February 28 - Olof Palme assassinated

Another catalyst for some wonderful conspiracy theories.

Twenty Years ago to the day, on February 27, 1986 the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated by a gunman in the center of Stockholm. His murder came as an immense trauma to a stable and relatively well functioning democratic state, and as the assassin has never been identified, the investigation in Palme's death is still ongoing.

Olof Palme served as social-democratic Prime Minister of Sweden in two periods between 1969-1976 and 1982- 1986, during the time when Sweden was regarded as the model of a socially responsible welfare state that had managed to overcome the worst excesses of an unrestricted capitalist society, by nationalising some of its heavy industry, by imposing high taxation and by providing a social safety net for its citizens that was the envy of Europe. In some ways the Sweden of the 70s was regarded as the possible alternative to both the capitalist and the �Communist� state, the �third way� that included the positive whilst avoiding the negative elements of both systems.

Palme was instrumental in shaping Swedish society in those decades, and as its figurehead became well-known and highly respected in global politics. Palme continued to pursue Sweden's neutrality, and thus steering between the two Cold War blocks collected enemies on both sides. His outspoken criticism of the US' war in Vietnam, of the Apartheid regime in South-Africa, his support for various liberation movements, for the ANC, Castro's Cuba and the Palestinians didn't win him any friends in the West, and the Soviet Union wasn't too enchanted with his contempt of its human rights policy either.

Nevertheless, his murder on February 28, 1986 in the heart of the Swedish capital, shocked the country and the World public equally and the longer the Swedish police seemed incapable to produce a suspect, the more trumours about the possible motives for his assassination went into circulation.
It took more than a year until the first arrest was made, a petty criminal named Christer Petterson who first was found guilty but on appeal acquitted of the murder through lack of evidence. The shambolic conduct of the trial did nothing to silence to various conspiracy theories that had appeared and had named not a few apparent suspects, from Neo-Nazi activists that had wanted him dead for Palme's alleged intention to join Sweden into the Soviet block, via the Kurdish separatist party PKK, to the South-African secret service that was supposed to have killed him for his logistic support of Mandela's ANC, not to mention even more obscure allegations that involved the CIA and virtually any other clandestine organisation under the sun.

Twenty after his death, Palme's death is still unsolved, the case is still open and 5 Million Euro are offered as reward for finding the culprit.




Olof Palme (d. 28/02/1986)



What else happened on this day?

1900 After a 119-day siege by the Boers, the British defenders of Ladysmith, were relieved.

1997 Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky had their second encounter, after a break of 11 months.


Complete list of events:

Wikipedia

Edited by Komnenos

Seshanbe, 9 Espand

1881: Russia captured Merv city in this day by Qajar princes betrayal.
Samanid found The biggest public Library in this city.
After Arab invasion, Merv & Bokhara & Samarkand were saviour of Parsi language.

Merv � Persian name: مرو; formerly Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Αντιόχεια η Μαργιανή � in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of culture and politics at a site of major strategic value. In the twelfth century Merv was briefly the largest city in the world [1]. The site of ancient Merv has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Sites.

History

The Silk Road, extant since prehistoric times, has been a major route for human migrations through Central Asia for all of known history. Though much earlier history must lie under the layers of later city life, archaeological surveys have revealed many survivals of village life as far back as the 3rd millennium BCE.

Some say that Merv is the origin of Hindu belief in Mount Meru, which Hinduism declares to be the centre of the world. Others suggest, however, that Mount Meru is another name for Mount Kailas in Tibet.

Under the name of Mouru, Merv is mentioned with Bakhdi (Balkh) in the geography of the Zend-Avesta, which probably dates from the 7th century BCE though traditionally given extravagantly earlier dates. Under the name of Margu it occurs as part of one of the satrapies in the Behistun inscriptions (ca 515 BCE) of the Persian monarch Darius Hystaspis. The ancient city appears to have been refounded by Cyrus the Great (559 - 530 BCE), but the Achaemenid levels are deeply covered by later strata at the site. (See also Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex.)

Alexander the Great's visit to Merv is merely legendary, but the city was named Alexandria for a time. After Alexander's death, Merv became the chief city of a province (Margiana) of the Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanid kingdoms. On the Margus River� called the Epardus by Arrian and now the Murghab� stood the capital of the district, re-named Antiochia Margiana, ("Antioch of the Margiana" or "Antiochia in Margiana") by Antiochus Soter, who rebuilt the city, in a greatly enlarged plan, almost two kilometers across. Little of Seleucid Achiochia Margiana has been recovered, aside from remnants of the fortified outer perimeter.

After Ardashir I (ca 220-240) took Merv, the study of numismatics picks up the thread: a long unbroken direct Sassanian rule of four centuries is documented from the unbroken series of coins originally minted at Merv. Sanjan was another eminent historical city, in the neighbourhood of Merv, claimed by many Zoroastrian Parsees of India as their place of origin. Beside the official Zoroastrianism of the Sassanid dynasty, Merv was home to a range of other religious faiths and some other religious sects, including Buddhists and Manichaeans. During the 5th century CE, Merv was the seat of a Christian archbishopric of the Nestorian Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv
http://www.iranianshistoryonthisday.com/FARSI.ASP?u=&I1. x=15&I1.y=5&GD=28&GM=2

Same happend for all cities which savage mongol enterd,
Samarkhand, Bokhara, Nishapor, Esfahan,...

I agree with Maju, I also want to add that he was one of the first (and only in the Western world) to be pro-palestinian and recognize the PLO as a legitimate international entity.

That MUST have pissed off many high placed fellows.

Cheers.