Today in History

1675 – Foundation stone of Sir Christopher Wren’s new St Paul’s Cathedral in London is laid.

1854 – Charles Davis Lucas, a 20-year-old Irishman on a frigate in the Crimean War, picks up a live shell on the deck and hurls it into the sea. He is later awarded the first Victoria Cross.

1893 – The first Ferris wheel is launched in Chicago. 1964 – Beatlemania hits New Zealand when 7000 fans greet the Fab Four in Wellington, left.

1965 – The Byrds release their debut album, Mr Tambourine Man.

1970 – Brazil defeat Italy 4-1 in the final of the World Cup in Mexico, becoming the first three-time winner of the football tournament.

1975 – West Indies win cricket’s first World Cup when they beat Australia by 17 runs at Lord’s.

1978 – The musical Evita, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, opens in London.

1982 – A jury finds John Hinckley not guilty of the attempted murder of US President Ronald Reagan in 1981 by reason of insanity.

1990 – A massive earthquake strikes northern Iran, killing as many as 100,000 people.

2005 – An 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman is convicted of manslaughter in the slayings of three civil rights workers in Mississippi 41 years earlier.

2012 – At least 90 asylum seekers drown after the overcrowded boat carrying them capsizes between Indonesia and Christmas Island.

Birthdays

Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher and writer (1905-1980); Jeremy Coney, New Zealand cricketer and commentator (1952-); Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani prime minister (1953-2007); Michel Platini, French footballer and administrator (1955-); Juliette Lewis, US singer (1973-); Craig Lowndes, Australian racing driver (1974-); Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (1982-); Edward Snowden, former security analyst (1983-); Lana Del Rey, American singer-songwriter (1986-).