ON THIS DAY

TODAY: Wednesday October 2, 2019

44 years ago (1975)

We told how world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali faced a tough fight with his second wife Belinda amid reports of his affair with model Veronica Porche.

Belinda had flown to the Philippines for a showdown with Ali after he had defeated rival Joe Frazier in a match dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila”. Ali would go on to divorce Belinda and marry Porche in 1977.

51 years ago (1968)

Mexican troops fired on student demonstrators in Mexico City just 10 days before the start of the Olympic Games.

A reported that 200 protesters were killed by the government which launched a cover-up amid fears the Olympics would be disrupted.

17 years ago (2002)

The first of a series of sniper attacks in the Washington DC area killed 55-year-old James Martin. A total 17 people were fatally shot and 10 injured by gunmen John Allen Muhammad, 41, and Lee Boyd Malvo, 17.

Allen was put to death for his crimes in 2009 while Malvo got a life sentence.