On This Day

6th March

1988 – Three Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers were murdered by the SAS on the territory of Gibraltar.

1987 – The British car ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsized just outside the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, in about 90 seconds killing 193 people.

1974 -  The miners' strike came to an end following a pay increase of over 30%.

1970 - The British Government announced an indefinite ban on the importation of domestic pets to prevent rabies.

1964 – Nation of Islam's Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole) officially gave boxing champion Cassius Clay the name Muhammad Ali.

1961 – George Formby, British comedian and singer, died.

1957 – Ghana became the first Sub-Saharan country to gain Independence from the British

1945 – Cologne (Köln) was captured by American Troops.

1899 – Bayer registered aspirin as a trademark.

1836 - Mexican forces captured the Alamo in San Antonio killing the last of 187 defenders who had held out in the fortified mission for 13 days. Famous frontiersman Davy Crockett was among those killed on the final day.

1834 – York, Upper Canada was incorporated as Toronto.

1806 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born.