ON THIS DAY
1314: The Battle of Bannockburn took place near Stirling Castle – Robert the Bruce (of spider fame) inflicted a crushing defeat on Edward II of England.
1717: The Grand Lodge of English Freemasons was formed in London.
1825: William Henry Smith, English newsagent and bookseller, was born. He joined his father’s newsagent business and took full control in 1846, building WHSmith, the biggest chain of newsagents in Britain, before going into politics.
1840: The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway between Cheltenham and Bromsgrove was opened, a stretch that includes the Lickey incline, one of the severest gradients on a British main line.
1859: Henri Dunant, a Swiss businessman travelling through Italy, saw the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino and was inspired to found the International Red Cross.
1895: Jack Dempsey, US world heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926, was born. Known as the Manassa Mauler, he was the most popular boxer of his time.
1947: The series of “flying saucer” stories started when a pilot, Kenneth Arnold, reported seeing nine disc-shaped objects over Mount Rainier, Washington.
1948: The Berlin Airlift began when the USSR blockaded Berlin, requiring the Allies to fly in food and other essential supplies.
1981: The bridge over the Humber Estuary opened to traffic.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
The Duchess of Cambridge became patron of addiction recovery charity The Forward Trust, Kensington Palace announced.
BIRTHDAYS:
Jeff Beck, rock guitarist, 78; Mick Fleetwood, rock drummer (Fleetwood Mac), 75; Peter Weller, actor, 75; John Illsley, musician, 73; Curt Smith, musician, 61, Sherry Stringfield, actress, 55; Glenn Medeiros, pop singer/songwriter, 52; Stuart Broad, cricketer, 36.