ON THIS DAY
1769:
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica. He expanded the French empire until defeated by an allied coalition which sent him into exile to Elba. He returned to fight at Waterloo, which led to final exile on the remote south Atlantic island of St Helena.
1842:
The first regular British detective force was formed. This division of the Metropolitan Police assumed the name Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 1878.
1939:
“The Wizard of Oz” premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
1947:
The Union Flag was run down for the last time in New Delhi as India gained independence from Britain. Pakistan split from India, also becoming independent.
1952:
Severe thunderstorms in Somerset and North Devon caused rivers to flood and devastated the towns of Lynton and Lynmouth.
1960:
Britain’s first motorway restaurant
was opened on the M1 at Newport Pagnell.
1969:
The three-day Woodstock pop festival began in upstate New York. More than 400,000 people watched artists such as The Who, Santana and Jimi Hendrix – but massive traffic jams, adverse weather and a shortage of food led to the event being declared a disaster area.
1987:
Caning was officially banned in Britain, except in independent schools.
1999:
Omagh bomb in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles, killed 29 people and injured about 220.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
At least 300 people were killed and hundreds were injured and missing after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti.
BIRTHDAYS:
Jim Dale, actor, 87; Tony Robinson, actor/writer/ presenter, 76; Jenny Hanley, actress, 75; The Princess Royal, 72; Robert ‘Jack’ Russell, former cricketer, 59; Ben Affleck, actor, 50; Mikey Graham, singer (Boyzone), 50; Natasha Henstridge, actress, 48.