IT HAPPENED TODAY
1792:
The Mint of the United States was established, striking its first silver dollars.
1801:
Nelson put a telescope to his blind eye at the Battle of Copenhagen and thus ignored the command to cease fighting. He continued until the pro-French Danish fleet was totally subdued.
1805:
Hans Christian Andersen, master of the fairytale, was born in Odense, Denmark.
1873:
British trains were fitted with toilets — but only in sleeping cars.
1877:
The first human cannonball act was performed at London’s Amphitheatre, when acrobatic Lady Zazal was shot by elastic springs into a safety net.
1947:
The Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst was formed.
1954:
Britain’s first TV soap opera, The Grove Family (named after Lime Grove Studios), was transmitted.
Charlotte Brew on Barony Fort became the first woman to ride in a Grand National. Her mount refused at the 27th fence. The winner was Red Rum, scoring his third win, the only horse ever to do so.
1982:
Argentinian forces invaded and occupied the British Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
The annual Oxford-Cambridge boat races would go ahead as planned, it was announced, after an unexploded Second World War bomb found near the starting line was safely removed.
BIRTHDAYS:
Penelope Keith, actress, 78; Linda Hunt, actress, 73; Camille Paglia, social critic and author, 71; Paul Gambaccini, DJ and broadcaster, 69; Linford Christie, former Olympic gold medal-winning athlete and athletics coach, 58; Keren Woodward singer, Bananarama, 57; Dermot Reeve, former cricketer/commentator, 55; Teddy Sheringham, former footballer, 52.