ON THIS DAY

● 1682: The Chelsea Hospital for old soldiers (Chelsea Pensioners), also venue for the world-famous flower show, was founded.

● 1819: Sir Henry Tate, sugar refiner who left his art collection to the nation which formed the basis for the Tate Gallery, was born in Chorley, Lancashire.

● 1941: The US Congress passed the Lend-Lease Bill enabling Britain to borrow millions of dollars to buy food and arms needed for the Second World War.

● 1945: The huge Krupps factory in Germany was destroyed when 1,000 Allied bombers took part in the biggest ever daylight raid.

● 1960: Riot police stood by in the Belgian Congo as Patrice Lumumba, the future controversial independence premier, was allowed to speak in public for the first time. He was found murdered less than a year later.

● 1974: Kenneth and Keith Littlejohn, allegedly MI6 spies inside the IRA, escaped from jail.

● 1981: Sir Maurice Oldfield, the intelligence chief considered to be the model for Ian Fleming’s ‘M’ in the Bond novels, died.

● 1988: The Bank of England pound note ceased to be legal tender at midnight, and was replaced by the pound coin.

● 1993: North Korea pulled out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty.

● ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: A bass guitar and handwritten song lyrics were among items related to the original Woodstock concert going on a display at a New York museum, it was announced.

● BIRTHDAYS: Rupert Murdoch, media magnate, 89; Bobby McFerrin, singer, 70; Shane Richie, actor and presenter, 56.