On This Day: Turkey became a republic under Kemal Ataturk

Following are some of the major events to have occurred on October 29:

1923 – Turkey became a republic under its first president, Kemal Ataturk.

1998 – Astronaut John Glenn, 77, becomes oldest person in space when he blasts off with crewmates on Space Shuttle Discovery.

2001 – “The Three Riders” sets a world record price for a Chinese oil painting when it is sold for HK$6,645,000 ($854,113).

2005 – Sixty-six people were killed when three bomb blasts tore through markets in the Indian capital New Delhi.

2006 – A Nigerian passenger jet crashed shortly after takeoff from the capital Abuja, killing 97 people including Ibrahim Muhammadu, who as Sultan of Sokoto was the leader of the nation’s 70 million Muslims.

2007 – Russia’s “chessboard murderer” Alexander Pichuskin sentenced to life in prison for killing 48 people.

2007 – Kylie Minogue becomes first woman to win Music Industry Trusts award.

2008 – Delta Air Lines cleared to buy Northwest Airlines in a $2.6 billion deal creating the world’s biggest airline.

2010 – World’s largest wine glass created in Beirut.

2013 – World’s first rail link between two continents opens, linking Europe and Asia.

2015 – China announces end of one-child policy.

(Reuters)