Today in History

1911 – George V is crowned at Westminster Abbey.

1937 – Joe Louis becomes the world heavyweight boxing champion, knocking out Jim Braddock in the eighth round.

1941 – Germany invades the Soviet Union in World War II.

1945 – Last major pockets of Japanese resistance at Okinawa are overcome by US forces, ending one of the bloodiest battles in WWII.

1949 – American tennis player Gertrude ‘‘Gorgeous Gussie’’ Moran plays at Wimbledon in a skirt short enough to expose her lacetrimmed underwear.

1954 – Armed with a brick in a stocking, Pauline Parker, 16, and Juliet Hulme, 15, become two of New Zealand’s most notorious murderers when they kill Parker’s mother, Honora, in Christchurch.

1962 – An Air France Boeing 707 crashes on Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, killing all 113 passengers and crew members.

1969 – United States film star and singer Judy Garland, left, dies.

1977 – John Mitchell becomes the first former US attorney-general to go to jail, convicted for his role in the Watergate coverup.

1981 — Mark Chapman pleads guilty to killing former Beatle John Lennon in New York City.

1986 – Diego Maradona scores twice for Argentina against England in the football World Cup, including the infamous ‘‘hand of God’’ goal.

1987 – Fred Astaire, US actor, dancer and singer, dies. He was 88.

Birthdays

George Vancouver, British explorer (1757-1798); Richard Seddon, New Zealand politician (1845-1906); Kris Kristofferson, US singer-actor (1936-); Meryl Streep, US actress (1949-); Todd Hunter, NZ-born musician of Dragon fame (1951-); Cyndi Lauper, US singer (1953-); Erin Brockovich, US environmental activist (1960-); Dan Brown, US author (1964-); Thomas Leuluai, NZ rugby league player (1985-); Lara Worthington (nee Bingle), Australian model (1987-).