Today in History

• 1990 East Germany holds its first and only free parliamentary elections

  The election was held between the peaceful revolution leading to the demise of the German Democratic Republic in 1989 and the German reunification in 1990.

• 1971 A 100 feet (30 meter) high wave destroys a Peruvian mining camp and kills hundreds of people

  The tsunami was caused by a massive rock avalanche that crashed into Lake Yanahuani from a height of 1300 feet (400 meters).

• 1965 Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space

  During the tethered spacewalk, which lasted 12 minutes, Leonov ventured up to 10 meters from his spacecraft, Voskhod 2.

• 1962 The Évian Accords are signed, ending the Algerian War

  Algeria gained its independence from France as a consequence.

• 1892 Lord Stanley of Preston pledges to donate a challenge cup for the best ice hockey team in Canada