September 6th, 2008

Today in History

1976:
Cold War: Soviet air force pilot Lt. Viktor Belenko lands a MiG-25 jet fighter at Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido in Japan and requests political asylum in the United States.

1949:
Allied military authorities relinquish control of former Nazi Germany assets back to German control.

1939:
World War II: South Africa declares war on Germany.

1781:
The Battle of Groton Heights takes place, resulting a British minor victory

1522:
The Victoria, one of the surviving ships of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, returns to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the world.