On September 7

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second World War: The Luftwaffe changed their strategy in the Battle of Britain and began bombing London and other cities and towns.

The last thylacine (pictured) died in captivity in Hobart Zoo, Australia.

World War I: The Supreme War Command was established to oversee the armed forces of all the Central Powers.

With Beijing occupied by foreign troops from the Eight-Nation Alliance, Qing China was forced to sign the Boxer Protocol, an unequal treaty that ended the Boxer Rebellion.

Pedro I declared the independence of Brazil from Portugal, establishing the Empire of Brazil.

Anglo-French War: Having established an alliance with the United States, France invaded the Caribbean island of Dominica and captured its British fort.

Chinese peasants on Formosa (now Taiwan) began a rebellion against Dutch rule which was suppressed four days later.

First English Civil War: Royalist and Parliamentarian forces clashed in the Battle of Babylon Hill, after which both sides claimed victory.

Third Crusade: Crusaders under Richard I of England defeated Ayyubid troops under Saladin at the Battle of Arsuf (depicted) in present-day Israel.

Pope Alexander III was chosen to succeed of Adrian IV in a disputed election.