What’s 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. 

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. 

2. In 1964, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) President Apollo Milton Obote announced that he had dissolved the alliance his party had with Kabaka Edward Muteesa’s 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 – Simon D’Ujanga, State Minister for Energy in the Ugandan Cabinet.

2. 1973 – Dave Chapelle, multi-award-winning American standup comedian, famous for his satirical comedy sketch series Chapelle’s Show.

Sources: Wikipedia, officeholidays.com and bornglorious

Image: officeholidays.com