ON THIS DAY

1814: Napoleon with a force of 37,000 defeats 90,000 Prussians under Bluecher at the battle of Craonne in France.

1918: The Bolsheviks change their name to the Russian Communist Party.

1926: The first successful trans-Atlantic radiotelephone conversation takes place, between New York City and London.

1936: Germany violates Treaty of Versailles by occupying demilitarised zone in the Rhineland.

1971: Women in Switzerland achieve the right to vote and to hold office.

2017: The ABC announces it will axe a fifth of its management and plough millions of dollars worth of savings into making new content and beefing up its presence in regional Australia.

Austen Tayshus, Australian comedian (1954-); Bryan Cranston, US actor (1956-); Rik Mayall, British comedian (1958-2014).