Whatcâ¬â?cs Happening Today?

International Youth Day. International Youth Day is an awareness day designated by the United Nations. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. The first IYD was observed on 12 August, 2000.

It is meant as an opportunity for governments and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. During IYD, concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings involving national and local government officials and youth organizations take place around the world.

World Elephant Day. World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world's elephants. 

The goal of International Elephant Day is to create awareness of the urgent plight of African and Asian elephants and to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better care and management of captive and wild elephants. African elephants are listed as "Vulnerable" and Asian elephants as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

What Happened Today?

1. In 1976, about 3000 refugees were killed during a massacre at a Palestinian refugee camp. The UN-run Tel al-Zaatar Palestinian refugee camp in the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon had been sieged by members of a right-wing extremist group called the Phalange during the Lebanese civil war.

2. In 1981, the IBM Personal Computer was stocked in stores for the first time. Known as the IBM PC or the IBM 5150, the computer had no disk drives and sold for about $1500.  It was created by a team of engineers and designers directed by Don Estridge in Boca Raton, Florida.

3. In 1990, the largest dinosaur fossil was found. American palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson found the fossilised remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex in the state of South Dakota. Sue, as the dinosaur is now informally called after its discoverer, is thought to have been 14 feet tall when alive.

Birthdays

1. 1947 câ¬â?? Daniel Omara Atubo, former minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development from 2006 to 2011.

2. 1988 câ¬â?? Tyson Fury, World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight World Champion.

Sources: Wikipedia, checkiday & bornglorious.com