THIS WEEK

SEPTEMBER 30, 1955

James Dean was killed when his Porsche hit another car. He was 24. Dean had starred in just three movies and became the first actor to be posthumously nominated for an Oscar.

OCTOBER 1, 1975

Muhammad Ali regained the world heavyweight crown after “The Thrilla In Manila”. Judged one of the greatest boxing bouts in history, it concluded the three-fight rivalry between Ali and Joe Frazier which the former won 2-1. The fight was seen on television by a billion people.

OCTOBER 4, 1997

“The

Hillbilly Heist”, the second-largest cash robbery in US history, saw thieves make off with $17.3 million. They hit the Loomis Fargo armoured car depot in North Carolina but despite promises to wait until the heat died down, the robbers began to splash the cash immediately. Some bought sports cars, one swapped his mobile home for a mansion, and the FBI soon arrested 24 people and recovered most of the money.

OCTOBER 6, 1854

The

Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead destroyed much of the towns and killed 53.

The fire started in a gaslit mill and spread to a coal jetty which exploded, causing devastation.

OCTOBER 6, 1986

Mordechai Vanunu, who revealed Israel’s nuclear secrets, was abducted in Rome. He was drugged, put on a freighter and taken to Tel Aviv where he was convicted of treason and espionage. Now released, he still cannot leave Israel.