1998
Death of Lloyd Bridges, American actor .
United States
1988
Death of Andy Gibb, English-born Australian singer in the Bee Gees
Australia
1988
The Prince of Wales’s ski party at Klosters, Switzerland was hit by an avalanche which killed one of his closest friends.
Switzerland
1987
The Vatican condemned artificial methods of fertilisation and called for a ban on experiments on living embryos
Italy
1969
James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder of the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King
United States
1949
Nazi wartime broadcaster Axis Sally (Mildred Gillars) was found guilty of treason by a jury in Washington DC
Germany
1933
An earthquake in Long Beach, California killed 120 people .
United States
1928
Birth of James Earl Ray, convicted American assassin of black civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
United States
1876
The first successful telephone call was made by Alexander Graham Bell saying "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."
United States
1858
Birth of Henry W. Fowler, British lexicographer .
Great Britain
1847
Birth of Kate Sheppard in Liverpool, UK who became the leading New Zealand suffragette and NZ became the first country to adopt universal suffrage.
New Zealand
1832
Death of Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian revolutionary
Italy
1804
Louisiana Purchase when France officially signed over their southern USA territory to the United States.
United States
1801
First official census is held in Britain
Great Britain