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19 February 1861: Russia emancipates 23 million serfs
Features On this day in in 1861, Tsar Alexander II issued a declaration emancipating 23 million Russian serfs from their feudal overlords.
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18 February 1911: First official airmail flight
Features On this day in 1911, the first official airmail flight took off from Allahabad in India, with Frenchman Henri Pequet flying a Humber Sommer biplane.
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17 February 1958: CND – the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – is launched
Features On this day in 1958, as the nuclear arms race hotted up, 5,000 people crammed in to Westminster’s Central Hall to witness the launch of CND, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
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16 February 1957: The “Toddlers’ Truce” comes to an end
Features On Saturday, 16 February, 1957, the “Toddlers’ Truce” – a programme-free hour on TV between 6pm and 7pm – was finally broken.
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16 February 1659: Britain’s first cheque is issued
Features Merchant Nicholas Vanacker made out the first British cheque payable to Mr Delboe for the grand sum of £400, dated 16 February 1659.
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13 February 1914: American artists get organised with ASCAP
Features On this day in 1914, musicians and writers formed the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to better enforce their copyrights.
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12 February 1994: Edvard Munch’s The Scream is stolen
Features One of the world's most famous paintings, The Scream by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, was stolen from the National Art Museum in Oslo on this day in 1994.
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12 February 1851: the Australian gold rush
Features On this day. in 1851 gold prospector Edward Hargraves discovered a grain of gold in New South Wales, and sparked Australia’s first gold rush.
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11 February 1990: Nelson Mandela is released from prison
Features On this day in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 26 years, as South Africa began the process of dismantling apartheid.
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