Azerbaijan in History

Historical Events

  • 1918-05-28 Azerbaijan gains independence and declares itself a Democratic Republic
  • 1918-08-17 British troops attack Baku, Azerbaijan
  • 1920-04-28 Azerbaijan SSR joins USSR (1st time)
  • 1924-02-09 Nakhichevan ASSR constituted within Azerbaijan SSR
  • 1936-12-05 Armenian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Georgian SSR, Kazakh SSR & Kirghiz SSR becomes constituent republics of Soviet Union

BattleExecution

1937-11-01 Stalinists execute by shooting Pastor Paul Hamberg and seven members of Azerbaijan's Lutheran community (including three women).

Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin
Soviet General Secretary
Joseph Stalin
  • 1988-02-28 Anti-Armenian pogrom in Azerbaijan, 30 killed
  • 1990-01-20 Black January - crackdown of Azerbaijani pro-independence demonstrations by Soviet army in Baku

Event of interestEvent of Interest

1990-01-22 President Mikhail Gorbachev sends Red Troops into the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan

Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev
Soviet General Secretary
Mikhail Gorbachev
  • 1992-02-25 Khojaly massacre: about 613 civilians killed by Armenian armed forces during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan
  • 1994-03-17 Iran transport aircraft crashes in Azerbaijan (32 killed)
  • 2000-11-25 Earthquake in Baku, Azerbaijan
  • 2001-07-24 An Iranian warship in the Caspian Sea threatens a BP oil exploration ship off the coast of Azerbaijan
  • 2005-12-23 Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan crashes shortly after takeoff killing 23 people.
  • 2011-05-14 56th Eurovision Song Contest: Ell & Nikki for Azerbaijan wins singing "Running Scared" in Dusseldorf
  • 2013-02-07 Azerbaijan launches its first satellite, Azerspace-1
  • 2018-09-23 Mud volcano, the Otman-Bozdag, erupts 300m (980ft) high, near Baku, Azerbaijan
  • 2018-11-08 Azerbaijan woman who spent £16m in Harrods granted bail in UK after being arrested for suspested embezzlement under new laws

Famous Birthdays

  • 1865-04-23 Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general, born in Kazakhli, Russian Empire (d. 1943)
  • 1885-09-17 Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Soviet composer who composed the anthem used by Azerbaijan during the Soviet period, born in Agjabadi, Russian Empire (d. 1948)
  • 1885-09-18 Muslim Magomayev, Azerbaijani-Soviet composer, born in Grozny, Chechen Republic, Russia (d. 1937)
  • 1897-04-25 Haro Levoni Step'anian, Armenian composer, born in Ganja, Azerbaijan (d. 1966)
  • 1918-02-05 Gara Garayev [Kara Karayev], Soviet-Azerbaijani composer (Seven Beauties), born in Baku (d. 1982)
  • 1919-05-08 Soltan Hajibeyov, Azerbaijani composer and People's Artist of the USSR, born in Shusha, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (d. 1974)
  • 1922-11-22 Fikret Amirov, Azerbaijani-Soviet composer (Azerbaijan Capriccio, Shur), born in Ganja, Azerbaijan (d. 1984)
  • 1923-05-10 Heydar Aliyev, Ex-President and Leader of Azerbaijan Republic (d. 2003)
  • 1927-03-27 Mstislav Leopold Rostropovich, Soviet-Russian cellist and conductor, born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR (d. 2007)
  • 1928-07-16 Bella Davidovich, Jewish Soviet-American pianist (Chopin, Beethoven, Ravel), born in Baku, Azerbaijan
  • 1928-11-29 Tahir Salahov, Azerbaijani painter
  • 1931-01-15 Murad Kazhlayev, Soviet and Dagestani composer, born in Baku, Azerbaijan
  • 1941-04-15 Roman Balayan, Ukrainian-Armenian director (Filer, Biryuk), born in Nerkin Horatagh, Nagorno-Karabakh AO, Azerbaijan
  • 1947-12-10 Rəsul Quliyev, Azerbaijani politician, born in Qazanci, Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan
  • 1954-06-30 Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian politician, President of Armenia (2008-18), born in Stepanakert, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
  • 1961-12-24 Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan Republic, born in Baku, Azerbaijan

Person of interestGarry Kasparov

1963-04-13 Gary Kasparov, Russian chess player (world champion 1985-93), born in Baku, Azerbaijan

Chess Grandmaster and Political Activist Garry Kasparov
Chess Grandmaster and Political Activist
Garry Kasparov
  • 1973-04-20 Isabel Dos Santos, Angolan businesswoman, daughter of ex-President José Eduardo dos Santos, Africa's richest woman, born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR

Famous Deaths

  • 1937-07-28 Muslim Magomayev, Azerbaijani-Soviet composer, dies at 51
  • 1943-08-18 Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general, dies at 78
  • 1948-11-23 Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Soviet composer who composed the anthem used by Azerbaijan during the Soviet period, dies at 63
  • 1974-09-09 Soltan Hajibeyov, Azerbaijani composer and People's Artist of the USSR, dies at 55
  • 1982-05-13 Gara Garayev [Kara Karayev], Soviet-Azerbaijani composer (Seven Beauties), dies at 64
  • 1984-02-20 Fikret Amirov, Azerbaijani-Soviet composer (Azerbaijan Capriccio, Shur), dies at 61
  • 1989-06-09 Rashid Behbudov, Azerbaijani singer and actor (b. 1915)
  • 1992-07-15 Chingiz Mustafayev, Azerbaijan's most noted journalist (b. 1960)
  • 2003-12-12 Heydər Əliyev, President of Azerbaijan (b. 1923)