1770. Captain Cook in the ship Endeavour landed at Botany Bay.

1789. The crew of the Bounty led by Fletcher Christian mutinied against Captain Bligh.

1945. Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy until his downfall in 1943, was killed by partisans along with his mistress, Clara Petacci, and close associates.

1947. Thor Heyerdahl and five others began their Pacific Ocean crossing on the raft, Kon-Tiki.

1967. Boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the Army.

1969. The French president, Charles de Gaulle, resigned from office after 11 years, following his defeat in a referendum on governmental reforms.

1986. The Soviet Union admitted there had been an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine.

1990. 'A Chorus Line' closed on Broadway after a record-breaking 15 year run.

2001. A billionaire businessman 'Dennis Tito, aged 60' from California became the first paying passenger to travel into outer space.