TV actor Alastair Mackenzie

Events in 1970 and 8-2

Events in the world in the birth year of Alastair Mackenzie

• Biafra surrenders after 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria (Jan. 12).
• Rhodesia severs last tie with British Crown and declares itself a racially segregated republic (March 1).
• US troops invade Cambodia (May 1). Background: Vietnam War
• A Palestinian revolt erupts in Jordan. Forces loyal to King Hussein suppress the revolt and expel the PLO from the country.
• Earthquake kills more than 50,000 in Peru (May 31).
• Egyptian President Nasser dies and is replaced by Anwar el-Sadat.
• Tonga (June 4) and Fiji (Oct. 10) gain independence from Britain.

Birthday Alastair Mackenzie (8-2) in history

• Day 8-2 year 1587: Queen Mary of Scotland was beheaded for treason. Her son, King James VI of Scotland, calmly accepted his mother's execution.
• Day 8-2 year 1693: The founding date of William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the second oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the ninth oldest among English-speaking countries.
• Day 8-2 year 1870: The National Weather Service was established under the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
• Day 8-2 year 1904: The Russo-Japanese war began when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur in northeast China.
• Day 8-2 year 1915: D. W. Griffith's controversial epic, The Birth of a Nation premiered in Los Angeles.
• Day 8-2 year 1924: The gas chamber was used for the first time as a method of execution in the United States. Gangster Gee Jon was put to death at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City.
• Day 8-2 year 1960: The payola (pay for broadcast airplay) hearings opened in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dick Clark would testify in April.
• Day 8-2 year 1980: President Jimmy Carter revealed his plan to reinstate selective service draft registration.