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Flashback calendar

Chinese yuan joins IMF currency basket

The yuan is the base unit of a number of former and present-day currencies in Chinese. Today, it usually refers to the primary unit of account of the renminbi, the currency of the People's Republic of China. It is also used as a synonym of that currency, especially in international contexts – the ISO 4217 standard code for renminbi is CNY.

The controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed

The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 editorial cartoons in 2005, most of which depicted Muhammad, a principal figure of the religion of Islam. Muslim groups in Denmark complained, and the issue eventually led to protests around the world, including violent demonstrations.

Merck pulls Vioxx, its best-selling drug, for safety reasons

Rofecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has now been withdrawn over safety concerns. It was marketed by Merck & Co. to treat osteoarthritis, acute pain conditions, and dysmenorrhea. Rofecoxib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999 and was marketed under the brand names Vioxx, Ceoxx, and Ceeoxx.

Shocking images of boy shot in Gaza

The death of Muhammad al-Durrah, a Palestinian boy shot dead while sheltering behind his father in an alley in the Gaza Strip was caught on video. Initially, the boy's death and his father's wounding was attributed to Israeli soldiers. The scene assumed iconic status, as it was shown around the world and repeatedly broadcast on Arab television.

First version of Excel is released

From its first version Excel supported end-user programming of macros. In early versions of Excel, these programs were written in a macro language whose statements had formula syntax and resided in the cells of special purpose macro sheets. XML was the default macro language for Excel through Excel 4.0.

BBC Radio 1 is launched in the UK

BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specializing in modern and current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. It was launched in 1967 to meet the demand for music generated by pirate radio stations when the average age of the UK population was 27.

The Berlin Airlift ends

After 15 months and more than 250,000 flights, the Berlin Airlift officially came to an end. The airlift was one of the greatest logistical feats in modern history and was one of the crucial events of the early Cold War. The Berlin Airlift provided tons of supplies to war-ravaged Berlin.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous

born 1957

Fran Drescher

born 1924

Truman Capote

born 1928

Elie Wiesel