ON THIS DAY

• 490BC: The Greeks defeated the Persians under Darius at the Battle of Marathon. Philippides had run 150 miles in two days in a futile attempt to ask the Spartans to assist the Greek army, but in the end their help was not required.

• 1759: The British under General Wolfe won the Battle of Quebec – but Wolfe was shot and died in the fighting.

• 1788: New York became federal capital of the new USA.

• 1874: Composer Arnold Schoenberg was born in Vienna. As a triskaidekaphobe (someone afraid of the number 13), he predicted he would die on the 13th at the age of 76 (7+6=13). He did, on July 13, 1951 at 13 minutes to midnight. His last word was “harmony”.

• 1915: The process for making breakfast cereal flakes was patented by Frank Martin, as previously the combination of corn, indigestible oats and for grain the public. had proved

• 1957: The Mousetrap, a murder-mystery, became Britain’s longest-running play, reaching its 1,998th performance.

• 1985: The World Health Organisation declared Aids a worldwide epidemic.

• 2008: Hurricane Ike ravaged parts of Texas and Louisiana, battering the US coast with 110mph gusts of wind and torrential rain.

• 2018: The Duke of Sussex told young Royal Marines recruits they face “blood, sweat and tears” in the months ahead but were in one of the world’s best jobs.

• BIRTHDAYS: Jacqueline Bisset, actress, 75; Don Was, music producer, 67; Bobby Davro, comedian, 61; Michael Johnson, former athlete, 52; Stella McCartney, fashion designer, 48.