This Day in History

Mon, 29 Apr 2024

WWII: Operation Manna Begins (1945)

During WWII, the Royal Air Force delivered 6,680 tons of food into parts of the German-occupied Netherlands, with the acquiescence of the occupying forces, to feed starving Dutch citizens suffering from a famine that ultimately claimed 18,000 lives. Operation Manna, as it was called, was named for the food that the Book of Exodus says miraculously appeared for the Israelites in the wilderness. The mission ended on May 8, when Germany's surrender ended the war in Europe. How was the food delivered? Discuss

Sun, 28 Apr 2024

Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat, King of Jerusalem (1192)

Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman and one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. In 1189, he joined Guy of Lusignan at the siege of Akko, but a year later he sought to displace Guy as king of Jerusalem. To establish a claim to the crown, he married Isabella, daughter of Amalric I. In 1192, Conrad was acknowledged as king, but a few days later he was assassinated, and the royal title passed to the two later husbands of his widow. Who killed him?

Sat, 27 Apr 2024

Sierra Leone Granted Independence from the UK (1961)

The capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, was founded on the coast of West Africa by British abolitionists in 1787 as a haven for freed and runaway slaves. It became a British colony in 1808, and the region became a British protectorate in 1896. It achieved independence in 1961 and became a republic 10 years later, but with independence came a series of military coups. An 11-year civil war marked by horrific atrocities further devastated the country and ended in 2002. What has occurred since then?