Reuters historical calendar - September 21

London, Sep 20 (Reuters) Following are some of the major events that occurred on September 21 in history: 1938 - The Czech government agreed to Anglo-French plans to cede the Sudetenland to Germany.

1939 - In Romania, Prime Minister Armand Calinescu was murdered by the fascist Iron Guard.

1957 - King Haakon VII of Norway died and was succeeded by his son, Olav V.

1964 - Malta became independent after 164 years of British rule.

1974 - The American film actor Walter Brennan died. He was the first actor to win three Academy Awards and was best known for his roles in Westerns such as ''My Darling Clementine'' and ''The Westerner''.

1976 - Former Chilean cabinet minister Orlando Letelier was killed in Washington by a bomb placed in his car.

1978 - Nigeria's rulers announced a new constitution and lifted a ban on political parties that had been in effect since 1966.

1990 - Marshal Xu Xiangqian, a former Chinese defence minister and veteran of the Communist revolution, died aged 88.

1992 - The Vatican and Mexico established full diplomatic relations, ending a rift of 130 years.

1996 - The American film actress Dorothy Lamour died aged 81. She was best known for her role in the ''Road'' movies starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

1999 - An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck Taiwan, killing at least 2,321 people and injuring 8,712.

2001 - The Dow Jones industrial index of 30 blue chip companies lost 140 points, bringing its loss for the week to 14.2 per cent, second only to a 15.5 per cent drop in 1933.

2002 - France's new centre-right leaders officially disbanded President Jacques Chirac's 26-year-old Gaullist party to make way for a broader party that restored their conservative majority.

2003 - US-controlled Iraq unveiled sweeping reforms, allowing foreign investors into all sectors except oil and ending 30 years of state economic control.

2003 - NASA's Galileo space probe made a controlled, fiery crash into Jupiter, ending a 14-year mission that yielded dramatic discoveries about the largest planet and its moons.

2004 - Major cigarette makers went on trial in the US government's 0 billion case, which charged the tobacco industry with deliberately deceiving the public about the risks of smoking since the 1950s.

2005 - US President George W Bush waived sanctions against Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Ecuador, which the United States had earlier listed among the worst offenders IN human trafficking.

REUTERS PDM RAI1050