Today in History

1536 –Archbishop Cranmer declares the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn invalid.

1590 – Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland.

1814 – Norway declares its independence from Sweden with the adoption of a new constitution. 1833 – James Busby is inaugurated as the first British Resident in New Zealand.

1861 – First package holiday for a popular market is arranged by Thomas Cook: A ‘‘Whitsuntide Working Men’s Excursion’’ from London to Paris for six days. 1900 – The WonderfulWizard of Oz, by L Frank Baum, is first published, in Chicago.

1922 – James Liston, assistant bishop of Auckland, is found not guilty of sedition after describing the Irish Easter Rising rebels as having been ‘‘murdered’’ by ‘‘foreign’’ (meaning British) troops. 1940 – Nazis occupy Brussels in WorldWar II. 1954 – United States Supreme Court outlaws racial segregation in the state school system.

1973 – US Senate begins televised Watergate hearings.

1984 – Prince Charles describes a proposed addition to London’s National Gallery as a ‘‘monstrous carbuncle on the face of amuchloved and elegant friend’’.

2011 – The Queen begins the first visit by a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland.

2018 – Michigan State University says it will pay US$500m to 300

Edward Jenner, UK physician (1749-1823); Erik Satie, French composer (1866-1925); Bill Gallagher, NZ engineer (1911-90); Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, German-born NZ judge (1931-2018); Dennis Hopper, US actor (1936-2010); Tony Roche, Australian tennis player (1945-); Patsy Reddy, NZ governorgeneral (1954-); Sugar Ray Leonard, US boxer (1956-).