Today in History

1798 – Ferdinand IV of Naples declares war on France and enters Rome.

1877 – Education Act establishes free, compulsory and secular education for all Pa¯keha¯ children in New Zealand. Ma¯ori children can attend if their parents wish.

1893 – Elizabeth Yates, right, is elected mayor of Onehunga, the first female mayor in the British Empire.

1922 – Archaeologists announce they have found fabulous treasures in the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt. 1929 – US Navy Lieutenant Richard E Byrd radios that he has made first aircraft flight over South Pole. 1947 – United Nations announces plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab entities, with Jerusalem under UN control. 1949 – Iriaka Ra¯tana elected first female Ma¯ori MP.

1981 – US actress Natalie Wood drowns in mysterious

circumstances after a yacht party.

1997 – France passes a nationality law that allows citizenship for children born in France of foreign parents.

1999 – Northern Ireland’s rival parties form a Unionist-nationalist government that requires bitter enemies to share power for the first time. 2005 – In the first major ruling of Pope Benedict’s reign, the Vatican imposes restrictions on homosexuals entering the Catholic priesthood, saying men must first overcome any "transitory" gay tendencies.

Birthdays

Giovanni Bellini, Italian artist (1426-1516); Louisa May Alcott, US author (1832-1888); C S Lewis, British author (1898-1963); Jacques Chirac, French politician (1932-); John Mayall, British blues musician (1933-); Andrew Mccarthy, US actor (1962-); Don Cheadle, US actor (1964-); Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer (1973-); Aaron Mauger, NZ rugby player/coach (1980-).