Today in history

1743 – Handel’s oratorio Messiah has its London premiere.

1839 – The initials O.K. are first published, in The Boston Morning Post. They are an abbreviation for ‘‘oll korrect’’, a popular misspelling of ‘‘all correct’’.

1848 – The ship John Wickliffe arrives at Port Chalmers, bringing the first Scottish settlers to Otago.

1857 – Elisha Otis installs his first elevator, in New York City.

1919 – Benito Mussolini founds the fascist movement in Italy.

1933 – German Reichstag grants Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers until April 1937.

1956 – Pakistan becomes an Islamic Republic.

1966 – Archbishop of Canterbury meets the Pope in Rome, the first meeting between the heads of the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches for 400 years.

1981 – UK ‘‘great train robber’’ Ronald Biggs is taken into custody in Barbados after abduction from Brazil.

1983 – Dr Barney Clark dies in the US,

112 days after being the first person to receive an artificial heart.

1998 – James Cameron-directed Titanic wins 11 Oscars, equalling the record set by Ben-Hur in 1959.

2001 – Mir space station returns to Earth in pieces, ending its 15-year odyssey.

2010 – US President Barack Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which for the first time cements insurance cover as the right of every US citizen.

2011 – British-born actress

Taylor, left, dies, aged 79.

Birthdays

Michael Joseph Savage, NZ prime minister (1872-1940); Leslie Andrew, NZ Victoria Cross recipient (1872-1969); Frank Sargeson, NZ author (1903-82); Joan Crawford, US actress (1908-77); Allan Hubbard, NZ businessman (1928-2011); Roger Bannister, UK athlete (1929-2018); Lloyd Jones, NZ author (1955-); Simon Barnett, NZ broadcaster (1967-); Michael Atherton, UK cricketer (1968-); Mo Farah, UK athlete (1983-).