Important Events From This day in History – 3rd January

Today in History

• 1994 Millions of people from the former Apartheid Homelands gain South African citizenship

  To ensure a white majority of the de jure population, the apartheid regime denied black residents the right to citizenship.

• 1993 The second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) is signed

  The U.S.A. and Russia agreed to reduce the number of nuclear warheads by about 3,000.

Landscape

• 1961 The United States breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba

  In April 1961, the U.S. government launched an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Cuban government by invading the country at the bay of pigs.

• 1959 Alaska becomes the 49th U.S. state

  The territory had been bought from Russia in 1867 for a mere $7.2 million.

• 1957 The first electric watch is available

  The Hamilton Electric 500 came in “modern” asymmetrical designs to reflect revolutionary technology.