Australian explorers
1861 - The cache buried beneath the 'Dig' Tree, revealing the notes and journals of Burke and Wills, is dug up by Howitt's rescue party. Burke and Wills, with a huge party of men and supplies, departed Melbourne in August 1860 to cross Australia to the north coast and back.
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Burke, being impatient and anxious to complete the crossing as quickly as possible, split the expedition at Menindee.
He moved on ahead to establish a depot at Cooper Creek, leaving William Wright in command of the Menindee depot.
Splitting his party yet again at Cooper Creek, Burke chose to make a dash to the Gulf in the heat of Summer with Wills, Gray and King.
He left stockman William Brahe in charge with instructions that if the party did not return in three months, Brahe was to return to Menindee.
The trek to the Gulf and back took over four months, and during that time Gray died.
A full day was spent in burying his body. When Burke returned to Cooper Creek, he discovered lettering freshly blazed on the coolibah tree at the depot, giving instructions to dig for the supplies Brahe had left. Thus the name 'Dig' Tree was spawned.
Australian History
1973 - The first performance takes place in the new Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, sits on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour.
Designed by Danish architect Joern Utzon in 1955, it has become one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world.
Utzon arrived in Sydney to oversee the project in 1957 and work commenced on the opera House in 1959.
The building was completed in 1973, at a cost of $102 million, and formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973.
World History
929 - Good King Wenceslas is killed by his brother. [more]
1978 - Pope John Paul I is found dead, with a copy of a devotional he was reading in his hands. [more]
1994 - 850 die as the ferry 'MS Estonia' sinks in the Baltic Sea. [more]
