ON THIS day

■■1707: The Acts of Union became law, making England and Scotland one country.

■■1726: Sir John Vanbrugh, playwright and architect of Blenheim Palace, Castle Howard and many castles and houses, died.

■■1780: The British Gazette And Sunday Monitor, the first Sunday newspaper in Britain, was published. ■■1827: Famously deaf composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna, aged 57. His last words were reputedly: “I shall hear in Heaven.” ■■1885: The first cremation in Britain took place at Woking in Surrey.

■■1937: Popeye the sailor-man became the first cartoon character to have his statue erected – by spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas.

■■1945: David Lloyd George, who laid the foundations of the Welfare State and led Britain through the First World War, died at the age of 82. ■■1971: East Pakistan, under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared independence to become the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

■■1973: The first woman stockbroker set foot on the floor of the London Stock Exchange.

■■1979: Israel and Egypt ended 30 years of war after a peace deal brokered by the United States. ■■1981: The so-called Gang of Four (Roy Jenkins, David Owen, William Rodgers and Shirley Williams) launched the Social Democratic Party.

■■1992: Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was jailed after being found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of criminal deviate conduct. ■■1997: The bodies of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult were found after a mass suicide – they believed they would join aliens following the Hale Bopp comet.

■■ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions had fallen 3.6% over the previous year as renewables climbed to new record highs, official figures showed. ■■BIRTHDAYS: Erica Jong, writer, 79; Bob Woodward, Watergate journalist, 78; Diana Ross, singer, 77; Steve Tyler, rock musician (Aerosmith), 73; Martin Short, actor, 71; Jennifer Grey, actress, 61; William Hague, Conservative politician, 60; Amy Smart, actress, 45; Keira Knightley, actress, 36.

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%