THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Reports show that a determined and simultaneous attack was made upon London by three groups of raiders. Each of these groups, which approached from different directions, was broken up by antiaircraft gunfire, and only three machines penetrated the defence. Bombs were dropped in the eastern districts. A fourth group of enemy machines which attempted to approach London later was driven off, none of the raiders penentrating the outer defences of the capital.

50 years ago

A man went into hospital in Buenos Aires to have a bunion removed, and ended up with a broken leg and collar-bone, a heart attack and a ruptured stomach. Fearing the pain during the bunion treatment, the patient asked for a general anaesthetic and this led to a heart attack. Doctors revived him by opening his chest and massaging his heart. He was put in an oxygen tent – where he suffered a stomach contraction. Later, the patient fell off a stretcher and broke a leg and collar-bone.

25 years ago

The grain traders Cargill have secured an order for 17,000 tonnes of oilseed rape for Japan, in the first deal of its kind, which Anne Guttridge of Cargill describes as good news for Scottish farmers. Part of the rape is coming from the Dundee area and was being loaded at Princess Alexandra Wharf. When loading is complete, the boat will then move to Leith to complete the order. Normally the Japanese buy Canadian high quality rapeseed, but the weather there has been bad.

One year ago

The number of congratulatory messages sent by the Queen to people reaching their 100th birthday may have risen by up to 50% over the past decade. An estimated 5,780 people living in the UK were 100 years old in the middle of 2015, according to the Office for National Statistics. This compares with 3,710 at the same point in 2005 – a jump of 56%. When people are approaching 100, it is traditional for their family to apply for a free birthday message to be sent from the Queen.