\nAustro-Hungarian Empire attacked Serbia<\/a> following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. While the war was at its peak, Britain joined it on August 4, 1914, in a bid to protect Belgium from German forces.<\/p>\n
If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers\u2019 ongoing series, STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n On this day in 1944, diarist Anne Frank, along with seven others, was captured after being discovered from the Secret Annexe in Amsterdam. In 2012, Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n Here is all that happened on this day.<\/p>\n Britain declared war on Germany<\/p>\n It was on August 4, 1914, that Britain marked its entry into The decision wasn\u2019t taken lightly. The British government, led by Prime Minister HH Asquith and Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey, had debated the implications of joining a continental war. Public opinion was initially divided, but Germany\u2019s violation of Belgian neutrality and reports of atrocities hardened support for intervention. Grey famously remarked, \u201cThe lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime,\u201d capturing the sense of looming catastrophe.<\/p>\n Britain\u2019s declaration brought its vast empire into the conflict. Troops were mobilised from across the world, including India, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Royal Navy imposed a blockade on Germany, aiming to cut off supplies and weaken its economy. Britain\u2019s involvement added military and economic weight to the Allied cause and ensured the war would be global in scale.<\/p>\n Anne Frank was captured by German police<\/p>\n The young diarist from World War II, Anne Frank, was discovered and captured along with seven others by the German police on this day in 1944. Anne, her family, and four others had evaded Nazi persecution by The raid was led by SS officer Karl Silberbauer, reportedly tipped off by an anonymous informant whose identity remains uncertain. The Nazis stormed the annexe, confiscated valuables and documents and arrested everyone inside. They were first taken to the Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands, and a month later deported to Auschwitz.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n Anne, just 15 years old at the time, was later transferred with her sister Margot to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. There, both girls died of typhus in early 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated by British forces. Otto Frank, Anne\u2019s father, was the only survivor from the annexe.<\/p>\n The first amputee runner competed at the Olympics<\/p>\n
\nHistory Today<\/a>, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.<\/p>\n
\nWorld War I<\/a> following its declaration of war on Germany. The immediate cause was Germany\u2019s invasion of Belgium, a neutral country whose independence Britain had pledged to protect under the 1839 Treaty of London. Germany\u2019s military strategy involved sweeping through Belgium to quickly attack France. Britain issued an ultimatum demanding that Germany withdraw from Belgium. When the deadline passed without compliance, Britain declared war.<\/p>\n
\nliving in a concealed space above Otto Frank\u2019s business<\/a> for over two years while relying on a small group of trusted helpers for food and news from the outside world.<\/p>\n