Timetrip

1616: First non-aristocratic, free public school in Europe opened in Frascati, Italy.

1821: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declare their independence from the Spanish Empire.

1835: HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin on board reaches the Galapagos Islands.

1928: Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming (above) discovers penicillin while studying influenza.

1940: Battle of Britain Day: climax of the Battle of Britain, tide begins to turn as the Royal Air Force repulses a major Luftwaffe attack, losing 29 aircraft to the Germans’ 57-61.

1997: Google.com is registered as a domain name.

Birthdays: Marco Polo, Italian explorer (1254-1324); Agatha Christie, English novellist (1890-1976); Prince Harry, Prince of Wales (1984-).