Today in History: U.N. General Assembly voted to admit China to the United Nations and to expel Taiwan

The following are some of the major events to have occurred on October 25:

1920 – King Alexander of Greece died from blood poisoning after being bitten by a pet monkey.

1938 – Japanese forces captured the Chinese city of Hankou.

1971 – The U.N. General Assembly voted to admit China to the United Nations and to expel Taiwan.

1976 – Transkei became the first of South Africa’s black homelands to be given formal independence.

1999 – German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder opened a conference in Bonn with officials from 168 countries aimed at cutting emissions of the “greenhouse gases” blamed for global warming.

1999 – Reigning U.S. Open golf champion Payne Stewart died when his private Lear jet lost cabin pressure. The plane flew on until it ran out of fuel, then crashed.

2000 – Ivory Coast Socialist leader Laurent Gbagbo swept to power in an election, which was followed by a popular revolt that chased out military ruler General Robert Guei.

2002 – The Irish Oscar-nominated actor Richard Harris died. He made his name with such films as “Camelot”, “This Sporting Life” and “A Man Called Horse”.

2003 – Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s wealthiest man and head of the oil giant YUKOS, was arrested on fraud and tax evasion charges.

2004 – The veteran British disc jockey John Peel, who championed new music trends such as punk, reggae and hip-hop on mainstream radio, died aged 65.

2005 – Voters in Iraq ratified a new U.S.-backed constitution in a referendum.

(Reuters)