IT HAPPENED TODAY
1503:
French astrologer and prophet Nostradamus was born.
1895:
George VI was born. He succeeded his brother Edward VIII when he abdicated, and led the British through the war years.
1901:
The first table tennis tournament was held at the Royal Aquarium, London.
1911:
Roald Amundsen (above), Norwegian explorer, became the first man to reach the South Pole — 35 days ahead of Captain Robert Falcon Scott.
1918:
Women over 30 voted in a British general election for the first time.
1922:
John Reith was appointed general manager of the fledgling BBC.
1962:
Mariner II sent back the first close-up pictures of Venus.
Twenty-seven people, including 18 children, were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, US.
2014:
Actor Peter O’Toole (above) died. He received eight Oscar nominations for films including Lawrence of Arabia, without ever winning.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
Amazon completed its first customer delivery by drone, dropping off an item in Cambridgeshire.
BIRTHDAYS:
Barbara Leigh-Hunt, actress, 82; Janette Scott, actress, 79; Mike Scott, singer (The Waterboys), 59; Chris Waddle, commentator and former footballer, 57; Miranda Hart (below), comedienne, 45; Tammy Blanchard, actress, 41; Michael Owen, footballer, 38; Vanessa Hudgens, actress, 29.