Today in History

1499 – Perkin Warbeck, a pretender claiming to be the ‘‘lost’’ son of Edward IV, is hanged in London.

1890 – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is separated from the Netherlands.

1932 – Kingdoms of Nejd and Hejaz merge to become Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud.

1936 – Life magazine, created by

American Henry Luce, is first published.

1947 – Civic funeral service for the 41 people killed in a fire at the Ballantynes department store,

left, in Christchurch.

1971 – China takes seat as a permanent member of UN Security Council.

1993 – Record cold is blamed for at least 34 deaths in parts of Europe and prompts the French army to send out troops to feed the homeless in Paris.

1998 – The European Union lifts a worldwide export ban on British beef. The ban was imposed after experts announced a possible link between "mad cow" disease and a fatal disease in humans.

1999 – Kuwait’s Parliament rejects a decree giving women the right to vote and run for office.

2006 – National Party leader Don Brash quits after continuing speculation about his leadership, clearing the way for John Key to take the position.

2006 – In London, a rare radioactive substance is used to kill ex-KGB spy turned Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, who called Russian President Vladimir Putin "barbaric and ruthless" and blamed him personally for the poisoning.

Birthdays

Billy the Kid, outlaw, probably born Henry McCarty (1859-81); Boris Karloff, British-born actor (1887-1969); Bruce Edgar, NZ cricketer (1956-); Martin Snedden, NZ cricketer (1958-); Mojo Mathers, former Green MP (1966-); Miley Cyrus, singer/actor (1992-).