Today’s birthdays
TODAY is Tuesday, September 20, the 263rd day of 2022. There are 102 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date:
1440 — Eton public school is founded by Henry VI.
1519 — Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Spain on a global voyage to find a western passage to the Indies, but is killed on the way. The expedition flagship, Nau Victoria, commanded by Juan Sebastian Elcano, circles the world.
1746 — With the help of Flora McDonald, young pretender Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart) flees to France from Scotland following his unsuccessful attempt to capture the British throne.
1839 — William Wakefield and the New Zealand Company arrive at Port Nicholson to establish a settlement.
1854 — In the Crimean War, a combined BritishFrench force of 26,000 under Lord Raglan defeats a Russian force of 40,000 under Prince Menshikov at the
Battle of Alma.
1871 — Mosgiel Woollen Mill begins operations. The mill is the first commercial factory to produce wool cloth in New Zealand.
1883 — The foundation stone for the new bridge across the Molyneux (Clutha) River at Roxburgh is laid. The old bridge was washed away in 1878 and the new bridge was opened to traffic in 1887.
1895 —The Family Homes Protection Act comes into force in New Zealand. Its objective is to prevent homes from being mortgaged or sold to recoup debt.
1912 — Tapanui Hospital is opened by Mr J.H. Walker, chairman of the Dunedin Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.
1916 — Sir Henry Wigram registers the Canterbury (New Zealand) Aviation Co.
1949 — In line with other Commonwealth countries, the New Zealand pound is devalued against the US dollar by 30%.
1954 — The Oswald Mazengarb special report on juvenile and moral delinquency is released and a copy sent to every home in New Zealand.
1957 — Keith Jacka Holyoake takes over as prime minister after Sidney Holland retires because of ill health.
Holyoake serves until the National Government is ousted at the general election in December by the Walter Nashled Labour Party. Holyoake retains leadership of the National Party, which is returned to power in December 1960.
United States civilrights activist Martin Luther King jun is seriously wounded at a New York City department store when an apparently deranged black woman stabs him in the chest.
1963 — The first baby in the world to be born following prenatal blood transfusions is born in Auckland; US president John F. Kennedy goes before the United Nations General Assembly and proposes a joint USSoviet expedition to the moon.
1967 — British liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched at Clydebank,
1958—
1979 — A procession of workers in Queen St, Auckland, marks the first nationwide general strike called by the Federation of Labour.
2000 — Britain’s MI6 spy headquarters is hit by a small missile fired from a rocketlauncher in a highprofile strike at the intelligence services.
2014 — New Zealand goes to the polls and returns the John Keyled National
Party in a landslide victory. The party gained a third term with an increased vote count, the first time a party had won a third term with an increased majority in 90 years. Labour’s fortunes continued to decline, its support of 25.1% the lowest since 1922.
George William Smith, New Zealand champion jockey, athlete, All Black and rugby league international (18741954); Lance Todd, New Zealand rugby league international (18741942); Sir Herbert (Richard) Wild, New Zealand chief justice (191278); Sophia Loren, Italian actress (1934); Anthony Gareljich (Tony Garea), New Zealand professional wrestler (1946); Carol Waller, New Zealand football international (1949); Stephen Boock, New Zealand cricketer (1951); Graeme Hart, New Zealand journalist, author and historian (19522010); Michael Hurst, New Zealand actor (1957); Lorraine Taylor, New Zealand football international (1961); Kristen Johnston, US actress (1967); Todd Blackadder, All Black (1971); Michael Fitchett, New Zealand basketball international (1982);
New Zealandborn sailor (1995); Sammi Hanratty, US actress (1995).