With Yasir Arafat as its leader, the Palestine Liberation Organization was founded on February 4, 1969. By 1974 when he addressed the United Nations, Arafat had made significant strides towards establishing new respectability for the PLO's campaign for a Palestinian homeland. But gaining legitimacy hinged on cooling down terrorism, and Arafat found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the moderate and extremist segments of Palestinian politics.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Patty Hearst kidnapped, 1974
- American Revolution
- Washington unanimously elected by Electoral College to first and second terms, 1789
- Automotive
- Ford buys Lincoln, 1922
- Civil War
- Provisional Confederate Congress convenes, 1861
- Cold War
- Yalta Conference foreshadows the Cold War, 1945
- Crime
- The Symbionese Liberation Army abducts Patty Hearst, 1974
- Disaster
- Earthquake rocks Guatemala City, 1976
- General Interest
- First U.S. president elected, 1789
- States meet to form Confederacy, 1861
- PLO is founded, 1969
- Hollywood
- Disney releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1938
- Literary
- The Last of the Mohicans is published, 1826
- Music
- Karen Carpenter dies of anorexia, 1983
- Old West
- The Misfits released by United Artists, 1961
- Presidential
- George Washington is elected president, 1789
- Sports
- Football great Lawrence Taylor born, 1959
- Vietnam War
- First U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam., 1962
- Rumors fly about U.S.-Soviet pressure on allies in Vietnam, 1965
- Last Thai contingent departs South Vietnam, 1972
- World War I
- Germany declares war zone around British Isles, 1915
- World War II
- The Yalta Conference commences, 1945
Feb 4, 1969:
PLO is founded
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This Week in History, Feb 4 - Feb 10
- Feb 04, 1789
- First U.S. president elected
- Feb 04, 1861
- States meet to form Confederacy
- Feb 04, 1969
- PLO is founded
- Feb 05, 1631
- Roger Williams arrives in America
- Feb 05, 1917
- Mexican constitution proclaimed
- Feb 05, 1917
- Immigration act passed over Wilson's veto
- Feb 05, 1937
- Roosevelt announces "court-packing" plan
- Feb 05, 1988
- Noriega indicted on U.S. drug charges
- Feb 06, 1820
- Freed U.S. slaves depart on journey to Africa
- Feb 06, 1928
- Anastasia arrives in the United States
- Feb 07, 1904
- The Great Baltimore Fire begins
- Feb 07, 1984
- First human satellite
- Feb 07, 1992
- European Union treaty signed
- Feb 07, 1999
- King Hussein of Jordan dies
- Feb 08, 1587
- Mary Queen of Scots beheaded
- Feb 08, 1725
- Peter the Great dies
- Feb 08, 1904
- The Russo-Japanese War begins
- Feb 08, 1915
- Birth of a Nation opens
- Feb 08, 1924
- First execution by lethal gas
- Feb 09, 1825
- Presidential election decided in the House
- Feb 09, 1900
- Davis Cup competition established
- Feb 09, 1942
- Normandie burns in New York
- Feb 09, 1950
- McCarthy accuses State Department of communist infiltration
- Feb 10, 1763
- The French and Indian War ends
- Feb 10, 1962
- Spies swapped
- Feb 10, 1989
- Brown elected chairman of the Democratic Party
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