G. Kraaijeveld
British Occupation of Hong Kong Island
British forces landed on Hong Kong Island and claimed it in the name of the Crown following the First Opium War.
The Maidan Revolution – Dignity and Defiance
The Maidan uprising — known in Ukraine as the **Revolution of Dignity** — erupted when President Yanukovych abandoned an EU agreement under Kremlin pressure. What began as a protest for European integration became a national revolt against corruption, repression, and foreign domination.
The Orange Revolution – Ukraine’s Peaceful Uprising
In late 2004, tens of thousands of Ukrainians filled the streets of Kyiv to protest a rigged presidential election. The Orange Revolution marked a turning point in Ukraine’s democratic identity and exposed the geopolitical tug-of-war between Russia and the West.
Warsaw Pact Formation – The Eastern Bloc Unites
In May 1955, the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European states signed a mutual defense treaty in Warsaw, creating the Warsaw Pact. It solidified the division of Europe and institutionalized the Soviet bloc in direct opposition to NATO.
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (b. 1952) is a Russian political leader, serving as President of Russia for multiple terms since 1999, with an earlier career in the KGB and later in the mayoral administration of St. Petersburg.
