Today in History

1533 – The last emperor of the Incas, Atahuallpa, dies by strangulation at the hands of Francisco Pizarro’s conquistadors. 1792 – At least 800 people die when the British warship Royal George sinks at Spithead while repairs are being carried out below the waterline.

1882 – English cricketers lose to Australia on English soil for the first time – a mock obituary in the Sporting Times then declares the death of English cricket, saying its ashes will be taken to Australia.

1885 – The first motorcycle, built by Gottlieb Daimler in Germany, is patented.

1914 – New Zealand forces capture German Samoa during World War I to secure a wireless station.

1949 – The Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb. 1964 – Roy Orbison, left, releases

Pretty Woman. 1966 – The Beatles play their last live concert to a crowd of 25,000 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco. 2004 – Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima is attacked by a spectator while leading the marathon at the Athens Olympics. He finishes third. 2005 – Hurricane Katrina slams into the Gulf Coast, bringing devastation to New Orleans. One million people were displaced by the disaster, which caused more than 1300 deaths.

Birthdays

John Locke, English philosopher (1632-1704); Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress (1915-1982); Richard Attenborough, English actor-director (1923-2014); John McCain, US politician (1936-2018); James Brady, US press secretary, wounded during Ronald Reagan assassination attempt (1940-2014); James Hunt, British racing driver (1947-1993); Lenny Henry, British stand-up comedian (1958-); Michael Jackson, US pop star (1958-2009); Rebecca De Mornay, US actress (1959-); Che Bunce, New Zealand footballer (1975-); Lea Michele, US actress (1986-).