ON THIS DAY

1914:

The liner Empress of Ireland carrying 1,477 passengers and crew collides with the Norwegian freighter Storstadt in the St Lawrence River in Canada. At least 1,012 people die in one of the worst maritime disasters ever.

Bing Crosby records Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. It becomes one of the best-selling songs of all time.

Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tensing Norgay of Nepal become the first people to reach the top of Mount Everest. Boris Yeltsin is elected president of Russia. The Yugoslav republic of Croatia declares itself “an independent state”.

Bob Hope, American comedian/actor (1903-2003); Sir Hubert Opperman, Australian cyclist/politician (1904-1996); Annette Bening, American actor (1958-); Noel Gallagher, British musician (1967-)

1942: 1953: 1990: 1991: Birthdays: