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Russia and India sign major weapons deals worth $3bn

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed arms deals, which say that Russia will sell India military helicopters and equipment worth about $3bn. In that time, India was the world's largest arms importer, and one of Russia's top clients.

Japan approves its biggest budget ever

Because of the consequences of the world's financial crisis, Japan's cabinet approved a record $980.6 billion budget for the next fiscal year starting in April. The stimulus plan boosted spending by 9 percent compared with the previous year's initial budget.

The IMF and G7 grant $10bn bailout to South Korea

Because of the Asian financial crisis, South Korea received $10bn in loans from the IMF and G7 to avoid a default on its short-term loan. South Korea also agreed to open its domestic financial markets to foreign institutions.

Cuba releases some Bay of Pigs prisoners

Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro and James B. Donovan, a US lawyer aided by Milan C. Miskovsky, a CIA legal officer, signed an agreement to exchange 1,113 prisoners for $53 million US dollars in food and medicine. Some prisoners were flown to Miami, others following on the ship African Pilot, plus about 1,000 family members also allowed to leave Cuba.

Sears accidentally launches a tradition of "Santa tracking"

According to the story, Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper, which told children that they could reach Santa Claus on the number ME 2-6681. As one digit was misprinted, a call came through to Colorado Springs' Continental Air Defense Command.

Ku Klux Klan is founded

The Ku Klux Klan is the name for 3 distinct movements in the USA, which have called for white supremacy, white nationalism or anti-immigration. The 1st Klan intended to bring down the Republican government in the South during the Reconstruction Era by using violence against African American leaders.

The Treaty of Ghent is signed

The Treaty of Ghent was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Both sides signed in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands. The treaty restored relations between the two nations to status quo ante bellum, restoring the borders of the two countries to the lines before the war started in June 1812.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous