Today is Thursday; 17th of the Iranian month of Khordad 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 22nd of the Islamic month of Ramadhan 1439 lunar hijri; and June 7, 2018, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1156 solar years ago, on this day in 862 AD, al-Muntasir-Billah, the 14^th self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, died at the age of 24 under suspicious circumstances, after less than half-a-year reign, believed to be bled by a poisonous lancet. Son of the tyrant Mutawakkil, whom he killed with the help of the Turkic guards and succeeded as caliph, he was in turn succeeded by his uncle, Mustain.

1166 lunar years ago, on this day in 273 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad Ibn Yazid Ibn Majah al-Qazvini, passed away at the age of 64 in his hometown Qazvin – west of modern Tehran. His grandfather had converted from Zoroastrianism and was a client of the ar-Rabi' Arab tribe. He traveled widely over Iran, Iraq, Arabia, Syria and Egypt in search of hadith, before returning to his birthplace Qazvin. Although he has admitted some of the merits of the Immaculate Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), he, like his five contemporary compatriots, Mohammad Bukhari, Muslim Naishapuri, Abu Dawoud Sijistani, Abu Isa Tirmizi, and Ahmad Nisa'i, failed to have direct contact with the Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household or their disciples – probably because of the fear of incurring the wrath of the usurper Abbasid regime – and thus could not collect authentic hadith from the right source. His collection known as "Sunan Ibn Majah" is regarded by Sunni Muslims as one of their six canonical hadith books (Sihah as-Sitta) – the authors of which were all Iranians and grandsons of recent converts to Islam. Ibn Majah also wrote “The History of Qazvin”.

919 solar years ago, on this day in 1099 AD, the Crusader invaders from Europe laid siege to the Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, which they called Jerusalem and captured it a month and a week later on July 15. A year earlier these European invaders taking advantage of discord among the Muslims, especially the enmity of the Turkic warlords with the Fatemid Shi’ite Muslims rulers of Egypt who controlled most of Syria including Palestine, had captured Antioch. Then moving along the Mediterranean coast they laid siege to Arqa until May 13 but could not capture it. The Fatemids took up the proposal of peace on condition that the crusaders do not march upon Bayt al-Moqaddas, but this was ignored. Iftekhar od-Dowla, the Fatemid governor of Bayt al-Moqaddas, becoming aware of motives of the Crusaders strengthened the defences of the city. Meanwhile, the Crusaders were given money and horses by the Turkic ruler of Tripoli, who also promised to convert to Christianity if they capture Bayt al-Moqaddas from the Fatemids. The Crusaders thus succeeded in passing unopposed through Beirut on May 19, Tyre on May 23, and turning inland at Jaffa, reached Ramlah on June 3, which had already been abandoned by its inhabitants. On June 6, they seized Bayt-Laham, and on the next day reached the outskirts of Bayt al-Moqaddas. Iftekhar od-Dowla resisted but no reinforcement arrived from Egypt. Many Muslims sought shelter in the al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock. When the city was starved and forced to surrender, the Crusaders broke all promises and started slaughtering the Muslim men, women, and children. In all over 70,000 people were massacred including Palestinian Christians and the Jewish minority. According to their own accounts, the Crusaders boasted of wading in blood up to their ankles, while killing Muslims. It is stated that when the Jews sought refuge in their synagogue, the Crusaders burned it over their heads, killing everyone inside.

678 solar years ago, on this day in 1341 AD, the 7th Mamluk (slave) Sultan of Egypt and Syria, al-Mansour Saif od-Din Qalawun, died at the age of 70 after a reign of 11 years. A Qipchaq Turk of Eurasia, who was sold into slavery during his teen years and ended up in the service of Egypt’s Kurdish Ayubid ruler, Sultan as-Saleh, he quickly rose into prominence, because of his abilities. Under his predecessor, Sultan Baybars, he displayed his military prowess in the victorious wars against the Mongols. In 680 AH, Qalawun decisively defeated the huge joint Mongol-Christian army of 80,000 led by Monke Timur, the brother of the Iran-based Abaqa Khan in the Second Battle of Homs, fought in western Syria. He also checked the ambitions of the usurper Crusader states on the coasts of Palestine and Lebanon. He was a great builder of mosques and public institutes, which are still intact in the Egyptian capital.

326 solar years ago, on this day in 1692 AD, an earthquake struck the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. It rearranged the geology, splitting the rocks, turning mountains to lakes, and engulfed two-thirds of Port Royal. On this day and the subsequent days, five thousand of the inhabitants were killed.

170 solar years ago, on this day in 1848 AD, French painter, Paul Gauguin, was born in Paris. He spent his last years on the Island of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean painting the natives and the local landscape.

139 solar years ago, on this day in 1879 AD, as part of the War of the Pacific, between Chile, Peru and Bolivia, the Battle of Arica, also known as Assault and Capture of Cape Arica, was fought. Finally, Chile emerged victorious and dictated a treaty to the governments of Peru and Bolivia, according to which Bolivian coastlines and parts of Peru were annexed.

113 solar years ago, on this day in 1905 AD, Norway declared independence from Sweden. Their union had been in effect since 1814.

80 solar years ago, on this day in 1938 AD, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the pro-West Chinese Nationalist government of Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, created the 1938 Yellow River flood to halt Japanese forces, resulting in the  death of almost 900,000 Chinese civilians.

51 solar years ago, on this day in 1967 AD, army units of the illegitimate Zionist entity called Israel, entered and occupied the Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas (Jerusalem), and have refused to withdraw ever since. The Zionists, with the support of the West, especially the US, have continued to oppress and expel the native Palestinians, and in addition to Judaizing this Islamic city, have drilled tunnels underneath the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque as part of their sordid plan to destroy the former qibla of Islam.

48 solar years ago, on this day in 1970 AD, British novelist, Edward Morgan Forster, died at the age of 91. His novels include “A Room with a View” (1908) and “A Passage to India” (1924).

39 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, following establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, all banks along with a number of other financial and industrial establishments were nationalized. The nationalization and the subsequent consolidation of the banks paved the way for the launching of Islamic banking, which has greatly expanded.

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1980 AD, Zionist warplanes bombarded the Tamouz Atomic Power Station of Iraq in the vicinity of Baghdad. Although this criminal attack led to worldwide condemnation, the UN Security Council did not take any measure against Israel. The illegal Zionist entity which possesses more than 300 nuclear warheads, manufactured with US, British, and French help, refuses supervision of its atomic installations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

8 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, Iran's first women-only bank branch opened, allowing ladies to manage their finances without dealing with unrelated men, as part of Islam’s dynamic shari’ah to ensure proper progress of all sections of the society, in keeping with their social status and dignity.

8 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, the Iranian Red Crescent Society dispatched three aid ships to Gaza in the latest bid to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory by the illegal Zionist entity.

AS/ME