ON THIS day

NATIONAL DAY OF AUSTRIA

■ ■1760: George III became king, beginning one of the longest reigns in British history – 60 years of tremendous change, during which he went violently insane.

■ ■1803: Joseph Hansom, inventor of the Hansom Cab in 1834, was born. They proved the most popular of London’s cabs and were later introduced in New York.

■ ■1863: The English Football Association was formed at a meeting at Freeman’s Tavern in Great Queen Street, London.

■ ■1881: The Gunfight at the OK Corral took place outside Tombstone, Arizona Territory, between the Ike Clanton gang and the Marshal Virgil Earp, his deputised brothers Wyatt and Morgan and Doc Holliday. ■ ■1905: Norway became independent from Sweden.

■ ■1940: The P-51 Mustang made its maiden flight.

■ ■1950: The rebuilt chamber of the House of Commons was opened by King George VI, having been destroyed by bombing in 1941.

■ ■1955: The New York underground paper Village Voice was first published, backed by Norman Mailer. ■ ■1965: The Beatles went to Buckingham Palace to be presented with their MBEs.

■ ■1986: Jeffrey Archer resigned as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, after allegations that he had made a payment to a prostitute to avoid a scandal. He denied the allegations and fought a successful libel case.

■ ■ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Hollywood actress Jane Fonda accepted a prestigious award from Bafta Los Angeles while being led away in handcuffs after being arrested during climate change protests.

■ ■BIRTHDAYS:

Hillary Clinton, former US

Secretary of State,

73, right; Andrew

Motion, former poet laureate, 68;

Cary Elwes, actor,

58; Natalie

Merchant, singer (10,000 Maniacs), 57; Steve Howey, former footballer, 49; Ronnie Irani, former cricketer and commentator, 49; Austin Healey, former rugby player, 47.