In 1990 Namibia gained its independence from South Africa and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. Namibia was known as South West Africa when the Germans took possession of the country in the First World War and when it ended the League of Nations entrusted control of the area to South Africa. But when South Africa started its apartheid government in 1948 it started oppression of the black majority, both in South Africa and South West Africa. The League of Nations had been resolved at the end of World War II but was replaced soon after by the United Nations. Due to the atrocities carried out by the South African government, the United Nations dissolved South Africa’s control of South West Africa and declared it was now under the administration of the UN. South Africa refused to acknowledge this change of power and war began between a guerrilla movement called the ‘South-West African People’s Organisation’ (SWAPO) and the South African government. The first conflict for their independence started on the 26th of August 1966 and so the 26th of August has become their Hero’s Day. After 22 years of fighting, their war for independence officially ended with the signing of the ‘New York Accord’ on the 22nd of December 1988. Their Independence became official on this day in 1990 with the elections that saw the SWAPO win and become the first leaders elected by the people of Namibia for almost 80 years.
In 1963 all communications were lost with the Russian Mars 2MV-4 (dubbed Sputnik 23 by the US) probe while it was on its journey to Mars about 106,760,000km from Earth.
In 1943 Another plot to kill Hitler by Maj. Gen. Henning von Tresckow was foiled. He was convinced that Hitler would lead Germany to ruin and humiliation and so made many plans to remove the Fuhrer from power by what ever means necessary. He first planned to capture and imprison Hitler when he visited his an army Barracks in 1941, but he was heavily guarded and they never got close enough. On the 13th of March 1943 he had a parcel bomb handed to Hitler by another officer which was set to explode while Hitler was travelling across the USSR, but the timer was faulty and the bomb never exploded. This time he had convinced another officer, Col. Freiherr von Gersdorff, to become a suicide bomber that would greet Hitler as he visited a memorial on Hero’s Day (the 21st of March is when Germany commemorate the soldiers of World War I). The bombs were placed in the officer’s jacket with the fuses set for 10 minutes. While in the hall waiting for Hitler to arrive Gersdoff was told that Hitler would only visit each memorial for 8 minutes which was not enough time for the fuses and so he abandoned the mission.
