ON THIS DAY

1556: France’s King Henry II renews war against Hapsburgs in Italy.

1796: British force captures island of Elba.

1822: Royal Agricultural Society of NSW formed.

1943: A German offensive on the Soviet front begins with Battle of Kursk in World War II.

1945: Prime Minister John Curtin, 60, who has led Australia for most of World War II, dies.

1954: Elvis Presley has his first recording session in Memphis, Tennessee.

1967: Israel annexes Gaza.

1987: Australian Pat Cash wins men’s singles at Wimbledon.

2014: Ukrainian troops force pro-Russian insurgents out of stronghold in the country’s east.

Birthdays: US circus pioneer Phineas T. Barnum (1810-1891); English tycoon and South African politician Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902); Australian boxing champion Jimmy Carruthers (1929-1990).