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Flashback calendar

Marriott and Starwood merge

Following all necessary regulatory approvals in the United States and around the world over the course of the year, Marriott closed the merger with Starwood in 2016, creating the world's largest hotel company with over 5700 properties, 1.1 million rooms, and a new portfolio of 30 brands.

Mozilla Firefox is released

Mozilla Firefox is a free and open-source web browser developed by Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, Mozilla Corporation. Firefox was created in 2002 under the codename "Phoenix" by the Mozilla community members who desired a standalone browser, rather than the Mozilla Application Suite bundle.

Ceefax: BBC launches first ever Teletext service

Ceefax was the world's first teletext information service and a forerunner to the current BBC Red Button service. It was started by the BBC in 1974 and ended in October, 2012, after 38 years of broadcasting. The service was intended to transmit a printable page of text during the nocturnal "close-down" period of normal television transmission. Teletext proved to be a reliable text news service, especially during a crisis like the September 2001 attacks.

Juan Perón returns to power in Argentina

In 1973, Perón returned from an 18-year exile in Spain. A crowd of left-wing Peronists had gathered at the Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires to welcome and support him. An election was held in September of that year and Perón won but was plagued by age, illness and fatigue. The country drifted as inflation increased and the economy went out of control.

WD-40 oil is invented

The formula for the oil was created by Norm Larsen from the Rocket Chemical Company. Original purpose of the oil was coating of structural components of nuclear missiles to prevent corrosion (hence the name of the company). WD-40 proved suitable for many other tasks. Today, there are more than two thousand known uses of it.

Mobilization of the Czechoslovak army

A new cabinet, under General Jan Syrový, was installed and in September 1938 a decree of general mobilization was issued. The Czechoslovak army, modern and possessing an excellent system of frontier fortifications, was prepared to fight. The Soviet Union announced its willingness to come to Czechoslovakia's assistance. Beneš, however, refused to go to war without the support of the Western powers.

Saudi Arabia kingdom is founded

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines.

Nintendo is founded

Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics and video game company headquartered in Kyoto. Nintendo is one of the world's largest video game companies by market capitalization, creating some of the best-known and top-selling video game franchises, such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon.

Otto von Bismarck is appointed prime minister of Prussia

In 1862, King Wilhelm I appointed Bismarck as Minister President of Prussia, a position he would hold until 1890, with the exception of a short break in 1873. He provoked 3 short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. Following the victory against Austria, he abolished the supranational German Confederation and instead formed the North German Confederation.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous