Today in History

1735 – Sir Robert Walpole becomes the first British prime minister to occupy 10 Downing St in London.

1862 – US President Abraham Lincoln declares all slaves in rebellious states will be free from January 1, 1863.

1914 – In World War I, German U-boats sink the British cruisers Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy in the North Sea, killing more than 1400.

1927 – Gene Tunney successfully defends his world heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in Chicago.

1931 – Coalition government in NZ formed to combat Depression.

1934 – Explosion and fire kill more than 260 miners at the Gresford Mine in Wales.

1953 – The first four-level interchange in the world opens in Los Angeles – 32 lanes of traffic weaving in eight directions at once.

1955 – Commercial TV begins in Britain in opposition to the BBC. First ad screened is for toothpaste.

1980 – Gulf War breaks out when

Iraq invades Iran in an attempt to control the Shatt al-Arab waterway.

1985 – French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius admits that French secret agents acting under orders sank the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, left, in Auckland.

1994 – Sitcom Friends, left, debuts. 1999 – The US Justice Department files a massive lawsuit accusing the tobacco industry of fraud.

2010 – Declassified US documents show former Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, a prominent member of Saddam Hussein’s inner circle, told the FBI that the dictator had no interest in partnering with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Birthdays

Anne of Cleves, German-born wife of English king Henry VIII (1515-57); Fay Weldon, UK author (1931-); Shari Belafonte, US actress (1954-); Nick Cave, Australian musician-actorauthor (1957-); Joan Jett, US rock singer (1958-); Andrea Bocelli, Italian opera singer (1958-); Martin Crowe, NZ cricketer (1962-2016); Billie Piper, UK actress (1982-).