Today in History

1519 – Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Spain to find a western sea route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. He leaves with five ships and 270 men; one ship and about 18 crew return. 1853 – Elisha Graves Otis opens a shop in New York for his safety elevators and sells his first lift. 1863 – Death of Jacob Grimm, collector of folk tales with his brother Wilhelm.

1946 – The first Cannes Film Festival opens.

1954 – The Mazengarb inquiry into ‘‘juvenile delinquency’’ blames the perceived promiscuity of New Zealand’s youth on working mothers, the ready availability of contraceptives, and young women enticing men to have sex.

1973 – Billie Jean King, left, defeats Bobby Riggs in a tennis match at Houston, Texas, billed as the Battle of the Sexes.

1990 – East and West Germany ratify reunification.

2001 – In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, US President George W Bush declares a ‘‘war on terror’’.

2002 – A glacial avalanche in Russia buries a village, killing more than 100 people.

2012 – Sixteen members of a dissident Amish group in Ohio are convicted of federal hate crimes and conspiracy for forcibly cutting the beards and hair of fellow Amish. 2013 – Grand Theft Auto V

becomes the fastest entertainment product to reach US$1 billion in sales.

Birthdays

Dorothy Vaughan, US mathematician (1910-2008); Sophia Loren, Italian actress (1934-); Andrew Davies, UK screenwriter (1936-); George RR Martin, US author (1948-); Stephen Boock, NZ cricketer (1951-); Michael Hurst, NZ film director (1957-); Todd Blackadder, All Black/rugby coach (1971-); Asia Argento, Italian actress and activist (1975-).