ON THIS day
1468
German craftsman, inventor and printer Johannes Gutenberg dies in Mainz.
“Silken” Thomas Fitzgerald, 24, the 10th earl of Kildare, and five uncles hang in London after a Catholic rebellion against King Henry VIII. 1870
The 15th Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race. 1881
The railway from Sydney reaches Albury. NSW premier Henry Parkes attends a banquet to celebrate. The station is a few kilometres from the Victorian terminus, located across the Murray River at Wodonga, keeping the two rail networks separate.
1915
Turkish forces trying to capture the Suez Canal are defeated, largely by Indian troops. Australian 7th and 8th Infantry Battalions temporarily man trenches after the fight. 1917
US breaks diplomatic relations with Germany after Germans announce their intention to use unrestricted submarine warfare.
1942
Australian forces on Ambon island in the Dutch East Indies surrender to the Japanese. Of almost 800 prisoners, most do not survive WWII. Aerial bombardment of Port Moresby begins.
1954
Queen Elizabeth II, the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia, arrives with Prince Philip to a rousing welcome in Sydney. 1959
Singer Buddy Holly is killed in a plane crash at age 22, along with Richie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson.
1974
Gunfire wounds 12 prisoners as buildings burn to the ground after six hours of rioting at Bathurst Jail. 1995
American astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, the Discovery.
2008
Australian golfer Karrie Webb, 33, wins the Women’s Australian Open in Melbourne (pictured) at the second hole of a sudden death playoff against South Korea’s Ji-yai Shin, 19.