Today in History

AD31 – The first Easter, according to

6th-century calendar-maker Dionysius Exiguus.

1306 – Robert the Bruce is crowned king of Scotland.

1807 – British Parliament abolishes slave trade throughout the empire.

1847 – Dr Isaac Featherston, editor of the Wellington Independent, and Colonel William Wakefield of the New Zealand Company duel over a disputed editorial written by

Featherston. Both survive unscathed.

1911 – In a tragedy that galvanised America’s labour movement, a fire at Triangle Shirtwaist Co factory in New York kills 146 female workers.

1940 – John A Lee expelled from Labour Party after attacks on the leadership.

1957 – France, West Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg sign a treaty setting up the European Economic Community (EEC) – the Common Market.

1975 – King Faisal is shot dead by his nephew, Prince Faisal. Crown Prince

Khalid takes the throne.

1992 – Returning from 10 months in space, cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, left, is given smelling salts when he learns the Soviet Union has disappeared in his absence.

1996 – The European Union moves to ban British beef, after alerts about the danger of eating meat from cows with mad cow disease.

2001 – Gladiator wins the Oscar for best picture. Its star, Russell Crowe, wins best actor.

2002 – Quake and several aftershocks in Afghanistan kill up to 2000 people and injure more than 4000. 2011 – Labour MP Darren Hughes is forced to resign after suggestions of inappropriate behaviour towards a young man.

Birthdays

Burt Munro, NZ motorcycle racer (1899-1978); David Lean, UK film director (1908-1991); Aretha Franklin, US singer (1942-2018); Richard O’Brien, UK-born actor/writer (1942-); Blair Peach, NZ activist (1946-79); Elton John, UK musician (1947-); Sarah Jessica Parker, US actor (1975-).