankees announce signing Joe McCarthy to manage for 4 years 1930 Event Wilfred Rhodes ends Test Cricket career aged 52 years 165 days 1929 Birthday Billy Nair, South Africa union/SACP leader, 20 years in Robbeneiland Prison 1928 Event Notre Dame finally lost a football game after nearly 25 years 1928 Event Josip Broz (Tito) sentenced to 5 years in jail 1928 Birthday David Somerset, born in England, David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort, British peer, criticized for accepting public funds on riverbed land granted to his dukedom 400 years ago 1926 Birthday Edgar D Ngoyi, South African ANC leader, 17 years in Robbeneiland Jail 1926 Death Eddie Plank, pitcher (won 327 games in 17 years), dies at 51 1924 Event Aggrement reached on permanent rotation of World Series with each league, getting games 1, 2, 6, 7 in alternating years 1924 Birthday Rusi Modi, cricketer, strong Indian batsman in post-War years 1924 Birthday Darrell Royal, born in Hollis, Oklahoma, football coach, in 20 years as head coach, University of Texas Longhorn never lost a season, elected to College Football Hall of Fame, 1983 1924 Event After 8 years of occupation, U.S. troops leave Dominican Republic 1924 Event Hitler sentenced to 5 years labor but General Ludendorff acquitted 1923 Event Marcus Garvey sentenced to 5 years for using mail to defraud 1922 Event Yankees final game at Polo Grounds (played there 7 years) 1922 Event British court sentences Mahatma Gandhi to 6 years in prison 1922 Event British magistrates in India sentence Mohandas K. Gandhi to 6 years in prison for disobedience 1922 Event Babe Ruth signs 3 years at $52,000 a year New York Yankee contract 1922 Event Geological survey says U.S. oil supply would be depleted in 20 years 1921 Event After 84 years of British control, Afghanistan achieves sovereignty 1920 Birthday Saul Bass, born in New York City, New York, graphic designer, filmmaker, created title sequences for 40 years, famous for The Man with the Golden Arm, kinetic typography in North by Northwest, Vertigo 1920 Event British Mandate over Palestine goes into effect, lasts 28 years 1919 Birthday Louis Heren, journalist and writer, China's Three Thousand Years 1918 Birthday Dwayne Andreas, born in Worthington, Minnesota, called the 'Soybean King', CEO of Archer Daniels Midland - ADM, largest producer of farm commodities in the U.S. for over 30 years 1917 Birthday Wilf Ferguson, cricket leg-spinner, West Indian of post-WWII years 1917 Birthday Helen Suzman, born in South Africa, politician and anti-apartheid activist, served 36 years in parliament 1917 Event 60,000 people of Petrograd welcome Prince Kropotkin, banned 41 years 1917 Event 1st synagogue in 425 years opens in Madrid 1916 Event Military court of Berlin sentences Karl Liebknecht to 4 years 1915 Event U.S. takes control of customs and finances of Haiti for 10 years 1915 Birthday John Egerton, born in England, born John Egerton, 6th Duke of Sutherland, served with British Expeditionary Force, captured at St. Valery, spent four years in a prisoner of war camp 1914 Birthday Harold Russell, actor, Best Years of Our Life 1913 Event British suffragette Emily Pankhurst sentenced to 3 years in jail 1911 Birthday Ken Farnes, cricket bowler, fast England in pre-WW II years 1910 Event Japan annexes Korea after 5 years as a protectorate 1909 Birthday Willi Boskovsky, born in Austria, conductor, new years concert 1909 Event Baseball rules players who jump contracts are suspended for 5 years 1908 Birthday Arthur O'Connell, born in New York City, actor, Mr Peepers, Second Hundred Years 1907 Death Maria Anna Mahler, Gustav Mahlers eldest daughter, dies of scarlet fever and diptheria at 4 years and 7 months of age in Maiernigg, Austria, five days after her father, Gustav Mahler's 47th birthday. She is buried at Grinzing Cemetery, Vienna. 1905 Birthday Ruby Middleton Forsythe, teacher, 50 years in 1 room school in SC 1904 Event After 13 years, the 4,607-mile Trans-Siberian railway is completed 1902 Event John McGraw becomes manager of New York Giants (stays for 30 years) 1901 Birthday Conrad Beck, born in Lohn, Switzerland, composer, studied with Jacques Ibert, head of Radio Basel music department for 30 years, composed concertos, symphonies, oratorio, elegy, instrumental, vocal music, and one ballet 1901 Event After 63 years England stops sale of Queen Victoria postage stamps series and begins King Edward VII series 1900 Event After 4 years of work, 1st section of New York subway opens 1899 Event San Francisco City Hall turned over to city, after 29 years of building 1899 Event W G Grace's last day of Test cricket aged 50 years 320 days 1899 Birthday Werner Janssen, New York City, conductor and composer, New Years Eve in New York 1898 Event China leases Hong Kong's new territories to Britain for 99 years 1895 Birthday Jack Gregory, cricketer, Australian all-rounder of post-WWI years 1895 Event Oscar Wilde sentenced to 2 years hard labor for being a sodomite 1895 Event Tasmania beat Victoria for 1st F-C victory in 41 years 1895 Event Victor Trumper makes first-class debut for NSW 17 years 64 days 1894 Event Decision to hold modern Olympics every 4 years 1891 Event A Hatfield marries a McCoy, ends long feud in West Virginia it started with an accusation of pig-stealing and lasted 20 years 1889 Birthday Robert Benchley, born in Worcester, Massachusetts, humorist, My 10 Years in a Quandary 1889 Birthday Bert Collins, cricketer, Aussie batsman in the post WW I years 1888 Event Bandai volcano (Japan) erupts for 1st time in 1,000 years 1884 Event Thomas Stevens starts 1st bike trip around world (2 years 9 mos) 1880 Event Koln cathedral completed, 633 years after it begun 1880 Birthday Alfred Noyes, British poet/essayist, Loom of Years, Highwayman 1879 Event Thomas Ray becomes youngest to break a world track and field record pole-vaulting 11' 2" at age 17 years and 198 days 1876 Event Suriname begins compulsory education for 7-12 years 1875 Event Congress authorizes 20 cent coin, lasts only 3 years 1874 Event William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, of Tammany Hall in New York City convicted of defrauding city of $6M, sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment 1870 Birthday Thomas Connolly, baseball's major league umpire for 50 years 1866 Birthday Armando Frid, Argentina, live until July 28 1990, 124 years 1866 Event 1st-class debut of G F Grace aged 15 years 159 days 1863 Event Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score and 7 years..." 1863 Event City of Dublin leases part of Cattle Market for 100,000 years 1862 Event U.S. Confederate Congress calls up all white males (18-35 years) 1861 Event Enlistment increases from 3 months to 2 years 1859 Event Philadelphia A's organize to play "town ball" became baseball 20 years later 1857 Birthday Henry Osborn, Conn, paleontologist/author, 52 Years of Research 1857 Birthday French [M J Francois] Erens, lawyer/literary, Pursue Years 1849 Birthday James E Smith, became father at 100 with woman 64 years younger 1844 Birthday George W. Cable, American writer, Northampton Years 1837 Event Queen Victoria at 18 ascends British throne following death of uncle King William IV Ruled for 63 years ending in 1901 1836 Event Darwin returns to England aboard HMS Beagle (after 5 years) 1834 Event William Thomson enters Glasgow University at 10 years 4 months 1833 Event 1st newsboy hired (Barney Flaherty, 10 years old-NY Sun) 1815 Birthday Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Johnstown, New York, suffragist, 80 Years and More 1815 Birthday Richard Henry Dana, novelist/lawyer spent 2 years before mast 1811 Event President Madison prohibits trade with Britain for 3rd time in 4 years 1787 Event John Fitch's steamboat completes its tests, years before Fulton 1787 Event Law passes providing a senator must be at least 30 years old 1783 Event Worst quake in 8 years kills some 50,000 (Calabria, Italy) 1764 Event John Adams marries Abigail Smith, marriage lasts 54 years 1759 Event British capture Fort Niagara from French (7 Years' War) 1756 Event Prussian Libya occupies Saxson: beginning 7 years War 1756 Event Britain declares war on France (7 Years' or French and Indian War) 1754 Event George Washington surrenders to French, Ft. Necessity (7 Years' War) 1743 Birthday John Fitch, inventor, had a working steamboat years before Fulton 1714 Event Typewriter patented by Englishman Henry Mill (built years later) 1709 Event Alexander Selkirk, Scottish seaman is rescued after 4+ years from Fernandez Island (inspiration for Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe") 1709 Event British sailor Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being marooned on a desert island for 5 years, his story inspires "Robinson Crusoe" 1697 Event Peace of Saki (ends 9 years war) 1694 Death Mary II, Queen of England, dies after 5 years of rule at 32 1694 Event English parliamentary election set for every 3 years 1686 Event Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years (as per Defoe) 1640 Event Portugal regains independence after 60 years of Spanish rule 1629 Event King Charles I dissolved Parliament; he called it back 11 years later 1618 Event 2nd Defenestration of Prague; beginning of 30 Years War 1589 Birthday William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth colony for 30 years 1563 Event Council of Trent holds last session, after 18 years 1561 Event Mary Queen of Scots arrives in Leith Scotland to assume throne after spending 13 years in France 1457 Event Oldest known exactly dated printed book (c 3 years after Gutenberg) 1450 Event French defeat English at Battle of Formigny in 100 Years' War 1419 Event French city of Rouen surrenders to Henry V in Hundred Years War 1340 Event In the Hundred Years War, British fleet destroys French at Sluys 1303 Event Treaty of Paris restores Gascony to British in Hundred Years War 1291 Event Akko reconquered after 200 years by French crusaders, and destroyed 837 Event Best view of Halley's Comet in 2000 years
