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THE DAY IN HISTORY · APRIL 24

April 24 in history

What happened on April 24: 2 moments from the Maps of History atlases, in 1861 and 1969, each linked to the map that shows it.

— Bezdna unrest

12/24 Apr 1861 — Thousands of peasants gather around Anton Petrov, who reads the emancipation statutes as a promise of the land that officials are hiding. Troops fire on the unarmed crowd: the general reports 51 dead, and other counts run to 70–100 or more. Petrov is court-martialled and shot a week later. This memorial marks the first victims of the reform.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION MAP → · THE FULL STORY →

— 9th National Congress of the CCP

1–24 Apr 1969 — The congress that closes the Cultural Revolution’s first phase writes Lin Biao into the Party constitution as Mao’s “close comrade-in-arms and successor”. Nearly half of the new Central Committee wears uniform. The army had become the government.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC UNDER MAO MAP → · THE FULL STORY →

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