 "History Today: When Kim Jong Un created history by crossing over to the South")
Could you imagine North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un crossing over to the South? It’s not a faraway dream because Kim did the unimaginable for many and crossed over to the South on April 27, 2018. He created history and became the first North Korean leader to cross the border, one of the world’s most heavily armed borders.
If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.
On this day in 4977 BC, the universe was created according to astronomer Johannes Kepler, a founder of modern science.
Here is all that took place on this day across the world.
Kim Jong Un made history by crossing over to South
Imagine the most heavily armed border in the world, defended by soldiers who have all sorts of weapons at their disposal to protect their respective countries. Now, imagine crossing such a border. While it may be difficult for you to imagine such a situation, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un did it on this day in 2018.
Creating history, he became the first leader to cross the border and enter South since the Korean War armistice in 1953. This symbolic moment took place in the truce village of Panmunjom within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a heavily fortified area that has long separated the two nations.
As soon as South Korean President Moon Jae-in saw Kim come out, he walked to meet his counterpart at the border so that their handshake would be at the most symbolic of locations, each leader standing on his side of the military demarcation line that separates North from South, reported IndiaTV News.
Surrounded by bodyguards and other members of his delegation, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emerged right on cue from a large building on the northern side of the border in the truce village of Panmunjom, walked down a wide flight of stairs and strolled confidently toward South Korean President Moon Jae-in to begin the historic meeting.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSmiling broadly and exchanging greetings, the two shook hands for a long time, exchanging greetings and looking from outward appearances like old friends. The historic meeting was part of a broader thaw in inter-Korean relations following months of rising tensions and missile tests from Pyongyang. The summit aimed to ease military tensions, foster reconciliation, and discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
In an unscripted and highly symbolic gesture, Moon then crossed into the North with Kim before they returned to South Korean territory to begin the summit.
The universe was created, according to Kepler
On this day in 4977 BC the universe was created, as per German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler. On April 27, 1595, Kepler noted in his personal records this momentous belief that the universe was created by aligning a cosmic and divine order. He based this idea on a blend of astronomical observations and theological reasoning.
Kepler lived during a time when science and religion were not seen as mutually exclusive. He believed that God’s design of the universe could be understood through mathematics and geometry. His work laid the foundations for modern celestial mechanics, but he also sought to harmonize scientific discovery with biblical narratives.
In his attempts to calculate the creation of the cosmos, Kepler used planetary alignments and biblical chronology, ultimately arriving at April 27, 4977 BC, as the universe’s birthday. He based this on a complex combination of scriptural interpretation and astronomical data — particularly planetary conjunctions and models of the heavens.
Though modern science places the age of the universe at around 13.8 billion years based on the Big Bang theory, Kepler’s date of April 27 holds historical importance. It highlights the fusion of scientific thought and theological interpretation that characterised the Renaissance.
This Day, That Year
On this day in 2014, Pope John Paul II was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI.
In 1992, British politician Betty Boothroyd became the first woman to be elected speaker of the House of Commons.
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