TODAY IN HISTORY

1497: Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias anchors in what is now Walvis Bay on his expedition to discover a sea route to the East round Africa. 1988: The 11 Delmas treason trialists are jailed in the Pretoria Supreme Court for terms from 10 to 12 years. 1991: Former MK commander Chris Hani is elected secretary-general of the South African Communist Party (SACP) at its first legal congress in four decades. 1998: The discovery of a hominid skeleton in the Sterkfontein caves by Wits University’s Dr Ron Clarke, pictured, is announced and seen as the most significant find since that of the Taung child.