What’s Happening Today?

World Intellectual Property Day. World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on April 26. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to "raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life" and "to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe". April 26 was chosen as the date for World Intellectual Property Day because it coincides with the date on which the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered into force in 1970.

Union Day (Tanzania). It commemorates the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika on April 26, 1964. Zanzibar and Tanganyika became the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar with the country renamed to Tanzania in October of that year. Zanzibar is now a semi-autonomous region within Tanzania.

What Happened Today?

1. In 1954, the New Polio Vaccine was given for the first time in the United States of America in a nationwide polio vaccine test.

2. In 1986, the largest nuclear disaster in history occurred. An explosion and fire at the No. 4 reactor of Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine resulted in a nuclear meltdown sending radioactivity into the atmosphere. The Radiation fallout spread throughout Europe The Chernobyl disaster is considered the largest nuclear accident in history.

3. In 1989, a deadly tornado destroyed all structures in an area of 2.3 sq miles in Saturia, Bangladesh leaving 80,000 homeless and a reported death toll of 1,300, making it one of the most deadly tornadoes in modern times.

Birthdays

1. 1941 – Tarsis Kabwegyere, Ugandan politician who is a former Member of Parliament and Government Minister.

2. 1963 - Jet Li, Chinese-born Singaporean film actor, film producer, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion.

Sources: Wikipedia, officeholidays.com & thepeoplehistory.com

Picture credit: The Washington Post