After China suffered defeats in the first and second Opium Wars as well as the First Sino-Japanese War , the Guangxu Emperor began issuing edicts ordering a series of reforms which were intended to cause widespread changes in Chinese society, culture, ideology, education a and institutions. This did not sit well with the old guard and on September 21, 1898 Empress Dowager Cixi seized power in a coup d'etat, ending the Hundred Day's Reform (or Wuxu Reform) which had actually lasted 103 days. Fifty-one years later, on September 21, 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed.
On this day in history:
1776 – Part of New York City burned shortly after being occupied by British forces. 1792 – The French National Convention abolished the monarchy. 1843 – John Williams Wilson took possession of the Strait of Magellan on behalf of the Chilean government. 1860 – An Anglo-French force defeated Chinese troops at the Battle of Palikao. 1898 – Empress Dowager Cixi seized power and ended the Hundred Days' Reform in China. 1937 – J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was published. 1949 – The People's Republic of China was proclaimed. 1964 – Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom 1972 – Ferdinand Marcos began authoritarian rule by declaring martial law. 1976 – Orlando Letelier was assassinated in Washington, D.C. He had been a member of the Allende government. It is not certain whether the CIA has been involved in his assassination, like they were in the overthrow and murder of Allende, or not. 1981 – Belize was granted full independence from the United Kingdom. 1981 – Sandra Day O'Connor was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice. 1996 – The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress.
Born this day in:
“Civilization is in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have.” - H. G. Wells
051 – Bertha of Savoy 1452 – Girolamo Savonarola, puritanical Christo-fascist burned by the pope 1552 – Barbara Longhi, painter 1559 – Cigoli, painter and architect 1645 – Louis Jolliet, explorer 1853 – Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, physicist and academic, 1866 – H. G. Wells, novelist, historian, and critic 1873 – Papa Jack Laine, drummer and bandleader 1884 – Dénes Konig, mathematician and theorist 1898 – Frances Mary Albrier, civil rights activist 1902 – Allen Lane, publisher, founded Penguin Books 1903 – Preston Tucker, engineer and businessman, designed the Tucker Sedan 1904 – Hans Hartung, painter 1912 – György Sándor, pianist and composer 1917 – Phyllis Nicolson, mathematician and academic 1918 – John Gofman, physicist, chemist, and biologist 1919 – Herman Fowlkes, Jr., trumpet player and educator 1923 – Fred Hunt, jazz pianist 1926 – Donald A. Glaser, physicist and neurobiologist 1932 – Don Preston, keyboard player and composer 1934 – Leonard Cohen, singer, songwriter ,and poet 1936 – Dickey Lee, pop-country singer, songwriter ,and guitarist 1943 – David Hood, session bassist and trombone player 1944 – Bobby Tench, singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1947 – Don Felder, musician and songwriter 1947 – Rupert Hine, musician, songwriter, and record producer 1949 – Henry Butler, pianist and photographer 1952 – Dave Gregory, guitarist and keyboard player 1954 – Thomas S. Ray, ecologist and academic 1954 – Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, rock drummer 1959 – Corinne Drewery, singer, songwriter, and fashion designer 1964 – Jorge Drexler, singer & songwriter 1964 – Lester Quitzau, guitarist 1967 – Faith Hill, singer, songwriter, producer, and actress 1967 – Tyler Stewart, drummer 1968 – Kevin Buzzard, mathematician
Died this day in:
“Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.” -- Arthur Schopenhauer
19 BC – Virgil, poet 1576 – Gerolamo Cardano, mathematician, physician, and astrologer 1860 – Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher and author 1905 – Nikolay Benardos, inventor 1926 – Léon Charles Thévenin, engineer 1962 – Bo Carter, singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1987 – Jaco Pastorius, bass player, composer, and producer 2002 – Robert L. Forward, physicist and science fiction author 2011 – John Du Cann, guitarist 2012 – José Curbelo, pianist and manager 2015 – Ray Warleigh, saxophonist and flute player
Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such: International Day of Peace (International) National Pecan Cookie Day (United States) World Gratitude Day
Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies ;-)