Today in history

Today is 9 November. It has a particular place in history in Germany, where it is known as Schicksalstag (literally 'day of fate'). A friend of mine who was born in the German Democratic Republic on 12th remarked to me the other day that while her mom was in the hospital giving birth, everyone else was crossing the newly-opened border to West Germany.

* 1848: After being arrested in the Vienna revolts, liberal leader Robert Blum is executed. The execution is often seen as a symbolic event for the ultimate failure of Germany's 1848 revolution.

* 1918: Monarchy in Germany ends when Emperor Wilhelm II abdicated after being informed that the Army no longer supported him.

* 1923: The Beer Hall Putsch marks the emergence of the Nazi Party as an important player on Germany's political landscape.

* 1938: In the Kristallnacht, synagogues and Jewish property are burnt and destroyed on a large scale. For many observers, it is the first hint of Germany's radical anti-Jewish policies.

* 1989: The fall of the Berlin Wall ends German separation and starts a series of events that ultimately lead to German reunification.

From Wikipedia.