ON THIS DAY

1703:

Russia’s Tsar Peter the Great founds St Petersburg.

The first international radio transmission is sent when inventor Guglielmo Marconi sends a wireless message from England to France.

Germany launches its last V2 rocket, which crashes in Orpington, southeast of London.

Severe earthquake in western Turkey kills at least 1087 and leaves 90,000 homeless.

Two Boeing 747s, owned by KLM and PanAm, collide on a runway at Tenerife in Canary Islands, killing 583 people.

About 25,000 people are urged to evacuate low-lying areas of Mackay, with fears Cyclone Debbie will bring a devastating tidal surge to the region.

Andrew Farriss, Australian musician of INXS fame (1959-); Quentin Tarantino, US film director (1963-); Kimbra, New Zealand singer (1990-).

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