IT HAPPENED TODAY
1760:
George III became King, beginning one of the longest reigns in British history — 60 years of tremendous change, during which he went violently insane.
1803:
Joseph Hansom (above),inventor of the Hansom Cab in 1834, was born.
1863:
The English Football Association was formed at a meeting at Freeman’s Tavern in Great Queen Street, London.
1881:
The Gunfight at the OK Corral took place outside Tombstone, Arizona Territory, between the Ike Clanton gang and the Marshal Virgil Earp, his deputised brothers Wyatt and Morgan and Doc Holliday.
1905:
Norway became independent from Sweden.
1950:
The rebuilt chamber of the House of Commons was opened by King George VI, after having been destroyed by bombing during the Blitz in 1941.
1965:
The Beatles went to Buckingham Palace to be presented with their MBEs.
1986:
Jeffrey Archer (above) resigned as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party after allegations that he had made a payment to a prostitute to avoid scandal. He denied the allegations and fought a successful libel case.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
A BBC weather presenter struggled to contain a fit of giggles after a caption error labelled her an ‘ex-offender’ during a live broadcast.
BIRTHDAYS:
Hillary Clinton (below), former US Secretary of State, 71; Andrew Motion, former poet laureate, 66; Cary Elwes, actor, 56; Natalie Merchant, singer with 10,000 Maniacs, 55; Steve Howey, former footballer, 47; Ronnie Irani, former cricketer and commentator, 47; Austin Healey, former rugby player, 45.