Today in History, 2/4
HIGHLIGHTS IN HISTORY ON THIS DATE
1513 - In searching for the Fountain of Youth, Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon discovers Florida, but does not realise it is part of mainland North America.
1580 - Seventh War of Religion breaks out in France.
1801 - British fleet under Horatio Nelson is sent to Denmark because of Danish action on Elbe River and is victorious off Copenhagen.
1852 - A gang of robbers steal 8000 ounces (226.7kg) of gold from the vessel Nelson, anchored off Williamstown, Victoria.
1872 - Death in New York of Samuel Morse, developer of the electric telegraph.
1905 - The Simplon rail tunnel under the Alps linking Switzerland with Italy officially opens.
1917 - US President Woodrow Wilson summons special session of Congress to declare war upon Germany.
1932 - US aviator Charles Lindbergh turns over a $US50,000 ransom to an unidentified man in a New York cemetery in exchange for his kidnapped son; the infant is found dead a month later.
1937 - South Africa prohibits political activity by foreigners in South-West Africa.
1951 - US General Dwight Eisenhower assumes command of all allied armies in Western Mediterranean and Europe.
1958 - Last load of bitumen on Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane is laid 18km south of Taree, NSW.
1966 - Leading Liberal Andrew Peacock enters Australian federal parliament, winning Sir Robert Menzies' old seat of Kooyong in a by-election.
1977 - Charlotte Brew becomes the first woman to ride in Britain's Grand National steeplechase when she rides her own horse, Barony Fort.
1982 - Argentina invades British Falklands Islands and overthrows the British administration.
1994 - Vladimir Zhirinovsky is declared leader of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party in Russia.
1995 - More than 80 top Australian rugby league players sign with Super League.
2005 - Pope John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church for 26 years, dies in his Vatican apartment.
2007 - A tsunami up to five metres high washes villages away following an underwater earthquake in the Solomon Islands.
2008 - NSW Coroner's Court jury finds Australian soldier Jake Kovco did not commit suicide, but died in Baghdad from an "irresponsibly self-inflicted" gunshot wound.
2009 - The world's financial powers pledge more than $1 trillion for emergency loans to combat spreading economic chaos.
2010 - Lady Sonia McMahon, widow of former Australian prime minister Sir William McMahon, dies aged 77.
2011 - Highly reactive water leaks into the sea at a nuclear power plant destabilised by the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
2012 - Aboriginal singer Jimmy Little, who had a Top 10 hit with Danny Boy in 1960 and went on to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, dies aged 75.
2014 - The High Court upholds the right of transgender person Norrie to hold non-specific gender status.
2017 - Residents of Lismore in NSW begin to clean up homes and businesses after near-record flooding in some areas from Cyclone Debbie.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS
Charlemagne, Emperor of the West (742-814); Giacomo Casanova, reputedly the world's greatest lover (1725-1798); Hans Christian Andersen, Danish writer (1805-1875); Emile Zola, French author (1840-1902); Sir Alec Guinness, British actor (1914-2000); Jack Brabham, Australian motor racing champion (1926-2014); Marvin Gaye, US singer (1939-1984); Penelope Keith, British actress (1940-); Emmylou Harris, US singer (1947-); Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player (1971-); Michael Fassbender, Irish-German actor (1977-); Michael Clarke, Australian cricketer (1981-).
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Life is short. Live it up. - Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet leader (1894-1971)