ON THIS DAY

1394: Prince Henry the Navigator, who sponsored Portugal’s voyages of discovery, was born in Oporto. 1678: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, composer and violinist, best known for The Four Seasons (1725), was born in Venice. 1789: The first Congress of the United States was held in New York.

1824: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution was founded. 1890: The 1,710-foot Forth Bridge was officially opened by the Prince of Wales.

1924: Happy Birthday To You was published by Clayton F Summy. 1941: British forces, assisted by local Norwegians, raided the German-occupied Lofoten Islands, destroying 11 ships.

1946: Housewives’ Choice, presented by Robert Mcdermott, began on BBC radio.

1967: North Sea gas was first piped ashore near Durham. 1969: At the Old Bailey, gangland twins Ronald and Reginald Kray were found guilty of murder and given life sentences.

1974: After the General Election, Edward Heath failed to persuade the Liberals to join a coalition and resigned. Harold Wilson became Prime Minister of a minority administration, which lasted for eight months until fresh elections secured a Labour majority. 1980: Robert Mugabe became the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, winning 57 of the 80 black seats in the 100-member Assembly. 1989: Six people were killed in a rail crash in Purley, Surrey. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: An analysis report found that climate change made the weather conditions that fuelled Australia’s devastating wildfires more likely.