In 2009 Barrack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America. President Obama was the first African American President of the United States.
In 1987 Terry Wait who was acting as special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, goes missing in Lebanon. After his success in facilitating the release of hostages in Iran he was sent to secure freedom for the Western Hostages held in Lebanon. But He was also captured by Shiite Muslims and held hostage for nearly five years (four years of which he was held in solitary confinement) finally being released on the 18th of November 1991.
In 1961 John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States of America. Kennedy was also the youngest President at forty-three years old and in contrast took over from the oldest American President, General Dwight Eisenhower aged 70. Vice President Lyndon Johnson who took over as President after Kennedy’s assassination was also sworn in on this day.
In 1958 New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and England’s Dr Vivian Fuchs met up at the South Pole. They are leaders of two separate teams of explorers planning to cross the Antarctic by land. Both teams were part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic expedition and they became the first group of explorers to complete the 2,000 mile trip across Antarctica. Dr Vivian Fuchs gained a knighthood for his part in the expedition went on to write a book with Sir Hillary ‘The Crossing of Antarctica’.
In 1841 China ceded or gave up power over Hong Kong to the British. During the First Opium War Hong Kong Island was occupied by British forces and as part of a cease fire the Island had been given up to the British Captain Charles Elliot by Governor Qishan under the Convention of Chuenpee. This Convention was not fully recognised by either power and it wasn’t until the 29th of August 1842 when control of the Island of Hong Kong was officially given to the British.
