Representational Image. ANI
Each day of the calendar has witnessed a number of major events among which some turned out to be parts of history. The same goes with 4 January too. On this day in 1948, Burma, now Myanmar, officially gained independence from British rule. On the same day in 1960, Nobel Prize-winning French author Albert Camus was killed in a road accident during his trip to Paris. On 4 January 1964, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his vision of a “Great Society” during his first State of the Union speech. On that very day in 2010, Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, opened in Dubai, UAE.
4 January – Historic Events:
Burma (Myanmar) achieved independence, 1948:
On 4 January 1948, the Southeast Asian nation of Burma, now Myanmar, formally gained independence. A Burma Independence Preparatory Committee was established on 8 May 1943, under the leadership of Ba Maw, and a nominally independent State of Burma was proclaimed on 1 August. Burma was returned to British control as a result of the Burma war, which was conducted between 1944 and 1945. However, Burma opposed this. The Burma Independence Act of 1947, which granted Burma independence, was a result of Clement Attlee’s new Labour government’s decision to do so.
Renowned French author Albert Camus died, 1960:
On 4 January 1960, French philosopher-cum-author Albert Camus, the receiver of the 1957 Nobel Prize for literature, died in an unfortunate road accident on his way to Paris. He was travelling in the front passenger seat of a Facel Vega being driven by his buddy Michel Gallimard. They were coming back after spending the holidays in Provence. Gallimard’s wife Janine and his 18-year-old daughter Anne were also present in the car. Gallimard lost control of the vehicle near the village of Villeblevin and the Facel Vega crashed into a tree. Camus was killed immediately and Gallimard got seriously injured. However, no major injuries were sustained by Janine or Anne. The car was completely destroyed.
US President Lyndon B. Johnson declared his idea of a “Great Society”, 1965:
US President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed his vision of a “Great Society” in his first State of the Union message after the election in his own right, delivered on 4 January 1965. Additionally, he promised to escalate the “war on poverty” he had already announced. Johnson advocated for a comprehensive package of social welfare laws, including government funding for education, enhanced Social Security benefits for the elderly people, continuous enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the removal of voting-rights restrictions.Burj Khalifa officially opened, 2010:
On 4 January 2010, the World’s tallest structure Burj Khalifa officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. The structure bears the name Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a former president of the United Arab Emirates. The building’s main frame is made of reinforced concrete, and some of the structural steel came from the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin, the old East German parliament. The UAE government took the decision to construct the building in order to diversify the economy away from one centred on oil and to help Dubai acquire an international reputation.
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