Today in History

1861 – Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom in Russia.

1878 – American inventor Thomas Edison receives a patent for his phonograph.

1881 – Kansas becomes the first US state to prohibit all alcoholic drinks.

1938 – A flash flood at Kopuawhara, near Mahia, on the North Island’s east coast, kills 21 people as heavy rain sends a wall of water through a public works camp.

1942 – Japanese aircraft attack Darwin and nearby military bases, killing 243, sinking eight ships and destroying 23 aircraft.

1945 – US Marines invade the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. 1972 – New Zealand cricketer

Glenn Turner, left, sets a world record score for carrying his bat through an innings, hitting 223 against the West Indies in Jamaica. The record lasts until 2017.

1985 – EastEnders premieres on the BBC.

1993 – A packed ferry carrying up to 1500 people sinks off Haiti; only 285 are known to have survived.

1997 – Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping dies in Beijing, aged 92.

2004 – Britain awards an honorary knighthood to Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal in recognition of a ‘‘lifetime of service to humanity’’.

2010 – US golfer Tiger Woods apologises on TV for his marital infidelities and admits to ‘‘selfish’’ and ‘‘foolish’’ behaviour.

2019 – US Senator Bernie Sanders announces he is running for president for a second time.

Birthdays

Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer (1473-1543); David Garrick, UK actor (1717-79); Lee Marvin, US actor (1924-87); Owen Glenn, NZ businessman (1940-); William ‘‘Smokey’’ Robinson, US musician (1940-); Tim Shadbolt, NZ politician (1947-); Amy Tan, US novelist (1952-); Murray McCully, NZ politician (1953-); Prince Andrew of Britain (1960-); Seal, UK musician (1963-); Benicio del Toro, Puerto Rican actor (1967-); Kosta Barbarouses, NZ footballer (1990-).