Today in History

1519 – Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortez reaches Mexico City.

1520 – The bloodbath of Stockholm as Swedes loyal to Denmark’s Christian II execute over 80 political opponents in a central square.

1674 – Death of English poet John Milton, right.

1793 – Louvre Museum in Paris opens to public.

1895 – Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, German physicist, discovers X-rays.

1936 – New Zealanders Griff Maclaurin and Steve Yates march into Madrid with International Column of anti-fascist volunteers, to defend the city against General Francisco Franco. Both are killed within two days of fighting.

1939 – Seven people are killed in a bombing at a Munich beer hall just after a speech by Adolf Hitler.

1942 – Allied forces begin landings in North Africa.

1956 – UN General Assembly demands that Soviet troops withdraw from Hungary.

1986 – Death of Vyacheslav M Molotov, one-time aide to Joseph Stalin, aged 96.

1990 – US President George Bush orders 200,000 more US troops to the Persian Gulf in preparation for an attack on Iraq.

1997 – Chinese engineers divert the Yangtze river from its natural course, clearing the way for the construction of the enormous Three Gorges dam.

2008 – New Zealand elects a National Party government led by John Key.

Birthdays

Edward VII (1841-1910); Bram Stoker, British author (1847-1912); Margaret Mitchell, US author of Gone With the Wind (1900-49); Bonnie Raitt, US singer (1949-); Richard Curtis, Wellington-born British screenwriter (1956-); Jennifer WardLealand, NZ actress (1962-); Gordon Ramsay, British chef and TV personality (1966-); Brett Lee, Australian cricketer (1976-).