ON THIS DAY

323BC: Death of Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, of malaria aged 33.

1878: The phonograph is demonstrated for the first time at the Royal Society of Victoria.

1886: Mysterious death by drowning of Bavaria’s “Mad” King Ludwig.

1945: Australian forces capture Brunei.

1951: Death of Ben Chifley, Australian Labor prime minister (1945-49).

1971: Australian woman Geraldine Brodrick gives birth to nine babies.

1990: East Germany begins final demolition of the Berlin Wall.

2016: Microsoft agrees to buy LinkedIn for $US26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal.

Birthdays: William Butler Yeats, Irish poet (18651939); Slim Dusty, Australian country singer (1927-2003); Red Symons, Australian musician and TV personality (1949-).