Today in History

1789 – The United States Constitution goes into effect as the first Federal Congress meets.

1832 – Jean-Francois Champollion, the French scholar who deciphered Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, dies. 1855 – Legendary South Island sheep rustler James McKenzie is caught. He escapes, is recaptured, sentenced to hard labour and twice escapes again, before being pardoned in 1856.

1877 – Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake is first performed, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

1890 – The Forth rail bridge, left, then the longest bridge in Britain, is opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.

1917 – German army begins major withdrawal on Western Front in World War I.

1966 – John Lennon sparks outrage in the US after publication of his comment that the Beatles are ‘‘more popular than Jesus now’’.

1968 – British tennis officials at

Wimbledon agree to admit professional players.

1976 – The Ulster Convention is formally dissolved and Northern Ireland comes under direct rule from London.

1977 – An earthquake devastates Bucharest and other towns in Romania, killing more than 1000.

1994 – Four Muslim extremists are convicted of the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing in New York.

1998 – Flash floods in Pakistan kill at least 300 people, including dozens of schoolchildren.

2012 – Vladimir Putin claims victory in Russia’s presidential election, despite fraud claims.

Birthdays

Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese patron of explorers (1394-1460); Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer (1678-1741); Jim Clark, UK racing driver (1936-68); Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, wrongly convicted NZ-born Australian mother (1948-); Manu Vatuvei, NZ rugby league player (1986-); Jack Tame, NZ broadcaster (1987-).