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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Émile Zola Is Put on Trial for Publishing J'Accuse (1898)
Tue, 7 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT
A Jewish officer in the French army, Alfred Dreyfus was falsely convicted of treason in 1894. When officers discovered that the evidence against Dreyfus was false?and that he was most likely a victim of anti-Semitism?they covered it up. Writer Émile Zola exposed the scandal by publishing in a newspaper an open letter titled "J'accuse." Zola was tried and convicted of criminal libel but fled the country, which was divided by the scandal. What happened to Dreyfus and Zola? Discuss

Treaty of Waitangi Establishes New Zealand as a British Colony (1840)
Mon, 6 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT
Though considered the founding document of New Zealand as a nation, the Treaty of Waitangi has been the subject of much debate since it was signed by representatives of the British crown and Maori chiefs in 1840. It gave Britain control of New Zealand while recognizing the native inhabitants' land rights. However, the English and Maori texts differed, leading to many controversies over its stipulations. In 1913, one of the treaty documents was restored after having been partially eaten by what?

United Artists Film Studio Is Founded (1919)
Sun, 5 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT
In 1919, four of the leading figures in Hollywood?Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Douglas Fairbanks?decided to form their own film studio to better control their own work. Though initially successful, United Artists foundered as films became more expensive to produce. It was taken over in the 1950s and began to thrive again until the 80s, when it was bought by the studio MGM. What famous actor announced plans to resurrect United Artists in 2006 as part owner of the company?