ON THIS DAY
1614: American Indian Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia. 1827: Joseph Lister, the surgeon who introduced antiseptics, was born in London. 1874: Johann Sebastian Strauss’s opera Die Fledermaus was first performed, in Vienna. 1900: Spencer Tracy, American actor who won Oscars two years in succession (1937 and 1938), was born. 1902: A stand at Ibrox Park stadium in Glasgow collapsed during a Scotland v England match, killing 26 people. 1908: Herbert von Karajan, one of the most prominent conductors of the post-war period, was born in Salzburg. 1908: American actress Bette Davis was born in Massachusetts. 1910: Kissing was banned on the French railways because it could cause delays. 1955: Sir Winston Churchill, aged 80, resigned as Prime Minister, and the following day Anthony Eden took office. 1976: Billionaire recluse Howard Hughes died on his private jet on his way to Houston, Texas. 1982: A British Task Force set out to recover the Falklands from their Argentine occupiers. 1994: Kurt Cobain, the iconic singer of US grunge band Nirvana, committed suicide. 2008: Hollywood legend Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing Ben-Hur, died at the age of 84. BIRTHDAYS: Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State, 81; Michael Moriarty, actor, 77; Jane Asher, actress/writer, 72; Agnetha Faltskog, singer (ABBA), 68; Pharrell Williams, singer, 45; John Hartson, former footballer.