1732 – 1st mass celebrated in 1st American Catholic church, St Joseph’s, Philadelphia
1852 – British troopship Birkenhead sinks off South Africa, 458 die, 193 survive
1962 – US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation
1967 – Verne Gagne beats Mad Dog Vachon in St Paul, to become NWA champion
1973 – 8th Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Donna Fargo win
1976 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1981 – French Train Grande Vitesse averages 380 kph on trial run
1991 – Coalition planes bomb Iraqi forces retreating from Kuwait during the Gulf War, killing hundreds and creating the so-called ‘Highway of Death’
2005 – 25th Golden Raspberry Awards: “Catwoman” wins
2020 – Saudi Arabia bars overseas pilgrims from accessing religious sites of Mecca and Medina because of COVID-19 fears for 1st time in living memory