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1814 to be correct. That's when Sweden conquered Norway and made a union between the two countries that lasted until 1905 when it was peacefully dissolved.

I guess it's a combination of not being a peace loving people in the old days, so that people finally got tired of wars and misery, having our butt kicked after being one great European power and the fact that it is a pretty homogenous country with few neighbours, situated in a corner of Europe aloof from the centre of events so to speak.

After Norway left the union in 1905, Finland became independent from Russia 1917. So there was no way to expand anymore, if we didn't want to go to war against our Scandinavian brothers, and we wouldn't.

1984: Europe grants emergency aid for Ethiopia
The EEC donated £1.8 million to help combat the famine in Ethiopia.

Actually Sweden wasn't that good prepared, but the Germans may have thought we were. When the Germans invaded Norway in April 1940, some German planes happened to fly over Swedish territory. They were shot down almost instantly.

But on the same time German troops were allowed to travel through Sweden, unarmed though, on railway, to the Russian front. So they collaborated with the Germans to some extent but at the same time showed them that they would get a hard time taking the country.

Too bad the Danes didn't fare so well. I love the story of the Nazi's pulling up to the palace, laughing at the guards with their outdated rifles. Then getting surprised when the 'sissy' palace guards opened fire. It's said they would have died to a man, if the King of Denmark hadn't come out of the Palace to surrender.

(Did I garble that, Litigious?)

Not quite sure. Haven't heard that story before. But I can say, that that's the way most Scandinavian monarchs would have acted in such a situation. Worthy, with dignity and no fear. They're raised from childhood to behave like that.

1976: Queen opens National Theatre in London.
The Queen officially opened the National Theatre on the South Bank in London after years of delays.

The bottle on "I Dream Of Jeanie" was a standard Jim Beam bourbon bottle manufactured in 1964. About six were purchased for the show, and painted different colors.

Hitler was born April 20, 1889.

Hitler's father once beat him into a two day coma.

I heard the story, can't remember where, that the danish palace guards carried ceremonial medieval weapons, swords and halberds and such, and they used them to fight the nazis, who of course had submachine guns and hand grenades.

Probably that ones too good to be true.

I read somewhere that they did carry such weapons, but also very long rifles like Uncle Jed had.

2001: Crime rates lowest for 20 years.
British Crime Survey revealed the chances of being a victim of crime were lowest for 20 years.

No, it's quite possible that they had swords and halberds. Swedish police and military men wore swords until about 1930...

1415: During the Hundred Years' War between England and France, King Henry V of England leads his forces to victory at the Battle of Agincourt.

The scalloper Cape Aspy was built in Lachine, Quebec in 1963. In January 1993, she sailed out of Lunenburg Harbour (Nova Scotia) for George's Bank. Shortly thereafter, on January 31, five crew lost their lives as the vessel sank.

The Franklin Automobile company declared bankruptcy in 1934. They manufactured air cooled engine automobiles for 32 years, and used Amelia Earhart as a spokeswoman.