Important Events From This day in History – 28th October

Today in History

• 2007 Argentina Elects its First Female President

  Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s former First Lady, won the elections with more than 45% of the vote. She was re-elected in 2011, this time with more than 50% of the vote. Kirchner was not Argentina’s first female president, but she was the first to be elected. After her husband, President Juan Perón died in office, Isabel Martnez de Perón became the country’s head of state. She became the first woman president of any country when she was sworn in to replace her husband on July 1, 1974.

• 1995 Fire Breaks Out between Two Metro Stations in Baku

  The fire, considered one of the deadliest subway disasters in history, was caused by old and faulty wiring. Over 300 people were killed when smoke filled the subway tunnels between Ulduz and Narimanov stations in Azerbaijan’s capital city.

• 1938 Germany expels Polish Jews

  Germany expelled about 17000 Polish Jews and sent them to Poland, which refused to take them in.

• 1919 US Congress Passes the Volstead Act

  The act outlined methods for enforcing Prohibition. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution established prohibition in the United States. Except for medical or religious purposes, the amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport alcohol in the United States. The act was named after Andrew Volstead, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and one of the bill’s sponsors. Prohibition ended in December 1933 with the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

• 1918 Czechoslovakia Gains Independence

  Since the late 1700s, the Central European country had been a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the end of the Empire on the horizon at the end of World War I, nationalists led by Thomas Masaryk pushed for independence. In November 1918, Masaryk was elected as the country’s first president. Czechoslovakia was peacefully divided into two countries on January 1, 1993: the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.