David A Broad
A personal story
More than 40 years, told day by day
On this day in January 1996, the last nuclear test explosion by France was conducted at the Moruroa and Fangataufa Atoll test site in the South Pacific.
The underground explosion was equivalent to 120,000 tonnes of conventional explosives, six times the force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
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Yasser Arafat was re-elected as the president of the Palestinian Authority, solidifying his leadership role in Palestinian politics during a critical period of the Middle East peace process.
In the latter part of the 1950s, Arafat co-founded Fatah, a paramilitary organization which sought Israel's replacement with a Palestinian state.
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A significant environmental disaster occurred when the tugboat Scandia experienced an engine fire, forcing it ashore on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
The incident resulted in the North Cape Barge leaking approximately 820,000 gallons of home heating oil, causing substantial ecological damage to the coastal region.
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Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (born May 28, 1923, Nimmakuru, near Machilipatnam, India—died on this day January 18, 1996, Hyderabad)
He was an Indian motion-picture actor and director, politician, and government official who founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
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On this day Iraq agreed to talks concerning a U.N. plan to allow for the Iraqi sale of $1 billion of oil for 90 days for a 180-day trial period. Also the Czech Republic applied for membership of the European Union.
Under U.N. Resolution 986, proceeds from the sale would be used for humanitarian purposes. In the past, Iraq had opposed clauses 6 and 8b contained in Resolution 986.
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President Valentine Strasser was overthrown in a military coup by the chief of defence, Julius Maada Bio
Bio pledged to restore democratic governance and hold elections in February, marking a significant political transition in Sierra Leone.
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