NewsBite

Today In History

Flooded Main Street of Maitland during February 1955 fortieth (40th) anniversary of floods. New South Wales (NSW) / Weather / Floods

Today in History

Memories of devastating 1955 Maitland floods live on

The Maitland floods of 1955 took a huge toll on lives and property, like 21 houses on one street washing downstream and fell apart. But there were also amazing stories of survival.

0

Mortuary Station, Rookwood, 1871 attributed to the New South Wales. Government Printing Offie

Today in History

Mortuary train took dead bodies to final burial place

From 1867 to 1938, the richest Sydney residents along with the poorest were taken to be buried the same way — by a special train to Rookwood Cemetery.

0

Sir Richard Burton, British soldier & explorer who risked his life to open up African continent, visited Mecca disguised as pilgrim & trekked across unspeakable terrain to discover Lake Tanganyika, born 1821, died 1890 P/R Historical

Today in History

Acting triumph of the other Richard Burton

It was a great acting triumph, Richard Burton acted the part of a pilgrim on the way to Mecca so that he could write about what he saw. Not Burton the Welsh actor but Burton the 19th century linguist and adventurer

GBTV 26 May Recipe for Murder. Supplied Archive Image Of Yvonne Fletcher With Her Second Husband (and 2nd Victim) Bluey Fletcher

Today in History

Newtown housewife who used poison to kill two husbands

When Yvonne Fletcher’s second husband died in a similar manner to her first, police soon discovered the reason why — poison — which sparked a surge of copycat cases, predominantly by Sydney housewives.

0

More Stories

Today in History

Monty Python's Life of Brian, film

Pythons raised hell with Brian’s biblical romp

Protesters were out in force for the premiere of Monty Python’s Life Of Brian but they only served to make more people want to see it

0

Today in History

A watercolour by samurai Makita Hamaguchi showing one of the mutineers, possibly the leader William Swallow, from the ship Cyprus in 1830. Public domain image

Convicts chased freedom from Tasmania to China

When the transport ship Cyprus was becalmed at Recherche Bay in Van Diemen’s Land a group of convicts decided their chance of freedom had arrived

0

Today in History

This August, 1969 photo shows Richie Havens as he performs during Woodstock in Bethel, N.Y. The photo is only one of hundreds made by photographer Mark Goff who, at the time, worked for an underground newspaper in Milwaukee, Wis. Some were published, but the negatives were filed away at his Milwaukee home and barely mentioned as Goff raised two daughters, changed careers and, last November, died of cancer. Dozens of Goff's Woodstock shots are being displayed 50 years later. (Mark Goff Photography, Leah Demarco/Allison Goff via AP)

Woodstock defied chaos to define its generation

The town of Bethel had never seen so many people but it became the setting for a generation defining moment in rock history

0

Today in History

Hitchcock at Avoca Beach Picture Theatre.

Master of thrillers had a lifelong fear of police

When an advertising man took a punt on a job at a film studio he took the first step to becoming one of Hollywood’s greatest film directors

0

Today in History

AIF No. 1 crew Henley, before start of King’s Cup in 1919. PLEASE CREDIT: Courtesy of

Peace Regatta a sweet victory for our Diggers

One minute the men were fighting for their lives in the blasted battlefields of World War I. Th e next they were rowing to victory between the soft green banks of the River Thames

0

Today in History

Jimi Hendrix

Fender guitar creator could not play a note

The Fender guitar is the instrument of choice for many guitarists, but the man who created it was unable to play his own instrument

0

Today in History

FILE - This Dec. 3, 1969, file photo shows Charles Manson en route to court in Independence, Calif., following his arrest at nearby Barker Ranch. Fifty years ago Charles Manson dispatched a group of disaffected young hippie followers on a two-night killing spree that terrorized Los Angeles and in the years since has come to represent the face of evil. On successive nights in August 1969, the so-called Manson family murdered seven people. (AP Photo/Harold Filan, File)

Manson set on path to murder in childhood

A scruffy bearded cult leader turned from petty crime to murder based on his strange ideas about a global race war

0

Today in History

American motorist Alice Huyler Ramsey standing by her car in 1908. Public domain.

Alice steered her crew into legend on epic drive

Today it would be considered a merry jaunt but 110 years ago when Alice Huyler Ramsey arrived in San Francisco, it had been an epic journey from New York by car

0

Today in History

The Beatles - Abbey Road album cover photo bomber.

Beatles strode out of studio and into legend

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr walked out of their studio and into one of pop music’s most recognised images

0

Today in History

Guido Calletti, violent con man, pimp, extortionist and Dulcie's lover

Standover man murdered at rival gang’s party

When a well-dressed man crashed a party in Darlinghurst it ended in a gunfight which ended the life of notorious gangster Guido Calletti

1
…
6
7
8
9
10
…
117

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/today-in-history/page/8