June 11: On This Day in World History … briefly

1509:     At a private ceremony in the chapel of Franciscan Observants at Greenwich near London, King Henry VIII finally married his former sister-in-law Catherine of Aragon. Catherine, who was aged 24 was six years Henry’s senior and was previously married to Henry’s elder brother Arthur, who died seven years earlier. The couple had been engaged since 1503, but there had been much controversy about the validity of the marriage, which some argued went directly against the laws of the church. According to Biblical teachings, ‘If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is impurity … they shall be childless.’ The issue hinged on a technicality – if the former marriage was never consummated, Catherine was never Arthur’s ‘wife’ and would therefore be free to marry his brother. There was more at stake than marriage: Catherine’s mother, Queen Isabella of Spain was keen to continue the Anglo-Spanish alliance secured by Catherine’s earlier union. In an attempt to silence any opposition, she persuaded the Pope to issue a dispensation allowing the marriage, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

1727:     George II of England accedes to the throne following the death of his father George I, the first Hanoverian king of England.

1905:     British golfer Harry Vardon wins his fourth Open golf championship at Prestwick.

1940:     Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declares war on the Allies.

1946:     Italy is proclaimed a republic.

1955:     Twenty-two years of Liberal rule end in Canada with Progressive Conservative John G Diefenbaker’s victory.

1955:     Horrified spectators saw the famous Le Mans racetrack in France become a scene of carnage. One of the cars competing in the 24-hour Grand Prix – a Mercedes Benz – ran out of control and plunged into the grandstand, killing an estimated 80 people and injuring more than 100. The news shocked the motor racing world.

1970:     Aleksandr Feodorovich Kerenski, prime minister of Russia in 1917 until the Bolshevik Revolution, dies in exile in New York.

1979:     John Wayne, veteran Hollywood star, dies. Born Marion Michael Morrison in Winterset, Iowa in 1907, after a slow start, made his name as a genial tough guy and all-American hero in a series of Westerns and war films to become one of the best-known and most successful actors in Hollywood. His first major screen appearance was as Ringo Kid in director John Ford’s 1939 film ‘Stagecoach’, a part that set the tone for the rest of his film career. Nicknamed ‘The Duke’, Wayne maintained his on-screen persona off-screen, being a staunch supporter of the law, order and traditional American values; an anti-Communist, he also supported the Vietnam War. Shortly before his death earlier in the month, he was awarded a commemorative gold medal by the US Congress.

1988:     A crowd of 80 000 packed London’s Wembley Stadium in the biggest 70^th birthday party ever. The only person unable to attend was the birthday guest himself – black South African leader Nelson Mandela, who was in prison since 1964, serving a life sentence on a conviction of attempting to overthrow the state. In tribute to him, singers and musicians from all over the world, including South Africa itself, came to join in the day-long concert that was televised and broadcast live to an estimated audience of 1 billion in 60 countries. Deputy leader of the banned African National Congress has come to epitomise the struggle against apartheid. Attempts to keep politics out of the affair were thwarted and many performers made reference to South Africa’s ‘terrorist state’ and to the lack of strong British opposition to apartheid.

1989:     At the tender age of 17 years and 109 days, Michael Chang of the USA became the youngest-ever winner of the French Open tennis championships, beating Stefan Edberg of Sweden.

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