ON THIS DAY

1838:

British steamship Sirius becomes the first vessel to cross the Atlantic from Britain to New York on steam power only.

German army uses poison gas for first time on Western Front in World War I, as the second battle of Ypres begins in Belgium.

China appoints Dalai Lama chairman of committee to prepare Tibet for regional autonomy within Chinese People’s Republic.

Former US President Richard Nixon dies of a stroke.

Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard arrive in Australia by private jet, but their pet dogs Pistol and Boo are not declared to Immigration and Customs officials.

Vladimir Lenin, Russian statesman (1870-1924); Robert Oppenheimer, US nuclear scientist (1904-1967); Daniel Johns, Australian singer (1979-).

1915: 1956: 1994: 2015: Birthdays: