Today in History

1914 – Forty-three miners are killed in an explosion at Huntly.

1940 – A collection of prehistoric cave paintings are discovered in France by four teenagers who were following their dog down a narrow entrance into a cavern.

1942 – A German U-boat sinks a British troop ship, the Laconia, killing more than 1400 men.

1953 – John F Kennedy marries

Jacqueline Bouvier, right.

1959 – Soviet Union launches Luna 2, the first spacecraft to reach the Moon.

1970 – Palestinian guerrillas blow up three hijacked planes in Jordan.

1981 – Protesters against the Springbok tour take their opposition to new heights in a Cessna aircraft. While protesters on the ground fire flares, Marx Jones and Grant Cole pepper Eden Park with flour bombs. The All Blacks won the test 25-22.

2003 – Country singer Johnny Cash dies, aged 71.

2012 – Terrorists launch an assault on a United States CIA annexe in Benghazi, Libya, after attacking the nearby US consulate the previous night. Ambassador Chris Stevens is among those killed.

2014 – Olympian Oscar Pistorius is found guilty of culpable homicide after the death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The ruling is later overturned and he is jailed for 13 years and five months’ for murder.

Birthdays

Jesse Owens, US athlete (1913-1980); Doug Kidd, New Zealand politician (1941-); Max Walker, Australian cricketer and television personality (1948-2016); Barry White, US singer-songwriter (1944-2003); Irina Rodnina, Russian figure skater and politician (1949-); Andy Earl, NZ rugby player (1961-); Paul Walker, US actor (1973-2013); Belinda Colling, NZ netball player (1975-); Yao Ming, Chinese basketball player (1980-); Jennifer Hudson, US actress and singer (1981-); Emmy Rossum, US actress and singer (1986-).