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Jean Philippe Peguero

Jean Philippe Peguero

Jean Philippe Peguero (September 19, 1981 in Port de Paix, Haiti) is a Haitian soccer player, who currently plays forward in Major League Soccer for the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids acquired Peguero in March, 2004 from Haitian club Don Bosco FC. Peguero finished his first season with the Rapids with 7 goals and 4 assists in only 18 games, and looks poised to be an important part of the Rapids attack for years to come. Peguero is also a significant force on the Haitian national team, having appeared for the side ten times, as well as an additional nine for the U-23 team.

See also


- List of current MLS players Peguero, Jean Philippe Peguero, Jean Philippe Peguero, Jean Philippe

September 19

September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). There are 103 days remaining.

Events


- 1356 - In the Battle of Poitiers, the English defeat the French.
- 1692 - Giles Corey is pressed to death after refusing to plead in the Salem witch trials.
- 1777 - First Battle of Saratoga/Battle of Freeman's Farm/Battle of Bemis Heights
- 1778 - The Continental Congress passes the first budget of the United States
- 1796 - George Washington makes his farewell address
- 1862 - American Civil War: Battle of Iuka - Union troops under General William Rosecrans defeat a Confederate force commanded by General Sterling Price at Iuka, Mississippi
- 1863 - American Civil War: Battle of Chickamauga
- 1893 - Women's suffrage: In New Zealand, the Electoral Act of 1893 is consented to by the governor giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote, beginning with the 1893 New Zealand general election.
- 1900 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid commit their first robbery together
- 1934 - Bruno Hauptmann is arrested for the murder of Charles Lindbergh Junior.
- 1944 - Armistice between Finland and Soviet Union signed. (End of the Continuation War)
- 1945 - Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) sentenced to death in London
- 1946 - The Council of Europe is founded following a speech given by Winston Churchill at the University of Zurich.
- 1952 - The US bars Charlie Chaplin from reentering the country after a trip to England
- 1957 - First U.S. underground nuclear bomb test
- 1957 - Dalida is the first artist to be awarded a gold record in France for 300 000 sales of "Bambino".
- 1959 - Nikita Khrushchev is barred from visiting Disneyland.
- 1970 - Grateful Dead at Fillmore East.
- 1972 - A parcel bomb sent to Israeli Embassy in London kills one diplomat.
- 1973 - King Carl XVI Gustaf accedes to the throne of Sweden
- 1976 - A Turkish Boeing 727 hits a mountain in southern Turkey killing 155
- 1978 - Newspaper boy Carl Bridgewater is shot dead after disturbing burglars at a farm, leading to famous murder trial.
- 1981 - Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel reunite for a free concert in New York's Central Park
- 1982 - Scott Fahlman posts the first recorded instance of the emoticon :-) to an online bulletin board
- 1983 - Saint Kitts and Nevis gains its independence.
- 1985 - A strong earthquake hits Mexico City and other parts of Mexico, killing thousands and demolishing about 400 buildings.
- 1985 - Tipper Gore and other political wives form the Parents Music Resource Center.
- 1989 - A terrorist bomb explodes UTA Flight 772 in mid-air above the Tùnùrù Desert, Niger, killing 171.
- 1989 - Hurricane Hugo makes landfall in the U.S. state of South Carolina.
- 1991 - Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by a couple of German tourists.
- 1994 - The pilot episode of the hit medical drama ER airs in the United States, on NBC.
- 1995 - The Washington Post and the New York Times publish the Unabomber's manifesto.
- 1997 - Guelb El-Kebir massacre in Algeria; 53 killed.

Births


- 86 - Antoninus Pius, Roman Emperor (d. 161)
- 866 - Leo VI, Byzantine Emperor (d. 912)
- 1377 - Duke Albert IV of Austria (d. 1404)
- 1551 - King Henry III of France (d. 1589)
- 1676 - Eberhard IV Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1733)
- 1714 - Charles Humphreys, American delegate to the Continental Congress (d. 1786)
- 1737 - Charles Carroll of Carrollton, American signer of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Senator (d. 1832)
- 1749 - Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre, French mathematician (d. 1822)
- 1759 - William Kirby, English entomologist (d. 1850)
- 1778 - Henry Peter Brougham, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
- 1811 - Orson Pratt, American religious leader (d. 1881)
- 1828 - Fridolin Anderwert, Swiss Federal Councilor (d. 1880)
- 1894 - John D. Dingell, U.S. Congressman from Michigan (d. 1955)
- 1901 - Joe Pasternak, Russian-born film producer (d. 1991)
- 1905 - Leon Jaworski, American Watergate scandal special prosecutor (d. 1982)
- 1908 - Mika Waltari, Finnish novelist (d. 1979)
- 1909 - Ferry Porsche, Austrian automobile pioneer (d. 1998)
- 1911 - Sir William Golding, English writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
- 1912 - Kurt Sanderling, German conductor
- 1913 - Frances Farmer, American actress (d. 1970)
- 1919 - Mary Midgley, American philosopher
- 1920 - Roger Angell, American sports writer
- 1922 - Damon Knight, American writer (d. 2002)
- 1922 - Emil Zátopek, Czech athlete (d. 2000)
- 1922 - Dana Zátopková, Czech runner
- 1926 - Masatoshi Koshiba, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1926 - Duke Snider, baseball player
- 1928 - William Hickey, American actor (d. 1997)
- 1928 - Adam West, American actor
- 1930 - Antonio Margheriti, Italian filmmaker
- 1931 - Brook Benton, American singer (d. 1988)
- 1933 - David McCallum, Scottish actor
- 1934 - Brian Epstein, English musical group manager (the Beatles) (d. 1967)
- 1935 - Benjamin Hacker, American naval aviator (d. 2003)
- 1936 - Al Oerter, American athlete
- 1937 - Abner Haynes, American football player
- 1940 - Paul Williams, American composer
- 1941 - Mama Cass Elliot, American musician (d. 1974)
- 1942 - Freda Payne, American singer and actress
- 1943 - Joe Morgan, baseball player
- 1945 - Randolph Mantooth, American actor
- 1948 - Jeremy Irons, English actor
- 1949 - Twiggy Lawson, English model
- 1950 - Joan Lunden, American journalist and television host
- 1952 - Nile Rodgers, American musician and composer
- 1958 - Lita Ford, English singer
- 1958 - Kevin Hooks, American actor and director
- 1958 - Azumah Nelson, Ghanian boxer
- 1963 - David Seaman, English footballer
- 1964 - Trisha Yearwood, American singer
- 1965 - Alexandra Vandernoot, Belgian actress
- 1967 - Jim Abbott, American baseball player
- 1967 - Alexander Karelin, Russian wrestler
- 1973 - Nick Colgan, Irish footballer
- 1974 - Jimmy Fallon, American actor and comedian
- 1974 - Victoria Silvstedt, Swedish model
- 1979 - Dannielle Brent, British actress

Deaths


- 690 - Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 602)
- 1339 - Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan (b. 1288)
- 1356 - Killed at the Battle of Poitiers:
  - Peter I, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1311)
  - Walter VI of Brienne, Constable of France (born 1304)
- 1668 - William Waller, English soldier
- 1692 - Giles Cory, American farmer killed in the Salem Witch Trials
- 1693 - Janez Vajkard Valvasor, Slovenian polymath (b. 1641)
- 1710 - Ole Rømer, Danish astronomer (b. 1644)
- 1881 - James Garfield, 20th President of the United States (b. 1831)
- 1927 - Michael Peter Ancher, Danish painter (b. 1849)
- 1935 - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, Russian rocket scientist (b. 1857)
- 1938 - Pauline Frederick, American actress (b. 1883)
- 1942 - Condé Nast, American publisher (b. 1873)
- 1949 - Will Cuppy, American humorist (b. 1884)
- 1949 - Nikolaos Skalkottas, Greek composer (b. 1901)
- 1967 - Zinaida Serebryakova, Russian painter (b. 1884)
- 1968 - Chester Carlson, American inventor (b. 1906)
- 1968 - Red Foley, American singer (b. 1910)
- 1969 - Rex Ingram, American actor (b. 1895)
- 1972 - Robert Casadesus, French pianist (b. 1899)
- 1973 - Gram Parsons, American musician (b. 1946)
- 1985 - Italo Calvino, Italian writer (b. 1923)
- 1987 - Einar Gerhardsen, Prime Minister of Norway (b. 1897)
- 1990 - Hermes Pan, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1910)
- 1997 - Rich Mullins, American singer (b. 1955)
- 2003 - Slim Dusty, Australian singer (b. 1927)
- 2002 - Robert Guéï, ruler of Côte d'Ivoire (b. 1941)
- 2004 - Skeeter Davis, American singer (b. 1931)
- 2004 - Ellis Marsalis, Sr., American businessman, musician, and activist

Holidays and observances


- In ancient Greece, the sixth day of the Eleusinian Mysteries, when the procession to Eleusis began at the Kerameikos in Athens.
- RC Saints - Saint Januarius Also see September 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Church of England - Theodore of Tarsus
- Chile - Day of the Glories of the Army
- Japan - Respect for the Aged Day (beginning in 2003, Respect for the Aged Day is held on the third Monday of September.)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis - Independence Day (from Great Britain, 1983)
- International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Fictional


- Hermione Granger's birthday, from J.K. Rowling's series Harry Potter.
- Heine Westenfluss's birthday, from Gundam SEED DESTINY.

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/19 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050919.html The New York Times: On This Day] ---- September 18 · September 20 · August 19 · October 19 · more historical anniversaries ko:9월 19일 ms:19 September ja:9月19日 simple:September 19 th:19 กันยายน

1981

1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January-February


- January - Sarawak chamber found
- January 1 - Greece enters the EEC
- January 1 - Palau becomes self-governing
- January 4 - Sheffield police arrests Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper
- January 13 - Donna Griffiths, a schoolgirl in Pershore, Worcestershire, UK, begins a uncontrollable series of sneezes that end September 16 1983 - after 978 days
- January 16 - Protestant gunmen shoot and wound Bernadette Devlin McAliskey and her husband
- January 19 - United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity
- January 20 - Ronald Reagan succeeds Jimmy Carter as President of the United States of America. Minutes after Reagan becomes president, Iran releases 52 American hostages that had been held captive for 444 days - Iran hostage crisis ends.
- February 4 - Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes the Prime Minister of Norway
- February 9 - Polish Prime Minister Józef Pinkowski resigns and is replaced by General Wojciech Jaruzelski
- February 10 - A fire at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino kills eight and injures 198
- February 14 - Australia withdraws recognition of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia
- February 23 - Antonio Tejero, with members of the Guardia Civil enters the Spanish Congress of Deputies, and stops the session, where Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was going to be named president of the government. The coup d'état would fail thanks to King Juan Carlos.

March-April

Juan Carlos.]]
- March 1 - Bobby Sands, an IRA member, begins hunger strike for political status in Long Kesh prison - he dies May 5, the first of ten men.
- March 6 - After 19 years hosting the CBS Evening News Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
- March 7 - Colombian guerillas execute US bible translator Chester Allen Bitterman for being a CIA agent
- March 11 - Chilean president Augusto Pinochet sworn in for an eight-year term as president.
- March 19 - Three workers are killed and five injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
- March 30 - President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr., whose family had connections with the vice president. Two police officers and James Brady are also wounded.
- April 11 - Riot in Brixton, South London - rioters throw petrol bombs, attack police and loot shops.
- April 12 - The first launch of a Space Shuttle: Columbia launches on the STS-1 mission.
- April 15 - The Australian Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock resigns from cabinet accusing the Australian Prime Minister Fraser of gross disloyalty.
- April 18 - A Minor League baseball game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island becomes the longest professional baseball game in history: 8 hours and 25 minutes/33 innings (the 33rd inning was not played until June 23rd).

May


- May - Daniel K. Ludwig abandons the Jari project in the Amazon Basin
- May 6 - A jury of architects and sculptors unanimously selects Maya Ying Lin's design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from 1,421 other entries.
- May 10 - In the second round of the presidential elections in France (French presidential election, 1981), François Mitterrand beats Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
- May 13 - Pope John Paul II is shot at and nearly killed by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, as he entered St. Peter's Square in Rome to address a general audience. (Two days after Christmas in 1983, Pope John Paul went to the prison to meet and forgive his would-be assassin)
- May 21 - In France, socialist François Mitterrand becomes president of the Republic.
- May 22 - Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, imprisoned for life for 13 counts of murder
- May 25 - In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
- May 26 - The Italian government resigns over its links to the fascist Masonic cell P-2
- May 30 - Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman assassinated in Chittagong.

June-July

Chittagong return to Buckingham Palace following their wedding watched by over 1 billion people worldwide.]]
- June 5 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems (these were the first recognized cases of AIDS).
- June 6 - Seven coaches of an overcrowded passenger train fall off the tracks into the River Kosi, in Bihar, India - about 800 dead
- June 7 - Israeli Air Force destroys Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor
- June 13 - At the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, a teenager Marcus Sargeant fires six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II.
- June 22 - Hamas attacks a travel agency in Greece - two dead
- June 22 - Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr deposed
- June 29 - Morris Edwin Robert armed with a machine gun holds hostages in the FBI section in Atlanta Federal Building. After three hours the hostages are rescued - Robert is shot
- July 17 - Hyatt Regency walkway collapse: Two skywalks filled with people at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri collapse into a crowded atrium lobby killing 114
- July 17 - Israeli bombers destroy the PLO HQ in Beirut
- July 27 - Wheel of Fortune premiers in Australia on the Seven Network.
- July 29 - Lady Diana Spencer marries Charles, Prince of Wales.

August-October


- August 1 - MTV (Music Television) is launched.
- August 5 - Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.
- August 7 - The Washington Star ceases all operations after 128 years of publication.
- August 12 - The original IBM PC released in the United States.
- August 19 - Gulf of Sidra incident (1981). Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi sends two Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets to intercept two US fighters over the Gulf of Sidra. The American jets destroyed the Libyan fighters.
- August 19 - US President Ronald Reagan appoints the first female US Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor.
- August 28 - South African troops invade Angola.
- August 31 - A bomb explodes at the US Army base in Ramstein, West Germany injuring 20 people.
- September 4 - An explosion at a mine in Zalizin, Czechoslovakia - 65 dead.
- September 10 - Picasso's painting "Guernica" is moved from New York to Madrid.
- September 15 - The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world, at 150 years old, when it operates under its own power outside Washington, DC.
- September 18 - France abolishes capital punishment.
- October 6 - Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is assassinated during a parade by army members who were part of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization, who opposed his negotiations with Israel.
- October 10 - The Ministry for Education of Japan issues the jōyō kanji.
- October 14 - Vice President Hosni Mubarak is elected President of Egypt one week after Anwar Sadat was assassinated.
- October 21 - Andreas Papandreou becomes Prime Minister of Greece.

November-December

Prime Minister of Greece
- November 1 - Antigua and Barbuda gain independence from the United Kingdom
- November 13 - The first Friday the 13th event held by motorcyclists in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada
- November 23 - Iran-Contra scandal: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua
- November 25-November 26 - Group of mercenaries lead by Mike Hoare take over Mahe airport in the Seychelles in a coup attempt. Most of the mercenaries escape by a commandeered Air India passenger jet, six are later arrested
- November 30 - Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe (the meetings ended inconclusively on Thursday, December 17)
- December 1 - A Yugoslavian DC-9 crashes into a mountain while approaching Ajaccio Airport in Corsica killing 178
- December 4 - South Africa grants "homeland" Ciskei independence (not recognized outside South Africa)
- December 11 - El Mozote massacre - in El Salvador, army units kill 900 civilians
- December 13 - Wojciech Jaruzelski declares the state of martial law in Poland to prevent dismantling of the communist system by Solidarity
- December 15 - A car bomb destroys the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 61 people. This is the first modern suicide bombing. Syrian intelligence is blamed.
- December 20 - The Penlee lifeboat disaster off the coast of South-West Cornwall
- December 28 - The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born (Norfolk, Virginia)

unknown dates


- Millennium Renactment of the translation of Saint Edward the Martyr's relics from Wareham to Shaftesbury
- Mauritania abolishes the institution of slavery.
- James Tobin wins the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
- Mike Cooley, Bill Mollison and Patrick van Rensburg / Education with Production win the Right Livelihood Award
- The counter-culture wire service LNS ceases operations.
- Public funding of election Campaigns introduced in New South Wales, Australia
- The State Council of the People's Republic of China listed the four cities (Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Guilin) as where the protection of historical and cultural heritage as well as natural scenery should be treated as a prior project.
- Cuba suffers a major outbreak of Dengue hemorrhagic fever, with 344 203 cases. [http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section10/Section332/Section521_2454.htm]
- Computer and Video Games (magazine) begins publication.

Births

January-March


- January 1 - Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian race car driver
- January 3 - Eli Manning, American football player
- January 6 - Mike Jones, American rapper
- January 12 - Quentin Griffin, American football player
- January 15 - El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese footballer
- January 15 - Howie Day, American singer and songwriter
- January 17 - Scott Mechlowicz, American actor
- January 20 - Jason Richardson, American basketball player
- January 20 - Owen Hargreaves, Canadian-born footballer
- January 21 - Dany Heatley, German-born hockey player
- January 22 - Chantelle Anderson, American basketball player
- January 22 - Willa Ford, American singer, television hostess, and actress
- January 22 - Beverley Mitchell, American actress
- January 25 - Alicia Keys, American musician
- January 28 - Elijah Wood, American actor
- January 31 - Justin Timberlake, American musician
- February 3 - Alisa Reyes, American actress
- February 10 - Natasha St-Pier, Canadian singer
- February 11 - Kelly Rowland, American singer (Destiny's Child)
- February 14 - Erin Torpey, American actress
- February 15 - Jenna Morasca, American television personality
- February 17 - Paris Hilton, American actress and heiress
- February 18 - Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player
- February 22 - Jeanette Biedermann, German singer and actress
- February 24 - Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
- February 27 - Josh Groban, American singer
- March 1 -Ana Hickmann, Brazilian model
- March 2 - Bryce Howard, American actress
- March 3 - Lil' Flip, American rapper
- March 9 - Antonio Bryant, American football player
- March 11 - David Anders, American actor
- March 11 - Lee Evans, American football player
- March 11 - LeToya Luckett, American musician (Destiny's Child)
- March 16 - Andrew Bree, Irish swimmer
- March 28 - Julia Stiles, American actress

April-June


- April 1 - Hannah Spearritt, British singer (S Club 7)
- April 2 - Bethany Joy Lenz, American actress and singer
- April 10 - Michael Pitt, American actor
- April 14 - Mary Castro, American model and actress
- April 17 - Hanna Pakarinen, Finnish singer
- April 19 - Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
- April 19 - Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
- April 19 - Troy Polamalu, American football player
- April 22 - Ken Dorsey, American football player
- April 28 - Jessica Alba, American actress
- May 5 - Craig David, British singer
- May 5 - Danielle Fishel, American actress
- May 11 - Lauren Jackson, Australian basketball player
- May 13 - Sunny Leone, Canadian entertainer
- May 15 - Jamie-Lynn DiScala, American actress
- May 19 - Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer
- May 20 - Sean Conlon, English musician (5ive)
- May 20 - Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player
- June 1 - Carlos Zambrano, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- June 7 - Anna Kournikova, Russian tennis player
- June 7 - Larisa Oleynik, American actress
- June 9 - Natalie Portman, Israeli-born actress
- June 13 - Christopher Robert Evans, American actor
- June 12 - Adriana Lima, Brazilian model
- June 21 - Brandon Flowers, American singer and keyboardist (The Killers)

July-September


- July 8 - Anastasia Myskina, Russian tennis player
- July 23 - Michelle Williams, American singer (Destiny's Child)
- July 24 - Summer Glau, American actress (Firefly)
- August 4 - Marques Houston, American singer and actor
- August 5 - Carl Crawford, baseball player
- August 5 - Kō Shibasaki, Japanese singer and actress
- August 8 - Vanessa Amorosi, Australian singer and songwriter
- August 8 - Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player
- August 8 - Meagan Good, American actress
- August 16 - Taylor Rain, American actress
- August 24 - Chad Michael Murray, American actor
- August 25 - Rachel Bilson, American actress
- September 1 - Clinton Portis, American football player
- September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles, American singer (Destiny's Child) and actress
- September 8 - Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
- September 16 - Alexis Bledel, American actress
- September 21 - Nicole Richie, American actress
- September 22 - Rocco Baldelli, baseball player
- September 26 - Christina Milian, Afro-Cuban singer, songwriter and musician
- September 26 - Serena Williams, American tennis player
- September 30 - Dominique Moceanu, American gymnast

October-December


- October 1 - Jamelia, British singer
- October 3 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Swedish footballer
- October 11 - Beau Brady, Australian actor
- October 15 - Elena Dementieva, Russian tennis player
- October 20 - Willis McGahee, American football player
- October 22 - Michael Fishman, American actor
- October 28 - Milan Baros, Czech footballer
- October 29 - Amanda Beard, American swimmer
- October 30 - Ivanka Trump, American model
- October 31 - Irina Denezhkina, Russian writer
- October 31 - Frank Iero, American guitarist (My Chemical Romance)
- November 1 - LaTavia Roberson, American musician (Destiny's Child)
- November 3 - Jackie Gayda, American professional wrestler
- November 4 - Vince Wilfork, American football player
- November 8 - Azura Skye, American actress
- November 11 - Natalie Glebova, Canadian pageant winner (2005 Miss Universe)
- November 26 - Natasha Bedingfield, British singer
- November 26 - Aurora Snow, American actress
- December 2 - Britney Spears, American singer
- December 3 - Brian Bonsall, American actor
- December 4 - Lila McCann, American singer
- December 7 - Ben Adams, British singer (a1)
- December 13 - Amy Lee, American singer (Evanescence)
- December 15 - Kyle McKain, American Club DJ
- December 15 - Thomas Herrion, American football player (d. 2005)
- December 21 - Shizuka Arakawa, Japanese figure skater
- December 27 - Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer
- December 28 - Elizabeth Jordan Carr, first American test-tube baby
- December 28 - Sienna Miller, American-born actress
- December 29 - Angela Via, American singer
- December 30 - Haley Paige, American actress

Deaths


- January 5 - Harold C. Urey, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
- January 5 - Lanza del Vasto, Italian-born philosopher, poet, and activist (b. 1901)
- January 6 - A.J. Cronin, Scottish novelist (b. 1896)
- January 10 - Katherine Alexander, American actress (b. 1898)
- January 23 - Samuel Barber, American composer (b. 1910)
- February 1 - Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer (b. 1908)
- February 9 - Bill Haley, American musician (b. 1925)
- February 15 - Karl Richter, German conductor (b. 1926)
- February 20 - Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, magazine editor, socialite (b. 1904)
- February 26 - Howard Hanson, American composer (b. 1896)
- March 6 - George Geary, English cricketer (b. 1893)
- March 7 - Kiril Kondrashin, Russian conductor (b. 1914)
- March 9 - Max Delbrück, German biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1906)
- April 7 - Norman Taurog, American film director (b. 1899)
- April 12 - Joe Louis, American boxer (b. 1914)
- April 27 - John Aspinwall Roosevelt, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1916)
- May 9 - Nelson Algren, American author (b.1909)
- May 11 - Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
- May 11 - Bob Marley, Jamaican singer and musician (b. 1945)
- May 18 - William Saroyan, American author (b. 1908)
- June 1 - Carl Vinson, U.S. Congressman (b. 1883)
- June 19 - Lotte Reiniger, German-born silhouette animator (b. 1899)
- June 28 - Terry Fox, Canadian athlete and cancer activist (b. 1958)
- August 14 - Karl Böhm, Austrian conductor (b. 1894)
- September 1 - Albert Speer, Nazi official (b. 1905)
- September 2 - Dame Enid Lyons, Australia politician (b. 1897)
- September 8 - Bill Shankly, Scottish football manager (b. 1913)
- September 8 - Hideki Yukawa, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
- September 9 - Sir Robert (Bob) Askin, Premier of New South Wales (b. 1907)
- September 12 - Eugenio Montale, Italian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
- October 2 - Harry Golden, American journalist (b. 1902)
- October 6 - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (assassinated) (b. 1918)
- October 16 - Stanley Clements, American actor (b. 1926)
- October 16 - Moshe Dayan, Israeli general (b. 1915)
- November 7 - Will Durant, American philosopher and writer (b. 1885)
- November 22 - Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1900)
- November 29 - Natalie Wood, American actress (drowned) (b. 1938)
- December 28 - Allan Dwan, Canadian-born film director (b. 1885)

Nobel Prizes


- Physics - Nicolaas Bloembergen, Arthur Leonard Schawlow, Kai M. Siegbahn
- Chemistry - Kenichi Fukui, Roald Hoffmann
- Medicine - Roger W. Sperry, David H. Hubel, Torsten N. Wiesel
- Literature - Elias Canetti
- Peace - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Templeton Prize


- Dame Cicely Saunders Category:1981 als:1981 ko:1981년 ja:1981年 simple:1981 th:พ.ศ. 2524

Port-de-Paix

Port-de-Paix (Pòdepè or Pòdpè in Kreyòl) is the capital of the département of Nord-Ouest in Haiti on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of 25,000 (2003 census). Formerly a large exporter of bananas and coffee, Port-de-Paix is now a centre for smuggled goods from Miami. The area around the town was given the name "Valparaíso" by Christopher Columbus after landing here on December 6 1492 and still contains many attractive beaches and locations. A ferry operates between the town and Tortuga Island (La Tortue) situated just across the water. The town was founded in 1665 by French filibusters, driven from Tortuga Island by the British occupiers. In 1679 the town saw the first black slave revolt. The area saw great success during the 19th century but in 1902 the town was almost entirely destroyed by fire, and never attained its former status. Port-de-Paix is also the chief town of an arrondissement of the same name. The arondissement consists of four communes: Port-de-Paix, Bassin Bleu, Chansolme and Tortuga Island. Port de Paix

Haiti

:This article is about the country. For the Namibian comic strip, see Hai Ti!. The Republic of Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; Haiti shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The total land area of Haiti is 10,714 square miles (27,750 square km) and its capital is Port-au-Prince on the main island of Hispaniola. A former French colony, it was the first country in the Americas after the United States to declare its independence. In spite of its longevity, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti is currently in a state of anomie following an uprising which resulted in the expulsion of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004; he had been re-elected in 2000 in an election dismissed by many (including the OAS) as fraudulent. [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/wha/30545.htm][http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO402D.html][http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/03/01/aristide.claim/]

History

Main article: History of Haiti

1803: Independence

Freed blacks and mulattos joined with slaves under Pierre-Dominique Toussaint l'Ouverture against Napoleonic France in 1801 to achieve the Caribbean's first successful revolution for independence. The largely black nation remained isolated politically throughout the 19th century, though penetrated economically by international capitalism.

1915-1934: U.S. Occupation

Main article: United States occupation of Haiti (1915-1934) From July 28, 1915 until mid-August 1934, Haiti was under the occupation of the U.S. Marine Corps, effectively making Haiti a colony in all but name. Efforts were made to improve Haiti's infrastructure and education systems in particular, but because of the imposed nature of these reforms, with little regard for Haitian customs or traditions, these generally were not well-received nor especially effective.

The Rise of Duvalier

A medical doctor, François Duvalier was not allowed to establish his own practice due to racist customs in Haiti (he was black). After securing employment with an American medical project that was fighting widespread tuberculosis, Duvalier had the opportunity to see the poverty that existed in the countryside. This fueled his interest in politics, and despite the fact that the Haitian government was predominantly mulatto, Duvalier was able to gain a following and joined forces with powerful union leader Daniel Fignole. Together they formed the popular Mouvement Ouvriers Paysans (MOP) party. They continued to gain public support and waited for their moment to seize the power. Both men wanted to take the top job of President, therefore the party was split and in 1957 Fignole became president of Haiti. His position lasted only 18 days, however, because Duvalier was able to overthrow him and began what was to become a 29-year dynasty.

1957-1986: Duvaliers and Aborted freeport

Duvalier, also known as "Papa Doc," became president in 1957 and dictator in 1964. He was known for his army of sunglasses-clad volunteers, the Tonton Macoute. In 1967 proposals were made to construct a free port on the Haitian island of Tortuga by a consortium formed in the United States by Don Pierson of Eastland, Texas. These plans reached maturity in 1971 when a 99-year contract was entered into by François Duvalier on behalf of the Haitian government. Although construction of infastructure and a new international airport was commenced, two other events brought about the sudden demise of the whole venture. When François Duvalier suddenly died in 1971 his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc") took over at the age of 19. The advisers soon concluded that Haiti needed a new image to attract economic assistance, tourism, and investment. In 1974 it became known that the freeport had entered into a multimillion dollar contract with the Gulf Oil corporation to advance development on the island. This news prompted "Baby Doc" to expropriate the venture for himself, under prompting from his advisors including his mother, Simone Ovide Duvalier; Defense and Gen. Claude Raymond, commander of the army, and his brother, Foreign Minister Adrien Raymond; and Minister of Coordination and Information Fritz Cinéas. This move by the regency caused the collapse of the freeport venture. Under the Baby Doc regime some political prisoners were released, press censorship eased, and a policy of "gradual democratization of institutions" was professed. But in fact no sharp changes from previous policies occurred. No political opposition was tolerated, and all important political officials and judges were still appointed by the president. Haiti continued a semi-isolationist approach to foreign relations, although the government actively solicited foreign aid. In 1980 Duvalier married a divorcee Michèle Bennett, who later supplanted his hard-line mother in Haitian politics. In the face of increasing social unrest, however, Duvalier and his wife left the country early in 1986, leaving the entire country in poverty and lacking international commercial development. A six-member council replaced Duvalier when he fled to southern France, where he lived in luxury in Cannes until his wife left him and took his children and most of their cash. He now lives in modest circumstances in Paris.

1986: After Duvalier Regime

After Duvalier fled, the U.S. installed a military regime, The National Council of Government (CNG), headed by General Henri Namphy. It was supposed to design a new Constitution and arrange for democratic elections within two years, but didn't step down until 1990, when Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military coup d'etat, but he was returned to office in 1994 by a U.S. military intervention with a mandate from the United Nations. He served the remainder of the five year term to which he was elected and oversaw the installation of Rene Preval, his Prime Minister, to the presidency in 1996. In the late 1970s, a time of increasing militancy against the brutal regime of Jean-Claude Duvalier, Aristide urged change and often found himself at odds with his superiors in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1986, the year Duvalier was driven from power, Aristide survived the first of many assassination attempts. In 1990, when a notorious Duvalierist announced his candidacy for president, progressive-centre forces united to urge Aristide to run for the office. He was elected in Haiti's first free democratic election on Dec. 16, 1990, with an overwhelming 67% of the vote. Aristide's campaign motto, "Lavalas" (Creole for "flood"), became the name for a diverse coalition of parties that symbolized hope for the Haitian people (80% of whom earned less than $150 a year). In his seven months as president in 1991, Aristide proposed raising the minimum wage, initiated a literacy campaign, dismantled the repressive system of rural section chiefs, and oversaw a drastic reduction in human rights violations. A coup on Sept. 30, 1991, led by the military and financed by members of Haiti's elite, declared that such reforms would not be tolerated. The coup's leaders: General Raul Cedras, Colonel Michel Francois, and general Philippe Biamby, were all graduates of the US Army School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. After three years of exile, a U.S. invasion allowed Aristide to return and resume his presidency on Oct. 15, 1994. The economy was in shambles, infrastructure almost nonexistent, and more than 4,000 people had been killed. Barred constitutionally from immediate reelection, he stepped down in 1996. The old Lavalas coalition fractured, and in November 1996 he launched a new political party, Fanmi Lavalas (Lavalas Family).

2000-2004: Second Aristide Term and Ensuing Crises

In May 2000, Haiti held legislative and local government elections. The Family Lavalas Party won over 50% of the vote in nearly all the contests but a dispute arose about the method used to tabulate the percentages for the Senate elections. The Organization of American States (OAS) and the international community condemned the results for the Senate elections as fraudulent. The Haitian government refused to re-calculate the percentages. In response, most of the opposition parties refused to acknowledge the results or take part in second-round run-offs. In the months leading up to the Presidential election at the end of the year, numerous negotiations failed to produce a settlement. Therefore, most opposition groups boycotted the Presidential election. Aristide won this election by 90% of the popular vote, but due to the earlier dispute, the opposition parties never accepted his victory as legitimate. Aristide took office on February 7, 2001, but his presidency was mired in controversy, and his government was undermined by the political impasse and the use of armed gangs, called 'chimeres', to enforce his rule. By 2003, the country was deeply divided between pro-and anti-Aristide camps. This finally led to an armed conflict which increased in intensity on February 5, 2004, 200 years after the Haitian Revolution, when an armed rebel group which formerly called itself the Cannibal Army and worked for President Aristide transformed itself into the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front took control of the Gonaïves police station. This rebellion then spread throughout the central Artibonite province by February 17 and was joined by opponents of the government who had been in exile in the Dominican Republic. On February 29, 2004, United States flew Aristide out of the country. Aristide was forced to sign a resignation of the Presidency and was taken to the Central African Republic. The circumstances surrounding this flight are a matter of controversy. Many media sources reported that Aristide had resigned and been refused asylum by South Africa. On March 1, 2004, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), along with Randall Robinson, a family friend of the Aristides, each reported that Aristide had told them using a smuggled cellular telephone that he had been forced to resign against his will by United States diplomats and Marines, and that he was abducted against his will, and continued to be held hostage by an undisclosed armed military guard. [6], [7] When asked whether Aristide was guarded in the Central African Republic by French officers, the French Defense Minister answered that Aristide was protected, not imprisoned, and that he would leave when he could; and that France had many officers present in the Central African Republic following the recent events in that country, but that they did not control Aristide's comings and goings [8]. Both Maxine Waters and United States congressman Charles Rangel, [9] who also reported talking to Aristide via cellular telephone, said that Aristide said he had not been handcuffed while being led away, while the Agence France Press reported that the caretaker at Aristide's house claimed that Aristide had been handcuffed and led away at gunpoint.[10]. Other reports of Aristide being led away by heavily armed American troops have been made by an Aristide bodyguard and an independent film maker. [11] Aristide told CNN that there were unidentified civilian Americans and Haitians who had forced him to resign and board the plane leaving Haiti. [12] The Haitian body guards who had formerly worked for the President were dismissed at 2 am that day and descended on a popular journalists hotel in Port au Prince complaining that they had not been paid, even the 20th rate that was paid to the white foreign body guards. The United States vice-president Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell both reported that Aristide had resigned willingly [13], [14]. The Associated Press reported that the Central African Republic tried to get Aristide to stop repeating his charges to the press [15]. Aristide has further alleged that the resignation statement that is being touted was altered to remove a conditional statement in which he stated,"'If I am obliged to leave in order to avoid bloodshed." [16]; this was confirmed by a Reuters translation of Aristide's original statement, which matches up word for word except for the one line, in which the conditional has been removed. On 14 March 2004, he left the Central African Republic for Jamaica, to the dismay of the French and American governments, who felt that his presence in the area would have a destabilizing effect on Haiti. The American ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, issued a warning to Aristide to stay at least 150 miles away from Haiti at all times. Condoleezza Rice is reported to have said that she did not want him in the Western Hemisphere. [17] After arriving in Jamaica, Aristide gave a full interview, in which he claimed the following specifics (note: The US has neither confirmed nor denied these details, but has insisted that Aristide left willingly): He had met with US ambassador James Foley on February 28, 2004 — the day before the rebels were supposed to attack the capital. Foley agreed that Aristide should go on national television to appeal to the nation to remain calm, as he had done the night before. When he arrived at his residence, it was surrounded by "thousands" of troops, mostly Americans, which made him feel intimidated. The Americans told him they would provide him security as they escorted him to the media; however, instead, they took him straight to a white unmarked airplane with a US flag on the side. He was then obliged to board, followed by US troops in full gear who changed into civilian clothes once on board. On board were his wife and 19 of his private body guards from the Steele Foundation, a white mercenary company. Quite conveniently, all of his luggage had previously been loaded. Aristide's account was directly backed up by two witnesses: a pilot and Aristide aide, Franz Gabriel; and an American security guard on the security detail, who told the Washington Post about the subterfuge to lure Aristide away: "That was just bogus. It's a story they fabricated." [18] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/wha/30545.htm][http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/29/world/main602985.shtml]

Post-Aristide

In the wake of Aristide's departure, while Supreme Court Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre succeeded to the Presidency (in accordance with the stipulations of the 1987 constitution), the Conseil des Sages, a seven-member executive advisory board which was appointed by the OAS-sanctioned Tripartite Council (consisting of Leslie Voltaire, Paul Denis, and Adamo Guino), immediately selected the Prime Minister, former Manigat Foreign Minister Gerard Latortue, who, in turn, selected his cabinet, which consists mostly of opposition leaders or spokespersons:
- Adeline Magloire Chancy – Women’s Conditions
- Philippe Mathieu – Agriculture
- Yvon Simeon - Foreign Affairs
- Yves Andre Wainwright – Environment
- Pierre Buteau – Education
- Bernard Gousse – Justice and Public Security
- Daniele Saint-Lot – Commerce and Industry
- Henri Bazin - Finance
- Josette Bijoux - Health
- Roland Pierre - Planning
- Herard Abraham - Interior
- Magali Comeau Denis - Culture Non-Cabinet Officials:
- Michel Brunache - Chief of Cabinet
- Max Mathurin - Head of Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Gousse had, since his appointment, become notorious for the alleged wrongful imprisonment of Lavalas party members and supporters, and, seemingly under pressure from Washington, resigned from office on June 15, 2005. He was replaced as justice minister by Henri Dorlean. The Council of Sages, which consists of the following:
- Lamartine Clermont (Catholic Church)
- Ariel Henry (Democratic Platform opposition group)
- Anne-Marie Issa (Owner of Signal FM Radio)
- MacDonald Jean (Anglican Church)
- Daniele Magloire ([CONAP] women's group coalition)
- Christian Rousseau (University of Haiti Administrator (previously involved in opposition student protests))
- Paul Emile Simon – Fanmi Lavalas (party of Aristide government), has, like the present interim government, its proponents, the Haitian National Police, and MINUSTAH (which consists mostly of Brazilian, Chilean, and other multinational peacekeeping contingents, led by Brazil), become the source of controversy both within and without Haiti, especially in Brazil (which provides a bulk majority of the peacekeeping force), the United States (which is heavily suspected of foul play regarding the February 2004 coup), Canada (whose Martin government had also supported the overthrow of Aristide, and whose own RCMP is training a significant contingent of the rather-notorious HNP), and, to a somewhat lesser degree, France (from whom Aristide had requested a restitution of exactly US$21,685,135,571.48, the modern-day equivalent of the 90 million gold francs which were demanded as ransom by the French government from then-President Jean-Pierre Boyer). Protest groups, websites, and news feeds have since been formed in response to the 2004 coup and following events, such as the [http://haitiaction.net Haiti Action Committee] and the [http://www.outofhaiti.ca/ Canada Out of Haiti Campaign] (a project of the Canada-Haiti Action Network). Other groups, who viewed the Aristide presidency as a democratic "coup d'etat" leading to the establishment of a dictatorship in all but name, have set up their own website, the [http://www.haitipolicy.org Haiti Democracy Project] being the best known. The UN mission, in the meantime, has itself ran aground in its relations with both the interim government (and its proponents), the Lavalas party (and its grassroots support), and human rights activists, often being accused (by the first group) of not doing enough to curtail the seemingly omnipresent and eternal violence, rape, and extortion which has tainted Haiti's international image, (by the second group) of colluding with armed (and notorious) militants and policemen in the suppression of neighborhood violence in Port-au-Prince, and (by the third group) actively participating in violence against the Lavalas party and grassroots support, all of which have been constantly refuted by UN officials, including Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Force Commander Lieutenant-General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira of Brazil (who was replaced by fellow Brazilian and General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar on 1 September). See the 2005 July 6 United Nations assault on Cité Soleil, Haiti. Furthermore, Haiti suffered badly during 2004 with floods hitting the Fonds Verettes and Mapou region in May 2004 and Hurricane Jeanne hitting the Gonaives area that September Tropical storm Jeanne [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sfl-0923haitigallery,0,7266223.photogallery]. So far, the 2005 season has been more gentle. The only storm to have impacted Haiti, Hurricane Dennis, resulted in a significantly lesser loss of life (less than 200 fatalities) [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/07/06/tropical.weather/]. On June 27, 2004, Yvon Neptune, Haiti’s last constitutionally appointed prime minister under President Jean-Bertrand was imprisoned by the transitional government.[http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=LAU20040629&articleId=778] Neptune was never allowed to see a judge in his case. On April 17, 2005, Neptune went on a hunger strike vowing not to eat until the Interim Government of Haiti (IGH) drops the charges against him; charges that it has refused to pursue.[http://www.haitiaction.net/News/BC/5_5_5.html][http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/4949.php] Father Gérard Jean-Juste, a Catholic Priest and Lavalas supporter, is another high profile political prisoner in Haiti [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/28/149242]. In the midst of the ongoing controversy and violence, however, the interim government has planned legislative and executive elections for 20 November 2005 (originally set for 13 November), with a runoff set for 3 January. Local elections were originally scheduled for 9 October, but have been pushed back until 11 December. The election is deeply split between two camps - the elite and the nation's poor that remain fiercely loyal to Aristide. There are 33 people on the list candidates for Haiti's next president.[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-wocand114465780oct12,0,3083790.story?coll=ny-lipolitics-print] [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/haiti/12812233.htm] An early favorite is Rene Preval. Preval was the Prime Minister from February 13 to October 11, 1991, but was replaced following the military coup of that year. He was elected President of Haiti in 1995 and served his full term, turning over the Presidency to Jean Bertrand Aristide on 7 February, 2001. He is the only the second President of Haiti to serve a full term and leave office peacefully. He is the first to have been elected and succeeded by an elected President. Marc L. Bazin is a former World Bank official and favorite candidate of the George H.W. Bush Administration and the borgeois population of Haiti. Marc Louis Bazin is running under the political party 'Union pour Haïti', an alliance between the 'Mouvement pour l’Instauration de la Démocratie en Haïti' (MIDH) et 'Fanmi Lavalas' (FL) de Jean-Bertrand Aristide.[http://www.haitielection2005.com/presidential_candidates.php/2] Another presidential hopeful, Dumarsais Mécène Siméus, a Haitian-born businessman has been nominated by a broad-based reform coalition of two Haitian opposition parties is leading what looks like a Populist campaign. [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-30-2005/0004136103&EDATE=] Simeus never renounced his Haitian citizenship and he is a dual citizen. During his 21 years away from Haiti, Simeus, has become a multi-millionaire in Texas and is now intending to return to Haiti.[http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/metro_state_3416ec327631a1e3008f.html] With great fanfare, he began a campaign rally in Solino, a crumbling and crime-plagued neighborhood of the Haitian capital. Dozens of angry men and women rushed onto the streets, hurling rocks and chunks of concrete at Mr. Siméus's car, forcing him to flee. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/international/americas/30haiti.html] Another candidate is Charles Henri Baker, a 50-year-old prominent businessman with US residency who led a civic group that organized to unseat Aristide last year. Baker is running with the independent Konba party. Baker insists he has widespread support among poor Haitians, despite his image as a scion of the elite. Baker supported the second armed ouster of Aristide, in 2004, is backed by powerful industrialists. [http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/10/27/in_struggling_haiti_some_long_for_ex_dictator/] Yet another candidate is Dany Toussaint, a former Haitian Army major, police chief and bodyguard of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He is now a Lavalas Family "Senator". Guy Philippe, a former police chief and one of the leaders of the rebellion that pushed Aristide out in early 2004. Evans Paul, former mayor of Port-au-Prince, one-time Aristide ally and longtime fixture in Haitian politics. Leslie Manigat, a former president, forced from power by the military in 1988.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Haiti Haiti is a presidential republic with an elected president and National Assembly. However, some claim it to be an authoritarian government in practice. On 29 February 2004, a rebellion culminated in the defacto resignation of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and it is unknown if the current political structure will remain. The constitution was introduced in 1987 under the administration of Leslie Manigat and is modeled on those of the United States and France. Having been either completely or partially suspended for some years, it was fully reinstated in 1994. Since, and as a result of, the aforementioned coup, the future of the 1987 Constitution has fallen into doubt, even though the planned elections for the Presidency, Parliament, and local governments are being held in accordance with its terms. See List of Presidents of Haiti, 2006 Haitian Elections, 2000 Haitian Elections, 1995 Haitian Elections, 1990 Haitian Elections, and the Constitution of Haiti.

Departments

Main article: Departments of Haiti Haiti is divided into ten departments (provinces):
- Artibonite
- Centre
- Grand'Anse
- Nord
- Nord-Est
- Nord-Ouest
- Ouest
- Sud
- Sud-Est
- Les Nippes, the newest department with Miragoane as administrative capital, was set up in 2003 under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Sud-Est

Geography

Main article: Geography of Haiti Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys. The east and central part is a large elevated plateau. In 1925, Haiti was a lush island paradise with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Over the years, Haiti cut down 95% of its trees and in the process destroyed fertile farmland soils. Now the mountains are bare down to the bedrock. Pictures from space glaringly show this stark contrast compared to Haiti's neighbour the Dominican Republic. The reason Haiti cut down all their trees is because the poor people make money from burning the wood and selling charcoal. This deforestation lead to soil erosion and flooding as seen on September 17, 2004. Tropical storm Jeanne skimmed the north coast of Haiti leaving 3006 people dead in flooding and mudslides, mostly in the city of Gonaïves. [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sfl-0923haitigallery,0,7266223.photogallery]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Haiti Haiti remains the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. Haiti now ranks 153rd of 177 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index. About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, making it the second poorest country in the world. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced little job creation since President René Préval took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Haiti Although Haiti averages about 270 people per square kilometer (699/mi²), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. About 95% of Haitians are of African descent. The rest of the population is mostly mulatto, or mixed Caucasian-African ancestry. A few are of European or Levantine heritage. About two thirds of the population live in rural areas. The biggest city is the capital Port-au-Prince with 2 million inhabitants, followed by Cap-Haïtien with 600,000. French is one of two official languages, but it is spoken by only about 10% of the people. Nearly all Haitians speak Krèyol(Creole), the country's other official language. English is increasingly spoken among the young and in the business sector. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority professes. Some have converted to Protestantism. Many Haitians also practice Vodou, seeing no conflict with their Christian faith. Protestant churches of numerical strength are Assemblées de Dieu, the Convention Baptiste d'Haïti, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of God