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US-Iran-Contra scandal exposed by Lebanese magazine in 1986. Washington DC residents allowed to vote in US presidential election for the first time in 1964. First Opium War between UK and China began in 1839. US establishes permanent income tax in 1913. Soviet Union launches first living animal, Laika, into orbit in 1957. Allied victory in Second Battle of El Alamein weakened Axis forces in North Africa in 1942. NASA launched Mariner 10 to Mercury in 1973. Pearl Harbor bombing ordered in 1941. Bombay Times founded in India in 1838. Panama declared independence from Gran Columbia in 1903, paving the way for construction of the Panama Canal.
A Lebanese magazine broke the US Iran-Contra scandal. (1986) Ash-Shiraa magazine reported on covert US arms sales to Iran. The sales were officially intended to improve US-Iran political relations, but ended up looking like a trade for the release of seven US hostages held captive in Lebanon. At the time of the covert sales, Iran was under an arms embargo by the United States. Fourteen officials were indicted and 11 convicted, but all were later pardoned by US President George HW Bush.
Washington DC residents were allowed to vote in the US presidential election for the first time. (1964) In 1801, the District of Washington was established as a jurisdiction of the United States Congress, which meant that all residents would not be allowed to vote. The passage of the 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed in 1961, reversed this policy, allowing Washington residents to vote.
Fighting broke out in the First Opium War. (1839) The Opium Wars between Qing Dynasty China and the United Kingdom and Ireland were the result of longstanding trade disputes between the British Empire and China. British merchants smuggled opium into China, violating the country’s prohibition laws. China lost the battle, which lasted three years and led to the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860. China also lost that battle and was forced to accept the illegal drug trade. It was also forced to sign two treaties that opened more unrestricted trade ports in China.
The United States has established a permanent income tax. (1913) An income tax had been temporarily imposed on US citizens to help finance the American Civil War, and the US Congress later attempted to re-impose it, but in 1895 the US Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional because it was not imposed equally on all states. In 1913, Congress passed the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution, establishing a permanent and equal income tax system.
The Soviet Union launched the first living animal into orbit. (1957) A female dog named Laika was launched onto the Soviet satellite Sputnik 2. She ended up dying from the stress and overheating, but the scientists planned to poison her to death anyway because she would have burned to death when the satellite reentered the atmosphere.
The Allied victory in the “Second Battle of El Alamein” forced the German troops to withdraw, ending Axis plans to capture Egypt. (1942) Battle was a turning point in World War II, weakening Axis forces in North Africa.
NASA launched Mariner 10 on its way to the planet Mercury. (1973) The space probe was the first to reach that planet; his mission also included a flyby of Venus, which he also achieved.
Japanese troops were ordered to bomb Pearl Harbor in 34 days. (1941) The order, called “Top-Secret Order No. 1” also included attacks on the Philippines, Mayala and the Dutch East Indies. Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7th.
The Bombay Times and the Journal of Commerce were founded in India. (1838) The newspaper, which was later renamed The Times of India, is now the world’s largest print newspaper written in the English language. It has a daily circulation of over three million copies.
Panama has declared its independence from Gran Columbia. (1903) Previously, Panama had been under Spanish rule, but broke away in 1821 to join the Republic of Gran Columbia, a union of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. With US assistance, Panama seceded from the union and declared independence. The country’s independence also paved the way for the United States to begin construction of the Panama Canal, which began in 1904.
