IT HAPPENED TODAY
1782:
The 100-gun HMS Royal George sank off Spithead with the loss of more than 900 lives.
1831:
Michael Faraday demonstrated the production of electricity from magnetism with the first transformer.
1842:
The Treaty of Nanking was signed ending the Opium War (183942) between China and Britain, and ceding Hong Kong to Britain.
1882:
England cricketers lost to Australia in England for the first time and from an epitaph that appeared in the Sporting Times the word ‘Ashes’ came into being.
1885:
The first motorcycle was patented by Gottlieb Daimler in Germany.
1895:
The Rugby League was formed in the George Hotel in Huddersfield, with 21 representatives of the leading Lancashire and Yorkshire rugby union clubs — the present title of ‘Rugby League’ was adopted in 1922.
1897:
Chop-suey (meaning ‘various things’), the most famous Chinese dish, was devised by a New York chef to appeal to Chinese and American tastes.
1966:
The Beatles gave their last live concert performance in Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
2005:
Michael Schumacher won his fifth consecutive Formula One Drivers Championship.
2012:
The London 2012 Paralympic Games started with a spectacular opening ceremony.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
Fewer than half of adults were taking advantage of the free NHS midlife MoT, a charity found.
BIRTHDAYS:
Elliott Gould, actor, 81; Joel Schumacher, film director, 80; Chris Copping, musician, 74; Lenny Henry actor/comedian, 61; Joe Swail, snooker player, 50; Lea Michele, actress, 33, Liam Payne, singer, 26.