Mohamed Farrah Aidid, Somalian general and politician, 5th President of Somalia (b. 1934)
Mohamed Farrah Hassan Aidid (Somali: Maxamed Faarax Xasan Caydiid; Arabic: محمد فرح حسن عيديد; 15 December 1934 – 1 August 1996) was a Somali former general and diplomat, he was the chairman of the United Somali Congress (USC) and later led the Somali National Alliance (SNA). Along with other armed opposition groups, he succeeded in overthrowing and exiling President Mohamed Siad Barre's socialist and communist regime from Somalia during the Somali Civil War that broke out in the early 1990s.
In 1992, Aidid attacked United Nations troops, causing him to be named the world’s first Wanted Man of the Unified Task Force. After UN peacekeepers withdrew in 1993, 19 American soldiers were killed by Aidid's forces, which also attacked peacekeepers, incited violence, and committed crimes against humanity at Aidid's behest.On 1 August 1996, Aidid suffered a heart attack after being wounded and died at the age of 61.
1996Aug, 1
Mohamed Farrah Aidid
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Events on 1996
- 10Feb
Garry Kasparov
IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess for the first time. - 13May
Bangladesh
Severe thunderstorms and a tornado in Bangladesh kill 600 people. - 10Jun
Sinn Féin
Peace talks begin in Northern Ireland without the participation of Sinn Féin. - 4Sep
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
War on Drugs: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attack a military base in Guaviare, starting three weeks of guerrilla warfare in which at least 130 Colombians are killed. - 25Nov
Florida
An ice storm strikes the central U.S., killing 26 people. A powerful windstorm affects Florida and winds gust over 90 mph, toppling trees and flipping trailers.