Complete Index

On Sept. 10, 1977, convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi became the last person executed by guillotine in France.

French filmmaker and photojournalist Christian Poveda, known for his award-winning documentary about gang life in El Salvador, was killed last week. His death is a tragic reminder of the risks faced by journalists and other artists covering controversial stories and broadcasting unpopular views.

On Sept. 1, 1983, the commercial airplane was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter, killing all 269 passengers, including U.S. Congressman Lawrence McDonald.

The perfect preservation of an ancient squid fossil allowed scientists to make use of its ink, shedding new light on the conditions that create the finest fossils.

Amid reports that the war in Darfur is over, tensions persist in the region's south, and some say reports of peace could even result in more violence and unrest.

Microsoft has apologized for replacing a black man’s head with that of a white man in a promotional photo on its Polish Web site, but concerns linger over diversity in advertising.

Thailand could be impeded by political instability as the country's leaders struggle to maintain power and control in the face of a divided and at times violent public.

Recent events indicate a thawing of North Korea’s relationship with its neighbors and the U.S., but have not yet led to the fulfillment of the country’s denuclearization promises.

The release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi by the Scottish government last week has had political and emotional ramifications across borders.

On Aug. 25, 1944, Allied forces joined the French Resistance to liberate Paris from Nazi occupation.

Charges stemming from last month's Uighur-Han riots have been filed, which could bring some closure to the violent situation. Tensions still simmer, however.

By rejecting Costa Rica’s proposal to reinstate Manuel Zelaya as president, the Supreme Court continues to support the military coup that removed Zelaya in an effort to defend the Honduran constitution.

On Aug. 23, 1989, two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands on the Vilnius-Tallinn road in protest against illegal Soviet occupation.

On Aug. 22, 1849, Austria launched a pilotless balloon bomb attack against Venice. The attack caused little damaged, but Venice surrendered two days later.

In the aftermath of the mostly peaceful Afghan elections, reports are swirling as to who will be named president.

An internal audit found that the World Bank did not follow environmental and social standards in its interactions with Indonesian palm oil plantations.

On Aug. 21, 1968, the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies sent 200,000 troops into Czechoslovakia to wipe out the democratic reforms of Alexander Dubcek.

On Aug. 21, 1911, Vincenzo Perugia snatched the “Mona Lisa” from the Louvre, believing that it rightfully belongs to his native Italy.

In the midst of a long-running debate over whether Megrahi, who is dying of prostate cancer, is even responsible for the bombing that killed 270, he has been freed on compassionate grounds.

On Aug. 18, 1903, German inventor Karl Jatho completed a motorized flight in Hanover, Germany, four months before the Wright brothers’ historic flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C.

A San Francisco design competition calls attention to rising sea levels and rapidly thinning Antarctic glaciers. Some say we should start protecting ourselves now. 

A Los Angeles commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall lends an artful touch to the historic event. Other cities also have unique remembrances planned.

The only person so far convicted in the Lockerbie case is dying of prostate cancer and will be released "on compassionate grounds" next week.

Vladimir Putin’s promise to defend the Abkhazia region has reignited tensions with Georgia, stoking fears of another armed conflict.

In the Congo, where sexual assault is rampant and used as a weapon of war, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Congolese youth to raise awareness.

On Aug. 13, 1940, the Battle of Britain began when the German Luftwaffe launched Eagle Day, its first major offensive against the British Royal Air Force.

A sarcophagus in an English parish church built by the writer Fulke Greville, a Shakespeare contemporary, could contain clues about several works traditionally attributed to Shakespeare.

The Large Hadron Collider, designed to give scientists the ability to determine how matter was created after the Big Bang, is scheduled to be restarted in mid-November, 14 months after it was shut down.

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been found guilty of violating her house arrest. Her sentence is 18 months on house arrest.

As Afghanistan approaches its Aug. 20 national elections, attacks and threats may prevent some voters from going to the polls.