On January 17th 1893 a group of 13 Caucasian men who called themselves the Committee of Safety, staged a coup d’état against Queen Liliuokalani and her government. Their goal was for Hawaii to be annexed by the US, but it wasn’t until 1898 that this was achieved.
In 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hits Kobe, Japan, killing 6,434 according to estimates.
In 1946, the United Nations Security Council, the UN organ responsible for upholding peace and security, holds its first session.
In 1945, Soviet and Polish forces liberate Warsaw, 85% of which had been destroyed at that point.
In 1929, Popeye, the cartoon sailor known for his love of spinach, debuts in the newspapers comic strip Thimble Theatre.
A photo of the young crown princess Liliuokalani./ Hawaii State Archives
