ON THIS DAY

1066: William the Conqueror lands at Pevensey, Sussex, and begins the Norman Conquest of England.

1745: British national anthem God Save the King is first performed at London’s Drury Lane Theatre.

1872: The Brisbane general post office opens.

1962: Fire destroys a Brisbane tram depot and 67 tramcars at a cost of $2.59 million, hastening the demise of the city’s tram system.

1973: The Sydney Opera House opens after 16 years of building at a cost of $100 million.

1991: Death of Miles Davis, considered the father of “cool jazz” for his muted trumpet playing.

2000: At the Sydney Olympics race leader Jane Saville is heartbreakingly disqualified only metres from the finish line in the women’s 20km walk.

Brigitte Bardot, French actress (1934); Ben E King, US singer (1938-2015); Naomi Watts, Australian actress (1968-).