ON THIS DAY

1607:

Captain John Smith and a party of soldiers land in Virginia at Jamestown and establishes the first British settlement in the New World.

The First Fleet sails to the new penal colony of Australia from Portsmouth, England, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. They arrive the following January.

Black Friday occurs in Germany, signalling the collapse of its economic structure.

In his first speech as prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill says, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”.

Pope John Paul II is shot and seriously wounded in Rome by Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk.

Emmanuel Macron takes power as President of France.

Harvey Keitel, US actor (1939-); Stevie Wonder, US pop singer (1950-); Wally Masur, Australian tennis player (1963-).

1787: 1927: 1940: 1981: 2017: Birthdays: