AUSTRALIA
1860: John McDouall Stuart was the first European to see Chambers Pillar, naming it after James Chambers, one of his South Australian sponsors.
1895: Banjo Paterson’s ‘Waltzing Matilda’ is first sung in public
1942: The 41st Infantry Division arrives in Australia, during World War II one million Americans were stationed in Australia
2012: The inaugural Waltzing Matilda Day is held in Winton, Queensland
WORLD
1199: English King Richard I is killed by an arrow at the Siege of the Castle of Chalus in France
1896: After 1500 years of being banned, the first modern Olympic Games opens in Athens, Greece with 8 countries participating
1909: Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first men to reach the North Pole
1924: Four planes leave Seattle on the first successful flight around the world
MUSIC
1966: At the Abbey Road Studios the first session of what would become The Beatles album ‘Revolver’ by recording the track of a new John Lennon song ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
1967: The first master tape of The Beatles new album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was made.
1968: Cliff Richard sang ‘Congratulations’ the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest held at the Royal Albert Hall London, winning second place behind the entry from Spain.
1971: The Rolling Stones launched their own Record Label ‘Rolling Stones Records’ with Atlantic Records
1974: Swedish Europop group ABBA had their international breakthrough as they won the top prize at the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo
1999: All Star Tribute to singer and songwriter Johnny Cash took place in New York City with Sheryl Crow, Chris Isaak and U2 all performing for the TV special
2000: Eighties pop star Steve Strange lead singer of Visage – was arrested after stealing a £10.99 Teletubbies doll in Bridgend, south Wales. He was given a suspended jail sentence after being caught on a shoplifting spree stealing cosmetics and clothes from High Street stores
2006: Eminem filed for divorce from his wife Kim less than three months after the couple had re-married. He originally married his High School sweetheart Kimberly Scott in 1999, and remarried on 14th January 2006
BIRTHS
1483: Raffaello Sanzio – Italian painter of the Sistine Madonna, who passed away 37 years later on his birthday in 1520
1928: James Watson, a pioneer molecular biologist who was a co-discoverer of the double helix structure of the DNA molecule
1937: Merle Haggard is known as the most influential country musician, who unfortunately died on his birthday in 2016
1951: Ralph Cooper, drummer for the Australian soft rock band Air Supply who scored the 1980 UK No.11 single ‘All Out Of Love’ and the 1981 US No.1 single ‘The One That You Love’.
DEATHS
1991: Australian Cricketer Bill Ponsford, who twice broke the world record for the highest first-class score, aged 90 – Born 19.10.1900
1996: Greer Garson, American Actress who ruled the screen in the 1940s – Born 29.10.1904
2014: Mikey Rooney, American Film, TV and Stage Actor who held a career that spanned over 80 years – Born 23.09.1920
2015: James Best, American Actor who gained fame from playing Rosco P Coltrane in ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ – Born 26.07.1926
2017: Don Rickles, American Comedian and Actor – Born 08.05.1926
2019: Lloyd McDermott, second Aboriginal person to represent Australia in Rugby Union and the first to become a Barrister – Born 11.11.1936