503

Birth of Ly Nam De (died 548), born Ly Bi, Vietnamese emperor and founder of the Early Ly dynasty (544-548). After resigning from a mandarinal post, he led the peasants in an armed uprising against occupation by the Liang from the north. Ly Bi ascended the throne in 544, proclaiming himself Ly the Emperor of the South and naming the country Van Xuan (Land of Ten Thousand Springs) with the capital located in present-day Ha Noi.

1808

Birth of Cao Ba Quat (died 1855), Vietnamese poet. Dissatisfied with the situation at the court, he and a friend, Le Duy Cu, led a peasant rebellion against the Nguyen dynasty, and were later executed as a result. He left more than 1,350 Han Chinese language poems of a distinctly patriotic vein. He was called Thanh Quat (Saint Quat) by admirers of his poetry.

1849

Death of Frederic Chopin, Polish romantic composer and pianist. His music, written chiefly for the piano, drew inspiration from the romance and melancholy of traditional Polish dance music.

1855

Englishman Henry Bessemer patents his process for making steel.

1887

The French President decrees the establishment of Union Indochinoise headed by a governor-general. Viet Nam was divided into Tonkin in the north, Annam in the Centre and Cochinchina in the South.

1918

The Republic of Yugoslavia is formally established.

1945

Col Juan Peron stages coup in Buenos Aires and becomes absolute dictator of Argentina.

1973

Arab oil-producing nations announce they would begin cutting back on oil exports to Western nations and Japan; the result is a total embargo lasting until March 1974.

1977

West German commandos storm a hijacked Lufthansa jetliner in Mogadishu, Somalia, freeing all 86 hostages.

1979

Mother Teresa wins the Nobel Peace Prize for caring for the world's "unwanted and unloved".

1989

The biennial conference of the 103-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) approves a world-wide ban on ivory trading.

1994

Jordan and Israel initial an historic peace treaty, cementing an end to their 46-year state of war.

Viet Nam officially applies for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) membership.

1998

A pipeline explodes in Nigeria when villagers try to siphon off oil. At least 700 die. — AP/REUTERS/VNS