The Treaty of Manila formally grants independence to the Philippines
The Treaty of Manila of 1946 relinquished U.S. sovereignty over the Philippines and recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines.
Nations
Vietnam declares independence from France
The Indochina Peninsula was colonised by the French in the mid-19th century. Modern Vietnam was born upon the Declaration of Independence from France in 1945.
Indonesia declares independence
The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands and pro-Dutch civilians, until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia’s independence in 1949.
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria form the League of Arab States
The League’s main goal is to “draw closer the relations between member states and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries”.
Lebanon declares independence from France
Lebanon gained independence in 1943, establishing confessionalism, a unique, Consociationalism-type of political system with a power-sharing mechanism based on religious communities.
U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt begins implementing his “New Deal”
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations in the U.S. between 1933 and 1938. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, “perhaps the greatest achievement of the New Deal was to restore faith in American democracy at a time when many people believed that the only choice left was between communism and fascism”.
The Belgian Congo establishes Albert National Park, Africa’s first national park
Now known as Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the park was established to protect forest habitats for local gorilla populations. In 1979, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated in a region deeply impacted by the effects of war and armed conflict for over 20 years, Virunga is now protected by a dedicated team of 689 rangers. These rangers go through intensive training, risking their lives on a daily basis to safeguard the Park’s exceptional wildlife.
The Soviet Union becomes the first modern state in the world to formally legalize abortion
In October 1920, the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin made abortion legal within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic with their “Decree on Women’s Healthcare”. After the RSFSR, the law was introduced in Ukraine in July 1921 and then the remainder of the Soviet Union. The government saw legalization as a temporary necessity, as after the economic crisis and nearly a decade of unrest, war, revolution, and civil war, many women would be seeking abortions due to not being able to take care of their child.
Czechoslovakia declares independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Czechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe that existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until its peaceful dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 January 1993.
Constance Markievicz becomes first woman elected to U.K.’s House of Commons
Constance Georgine Markievicz was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the first woman elected to the Westminster Parliament. On 28 December 1918, she was the first woman elected to the UK House of Commons, though, being in Holloway Prison at the time and in accordance with party policy, she did not take her seat. She was also one of the first women in the world to hold a cabinet position, as Ireland’s Minister for Labour from 1919 to 1922.