IT HAPPENED TODAY
— Commemorates 1915 Gallipoli landing of Australian and New Zealand troops in the First World War.
1599:
Oliver Cromwell (above) was born in Huntingdon. He became Lord Protector of England — Britain’s first and only dictator.
1859:
Work began on the 100-mile Suez Canal.
1872:
C B Fry, all-round sportsman, was born in Croydon. He played football, cricket and rugby and was an athlete, hunter, fisherman and novelist.
1926:
Toscanini conducted the first performance of Puccini’s last opera, Turandot, in Milan.
1945:
Fifty nations gathered in San Francisco to begin the United Nations conference on International Organisations.
1969:
Diary ended after 21 years and 5,400 episodes. Her last words were: “I’m rather worried about Jim.”
1983:
Stern, Germany’s most popular news weekly magazine, published extracts from the so-called Hitler diaries, also published by the Sunday Times in Britain. They were later found to be forgeries.
2007:
The radio serial Mrs Dale’s
The world of football paid tribute after Alan Ball (above), the youngest member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning side, died of a heart attack,aged 61.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
A child’s risk of obesity as they grow up can be influenced by modifications to their DNA while in the womb caused by their mother’s “health, diet and lifestyle,” research suggested.
BIRTHDAYS:
Al Pacino, actor, 78; Bjorn Ulvaeus, pop musician (Abba), 73; Talia Shire, actress, 72; Andy Bell, pop musician (Erasure), 54; Renee Zellweger (above), actress, 49; Jason Lee, actor, 48.