Today in History

1833 – The British Parliament bans slavery throughout the British Empire.

1916 – Italy’s declaration of war against Germany takes effect during World War I.

1917 – Ten suffragists are arrested as they picket the White House.

1941 – More than 23,000 Hungarian Jews are murdered in occupied Ukraine.

1954 – Pauline Parker, 16, left, and Juliet Hulme, 15, are convicted of the murder of Pauline’s mother Honora. The story about the Christchurch teenagers was later turned into a film, Heavenly Creatures.

1963 – Martin Luther King Jr speaks to about 250,000 people at a march in Washington. He delivers what became known as the ‘‘I have a dream’’ speech.

1971 – Twenty-five people die and

1150 are rescued when the Greek ferry Haleanna catches fire.

1988 – Three jets collide at an air show in Germany. Sixty-nine spectators die and hundreds more are injured.

1992 – Canterbury is covered in snow, closing Christchurch airport and many roads and schools. An estimated 1 million sheep die.

1996 – Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorce.

2009 – A coroner rules pop star Michael Jackson’s death was a homicide caused primarily by a powerful anaesthetic and another sedative. His doctor is later jailed for involuntary manslaughter.

2016 – Twenty-three inmates escape from a Philippines prison after about 50 heavily armed Muslim extremists break them free. Birthdays

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet and philosopher

(1749-1832); Peter Fraser, New Zealand prime minister (1884-1950); Janet Frame, NZ author

(1924-2004); Shania Twain, Canadian singer (1965-); Jack Black, US actor-singer (1969-); Janet Evans, US swimmer (1971-); LeAnn Rimes, US country singer (1982-); Luke McAlister, NZ rugby player

(1983-); Lasith Malinga, Sri Lankan cricketer (1983-); Simon Mannering, NZ rugby league player (1986-).