Sold for $82.5 Million
In June 1890, shortly before the artist's death, Vincent Van Gogh created two versions of a painting depicting his doctor, Paul Gachet. The paintings, called Portrait of Dr. Gachet, portray the doctor seated beside a foxglove plant, an extract of which is used to treat heart conditions. In 1990, 100 years after it was first painted, Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito purchased one version of the work for the record sum of $82.5 million. Why did he later threaten to have the painting burned?

State of Israel Proclaimed
In November of 1947, the UN voted on a Partition Plan for Palestine, calling for the formation of two states, one Jewish and one Arab, in what had been a British-administered territory. The Arab leadership rejected this plan, arguing that it violated the rights of the 67 percent of the population who were not Jewish. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was declared in the territory that the Partition Plan allotted. The next day, five Arab states declared war on Israel. How did this war end?

Ecuador Gains Independence from Greater Columbia
Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, Ecuador was controlled by the Inca empire. Francisco Pizarro's subordinate, Benalcazar, entered the area in 1533. Not finding the wealth of the mythical El Dorado, he and other conquistadors moved restlessly on, and the region became a colonial backwater. After an abortive independence movement in 1809, the region remained under Spanish control. It was liberated by Antonio Jose de Sucre and was joined to Greater Colombia by what famous revolutionary?