Feb 3 in History
1377 — In the Massacre of Cesena in Italy, 5,000 citizens die under the orders of Cardinal Robert of Geneva (later the divisive Clement VII), acting as the legate of Pope Gregory XI, in an orgy of rape and slaughter that lasts three days and nights. Many people drown in the city moat as they try to escape. 1488 — Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias sights the coast of Africa and puts ashore at St Blaize (Mossel Bay), becoming the first European to land on South African soil. He realises they had rounded the southern-most point of Africa, which he discovers on his return journey and calls it Cape of Storms.
1815 — The world’s first commercial cheese factory starts operating in Switzerland.
1863 — “Mark Twain” is born when Samuel Clemens’s humorous travel account “Letter From Carson — re: Joe Goodman; party at Gov. Johnson's; music” is published under that pen name in the Virginia City newspaper Territorial Enterprise.
1959 — A plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, claims the lives of rock ’n’ roll stars Buddy Holly, 22, Ritchie Valens, 17, and JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson, 28, and the pilot Roger Peterson. Some 1,900km east, an American Airlines Lockheed L-188A Electra crashes into NYC’s East River while approaching LaGuardia Airport, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.
1960 — British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan gives his “Wind of Change” speech in Parliament in Cape Town, saying his government had no intention to block independence for many British colonies in Africa. SA becomes a republic on May 31 1961.
1972 — The Iran Blizzard (until the 9th), the deadliest snowstorm in history, claims at least 4,000 lives. More than 3m (up to 7.9m in the south) of snow is dumped across rural areas and some villages are buried with their inhabitants.
1992 — President FW de Klerk and ANC leader Nelson Mandela become the first recipients of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize at the Unesco headquarters in Paris.
1996 — Mark Williams replaces Phil Masinga in the 65th minute of the Africa Cup of Nations final at a packed FNB Stadium and scores in the 73rd and 75th minute to give SA a 2-0 victory (and first major soccer title) over Tunisia. The other SA players:
Andre Arendse, Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (captain), Lucas Radebe, Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 51st), John Moshoeu and Shaun Bartlett. Coach: Clive Barker. 1998 — A US Marine aircraft cuts an aerial tramway cable supporting a gondola running from Cavalese to the Alpe Cermis, Italy, killing 19 skiers and the cable car operator. The plane is only slightly damaged. Families of the victims settle for $2m each in 2000.