1914 ”“ A male servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright sets fire to the living quarters of the architect’s Wisconsin home, Taliesin, murders seven people and burns the living quarters to the ground.

1914 ”“ The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship SS Ancon.

1941 ”“ Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 7:12 am, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for treason.

1945 ”“ World War II: Japan surrenders to end the war.

1945 – World War II: Korean Liberation Day.

1947 – India gains Independence from the British Indian Empire and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.

1952 – In Devon (UK) – A flashflood drenches the town of Lynmouth, killing 34 people.

1960 ”“ Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) becomes independent from France.

1965 ”“ The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York, New York, an event later regarded as the birth of stadium rock.

1969 ”“ Woodstock opens.

1987 – In the U.K., corporal punishment was officially banned in all state schools.

1998 – An explosion in Omagh, Northern Ireland, killed 28 people. The Real IRA claimed responsibility.

1999 – Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; some 29 people are killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.

2007 – An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastated Ica and various regions of Peru killing 514 and injuring 1,090.

2010 – Fashion figures revealed that a quarter of women are size 18 or bigger – which was up 45% in five years

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

1935 – Jim Dale MBE, English actor, famous for starring in numerous “Carry On” films in the 70′s (77)

1947 – Jenny Hanley, English TV host, “Magpie” – which was ITV’s answer to “Blue Peter” (65)

1950 – HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, UK horse-loving royalty (62)

1968 – Debra Messing, American actress. Famed for her role as Grace in ‘Will and Grace’ (45)

1969 – Chris Judd, American actor/choreographer, although better known for his brief marriage to Jennifer Lopez from 2001-2002. They met in Spain when he was hired to choreograph the ‘Love Don’t Cost a Thing’ video (43)

1972 – Mikey Graham, Irish singer, with Boyzone, “No Matter What”. In 2010 he was a contestant on ‘Dancing on Ice’ (40)

1972 – Ben Affleck, American actor, “Good Will Hunting”, “Pearl Harbor” (40)

1974 – Natasha Henstridge, Canadian actress, “Whole Nine Yards”, “Eli Stone”. Married ‘Darius’ (from Pop Idol fame) on Valentines Day 2011 (38)

1989 – Joe Jonas, American actor/singer – one of the ‘Jonas Brothers’ – a pop-rock band made up of him and his two brothers, Nick and Kevin. There was a Disney TV show and film in 2008 that followed their antics (23)

1993 – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, English footballer who plays for Arsenal and the England national football team as a winger. Played in Euro 2012. (19)