Siege of Saïo the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, proclaimed the colony of "Africa Orientale Italiana" (AOI, Italian East Africa), formed from Ethiopia (after the Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, fought 3 October 1935 – May 1936) and the existing Italian possessions of Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. On 10 June 1940, Mussolini declared war on Britain and France, which made Italian military forces in Libya a threat to Egypt and those in Italian East Africa a danger to the British and French colonies in East Africa. Italian belligerence also closed the Mediterranean to Allied merchant ships and endangered British supply routes
Independence Day (Bahrain) 16 December as National Day, to coincide with the day that former ruler Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ascended to the throne. As such, 16 December is a national holiday and is usually celebrated with firework displays. Independence Day (Bahrain) Bahrain Independence Day occurred on 15 August 1971, when the country declared independence from the British following a United Nations survey of the Bahraini population. The British announced the withdrawal of their troops east of Suez in the early 1960s. Bahrain declared its independence on 15 August 1971, marked by the signing of a friendship treaty with the British that