ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 22

1735 Robert Walpole becomes the first British “prime minister” – the less common title is First Lord of the Treasury – to live at 10 Downing Street.

1828 Shaka, Zulu chief and founder of the Zulu empire, is murdered by his half-brothers, Dingaan and Mhlangana. The chiefs prior to Shaka were Mageba (1667-1745), Ndaba (16971763), Jama (1721-1781) and Senzangakhona (1757-1816). After Shaka (1785-1828) came Dingaan (1788-1840), Mpande (1790-1872), Cetshwayo (1834-1884), Dinuzulu (1868-1913), Phumuzuzulu (1890-1933), Bhekuzulu (19241968), Goodwill Zwelithini (1948-2021) and his presumptive heir and son, Misuzulu.

1862 US president Abraham Lincoln says he will free slaves in all states from January 1. 1903 The ice cream cone is patented.

1914 Louis Botha, premier of the Union of South Africa, assumes command of the armed forces after having dismissed General Christiaan Beyers because of his refusal to aid Britain in the war against Germany.

1937 The first International Hobbit Day and the birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. 1939 Joint victory parade of Wehrmacht and Red Army in Brest-Litovsk at the end of the Invasion of Poland.

1972 Idi Amin gives Uganda’s 8 000 Asians 48 hours to leave the country.

1979 A bright, double flash resembling the detonation of a nuclear weapon is observed near Prince Edward Island by a satellite. Its cause is never determined, but is assumed to be from a South African nuclear test.

1980 Iraq invades Iran.

1985 French premier Laurent Fabius admits France sank Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior. 2011 Cern scientists say they’ve discovered neutrinos breaking the speed of light.

2015 Volkswagen admits 11 million cars were programmed to show that they emitted fewer emissions than they did. | THE HISTORIAN