Today in History

1678 – John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is published in London.

1861 – Jefferson Davis is sworn in as president of the secessionist Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama.

1885 – Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published in the United States.

1901 – Winston Churchill makes his maiden speech in the British House of Commons.

1929 – The first Academy Award winners are announced – on the back page of the academy’s newsletter. The awards are presented later in the year.

1930 – American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto.

1954 – The first Church of Scientology is established, in Los Angeles.

1957 – Walter Bolton, left, a 68-year-old Whanganui farmer, becomes the last person to be executed in New Zealand. He was hanged for the murder of his wife.

1977 – Space shuttle Enterprise, atop a Boeing 747, goes on its maiden flight above the Mojave Desert in California.

1982 – Death of New Zealand detective writer Ngaio Marsh, at 86.

1988 – Boris Yeltsin is ousted from ruling Communist Party Politburo in Moscow.

2001 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life.

2014 – A series of violent protests begins in Kiev, culminating in the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Birthdays

Mary I, Queen of England (1516-58); Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist (1745-1827); Nicolo Paganini, Italian composer/musician (1784-1840); Toni Morrison, US author (19312019); Yoko Ono, Japanese singer/ artist (1933-); Prue Leith, South African-born food writer/TV host (1940-); John Travolta, US actor (1954-); Dr Dre, US rapper (1965-); Maria Folau, NZ netballer (1987-).