On This Day in History

An explosion on board a Maltese patrol boat that was disposing of illegal fireworks at sea off Gozo killed seven soldiers and policemen.

Desmond Tutu (pictured) became the first black leader of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.

American rapper Tupac Shakur (pictured) was shot by an unknown assailant in Las Vegas, dying from his injuries six days later.

American rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Paradise, Nevada, dying six days later.

Three weeks after an earthquake struck northwestern Turkey, a second earthquake struck Athens, causing Greece and Turkey to initiate "earthquake diplomacy".

Hurricane Ivan made landfall on Grenada and devastated at least 85 percent of buildings on the island.

A Chinese fishing trawler operating in disputed waters collided with Japan Coast Guard patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands, sparking a major diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

Yak-Service Flight 9633, carrying the players and coaching staff of the ice hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, crashed on take-off near Yaroslavl, Russia, resulting in the deaths of 44 of the 45 people on board.