IT HAPPENED TODAY
1889:
Poet Robert Browning (above) died — his tomb is in Westminster Abbey.
1901:
The first transatlantic wireless message was sent 1,800 miles from Cornwall to St John’s, Newfoundland, where it was received by Marconi.
1911:
Delhi replaced Calcutta as the capital of India. King George V and Queen Mary attended the celebration.
1913:
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, stolen from the Louvre in Paris, was found in a bedroom of a small hotel in Florence.
1915:
The German Junkers J1, the first all-metal aeroplane, was test flown at Dessau.
1925:
The world’s first motel opened in California — starting the trend for overnight stops for motorists in individual accommodation.
1955:
The hovercraft was patented by British engineer Christopher Cockerell.
Bill Haley and the Comets (above) recorded See You Later, Alligator at Decca Recording Studios, New York.
1963:
1988:
Kenya became independent.
A train crash at Clapham Junction killed 35 people and injured more than 100.
ONTHISDAYLASTYEAR:
After winning fans following her appearance on X Factor, contestant Honey G was signed by Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco.
BIRTHDAYS:
Connie Francis, singer, 79; Dionne Warwick, singer, 77; Kenneth Cranham, actor, 73; Emerson Fittipaldi, former racing driver, 71; Jasper Conran, fashion designer, 58; Tracy Austin, former tennis player, 55; Will Carling, former rugby player, 52; Jennifer Connelly, (below) actress, 47.