ON THIS DAY

1912:

Approval given to form a military flying school: the Australian Flying Corps, the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force.

United States President John F Kennedy goes before United Nations General Assembly and proposes joint US-Soviet expedition to the moon.

Belize achieves independence from Britain. French voters barely approve of Maastricht Treaty on European Union, by 51 per cent.

Ships rescue thousands of villagers as two volcanoes erupt in Papua New Guinea.

Britain’s MI6 spy headquarters is hit by a small missile fired from a rocket launcher in a high-profile strike at the intelligence services.

Sophia Loren, Italian film actress (1934-); George RR Martin, Game of Thrones author (1948:); Tim Rogers, Australian rock musician (1969-).

1963: 1981: 1992: 1994: 2000: Birthdays: