In 1986 Corazon Aquino was sworn in as the new President of the Philippines ending the dictatorship which has controlled the country since 1973. In 1973 Ferdinand Marcos changed the constitution of the Philippines giving himself absolute power over the country. Despite Macros questionable rise to power in the first place, his changing of the constitution into a dictatorship, the many claims of corruption and possibly the murder of opposition leaders, his anti communist stance made him favourable to the United States. His regime was supported by the US from the start and with that in mind Ferdinand Macros even threatened to hold his own swearing-in ceremony in his Palace on the same day. The United States however withdrew its support of the dictator on the 22nd of February 1986 and Macros didn’t go ahead with his threat. Instead he escaped to Hawaii where he was given sanctuary.
In 1982 The European Court of Human Rights banned the use of Corporal Punishment in schools without parent’s permission. The decision was made after two Scottish mothers were told by a school that they may beat their children. The mothers took the school to court and after a four year legal battle Grace Campbell and Jane Cosans won their case. Until now teachers could beat children as punishment but the new law prevents children being beaten at their parent’s request. This was a milestone in the treatment of children and led to outlawing beating in all state schools in the UK in 1986 and was extended to private schools in 1998. In January 2005 a new law was passed in England and Wales making it illegal for parents to hit their child with enough force to leave a mark.
In 1948 Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic and Slovakia as of 1st of January 1993) becomes a Communist State. Eduard Benes was the head of state of Czechoslovakia prior to Hitler’s invasion of the country in 1938 and so during the war Benes headed the Czechoslovakian provisional government in London until his return home at the end of World War II. He became President of Czechoslovakia in 1945 at a time when Soviet forces were withdrawing from the country. Many of the people were grateful to the Soviets who had liberated them from German occupation and at the time the United States were considering the re-armament of Germany as a strong defence against the Russians. Communist parties grew in representation in the 1946 elections and they came to power with Klement Gottwald as the party leader. In 1948 Gottwald attempted to change the political system mirroring that of the Soviets and planned a coup to overthrow President Benes. Benes resigned and his Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk was found dead leaving the country firmly in Communist control until the ‘Velvet Revolution’ in 1989 when a non Communist Government took over.
In 1308 King Edward II was crowned King of England. Edward II became King of England six months before on the 7th of July 1307 after the death of his father King Edward I but his coronation was not until this day in 1308.
