ON THIS DAY

1772: The first travellers’ cheques were introduced by the London Credit Exchange Company. They could be used in 90 cities.

1785: The Daily Universal Register was first published by John Walter. It was renamed The Times in 1788.

1881: The first British postal orders were issued.

1890: Football nets were used in goals for the first time, for a match in Bolton.

1894: The Manchester Ship Canal was opened.

1901: Six states and two territories federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia.

1931: The Road Traffic Act came into force, introducing traffic policemen and compulsory third-party insurance.

1958: The EEC came into being. Its six members were France, Italy,

West Germany, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Britain, Ireland and Denmark joined on this day in 1973.

1964: The first Top Of The Pops was aired, with Jimmy Savile as its presenter.

1974: New Year’s Day was celebrated as a national public holiday for the first time.

1992: Egyptian diplomat Butros Butros Ghali became the sixth secretary-general of the UN, taking over from Javier Perez de Cuellar.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:

Thousands of people lined the Thames as London kicked off the new decade to the roar of football anthems such as Three Lions with the festivities providing a prelude to the Euro 2020 football tournament – which was later postponed due to Covid.

BIRTHDAYS: Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler), funk musician, 63; Dedee Pfeiffer, actress, 57; Michelle Holmes, actress, 54; Paul Lawrie, golfer, 52; Jonas Armstrong, actor, 40; Colin Morgan, actor, 35; Jack Wilshere, footballer; 29.