On This Day in South Africa: What happened on 28 December?

Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 28 December, throughout world and South African history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.

ON THIS DAY: 28 DECEMBER

1989 | Nine members of the ANC were officially banned in Dakawa, Tanzania

2014 | Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed into the Karimata Strait en route from Surabaya to Singapore, killing all 162 people on board.

2014 | Nine people died and 19 others were reported missing, when the MS Norman Atlantic caught fire in the Strait of Otranto, in the Adriatic Sea, in Italian waters.

1989 | A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, at least 13 people were killed. 

1973 | The United States Endangered Species Act was signed into law by Pres. Richard Nixon.

1956 | Chin Peng, David Marshall and Tunku Abdul Rahman met in Baling, Malaya to try to resolve the Malayan Emergency.

ALSO READ: What happened on 27 December? 

BIRTHDAYS 

1943 | Welsh politician, Joan Ruddock. 

1953 | American journalist and author, Charlie Pierce. 

1990 | American singer-songwriter, David Archuleta. 

1968 | Japanese engineer and astronaut, Akihiko Hoshide. 

1972 | Peruvian footballer, Roberto Palacios. 

ON THIS DAY: DEATHS 

2004 | American novelist, essayist, critic, and playwright, Susan Sontag,71.

1967 | American biologist and philanthropist, Katharine McCormick, 92.

2013 | Halton Arp, American-German astronomer and critic, Katharine McCormick, 86.

2014 | American transgender teenager, Leelah Alcorn, 17.

2016 | American movie actress, singer and dancer, Debbie Reynolds, 84.

SPORTS 

1944 | Maurice Richard became the first player to score eight points in one game of NHL ice hockey on this day.

ENTERTAINMENT

2016 | In the United States, “20th Century Women”, Starring Annette Bening and Elle Fanning was released on this day for the first time.

AFRICA FACT

The Nubian pyramids in Sudan are the oldest pyramids in Africa.