IT HAPPENED TODAY

JULY 18

64AD: The Great Fire of Rome took place during the reign of Nero. He played the lyre and was 50 miles away at his villa in Antium when he heard the news.

1817: Author Jane Austen (above) died at the age of 41. Doctors were unable to diagnose her illness (she had written her skin had gone ‘black and blue and every wrong colour’), but medical authorities now believe she died from Addison’s disease.

1848: WG Grace, famous English cricketer, was born in Downend, near Bristol. In his 37-year playing career he hit nearly 51,000 runs and took more than 2,800 wickets.

1872: The Ballot Act, which laid the foundations of our current voting system, was passed.

1919: The Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall was unveiled.

1925: Mein Kampf (My Struggle), which Adolf Hitler wrote while in jail, was published.

1936: The Spanish Civil War began when the army, led by General Franco, revolted against the Republican government. The conflict lasted three years.

1969: Senator Edward Kennedy

(above) crashed his car into the Chappaquiddick River on America’s east coast. Kennedy escaped from the vehicle. However, his companion Mary Jo Kopechne drowned. He didn’t report the incident for 10 hours and was later found guilty of leaving the scene of the accident and given a two-month suspended sentence.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: An ancient Roman sarcophagus was excavated from a building site in London, it was reported.

BIRTHDAYS: James Brolin, actor, 78; Martha Reeves, soul singer, 77; Dennis Lillee, former cricketer, 69; Richard Branson (above) entrepreneur, 68; Nick Faldo, golfer, 61; Vin Diesel, actor, 51; M.I.A, musician, 45.