Today in History

1704 – The first regularly issued American newspaper starts publication.

1877 – American federal troops are ordered out of New Orleans, ending the North’s post-Civil War rule in the South.

1898 – Spain declares war on United States after receiving US ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba.

1916 – Some 1600 Irish nationalists launch the Easter uprising by seizing several key sites in Dublin. The rising is put down by British forces several days later.

1920 – Edward, Prince of Wales visits New Zealand partly to thank the Dominion for its contribution to the Empire’s war effort.

1922 – NZ holds its first Poppy Day, left, to fundraise for veterans. 1951 – NZ suffers its first battlefield casualty of the Korean War with the death of Second Lieutenant Dennis Fielden.

1980 – The United States launches an abortive attempt to free

American hostages in Iran. Eight US servicemen die.

1990 – The US space shuttle Discovery takes the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit.

1991 – South African government announces it will uphold agreement with African National Congress to free all political prisoners by April 30.

1993 – Commandos break into the cockpit of a commandeered Indian Airlines plane in Amritsar, India, shoot dead the hijacker and free 141 people.

2003 – Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela, is convicted of fraud and theft in Pretoria, South Africa, and sentenced to five years in prison.

Birthdays

Edmund Cartwright, English inventor of first power loom (1743-1823); Barbra Streisand, US actress-entertainer (1942-); Eric Bogosian, US actor (1953-); Kelly Clarkson, US pop/rock singer (1982-); Lydia Ko, South Koreanborn NZ golfer (1997-).