27 August

Nihil novi sub sole. On 27 August 1986, South African police opened fire with tear gas on 500 people who had marched to the council offices in Soweto, in protest against evictions following an 11 week rent boycot.  Twelve people died as a result and more than 60 were wounded.

A different kind of "fire": in 1941, Reza Shah of Iran was forced to abdicate after the invasion of Iran by Britain and Russia, who suspected him of Nazi sympathies.  A month later he was succeeded by his son Mohammad Reza. Reza Shah died in exile in Johannesburg in 1944. 

And yet another fire-related story: 1892 the Metropolitan Opera House in New York (the "Old Met") was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt along its original lines until it was closed in 1966 and replaced by the current Met at Lincoln Centre.  Despite efforts to save the old building, it was demolished in 1967 to make place for a 40-storey office building. 

The most fiery of all was the final large explosion of Krakatoa (see yesterday) that took place on 27 August 1883.

And now for something cooler: the first, 197-page, edition of the Guinness Book of World Records was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British best-seller lists by the end of that year.  It has remained a favourite item under Christmas trees ever since.