TODAY IN HISTORY
TODAY is Tuesday, September 8, the 252nd day of 2020. There are 114 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date:
1504 — Michelangelo’s statue of David is unveiled in Florence.
1879 — The editor of the Otago Witness, Robert Wilson, is one of 12 people to die when Ross’ Buildings in the Octagon in Dunedin burn to the ground. Four others are injured.
1888 — Annie Chapman is found disembowelled in an East London street, the second victim of Jack the Ripper.
1891 — With the repeal of the property tax, the Land and Income Assessment Act passes into law, giving New Zealand its first experience of income tax.
1893 — Despite strong opposition from prime minister Richard Seddon and several ministers, the Legislative Council votes 2018 in favour of permitting women to vote in New Zealand.
1906 — New Zealand’s first motorvehicle fatality occurs near Washdyke, when Janet Meikle’s 8hp De DionBouton motorcar fails to take a corner and rolls.
1943 — Allied commander Dwight Eisenhower announces Italy’s unconditional surrender in World War 2. The Germans take over Rome and northern Italy.
1944 — The first of more than 1000 German V2 ballistic missiles lands in Britain.
1945 — Hideki Tojo, Japanese prime minister for most of World War 2, attempts suicide rather than face a war crimes tribunal. The attempt fails and he is later convicted and hanged.
1951 — Timaru man Clark McConachy wins the world professional billiards championship at Leicester Square Hall, London. It is the 56yearold’s first world title and he retains it until 1968.
1954 — The Southeast Asia Collective Defence Treaty (the Manila Pact) is signed in Manila by Britain, France, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines. From this, the Southeast Asian Treaty Organisation (Seato) is formed.
1962 — Don Clarke scores the only points, with a penalty goal from 35m, when the All Blacks beat Australia 30 in an errorplagued test match at Carisbrook. Future All Black great Colin Meads had been controversially dropped and replaced by his brother Stan for the match.
1963 — Sylvia AshtonWarner’s book Teacher attracts wide interest after it is featured in the New York Times Book Review.
1974 — Pizza Hut becomes the first fastfood franchise in New Zealand when it opens at Lynn Mall, West Auckland; US president Gerald Ford grants an unconditional pardon to former president Richard Nixon for all federal crimes he may have committed while he was in office.
2008 — Sophie Pascoe wins her first Paralympic medal, a silver in the women’s 100m butterfly S10 event at the Beijing Paralympics. It marked the beginning of an illustrious career for the then 15yearold New Zealand swimmer.
2016 — Otago Paralympian Holly Robinson carries the flag to lead the New Zealand team into the Maracana Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Today’s birthdays:
Marion Hatton, New Zealand suffragette (18351905); Margaret Gardner, New Zealand flour mill owner (18441929); Edith Searle Grossmann, New Zealand novelist/journalist (18631931); George Bourne, New Zealand photojournalist (18751924); Robert Laidlaw, New Zealand businessman (18851971); William Trethewey, New Zealand sculptor and monumental mason (18921956); Bryan Todd, New Zealand businessman (190287); Sir John Ormond, New Zealand businessman (190595); Sir Frank Holmes, New Zealand economist/ government adviser (19242011); Graham Mourie, All Black captain (1952); Ricardo Montaner, Venezuelan-Argentine singer/songwriter (1957); Kelvin Roy, New Zealand musician/ composer (1961); Rachel Hunter, New Zealand model/actress (1969); Martin Freeman, English actor/comedian (1971); Dale Warrender, New Zealand marathon runner (1973); Sheryl Scanlan, New Zealand netballer (1977); Pink, US singer (1979); Kristina Webb, New Zealand artist/author (1995).
Quote of the day:
‘‘I recorded a song called I Fall to Pieces and I was in a car wreck. Now I’m worried because I have a brandnew record, and it’s called Crazy!’’ — Patsy Cline, US singer, who was born on this day in 1932. She died in a plane crash in 1963, aged 30.