ON THIS DAY

■■1796: Robert Burns, national poet of Scotland, died in Dumfries, aged 37, from endocarditis induced by rheumatism.

■■1809: Famous fatty Daniel Lambert died, weighing out at 52 stone 11lb. He passed away in a ground floor room at the Wagon and Horses Inn at Stamford, Lincolnshire, and a wall and window had to be demolished to get him out.

■■1868: Harry Relph, English music hall star better known as Little Tich, was born. He was 4ft 6in tall and had six digits on each hand.

■■1896: The first Royal Command Film Performance was held at Marlborough House, London, when an assortment of 20 films was shown to 40 guests on the eve of the wedding of Princess Maud.

■■1897: The Tate Gallery in London was officially opened. It was built on the site of the former Millbank Prison.

■■1904: The Trans-Siberian railway was finally completed. The 4,607 miles of track took a total of 13 years to lay.

■■1960: Francis Chichester - later Sir Francis - docked in New York in Gypsy Moth II, setting a new record of 40 days for a solo Atlantic crossing.

■■1962: The Rolling Stones made their first appearance, at the Marquee club in London.

■■1984: The man who popularised jogging, James Fixx, had a heart attack and died while out running in Vermont. He was 52.

■■2011: America’s space shuttle programme passed into history with the words “wheels stop” crackling over the cockpit radio for the last time. In an end to the 30-year-old programme, Atlantis and its four astronauts glided to a landing after one last visit to the International Space Station, completing the 135th and final shuttle flight.

■■ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Six newborn puppies were reunited with their mother after they were stolen in a violent burglary.

■■BIRTHDAYS: Norman Jewison, film director, 94; Julian Pettifer, TV presenter, 85; Yusuf Islam, activist and former singer (Cat Stevens), 72; Ross Kemp, actor, 56; Chris Bisson, actor, 45; Josh Hartnett, actor, 42; Paloma Faith, singer, 39.

Let us know your community events

Write to What’s On, South Wales Echo, Six Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1XR or email ecletters@walesonline. co.uk including your name, address and daytime contact number. Don’t forget to tell us where and when your event is taking place and what it’s all about.

■■ The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2016 was 62.8%