Whatcâ¬â?cs Happening Today?

Flag Day (Liberia). This holiday commemorates the adoption of the Liberian flag in 1847. Just over a month after attaining Independence from the United States, the national flag of Liberia was adopted. 

It was designed and produced by a committee of seven ladies led by Susannah Lewis and it has 11 horizontal red stripes representing the 11 men who signed the Liberian Declaration of Independence. The single star represents the freedom that formed the basis of Liberia and that the country should shine forth across the rest of Africa. 

Independence Day (Ukraine). Today, Ukrainians commemorate the declaration of independence from Russia in 1991. On August 24, the Act of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament, and a yellow and blue flag appeared on the building of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. It is generally celebrated with a military parade held in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. 

Pluto Demoted Day. In 2006, the solar system witnessed an astronomical change when the number of planets in it was cut down from nine to eight. Pluto was demoted from the category of planets and reclassified as a dwarf planet. 

What Happened Today?

1. In 1949, The North Atlantic Treaty, which established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance, came into effect. The treaty created a collective defence system, where an attack on one member is considered an attack on all the other signatories. Initially, the treaty was signed by 12 countries - Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, and the United States. Today, membership has increased from the original 12 to 28.

2. In 1964, Uganda Peoplecâ¬â?cs Congress (UPC) President Apollo Milton Obote announced that he had dissolved the alliance his party had with Kabaka Edward Muteesacâ¬â?cs Kabaka Yekka (KY) after UPC attained a majority in Parliament. This decision was informed by intelligence Obote had that Grace Ibingira and Kabaka Muteesa had clandestine dealings to unseat Obote from the Presidency of the UPC.

3. In 1998, the first human microchip implant, technically known as a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) - (in the picture), was done on British Scientist Kevin Warwick. His implant was used to open doors, switch on lights, and cause verbal output within a building. After nine days, the implant was removed and has since been held in the Science Museum in London.

Birthdays

1. 1953 câ¬â?? Simon Dcâ¬â?cUjanga, State Minister for Energy in the Ugandan Cabinet.

2. 1973 câ¬â?? Dave Chapelle, multi-award-winning American standup comedian, famous for his satirical comedy sketch series Chapellecâ¬â?cs Show.

Sources: Wikipedia, officeholidays.com and bornglorious

Picture credit: Katina Michael