Live 8 concert was a string of concerts that took place in the G8 cities across the world on July 2, 2005. These concerts were organised with the main aim of raising awareness about poverty. The concert aimed to highlight UK’s Make Poverty History campaign and the Global Call for Action Against Poverty. It was also meant to put pressure on the G8 leaders, who were to meet for a G8 conference in Scotland from 6th – 8th July so that they would do something to help the poor African nations.

The concert organised by Bob Geldof of Live Aid Fame had many well-known pop icons participating in it.

More than 1,000 musicians performed in the concerts, that was broadcasted live all over the world on 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks to an estimated four billion viewers. Eminent names like Pink Floyd, Green Day, Coldplay, Elton John, U2 performed and participated. The cities that witnessed these concerts were London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Barrie, Moscow and Philadelphia.

The result of the success of these concerts could be seen even before the concerts took place on July 2. The G8 finance ministers agreed to write off the debt owed by the eighteen poorest countries of the world. After the concert when the G8 leaders met, they pledged to increase the aid money to emerging nations twice of the current budget, out of which half the money was pledged for Africa.

Other important events that took place on this day the world over:

1972: The Shimla Treaty is signed between Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The treaty was to provide guidelines and principles to both countries for maintaining a future relationship.

1976: The reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam took place on this day.

1979: The Susan B. Anthony coin officially released by the U.S. Mint in Rochester, New York.

2002: Steve Fossett is the first person to circumnavigate the world in a balloon.

Text by Tasneem Dhinojwala