939 Athelstan, 1492 Explorer

the first king to rule over all of England, dies.

Christopher Columbus reaches Cuba, thinking it is Japan, and later claims the island for Spain.

1815 Dr

William Bland, transported for duelling, receives a pardon and establishes a private medical practice in Sydney.

1900 Jimmy

Governor, hardworking Aborigine turned murderous bushranger, is wounded by gunfire and captured by settlers at Bobbin Creek near Wingham, NSW. He later hangs.

1927 Notorious

gangsters Squizzy Taylor and Snowy Cutmore die after a gun duel in Carlton, Melbourne. The two blazed away at close range.

1990 Great

Britain score a rare rugby league victory over the Kangaroos, winning 19-12 in the first Test at Wembley.

2004 Scientists

announce discovery of a skeleton of Homo floresiensis, saying it is a new species of hominid found on the Indonesian island of Flores. A striking feature is the species’ small size: only 1m tall. It is dubbed the “Hobbit”.

2005 Two

Muslim youths are accidentally electrocuted in Paris while running away from police. This provokes riots throughout France, which last for nearly three weeks with thousands of cars and public buildings torched.

2008 Billionaire

James Packer all but severs his family’s 50-year association with Channel 9 when his Consolidated Media Holdings says it will not put any more capital into PBL Media.

2019 Serial

killer Ivan Milat dies of cancer in Long Bay Hospital.