On this day in 1936, Edward VIII becomes King of the United Kingdom.
On this day in 1986, in the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.
On this day in 1999, the China News Service announced new government restrictions on Internet use, aimed especially at Internet cafés.
On this day in 2009, a protest movement in Iceland culminated as the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests start.