2002 - The sun pierced a cloudy sky as Afghan President Hamid Karzai swore in his cabinet, completing what he called a difficult job — and one that had threatened to unravel as candidates jockeyed for position. About half of the 29 ministers belong to the Northern Alliance, which swept the Taliban from power last year, with Karzai sticking to the formula of the interim government set up by the UN-sponsored Bonn accord in December. Cabinet formation, a task that began at the traditional grand assembly, has been seen as crucial to reconciling the traditionally warring tribes of Afghanistan and leading the country out of 23 years of war. The ceremony was attended by ministers’ families and officials of former king Zahir Shah.
Other important events
1509 - Henry VIII is crowned king of England.
1793 - First republican constitution in France is adopted.
1894 - France’s President Sadi Carnot is assassinated by an Italian anarchist at Lyon.
1911 - John McDermott becomes the first American-born player to win the US Open golf tournament.
1913 - Joseph Cook named prime minister of Australia.
1932 - A bloodless coup ends absolute monarchy in Thailand.
1940 - France signs an armistice with Italy during Second World War.
1948 - Soviet Union begins Berlin blockade, halting road and rail traffic between Berlin and West Germany, leading to start of Berlin airlift.
1963 - United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government authority.
1975 - An Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashes at New York’s JFK International Airport, killing 113 people.
1989 - Jiang Zemin is elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China.
2000 - Actor David Tomlinson dies at 83.
2005 - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is elected President of Iran.
2007 - Storms and torrential rains lash Karachi, Pakistan, killing 228.
2010 - Julia Gillard beats Kevin Rudd to become the first woman and 27th Prime Minister of Australia.
2013 - An Italian court sentences former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to seven years in jail and bans him from public office.
2014 - Uruguay striker Luis Suarez bites Italian centre-back Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup football match.
2016 - Britain votes in refrendum to leave European Union.
