ON THIS DAY

1440: Eton College was founded by Henry VI for 25 poor and needy scholars. 1818: Richard Gatling, inventor of the Gatling gun, was born in North Carolina. 1878: Cleopatra’s Needle, an ancient Egyptian obelisk, 68ft of granite, was presented to Britain by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan and erected on the Thames Embankment. Inside were placed some important reminders of the British Empire, including Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, Whitaker’s Almanack and a dozen pin-ups of Victorian ladies. 1888: Maurice Chevalier, legendary French entertainer and actor, was born in Paris. 1970: Concorde landed at Heathrow Airport for the first time. 1977: South African black activist Steve Biko died after six days in police detention in Port Elizabeth. 2014: Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley died, aged 88. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: David Cameron stood down as MP for Witney, triggering a by-election in the seat.