Today in History

1769 – Captain James Cook, right, and astronomer Charles Green observe the transit of Mercury at Te Whanganui-o-Hei (Mercury Bay), on Coromandel Peninsula.

1799 – Napoleon Bonaparte seizes power in France, becoming one of three consuls.

1918 – Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates. Two days later Germany signs an armistice ending World War I.

1920 – New Zealand introduces the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act to allow officials to prevent entry of Indians and other non-white British subjects.

1938 – German Nazis launch Kristallnacht, a campaign of terror against Jewish people, homes and businesses. About 100 Jews were killed and an estimated 30,000 men arrested.

1953 – Death of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, aged 39.

1970 – Wartime hero and former president of France Charles de Gaulle dies at age 79.

1985 – Prince Charles and Princess Diana end the first day of their much-vaunted trip to the US at a dinner in Washington, hosted by President Reagan and wife Nancy.

1989 – East German officials open the Berlin Wall. Thousands cross the border that night.

2004 – Swedish writer Stieg Larsson dies at 50, only months after turning in the manuscripts for three crime thrillers known as Millennium – which would later become international best-sellers.

Birthdays

Edward VII, British monarch (1841-1910); Hedy Lamarr, Austrianborn US actress, inventor (1914-2000); Colin Gray, NZ WWII fighter pilot (1914-95); Janet Paul, NZ painter, historian and publisher (1919-2004); Carl Sagan, US astronomer (1934-96); Luiz Felipe Scolari, Brazilian football coach (1948-); Parekura Horomia, NZ politician (1950-2013); Lou Ferrigno, US bodybuilder, actor (1951-); Bryn Terfel, Welsh opera singer (1965-); Marcus Daniell, NZ tennis player (1989-).