Today in History

1580 – Francis Drake brings the Golden Hind, laden with gold and spices, into Plymouth harbour, England, becoming the first captain to circumnavigate the globe.

1777 – British troops occupy Philadelphia during the American Revolution. 1789 – Thomas Jefferson, right, is appointed America’s first Secretary of State.

1865 – New Zealand passes the Native Rights Act, declaring all Māori to be British subjects.

1907 – New Zealand becomes a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth.

1918 – Allies launch offensive that eventually breaks Germany’s Hindenburg Line in World War I.

1950 – United Nations forces recapture Seoul, South Korea.

1983 – Australia II wins America’s Cup yachting series, the first US loss in 132 years.

1984 – Britain and China initial agreement that will return Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997.

1989 – Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze tells UN General Assembly that Moscow will join United States in reducing or destroying all chemical weapons.

2005 – The Irish Republican Army announces it has fully disarmed, a breakthrough verified by international weapons inspectors who say they watched the secret disarmament.

2007 – Mounting pro-democracy protests against Myanmar’s military government erupt into bloodshed for the first time, with one man shot dead.

2013 – The Oracle syndicate beats Team New Zealand 9-8 in the America’s Cup series, after coming back from an 8-1 deficit.

Birthdays

TS Eliot, US-born poet (1888-1965); George Gershwin, US songwriter (1898-1937); Bryan Ferry, English singer (1945-); Olivia Newton-John, Australian singer/actress (1948-); Serena Williams, US tennis player (1981-).