Today in History

1586 – Walter Raleigh, right, brings the first lot of tobacco to England from Virginia.

1794 – Maximilien Robespierre, the architect of the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, is overthrown and arrested.

1830 – July Revolution starts in Paris in reaction to restrictive policies of Charles X.

1866 – The first successful transAtlantic telegraph cable between England and the United States is completed.

1921 – Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best isolate insulin for the first time.

1949 – The British De Havilland Comet, the first jet-propelled airliner, makes its maiden flight. 1953 – An armistice is signed at Panmunjom, in practice ending the Korean War.

1963 – Pioneer aviator George Bolt, who took New Zealand’s first aerial photographs, dies.

1974 – The House Judiciary

Committee recommends US President Richard Nixon’s impeachment over Watergate. 1990 – English cricketer Graham Gooch scores 333 against India at Lord’s.

2002 – During an air show in Ukraine, a fighter jet crashes into a crowd, killing 85 people.

2003 – Bob Hope, the British-born US comedy legend, dies aged 100. 2012 – London opens its Olympics, with the ceremony featuring a stunt double for the Queen parachuting into the stadium.

Birthdays

Donald Crisp, English actor (1882-1974); Geoffrey de Havilland, English aircraft designer (1882-1965); Juliet Marillier, New Zealand-born novelist (1948-); Cliff Curtis, NZ actor (1968-); Allan Border, Australian cricketer (1955-); Christopher Dean, English ice skater (1958-); Gorden Tallis, Australian rugby league player (1973-); Alex Rodriguez, US baseball player (1975-); Jonathan RhysMeyers, Irish actor (1977-); Jordan Spieth, US golfer (1993-).