Today in History
1496 – England’s King Henry VII commissions John and Sebastian Cabot to discover new lands.
1558 – Smoking tobacco is reputedly introduced into Europe by Spanish physician Francisco Fernandes.
1836 – Samuel Colt manufactures the first pistol, a 34-calibre ‘‘Texas’’ model.
1908 – First ascent of Mt Erebus, Antarctica, by five members of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition.
1946 – Former British prime minister Winston Churchill delivers his famous ‘‘Iron Curtain’’ speech at Fulton, Missouri.
1949 – Don Bradman plays last innings in first-class cricket, scoring 30 for South Australia against Victoria.
1953 – Soviet dictator Josef Stalin dies. About 2000 people are crushed to death in the crowd during the funeral.
1963 – The Hula Hoop is patented in California; country music singer Patsy Cline dies in a plane crash, aged 30.
1970 – Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty goes into effect after 43 nations confirm its ratification.
1983 – Bob Hawke leads Labor to victory in the Australian election.
2001 – Stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, kills 35 people.
2005 – US and Ethiopian scientists discover the fossilised remains of what they believe is humankind’s first walking ancestor, who lived nearly 4 million years ago.
2013 – NZ census held after it was delayed for two years by second Canterbury earthquake.
2019 – Forbes magazine declares model and businesswoman Kylie
Birthdays
King Henry II of England (1133-89); Gerardus Mercator, Flemish geographer (1512-94); Rosa Luxemburg, German revolutionary (1871-1919); Sir Rex Harrison, UK actor (1908-90); Jack Marshall, NZ politician (1912-88); Don Peebles, NZ artist (1922-2010); Brian Bell, NZ ornithologist (1930-2016); Cory Hutchings, NZ surfer (1972-); Matt Lucas, UK comedian (1974-); Daniel Carter, All Black (1982-).