IT HAPPENED TODAY
1702:
Queen Anne acceded to the throne on the death of William III, who died in a riding accident at Hampton Court.
1787:
Karl von Grafe, pioneer of plastic surgery, was born in Warsaw.
1790:
The French Assembly voted to continue slavery in their colonies.
1859:
Kenneth Grahame author of children’s books, notably The Wind In The Willows, was born in Edinburgh.
1879:
Otto Hahn, German physicist and chemist, was born. He discovered nuclear fission, which made the atomic bomb possible.
1910:
The first pilot’s licences were granted.
1952:
An artificial heart was used for the first time on a 41-year-old man — it kept him alive for 80 minutes.
1961:
Sir Thomas Beecham, English conductor and founder of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, died.
An IRA bomb destroyed the Nelson Column in Dublin.
1971:
Boxer Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali on points to become world heavyweight champion.
1983:
President Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an “evil empire”.
1990:
Figures showed more than 3,000 Britons had fully developed Aids.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
Watching nature programmes and animal documentaries can reduce stress levels and make us happier, research found.
Lord (Douglas) Hurd, ex-foreign secretary, 88; Michael Grade, former ITV executive chairman, 75; Gyles Brandreth, ex-MP and TV personality, 70; Cheryl Baker
singer, 64; Gary Numan, rock musician, 60; Aidan Quinn, actor, 59; Freddie Prinze Jnr, actor, 42.