TODAY IN HISTORY

96

After the assassination of Domitian, Nerva is proclaimed Roman emperor.

1850

Tthe US Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Law, in a compromise which requires officials in the North to help return runaway slaves to their owners in the South.

1860

Italian troops under Count Camillo Cavour defeat papal forces at Castelfidardo.

1918

Australian troops spearhead attack at Le Verguier on the Hindenburg line.

1961

UN secretary-general Dag Hammarskjold dies in a plane crash in Africa while trying to arrange a ceasefire in the Republic of the Congo.

1970

US rock star Jimi Hendrix dies at 27 in London after taking a cocktail of drugs and choking to death on his own vomit.

1975

Patty Hearst is arrested at San Francisco after a 19-month search.

1988

Burma’s military commander San Maung overthrows Burma’s civilian president Maung Maung in coup.

2000

At the Sydney Olympics, Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband shocks Ian Thorpe to win the 200m freestyle gold, equalling his own world record of 1:45.35.

2008

Britt Lapthorne, 21, of Melbourne, goes missing after leaving friends at a nightclub in Dubrovnik, Croatia. A decomposed and dismembered body found in a cove near Dubrovnik town centre, on October 6, is later confirmed as hers.

2019

A photo emerges of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wearing brown makeup on his face at an Arabian Nights party at a private school he was teaching at in 2001, causing the PM acute embarrassment. He later apologises.