ON THIS DAY

1066

An angry mob storms the palace at Granada, a city in what is today Spain, crucifies Joseph ibn Naghrela, the Jewish vizier to the king of Granada, and then massacres most of the population of the city.

1460

The Battle of Wakefield is fought in Northern England, resulting in a victory for the Lancastrians and a severe blow to the Yorkists with the death of Richard the Duke of York.

1835

The HMS Beagle, with naturalist Charles Darwin aboard, sets sail from New Zealand to Sydney.

1905

Franz Lehar’s operetta The Merry Widow premieres in Vienna. It will run for 483 performances and become a popular favourite around the world.

1916

The last coronation of a monarch in AustriaHungary is performed for King Charles IV and Queen Zita. The monarchy would cease to exist in Hungary after World War I.

1948

Cole Porter’s musical Kiss Me, Kate opens at Broadway’s New Century Theatre in New York. It runs for 1077 performances and is the first show to win the Best Musical Tony Award.

1972

The highest wave measured using instruments was recorded at 26.3m in the North Atlantic by the British Weather Reporter.

1979

Broadway composer Richard Rodgers dies at the age of 77. He is best known for musicals such as Babes In Arms, written with Lorenz Hart, and The Sound Of Music, written with Oscar Hammerstein.

1999

Former Beatle George Harrison fights off a knife-wielding intruder at his mansion.

2006

A huge funeral service is held for the late soul singer James Brown (above) at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia.

2011

Comedian Russell Brand and singer Katy Perry announce they are getting a divorce after a 14-month marriage.