TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY is Saturday, April 20, the 111th day of 2024. There are 255 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date:

1653 — Oliver Cromwell dismisses the Rump Parliament by force, setting up a shortlived nominated assembly known as Barebone’s Parliament before being invited by his fellow leaders to rule as Lord Protector of England.

1611 — First known performance of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth at the Globe Theatre, London.

1657 — Jews in New Amsterdam (now New York City) are granted the rights and privileges of citizens.

1689 — The siege of Derry begins when supporters of James II attack the Irish city.

1792 — France declares war on Austria, marking the start of the French Revolutionary Wars.

1862 — First pasteurisation test is completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard.

1841 — The Murders in the Rue Morgue ,by Edgar Allan Poe, thought to be the first detective story, is published in Graham’s magazine in Philadelphia.

1898 — The Dunedin Orphans Club is formed at a meeting in the Occidental Rooms in Manse St. In 1999, the club changed its name to the Dunedin Entertainers Club.

1902 — Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive element radium.

1918 — Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, marking his final victories before his death the following day.

1949 — Scientists at the Mayo Clinic announce they have synthesised a hormone called cortisone, previously only available by extracting small amounts from large numbers of animal adrenal glands, which has had some success in treating rheumatoid arthritis patients.

1974 — A gala performance of Oliver! by the Dunedin Operatic Society launches the first stage of the Regent Theatre development by the Otago Theatre Trust.

1979 — Dunedin signwriter Eric Watson is appointed All Black coach.

1981 — Allison Roe becomes the first New Zealand woman to win the prestigious Boston Marathon, taking almost 8min off the course record, in the time of 2hr 26min 46sec.

1983 —M ¯aori activist Dun Mihaka is arrested for baring his buttocks to Prince Charles and Princess Diana as they leave Wellington Airport.

1999 — Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School, Colorado, USA.

2010 — BP’s Deepwater Horizon offshore oilrig explodes and later sinks, killing 11 people and releasing about 800 million of litres of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico .

2013 — 193 people are killed and 11,826 are injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Lushan County in China.

2022 — Record hospital admissions and near record daily case numbers as Covid19 sweeps Otago and Southland.

2023 — University of Otago begins voluntary redundancy process as it manages sizeable deficit.