In 1995 Cameroon Joined the Commonwealth
In 1981 Antigua and Barbuda joined the Commonwealth.
In 1968 Nauru joined the Commonwealth of Nations.
In 1962 the Russian Mars 2MV-4 (dubbed Sputnik 23 by the US) launched.
Its mission was to ‘flyby’ Mars and transmit images and scientific data back to Earth. On the 21st of March 1963, while on its way to Mars, communications with the probe ceased.
In 1951 The United States of America tested their first Hydrogen Bomb.
The United States test their first Hydrogen Bomb (a 10.4 megaton device) which was detonated in the Marshall Islands on the 1st of November 1951 and was so powerful it destroyed the island of Elugelab. This bomb was 1,000 times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It was a 15 megaton bomb which was too powerful for the testing equipment and was the biggest man made explosion in history (until Russia tested their 50 megaton hydrogen bomb in 1961). Because the bomb had been far more powerful than expected the radiation from nuclear fallout was also greater and 264 people were exposed to high doses of radiation. Twenty-Three crew aboard a Japanese fishing boat named “The Lucky Dragon” were affected despite being 80 miles away from the explosion at the time. Atom bombs such as the one dropped on Hiroshima are produced from nuclear fission (splitting the atom) but Hydrogen Bombs use a nuclear fission bomb to create enough heat to cause a secondary nuclear fusion reaction. This is when two atoms (in this case hydrogen) are fused into one atom which is the same process that powers the sun.
In 1918 The ‘Polish-Ukrainian War’ began which was part of the ‘Polish-Soviet War’ (February 1919 - March 1921).
During World War I Austro-Hungary and Germany (which was the unification of Prussia, Saxony and Bavaria in 1871) wanted the Polish people to remain loyal and not take advantage of the situation and begin a rebellion. So on the 6th of November 1916 Austro-Hungary and Germany agreed to the formation of a semi-autonomous Kingdom of Poland. When the Central Powers seemed all but defeated on the 7th of October 1917 Poland declared their independence and with the defeat of Germany and Austro-Hungary came the Independence of Poland and Lithuania.
The Western leaders recognised the independence of Poland but Russia was still initiating their new Communist Government after their Revolution in 1917. The New Polish leader, Jozef Klemens Pilsudski, wanted to return the sovereignty of all Poland back to the territory it had before it’s first Partition in 1772. He believed that Russia would not accept the Independence of these nations and return of the territory which technically still remained part of Russia and the Ukraine. Pilsudski proposed a union once more between Poland and Lithuania as their combined strength may be more of a deterrent against Russian hostilities. But Pilsudski also wanted Poland to take the lead in this “Union” and this made Lithuania un-easy. Pilsudski also proposed an alliance with the Ukraine but they too felt un-easy.
The new Communist regime in Russia were pre-occupied with suppressing their anti-communist enemies at home. Meanwhile Polish forces had been relatively free to forcibly claim land from the new Lithuanian Republic, the Ukraine and Belorussia (now Belarus). The Poland army continued to take ground despite several requests by the British Government to desist from their campaign. Pilsudski ignored the request from Britain and continued pushing forward. The Communist Russian leader, Vladimir Lenin, made a proposal to Pilsudski that they would recognise the Polish territory up to the point they now occupied but Pilsudski wanted to continue negotiations. As the negotiations continued Pilsudski became increasingly untrusting of Lenin and began to prepare for possible war. On the 1st of November 1918 The Polish-Ukrainian war began and Britain once again sent a request for Poland to end their campaign and warned that they would not aid Poland if they began a war with Russia. On the 7th of May 1920 the Polish forces had captured the capital of Kiev, which had caused condemnation from all the allied leaders from WWI.
