IT HAPPENED TODAY
1660:
England’s Long Parliament was dissolved after sitting for 20 years.
1872:
The first English FA Cup Final took place. Wanderers, a team formed by university and ex-public school players, beat the Royal Engineers 1-0 at The Oval in London.
1888:
The first recorded sale of a manufactured motor car was to Emile Roger of Paris, who bought a petrol-driven Benz.
1900:
Sir Arthur Evans uncovered the ancient city of Knossos, Crete.
1926:
The first liquid-fuelled rocket was demonstrated in the USA, by Dr Robert H Goddard (above) .
1935:
Hitler renounced the Versailles Treaty and re-introduced conscription.
1947:
Almost 600,000 acres of farming land were submerged by floodwater on the Fens as the River Ouse overflowed and a million sheep died.
1971:
Boxer Henry Cooper (above), announced his retirement after losing his title to Joe Bugner.
1988:
A Loyalist gunman opened fire indiscriminately and hurled grenades into a crowd of mourners at an IRA funeral for three people killed by the SAS in Gibraltar 10 days before.
1998:
Beef exports from Northern Ireland were to resume after a three-year ban stemming from the BSE crisis.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
Paul O’Grady was confirmed as the new host of Blind Date, which returned to screens last year.
BIRTHDAYS:
Bernardo Bertolucci, film director, 78; Erik Estrada, actor, 69; Graham Cole, actor, 66; Isabelle Huppert, actress, 65; Jimmy Nail, actor/singer, 64; Matthew Bannister, broadcaster and former Radio 1 controller, 61; Jenny Eclair, (above) comedienne, 58; Theo Walcott, footballer, 29.