ON THIS DAY

1688:

France’s King Louis XIV declares war against Holy Roman Empire, called the War of the League of Augsburg.

French inventor Henri Giffard makes the first flight in a powered airship, cruising with steam power over Paris.

In the US, the CBS current affairs program 60 Minutes premieres on television.

American newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is sentenced to seven years in prison for her part in a 1974 bank robbery.

Britain publishes a dossier on Iraq’s weapons program, saying it can launch a weapon of mass destruction at just 45 minutes’ notice.

For the first time, an experimental vaccine prevents infection with the AIDS virus.

Sir William Dobell, Australian artist (1899-1970); Linda McCartney, US-born wife of Beatle Sir Paul (1941-1998).

1852: 1968: 1976: 2002: 2009: Birthdays: