This day in History
In Alaska
• In 1948, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis arrived in Juneau to take up permanent station.
• In 1964, 1 million acres of North Slope land were leased for oil & gas development for $5.6 million. Governor William Egan expressed his disappointment over the amount paid for the leases.
In the nation
• In 1940, British troops opened their first major offensive in North Africa during WWII.
• In 1941, China declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy.
• In 1992, former CIA spy chief Clair George was convicted of lying to Congress about the Iran-Contra affair (however, he was pardoned by President Bush).
In the world
• In 1990, Solidarity founder Lech Walesa won Poland's presidential runoff by a landslide.
• In 1992, Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation.
• In 2001, the United States disclosed a videotape in which Osama bin Laden said he was pleasantly surprised by the damage from the Sept. 11 attacks.