Today in History

1846 – First surgical operation under anaesthesia in Britain is performed at University College Hospital, London, by Robert Liston, who amputated the leg of a servant.

1898 – Radium is discovered by scientists Pierre and Marie Curie.

1913 – First crossword puzzle is published in weekend edition of New York World.

1937 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, first full-length feature cartoon in colour, premieres in Los Angeles.

1945 – General George Patton, commander of the US 3rd Army in World War II, dies aged 60 from injuries suffered in a car accident.

1948 – Republic of Ireland Bill is signed by president of Eire, ending the association with Britain. 1958 – Charles De Gaulle, left, is elected the first president of fifth republic of France.

1964 – More than 170 years of New Zealand whaling ends with J.A. Perano and Co catching its last whale off Kaiko¯ura.

1967 – Louis Washkansky, first heart transplant recipient, dies in Cape Town, 18 days after surgery.

1975 – Terrorists led by Carlos the Jackal raid Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting in Vienna. Eleven delegates and others are taken hostage, and two guards are killed.

1988 – A Pan Am jet explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people in the air and on the ground.

2015 – Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini are suspended from all football-related activities for eight years.

Birthdays

Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury (1119-70); Benjamin Disraeli, UK statesman-author (1804-81); Jane Fonda, US actress (1937-); Frank Zappa, US musician (1940-93); Hu Jintao, Chinese politician (1942-); Samuel L Jackson, US actor (1948-); Chris Evert, US tennis player (1954-); Leon Macdonald, NZ rugby player/coach (1977-).