1997 - The 300 diners who ply the Creek every evening savouring fine food on tranquil dhow cruises will from now on be joined on the water by up to 150 guests. The Al Boom Tourist Village opened the floating restaurant, Al Mumtaz, which is a luxuriously rebuilt 28-year-old dhow. The restaurant is the latest development in the village’s ongoing expansion and tourism drive. The resale value of a solid second-hand dhow is clearly a better investment than a new car. The converted restaurant was built in India in 1969 for Dh120,000 and purchased in 1997 by the Al Hareb family, owners of the village. Adel Baban, assistant general manager of Al Boom, said the boat has traversed the waters between India, Africa and Dubai for 22 years.
Other important events
1842 - American printer and industrialist George Bruce is granted the first US design patent for new fonts for printing text and borders.
1882 - Franco-British dual control of Egypt established.
1917 - The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Soviet Russia) is established.
1918 - German Emperor Wilhelm II abdicates and Germany is declared a republic.
1937 - Former British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald dies.
1965 - The death penalty is abolished in the United Kingdom.
1976 - UN General Assembly approves 10 resolutions condemning South African apartheid.
1985 - Garry Kasparov becomes the youngest chess champion at the age of 22.
1986 - Atef Sedki, Egypt’s top financial watchdog, is appointed Prime Minister.
1987 - Bomb explodes during rush hour in crowded neighbourhood of Colombo, Sri Lanka, at least 32 people killed.
1989 - Berliners celebrate the fall of the Wall after East Germany opens borders.
1990 - Nepal becomes a constitutional monarchy.
1992 - Russia and Britain sign the first comprehensive treaty between the two countries in more than two centuries.
2005 - Terrorists attack three hotels in Amman, Jordan, and kill more than 50 people.
2007 - Thirty-two miners are killed in a coal mine gas leak in southwest China’s Guizhou province.
2008 - South African singer Miriam Makeba collapses and dies at a concert in Italy.
2009 - Hurrican Ida strikes El Salvador and kills 124 people.
2012 - General David Petraeus, director of CIA, resigns over his extramarital affair.
2013 - Typhoon Haiyan hits central Philippines and kills more than 1,200 people.
2014 - India successfully test-fires medium-range nuclear-capable Agni-II missile with a strike range of more than 2,000km.
2016 - Donald Trump wins United States presidential election, defeating Hillary Clinton.
