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First footage captures rare white giraffes

A pair of white giraffes were spotted in an area where HCP, a Kenya-based non-governmental organization, and partner Rainforest Trust are protecting habitat for the hirola antelope. Rangers reported the white giraffes after hearing about them from villagers who live nearby, according to HCP, which rushed to the scene to see for themselves.

'Degrassi: The Next Generation' ends

The Next Generation aired its final episode after MTV Canada and TeenNick announced the show's cancellation in 2015. However, in 2016, a sequel series, titled Degrassi: Next Class, was announced for broadcast on the Family Channel in Canada and streaming on Netflix in the United States as well as all other countries where the service is available.

Chinese car-part factory explosion kills 146 people

A massive dust explosion occurred at the Zhongrong Metal Production Company, an automotive parts factory located in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China. 44 people died at the scene of the explosion, while another 31 died at local hospitals. Five hospitals in Kunshan and nearby Suzhou treated over 180 wounded. The explosion is believed to have been caused by flames igniting metal polishing dust.

Maas' 'Throne of Glass' is published

Throne of Glass is a young adult high fantasy novel series by American author Sarah J. Maas, beginning with the inaugural entry of the same name. The story follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a corrupted kingdom with a tyrannical ruler.

'Cheers (Drink to That)' is released by Rihanna

"Cheers (Drink to That)" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her fifth studio album, Loud. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the interpolation of Lavigne's "I'm with You" and also commented that it would be a successful club song due to its lyrical content.

'Breaking Dawn' is published

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in The Twilight Saga by American author Stephenie Meyer. Divided into three parts, the first and third sections are written from Bella Swan's perspective and the second is written from the perspective of Jacob Black. The novel directly follows the events of the previous novel, Eclipse.

Mattel recalls nearly a million Chinese-made toys

Mattel, Inc. is an American multinational toy manufacturing company with products and brands including Fisher-Price, Barbie and Hot Wheels. It announced a recall of nearly a million Chinese-made toys due to worries the products had been contaminated by lead. Though the company’s recall woes continued for several months afterwards, it was noted for its crisis response by several consumer publications.

Air France Flight 358 crashes

While landing at Pearson Airport, the Airbus A340-313E operating the route crashed into nearby Etobicoke Creek, approximately 300 m beyond the end of the runway. All 309 passengers and crew on board the Airbus survived, but twelve people sustained serious injuries.

'The Sixth Sense' premieres

The Sixth Sense is an American supernatural horror film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear, a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist named Malcolm Crowe who tries to help him.

Gaisal train collision kills hundreds

The Gaisal train disaster occurred when a speeding mail train collided with a passenger train carrying 2,500 passengers at the remote Gaisal Station in India. The crash involved such high speeds that both trains exploded upon impact, throwing people into nearby fields and buildings, killing at least 290 and injuring 300.

Kelsey Grammer marries Camille Donatacci

Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian best known for his two-decade-long portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. He married his third wife, former Playboy model Camille Donatacci after meeting on a blind date.They have two children, a daughter and a son, both born to a surrogate mother.

1996

United States men's basketball team win the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics

With the U.S. men’s team winning the gold medal, Scottie Pippen would become the first person to win NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice, having played for Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. He had played for the Bulls in 1992 and later that year, for the "Dream Team" at the Barcelona Olympics.

1993

Peter Angelos purchases the Baltimore Orioles for $173 million

In 1993 Angelos assembled a group of investors to purchase the Orioles from New York venture capitalist Eli Jacobs. While Angelos was the principal investor, contributing $40 million, his fellow Oriole group owners included novelist Tom Clancy, filmmaker Barry Levinson, and tennis player Pam Shriver.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched

Main mission goal was launching the TDRS-E satellite. The flight also tested a new advanced heatpipe radiator for potential use on the then-future space station and conducted a variety of medical and materials science investigations. The mission was also notable for being the first one to send an e-mail from space.

Iraq invades Kuwait

The Invasion of Kuwait was a 2-day operation conducted by Iraq against Kuwait which resulted in a seven-month-long Iraqi occupation of the country. The invasion and Iraq's subsequent refusal to withdraw from Kuwait by a deadline mandated by the U.N. led to military intervention by a U.N.-authorized coalition of forces led by the U.S.

Peter Cetera starts a two-week run at #1 on the US charts

"Glory of Love" is a song by Peter Cetera written and composed by Cetera, David Foster and Cetera's then-wife, Diane Nini, and recorded by Cetera shortly after he left the band Chicago to pursue a solo career. "Glory of Love" peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained in that spot for two weeks.

Chris de Burgh hits #1 in the UK with 'The Lady In Red'

"The Lady in Red" is a song by British-Irish singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh. It was released as the second single from the album Into the Light. The song was responsible for introducing de Burgh's music to a mainstream audience worldwide.

Delta suffers its worst crash ever

Delta Air Lines Flight 191 was approaching to land at DFW airport in stormy weather when it encountered a microburst causing the aircraft to strike the ground over a mile short of the runway. The plane proceeded to roll across a ploughed field and a highway, striking a car and colliding with two water tanks before disintegrating in a fireball. 137 people were killed in the disaster and 28 were injured.

Bologna massacre

The Bologna massacre was a terrorist bombing of the Bologna Centrale railway station in Bologna, Italy, which killed 85 people and wounded over 200. Several members of the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari were sentenced for the bombing, although the group denied involvement.

'American Graffiti' premieres at the Locarno Festival, Switzerland

American Graffiti is an American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, and Harrison Ford. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Elvis Presley rides the UK singles chart at #1

Elvis Presley's live recording of "The Wonder of You", recorded in Las Vegas, was one of his most successful records in the UK ever, topping the UK Singles Chart for six weeks. In the United States the song peaked at #9 and was one of a number of songs Presley would perform regularly at concerts.

Robert Allen Zimmerman legally becomes Bob Dylan

In 1962, the singer-songwriter changed his name from Zimmerman to Robert Dylan. Explaining his change of name in a 2004 interview, Dylan remarked, "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

Aretha Franklin appears on TV for the first time

Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer and songwriter who began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit where her father was a minister. Her television debut was on American Bandstand, singing Don't Cry Baby and Try a Little Tenderness.

Jewish prisoners stage a revolt at Treblinka

700 Jews launched an insurgency that lasted for 30 minutes. They set buildings ablaze, exploded a tank of petrol, and set fire to the surrounding structures. A group of armed Jews attacked the main gate, and others attempted to climb the fence. About 200 Jews escaped from the camp.

U.S. passes the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was a United States Act that placed a tax on the sale of cannabis. It was drafted by Harry Anslinger and introduced by Rep. Robert L. Doughton of North Carolina in 1937. The act was overturned in 1969 in Leary v. United States, and was repealed by Congress the next year.

German President Paul von Hindenburg dies

Paul von Hindenburg was a Generalfeldmarschall in the German army, a statesman and the second president of Germany. At 84, he was persuaded to run for re-election as Germany’s president despite his age and poor health because he was seen as the only candidate who could defeat Hitler. Nearly two years after his re-election, he died of lung cancer and Hitler was able to declare himself Supreme Leader and Chancellor of Germany.

U.S. president Warren G. Harding suffers sudden death

Warren Gamaliel Harding was an American politician who served as the 29th President of the United States. Harding died of a heart attack in San Francisco while on a western speaking tour and was succeeded by his vice president, Calvin Coolidge.

Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell dies

He is credited with patenting the first practical telephone and founding the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). Bell’s invention of the telephone was influenced by the fact that both his mother and wife were deaf. Bell himself considered telephone intrusive and refused to have it in his study.

The world's first underground tube railway opens in London

In 1869 a 1,340-foot circular tunnel was dug through the London clay using a cast iron shield, an idea that had been patented in 1864 by Peter W. Barlow but never built. A 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge railway was laid in the tunnel and from 1870 a cable-hauled wooden carriage conveyed passengers from one end to the other.

The Battle of Cannae

The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War that took place on 2 August 216 BC in Apulia, in southeast Italy. The army of Carthage, under Hannibal, surrounded and decisively defeated a larger army of the Roman Republic under the consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. It is regarded both as one of the greatest tactical feats in military history and as one of the worst defeats in Roman history.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous