MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2000: Near Sakaiminato, Japan, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck, the most powerful earthquake since the devastating Kōbe earthquake of 1995, but damage and casualties were relatively low because the epicentre was in a sparsely inhabited area. [ Sort fact from fiction in our natural disasters quiz.]

1993: Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball, saying “I don't have anything else to prove,” only to return in March 1995. [How much do you know about basketball?]

1981: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by members of the radical fringe of the Muslim opposition. [Test your knowledge of Egyptian history.]

1976: In China the Gang of Four, having lost their influence with the death of Mao Zedong, were arrested. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about China.]

1960: The American adventure film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas, had its world premiere; it won several Academy Awards, including best supporting actor for Peter Ustinov. [ Take our Stanley Kubrick quiz.]

1927: The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, premiered in New York City, introducing the sound era of motion pictures. [Take our film buff quiz.]