Today in history: 2 important things to remember on this day

On this day in history:

1. Mary Robinson becomes the first woman elected as the president of Ireland in 1990

Mary served as president of Ireland (1990–97) and as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR; 1997–2002).

While serving as the president of Ireland, Mary adopted a much more prominent role than her predecessors. Mary was strongly committed to human rights, she was the first head of state to visit Somalia after it suffered from civil war and famine in 1992 and the first to visit Rwanda after the genocide in 1994.

2. In 1991, Magic Johnson announced to the world that he is HIV positive

Basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson stunned the world by announcing his sudden retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers, after testing positive for HIV. Magic Johnson was one of the first sports stars to go public about his HIV-positive status.

Revered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Johnson was famous for his extraordinary passing skills, contagious smile and love of the game. Today, Johnson is a prominent spokesman for AIDS awareness and a successful businessman, earning millions from a range of ventures, including movie theatres and restaurants.