TODAY IN HISTORY

331BC

Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia at the Battle of Gaugamela, marking the end of the Persian empire.

1788

The Sirius leaves Port Jackson for Cape Town to get supplies.

1798

Sydney’s first church is destroyed by fire, apparently deliberately. The wattle-and-daub church was at the corner of Bligh and Hunter Sts.

1850

Sydney University, Australia’s first such academy, is founded by the signing of an act of incorporation.

1908

The T-model Ford goes on sale in the US. The two-seat “tin Lizzy” costs $850.

1982

The world’s first compact disc player to be sold commercially, CDP-101, is launched by Sony.

1985

The Melbourne synod of the Anglican Church votes to become the first in Australia to allow the ordination of women as deacons.

2000

The Olympic Games close in Sydney with a huge fireworks display. IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch calls them “The best Olympic Games ever”.

2005

Three suicide bombers in Bali kill 23 people, including four Australians and themselves, in three attacks.

2017

Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old retiree, opens fire at concert goers attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. He kills 58 people before shooting himself. His motive remains unknown.

2019

Violence escalates in Hong Kong as protesters try to embarrass the

Chinese government during celebrations of the 70th anniversary of communist rule.