- International Day of Mobilisation Against War. In 1985, the heads of state and government of India, Argentina, Greece, Mexico, Tanzania and Sweden adopted a declaration at their meeting in New Delhi, appealing to the nuclear powers, to the peoples, parliaments and governments of the world to take prompt measures and end the nuclear arms race, reduce and then eliminate available nuclear stockpiles and eradicate the nuclear threat.
- Auguste PICCARD, Swiss physicist and engineer was born 120 years ago (1884-1962). Designed and built a stratostat for flights in the upper atmosphere and a bathyscaph, in which he made several descents.
- William Butler YEATS (1865-1939), Irish poet and playwright, died 65 years ago. He was a founder of the Irish Academy of Letters. 1923 Noble Prize laureate in literature.
- The American space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into the flight on Cape Canaveral 18 years ago, in 1986. The accident killed 7 astronauts, Francis Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Leonid Kuchma, signed the Treaty on the Russian-Ukrainian State Border, which fixed the border from where the territories of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus meet as far as the Azov Sea.
IN RUSSIA:
- In 1724, Tsar Peter I issued a decree, establishing Petersburg State University (along with the Academy of Sciences and a grammar school).
- Vladimir SOLOVYOV (1853-1900), prominent Russian philosopher, poet, publicist and literary critic, was born 151 years ago. His literary work was closely interrelated with his religious outlook. He advocated a religious way to overcome all differences of the modern day. Solovyov as a strong supporter of the freedom of conscience and political self-determination. He had a profound influence on Russia's idealistic philosophy and symbolism in poetry.
- The Soviet of People's Commissars issued a decree, establishing the Red Army of Workers and Peasants, 86 years ago, in 1918. Lev Trotsky oversaw the process.
- The Memorial society, which groups victims of Stalinist repression acts, held its constitutive meeting 15 years ago, in 1989.
- The Admiral Chabanenko anti-submarine ship was phased in the Russian Navy 5 years ago, in 1999. A ceremony of hoisting a naval St Andrew's flag was held on board the ship on that day.
- The Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Paul the Theban, who lived in the desert as a hermit for 91 years. He is considered to be the founder of the Orthodox monachism.
- The Catholic Church commemorates Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), medieval philosopher and theologian who classified orthodox scholasticism. In 1879, his teachings were recognised as the official philosophy of Catholicism.
