On this day in ...... 1982, in what the BBC termed "a provocative step," approximately 50 Argentinians "landed at the British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and planted their nation's flag." The British had claimed the archipelago at left in 1833. But the closest mainland country, Argentina, long had disputed this claim to control of Islas Malvinas, as they're called in Argentina. The 1982 landing touched off a series of events that led to a 2-1/2-month war, which "ended on 14 June when the commander of the Argentine garrison at Port Stanley surrendered to British troops." Disputes remain, however; the current contest is over British plans to exploit oil reserves in the area.
(Prior March 19 posts are here, here, and here)
