 "History Today: When the United Nations backed two-state partition in Palestine")
The United Nations General Assembly voted for the partition of British-mandated Palestine into two independent states one Jewish and one Arab, on November 29, 1947. The vote marked a decisive turning point in West Asia’s history.
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On this day in 1899, FC Barcelona was founded on November 29, 1899, by a group of football enthusiasts led by Swiss-born sports pioneer Joan Gamper.
Here is all that took place on this day across the world.
UN approved resolution for the partition of Palestine
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted to approve Resolution 181, a landmark decision that called for the partition of British-mandated Palestine into two independent states on November 29, 1947. One state was for Jews while the other was for Arabs, with Jerusalem placed under an international administration. This laid the groundwork for the creation of the State of Israel and the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
After World War II, global attention intensified on Palestine, where tensions had grown between Jewish and Arab communities. Jewish immigration had increased sharply during the 1930s and 1940s as refugees fled persecution in Europe. Zionist leaders sought an independent Jewish homeland, while Palestinian Arabs opposed further immigration and demanded self-determination in a unified state. Britain, unable to resolve the competing claims, referred the issue to the newly formed United Nations.
The UN Special Committee on Palestine recommended partition as the only viable solution. The proposed plan allocated roughly 55 per cent of the land to the Jewish state and 45 per cent to the Arab state, despite Jews comprising about one-third of the population at the time. Jerusalem, sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, would be governed under an international regime to avoid sectarian conflict.
The General Assembly vote included 33 in favour, 13 against, and 10 abstentions. Jewish communities, which viewed the decision as a historic step toward sovereignty after centuries of displacement, celebrated the move. Conversely, the Arab world rejected the plan, arguing it violated the rights of the Arab majority and amounted to unjust land division.
Violence erupted almost immediately between Jewish and Arab militias, escalating into full-scale war after Israel declared independence in May 1948.
FC Barcelona was founded
One of the world’s most iconic football clubs, FC Barcelona, was founded on November 29, 1899, in the Catalan capital. The club was formed by a group of football enthusiasts led by Swiss-born sports pioneer Joan Gamper.
The club’s origins can be traced to a small advertisement Gamper placed in a local sports magazine, inviting players interested in forming a football team. The call attracted eleven players of diverse nationalities, including Swiss, English, Spanish, and Catalan. This reflected the cosmopolitan character that went on to shape the club from its earliest days.
The founding meeting took place at the Solé Gymnasium in Barcelona. The group unanimously agreed to create a team under the name Foot-Ball Club Barcelona, with Gamper serving as captain and Walter Wild appointed as its first president. The club adopted blue and garnet as its colours, a choice typically attributed either to Gamper’s Swiss roots or to the colours of the gym where the first meetings occurred. Over time, these colours became known simply as blaugrana, a symbol of Catalan pride and identity.
FC Barcelona quickly grew into more than just a football club. From its early years, it became intertwined with Catalan culture, language, and political aspirations. The motto “Més que un club” (More than a club), adopted later, captured the essence of the team’s identity as a symbol of regional pride in times of both cultural flourishing and political repression.
The club played its first matches on improvised pitches before eventually moving to established grounds as its popularity soared. By the early 20th century, Barcelona had emerged as a dominant force in Spanish football, winning its first trophies and building a passionate fan base known as culers.
This Day, That Year
US President Lyndon B Johnson appointed the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963.
Prussia and Austria signed the Punctation of Olmütz, an agreement regulating the two powers’ relations on this day in 1850.
Author Louisa May Alcott, who is best known for her novel Little Women, was born in Pennsylvania in 1832.
With inputs from agencies
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