Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia, whose manifesto, published in January 1977, criticized the government for failing to implement the human rights provisions of its own constitution, the Helsinki Accords of 1975 and United Nations covenants. It was prompted by the arrest of members of the underground rock band The Plastic People of the Universe the year before. The first signatories, around 240 in number, included the playwright Václav Havel, the philosopher Jan Patočka and the former foreign minister Jiří Hájek. The authorities answered with arrests and interrogations, and Patočka died after police questioning in March 1977. Eventually well over a thousand people signed. Many of its members led the Velvet Revolution of 1989, and Havel became president.
Before and after
- 1977Invention of AWK
- 1977Establishment of Khangchendzonga National Park
- 1977Creation of Berkeley Software Distribution
- 1977Founding of International Fund for Agricultural Development
- 1977Rise of Charter 77
- 1977Rise of no wave
- 1977Frederick Sanger develops rapid DNA sequencing
- 15 January 1977Birth of Giorgia Meloni
- 31 January 1977Construction of Centre Georges Pompidou
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This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.