Today in History

• 2011 185 people are killed during an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand

  The quake, while having a magnitude of only 6.3, had one of the highest intensities ever recorded in an urban area (MM IX).

• 1986 The People Power Revolution begins in the Philippines

  The nonviolent campaign resulted in the fall of President Ferdinand Marcos and the restoration of the country’s democracy.

• 1983 The play “Moose Murders” flops spectacularly on Broadway

  According to critic Frank Rich, “a visit to Moose Murders is what will separate the connoisseurs of Broadway disaster from mere dilettantes for many moons to come.”

• 1948 Czechoslovakia becomes a communist state following a coup d’etat

  The country became a parliamentary republic following the non-violent “Velvet Revolution” in 1989 and was split into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in 1993.

• 1879 The first Woolworth store opens in Utica, New york

  Frank Woolworth’s five-and-dime retail stores became one of the world’s most successful trading companies with branches in many countries around the world.