Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

January 28

28		The Roman Emperor Nerva names Trajan, an army general, as his successor.
1547		Henry VIII of England dies and is succeeded by his nine-year-old son Edward VI.
1757		Ahmed Shah, the first King of Afghanistan, occupies Delhi and annexes the Punjab.
1792		Rebellious slaves in Santo Domingo launch an attack on the city of Cap.
1871		Surrounded by Prussian troops and suffering from famine, the French army in Paris surrenders. During the siege, balloons were used to keep contact with the outside world.
1915		The U.S. Coast Guard is founded to fight contraband trade and aid distressed vessels at sea.
1915		The German navy attacks the U.S. freighter William P. Frye, loaded with wheat for Britain.
1921		Albert Einstein startles Berlin by suggesting the possibility of measuring the universe.
1932		The Japanese attack Shanghai, China, and declare martial law.
1936		A fellow prison inmate slashes infamous kidnapper, Richard Loeb, to death.
1941		French General Charles DeGaulle‘s Free French forces sack south Libya oasis.
1945		Chiang Kai-shek renames the Ledo-Burma Road the Stilwell Road, in honor of General Joseph Stilwell.
1955		The U.S. Congress passes a bill allowing mobilization of troops if China should attack Taiwan.
1964		The Soviets down a U.S. jet over East Germany killing three.
1970		Israeli fighter jets attack the suburbs of Cairo.
1986		The space shuttle Challenger explodes just after liftoff.
Born on January 28
1693		Anna “Ivanovna”, Tsarina of Russia.
1706		John Baskerville, inventor of the “hot-pressing” method of printing.
1853		Jose Marti, Cuban poet and journalist, known as the “Apostle of the Cuban Revolution.”
1912		Jackson Pollock, influential abstract expressionist painter.

today’s birthday: Chiang Kai-shek (1887)

Chiang Kai-shek (1887)

After the Qing dynasty was overthrown and a republic established in China, Chiang joined the Kuomintang (KMT)—the Nationalist Party—and rose through the ranks to become commander in chief of the revolutionary army and eventual successor to leader Sun Yat-sen. Under Chiang’s direction, the KMT broke with its former allies, the Communists, and began a protracted civil war. Despite some initial success, Chiang ultimately failed, and his government was driven from mainland China to where? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Chinese Communist Army Begins the Long March (1934)

Chinese Communist Army Begins the Long March (1934)

The Long March was a crucial event in the rise of the Chinese Communist state. Facing annihilation from Chiang Kai-shek‘s Kuomintang (KMT) Army, the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, retreated some 6,000 miles (9,656 km) in 370 days. Though the Long March was technically a tactical defeat, it allowed the Communists to avoid destruction. Mao’s forces later regrouped and defeated the KMT after World War II. What were the Eight Points of Attention followed by the soldiers during the Long March? More… Discuss

THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: THE 228 MASSACRE (1947)

The 228 Massacre (1947)

Following Japan‘s defeat in World War II, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China. The transition did not go smoothly. The Taiwanese had been content under Japanese rule and quickly grew to resent the heavy-handed tactics of the Kuomintang. On February 27, 1947, a dispute between a cigarette vendor and authorities escalated the next day into an anti-government uprising that was violently suppressed. How many Taiwanese are thought to have been massacred? More… Discuss

Related articles

• Taiwan independence group topples Sun Yat-sen statue
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• Republic of China map of killing fields in Taiwan during 228 Massacre
• Taiwan, China sign two more agreements

French Indochina

French Indochina
The region that is today home to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam came under French control in the late 1800s as French Indochina. Though occupied by Japan during World War II, the area did not achieve full independence from France until 1954. Soon after independence, the Vietnam War erupted. After World War II, US President Franklin Roosevelt unsuccessfully attempted to arrange for China to acquire the region before France could regain control. What was Chairman Chiang Kai-shek‘s emphatic response? More… Discuss

Related articles

• Old Photos of Hanoi from 1954 (vintag.es)
• Inconvenient Allies (counterpunch.org)
• Vietnam War (1955 – 1975) (heilworldwars.wordpress.com)
• The Cold War: October 1951-1991 (kjmmyblog.wordpress.com)
• VietnamFlight.net offers new summer discounts for flights in Indochina (prweb.com)