Today in History

1703 – A two-day storm rages through southern England, flooding the Thames and Severn rivers and killing at least 8000 people.

1789 – A day of Thanksgiving is set aside by United States President George Washington to observe the adoption of the US Constitution.

1864 – English mathematician and writer Charles Dodgson presents a handwritten and illustrated manuscript, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, to 12-year-old friend Alice Pleasance Liddell; the book was later turned into Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, published under Dodgson’s pen name, Lewis Carroll.

1922 – English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. 1924 – The Mongolian People’s Republic is officially established after a new constitution abolishes the monarchy.

1942 – Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, right, has its world premiere in New York; the US orders nationwide petrol rationing.

1949 – India adopts its constitution, becoming a republic. 1950 – China enters the Korean War, launching a counteroffensive against soldiers from the UN, US and South Korea.

1960 – Keith Holyoake begins his 12-year reign as New Zealand prime minister, defeating Walter Nash’s Labour government. 1965 – France launches its first satellite, named Asterix after the comic character. 1975 – A jury in California finds Lynette ‘‘Squeaky’’ Fromme, a Charles Manson follower, guilty of trying to assassinate US President Gerald Ford.

1976 – Sex Pistols release their debut single, Anarchy In The UK. 1983 – A record £26 million in gold bullion, diamonds and cash is stolen from the Brink’sMat warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Most of the gold has not been recovered.

1990 – Lee Kuan Yew announces he will step down after 31 years as prime minister of Singapore.

1992 – The Queen announces she will start paying taxes on her personal income.

2000 – Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certifies George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state’s presidential balloting by a 537-vote margin.

2008 – Gunmen storm luxury hotels, a tourist attraction and a railway station in Mumbai, killing at least 172 people. 2021 – The World Health Organisation identifies the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

Birthdays

Charles Schulz, US cartoonist, Peanuts (1922-2000); Tina Turner, US singer (1939-); Marilynne Robinson, US author (1943-); John McVie, UK musician, Fleetwood Mac (1945-); Gail Parata, NZ netball player/coach (1967-); Tania Dalton, NZ netballer/commentator (1971-2017); Aaron Gate, NZ cyclist (1990-); Rita Ora, UK singer (1990-).