ON THIS DAY
776 BC:
The first Olympic Games opened in Olympia. The foot race was won by Coroibos, a cook.
1759:
Work started on the Royal Navy’s 104-gun battleship HMS Victory at Chatham, Kent, built from the wood of 6,000 trees, 90% of which were oak.
1888:
Crime novelist Raymond Chandler – creator of Philip Marlowe – was born in Chicago. He turned to writing when he was 44, after being fired from his job for alcoholic excesses.
1892:
Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, was born. When the Italians invaded in 1936, he went into exile, but resumed full authority after Ethiopia was liberated in 1941.
1904:
The first ice cream cone was made by Charles Menches in Missouri.
1940:
The Local Defence Volunteers were renamed the Home Guard by Winston Churchill.
1949:
Brian Close became the youngest Test cricketer (at that time) when he played against New Zealand at Old Trafford. He was 18 years and 149 days old. 1955:
Donald Campbell broke the world water speed record on Ullswater when he reached 202.32mph in Bluebird.
1986:
Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson in Westminster Abbey, and was made Duke of York following a 600-year-old tradition for the monarch’s second son.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
A virtual ‘ Wall of Hope’ featuring the messages of support left at the mural of Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford was created, with the originals taken down for preservation.
BIRTHDAYS:
David Essex, singer, 75; Graham Gooch, former cricketer, 69; Kate Buffery, actress, 65; Woody Harrelson, actor, 61; Slash, rock guitarist (Guns N’ Roses), 57; Monica Lewinsky, former White House intern and activist, 49.