April 27, South African Independence Day

1876 –British Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India.

1897- National Diet Library in Japan opened.

1924 – Austrian Republic established.

1992 – Serbia and Montenegro announce Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1994- First non-racial, democratic elections held in South Africa.

2011 – More than 70 persons killed in explosion in Jemaa El fanaa square in Marrakech, Morocco.

Born today:

1791 – Samuel Morse, inventor of single-wire telegraph.

Passed away:

823 – Arab historian al-Imam Muhammad bin ‘Umar al-Waqidi al-Madani, the author of the history book ‘futooh ush shaam’.

Occasions:

Independence Day of Sierra Leone, Togo, and South Africa.

H. Zain/ Barry