ON THIS DAY
1756: Night of the Black Hole Of Calcutta. Some 146 English prisoners were put into a cell measuring 18ft by 14ft on a hot June evening when the Nawab of Bengal captured Fort William. Only 23 survived the night.
1789: The seeds of the French Revolution were sown when a National Assembly was formed to oppose the domination of the aristocracy.
1837: William IV (the Sailor King) died at Windsor, and his niece Alexandrine Victoria, aged 18, came to the throne. When she was handed documents at her first Privy Council meeting, she instructed officials to delete Alexandrine and name her Queen Victoria.
1909: Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania. He was swashbuckling long before he got to Hollywood, as a deck-hand, prospector, tropical bird hunter and policeman.
1927: Greyhound racing began at London’s White City stadium.
1949: American tennis player “Gorgeous Gussie” Moran caused a sensation at Wimbledon by wearing lace-trimmed underwear under her short skirt, designed by Teddy Tinling.
1960: Nan Winton became the first woman to read the national news on BBC television.
1977: A pipeline carrying oil across Alaska was opened.
1990: The Agra Diamond was sold for a record £4,070,000 at Christie’s.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: A stroke victim who collapsed on a Mayfair street reconnected with the “guardian angel” who saved his life.
BIRTHDAYS:
Wendy Craig, actress, 88; Stephen Frears, film director, 81; Brian Wilson, rock musician (Beach Boys), 80; Lionel Richie, singer/songwriter, 73; John Goodman, actor, 70; Vikram Seth, novelist, 70; Peter Reid, former football player and pundit, 66; Nicole Kidman, actress, 55; Frank Lampard, former footballer and pundit, 44.