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The US Senate rejected joining the League of Nations in 1920, hindering its potential. Indira Gandhi became India’s first female Prime Minister in 1966, known for leading India out of poverty. Ellis Island closed in 1954 after processing over 12 million immigrants. Japanese war criminals were tried in court in 1948, including General Tojo. President Carter banned Iranian oil imports in 1979 due to security threats. “Tokyo Rose” was pardoned in 1977. The comedy classic “Faust” was performed for the first time in 1829. The first recorded meteor shower occurred in North America in 1799. Captain Wilkes claimed Antarctica in 1840.
The United States Senate voted against joining the League of Nations. (1920) Despite the fact that the League of Nations was US President Wilson’s brainchild, fears of getting involved in European politics prompted the Senate to vote against membership. Some consider this to be the main reason why the League of Nations never achieved its potential.
Indira Gandhi was elected Prime Minister of India. She (1966) She was India’s first female leader and she remains a symbol of feminism in India today. Gandhi was also known for leading India out of poverty, increasing food production by more than 200 percent and reducing the poverty rate by more than 20 percent.
Ellis Island closed. (1954) In its nearly 70 years of operation as an immigration station, Ellis Island has processed more than 12 million people. It is estimated that nearly half of Americans in the 21st century can trace their heritage to people who came through Ellis Island.
Japanese war criminals were tried in court. (1948) Several men were convicted of war crimes in proceedings very similar to the Nuremberg Trials in Germany. Many were sentenced to death on this day, including General Hideki Tojo, the premier of Japan, and Iwane Matsui, who led the rape of Nanjing.
Union General Sherman ordered the destruction of Atlanta. (1864) In an extremely unpopular move among Confederate sympathizers, Sherman ordered his troops to destroy the commercial section of Atlanta before continuing their famous “March to the Sea.” Nearly half of the city has been completely destroyed, and the previous cultural and industrial capital of the South has been gutted.
President Carter has banned imports of Iranian oil into the United States. (1979) Carter halted oil imports under pressure from threats to American security: 52 Americans had been taken hostage by Iranian radicals, and Carter felt that if he continued to import oil from Iran, it would only lead to more violence. Although the United States and Iran had previously maintained diplomatic relations, it all came to an end when Carter cut off oil imports.
“Tokyo Rose”, the famous World War II propagandist, was pardoned. (1977) Iva Toguri D’Aquino, of “Tokyo Rose” became famous for broadcasting anti-American messages to American soldiers in the South Pacific. She was eventually arrested for treason and sabotage of the war effort, although she was ultimately acquitted.
The comedy classic “Faust” was performed for the first time. (1829) Goethe’s Faust, Part I, had been a famous work of literature for years before being adapted to the stage. The play, known for its epic Biblical references, became one of the top 20 most-performed comedies in North America.
The first recorded meteor shower occurred in North America. (1799) The shower was recorded by an American astronomer, Andrew Ellicott Douglass, who reported that “the whole sky appeared as illuminated by celestial flares”. Astronomers now know that he was seeing the Leonid meteor shower, an event that occurs about once every 30 years or so.
American Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigated and claimed Antarctica. (1840) Wilkes was on an exploratory expedition around the Pacific when he reached Antarctica. He was one of the first people to see the continent, part of which was later called “Wilkes Land” in his honor.
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