On this DAY

1483: The young Edward V acceded to the throne on the death of Edward IV. He was never crowned and disappeared, believed murdered, 75 days later.

1626: Francis Bacon, philosopher and statesman, died – apparently killed by a chicken. He was trying to stuff it with snow as a method of preservation, caught a chill and died. 1806: Isambard Kingdom Brunel, railway and marine engineer whose works included the Clifton suspension bridge and steamship Great Western, was born in Portsmouth.

1838: The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, was opened.

1865: Confederate General Robert E Lee surrendered to General Grant in Virginia, bringing the American Civil War to an end.

1898: Paul Robeson, actor and singer, was born in New Jersey. He is best known for his singing of Ol’ Man River in Jerome Kern’s Show Boat. 1906: Labour politician Hugh Gaitskell was born in London. As Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1951, he introduced NHS charges, causing Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, to resign. 1940: Germany invaded Norway and Denmark.

1945: The USS Liberty exploded in Bari harbour, Italy, killing 360 people. 1969: The first British-built Concorde 002 made its maiden flight from Filton to RAF Fairford.

1981: The US Navy nuclear submarine USS George Washington accidentally collided with the Nissho Maru, a Japanese cargo ship, sinking it. 2003: Baghdad fell to American forces and Iraqis pulled down a statue of former leader Saddam Hussein.