1917 -- The Finnish Parliament declared its independence after being an autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia since 1809.

1917 -- The steamship Mont Blanc, carrying benzene, picric acid and 5,000 tons of TNT, collided with the steamship Imo at Halifax, Canada. The resulting explosion killed over 1,500 people, injured 8,000 and destroyed a large part of the city.

1921 -- The Irish Free State was set up as an independent member of the British Commonwealth.

1971 -- India recognized the Democratic Republic of Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan; Pakistan responded by breaking off diplomatic relations.

1973 -- Gerald Ford was sworn in as U.S. vice-president following the resignation of Spiro Agnew over alleged financial irregularities.

1978 -- A referendum in Spain approved a new constitution, providing for a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary form of government.

1992 -- Hindu extremists destroyed a historic mosque at Ayodhya, India. More than 400 people died in the resulting sectarian violence.

2001 -- Anti-Taliban forces captured the main base of Osama bin Laden in the Tora Bora Mountains of eastern Afghanistan but failed to find the Saudi-born militant.

2002 -- Exxon Mobil Corp. said a federal court in Alaska had decided it should pay $4 billion in punitive damages for the Exxon Valdez oil spill. THOUGHT

Hypocrites adorn themselves by falsehood.

[Imam Ali (AS)]