Faroe Islands gain autonomy from Denmark.

The Faroe Islands, a remote archipelago located between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic, has a rich history shaped by isolation, Norse settlement, and shifting sovereignties. The islands were first inhabited by Irish monks around the 6th century, but Norse settlers, arriving during the Viking Age around the 9th century, established lasting communities and Norse culture. By the 11th century, the Faroe Islands were officially part of the Kingdom of Norway, and later, through the 1380 Kalmar Union, they came under Danish control. The Treaty of Kiel in 1814 solidified Danish sovereignty over the Faroe Islands, even as Norway became part of Sweden. Despite this, the islands maintained a degree of autonomy, which expanded throughout the 20th century, particularly following World War II when the British occupation highlighted their strategic significance. In 1948, the Faroe Islands achieved home rule, with Denmark retaining control over foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy. Today, the islands continue to develop their self-governing status while preserving their distinct cultural heritage and language.

Comet Hale–Bopp is seen passing at perihelion.

Comet Hale-Bopp was one of the most widely observed comets of the 20th century. It was discovered independently by Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp on July 23, 1995. The comet became visible to the naked eye in May 1996, and it remained visible for about 18 months, making it one of the longest-duration naked-eye comets in recorded history.

Discovery: Alan Hale, an amateur astronomer from New Mexico, and Thomas Bopp, an amateur astronomer from Arizona, both discovered the comet on the same day, though they were not working together. This was a rare event in astronomy, as most comets are discovered by professional astronomers using telescopes.

Appearance: Comet Hale-Bopp had a bright, glowing coma (the fuzzy cloud surrounding the comet’s nucleus) and a long, prominent tail. It was visible to the naked eye for an extended period, even in urban areas with significant light pollution.

Orbit: Hale-Bopp is a long-period comet, meaning it has a highly elliptical orbit that takes it far beyond the orbit of Pluto. Its orbit around the Sun takes about 2,500 years.

Scientific Interest: Scientists were particularly interested in studying Comet Hale-Bopp because it was relatively large and active, giving them valuable insights into the composition and behavior of comets. Numerous observations were made using ground-based telescopes, space telescopes, and spacecraft.

Cult Following: Hale-Bopp gained notoriety beyond the scientific community due to a group known as Heaven’s Gate, a religious cult that believed an alien spacecraft was following the comet. In 1997, 39 members of the cult committed mass suicide in the belief that their souls would be transported to the spacecraft.

Legacy: Comet Hale-Bopp remains one of the most famous comets in history, and its passage in 1997 stimulated public interest in astronomy. It also contributed valuable data to our understanding of comets and their role in the solar system.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, Inc.

The history of Apple computers dates back to 1976 when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded the company in Cupertino, California. The first Apple computer, called the Apple I, was sold as a circuit board kit for hobbyists and was not yet a fully assembled personal computer. The following year, Apple released the Apple II, which was the company’s first commercially successful product and the first personal computer to come with color graphics.

In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, which was the first personal computer to use a graphical user interface (GUI) and a mouse, making it more user-friendly than previous computers that relied on command-line interfaces. The Macintosh was a hit with consumers and helped to establish Apple as a major player in the computer industry.

However, despite early successes, Apple struggled in the mid to late 1990s due to competition from Microsoft and other PC manufacturers. In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple as CEO, and under his leadership, the company underwent a major turnaround. Jobs introduced a series of successful products, including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, which helped to make Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Today, Apple is known for its sleek, innovative products, including Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. The company has also expanded into other areas, such as music and video streaming with Apple Music and Apple TV+. Apple is known for its strict control over both its hardware and software, which has helped to ensure a high level of quality and a consistent user experience across its products.

Singapore becomes a British crown colony.

Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years imprisonment for his participation in the “Beer Hall Putsch” but spends only nine months in jail. He is released at the end of 1924.

The “Beer Hall Putsch” took place on November 8-9, 1923, in Munich, Germany. Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party), and his supporters attempted to overthrow the Weimar Republic government by launching a coup. During the coup attempt, they tried to seize key locations in Munich, but the coup failed, resulting in several deaths and injuries.

Hitler was arrested on November 11, 1923, and subsequently put on trial. During the trial, Hitler used it as a platform to gain publicity for his nationalist and anti-Semitic views. Despite being found guilty of treason, Hitler received a relatively lenient sentence of five years in prison, along with a fine.

While in prison, Hitler used his time to write his autobiography and political manifesto titled “Mein Kampf” (“My Struggle”). The book later became a central piece of Nazi ideology.

Hitler’s early release from prison was due to political considerations. The Weimar government, facing numerous political challenges and unrest, believed that keeping Hitler in prison could lead to further radicalization of his followers. As a result, Hitler was released on December 20, 1924, after serving only about nine months of his five-year sentence.

After his release, Hitler resumed his political activities and eventually rose to power, becoming the Chancellor of Germany in 1933. His regime led to one of the darkest chapters in human history, with the outbreak of World War II and the Holocaust, resulting in the genocide of millions of people, including six million Jews.

Google announces Gmail to the public.

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Singapore becomes a British crown colony.

The Straits Settlements, which comprised Singapore, Malacca and Penang, became a crown colony under direct British control on 1 April 1867.

The impetus for the conversion of the Straits Settlements into a crown colony was prompted by growing dissatisfaction with the Indian administration over issues such as piracy, port duties, currency, the transportation of convicts, as well as delays in judicial reforms. The sentiment then was that the Indian government based in Calcutta had failed to give adequate attention to the affairs of the Straits Settlements.

Discontent came to a head in August 1857 when Singapore merchants not only backed the petition by European merchants in Calcutta for the abolition of the East India Company, but also requested that the Straits Settlements be separated from India and administered directly by the Colonial Office in London.

After a series of protracted negotiations, an act was eventually passed on 10 August 1866 to authorise the administrative transfer to the Colonial Office and provide for the creation of the government of the Straits Settlements. The act came into effect on 1 April the following year, when a ceremony was held at the Town Hall in Singapore to mark the formal transfer of the Straits Settlements from the jurisdiction of British India to the direct administration of the Crown. Harry St. George Ord was appointed the first governor of the new crown colony.

The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.

The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force (CAF). In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) when it was granted the royal title by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968.[1] Prior attempts at forming an air force for Canada were the Canadian Aviation Corps that was attached to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and a two-squadron Canadian Air Force that was attached to the Royal Air Force.

The modern Royal Canadian Air Force, formerly known as Canadian Forces Air Command, traces its history to the unification of Canada’s armed services in 1968, and is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces. The Royal Canadian Air Force has served in the Second World War, the Korean War, and several United Nations peacekeeping missions and NATO operations. The force maintained a presence in Europe through the second half of the 20th century.

Efforts toward the creation of a Canadian air element continued at the beginning of 1920s. The Canadian government established an Air Board of seven members to regulate and control commercial and civil aviation throughout the Dominion in 1919. The Board was also charged with defending the country from the sky. This included the organization and administration of the Canadian Air Force (CAF), authorized on 18 February 1920. The new organization was given a provisional establishment of 1,340 officers and 31,905 airmen, but it remained as a non-permanent air force. Its only function was to give a 28-day refresher courses every other year to officers and airmen who had served in the RAF during the war. A small headquarters was set up in Ottawa, under the Air Board, and Camp Borden was taken over to serve as the CAF training centre. Operations began there in October 1920, with all equipment, aircraft and hangars donated by the British government.

By the end of March 1922, when refresher training at Camp Borden was suspended, 550 officers and 1,271 airmen had completed the 28-day course.gallery-ww21By 1922, a transition plan for the future organization of the Air Force was needed. It was a period of reorganization for the Canadian forces that culminated with legislation passing on 1 January 1923; the Militia, the Naval Service, and the Air Board were thus incorporated under one Ministry of National Defence.

The footwear company Dr Martens released its first boots.