Charles Dickens died on this day in 1870 at the age of 59. The British writer was well known for his tales of Victorian life and times. His popular works include “The Pickwick Papers”, “Oliver Twist” and “David Copperfield”.
On this day in 1898, the Ching court signed an agreement with Britain under which Hong Kong was leased to Britain for 99 years.
On this day in 1928, Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s top research institute, was established with Tsai Yuan-pei as its first president. Dr. Tsai was one of the foremost educational leaders of China at the time.