On this day

622: The traditional starting day of the Islamic Era, when a persecuted Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina.

1723: Sir Joshua Reynolds, English portrait painter, was born.

1821: Mary Baker Eddy, US religious leader who founded the Christian Science movement, was born.

1918: The last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, was murdered by the Bolsheviks along with his entire family in the cellar of a house in Ekaterinburg.

1945: The first atomic bomb was detonated at an airbase in the desert of New Mexico.

1953: Hilaire Belloc, writer of many talents, died. He had written his own epitaph, which read: “When I am dead, I hope it may be said, his sins were scarlet but his books were read.”

1970: The first state of emergency in Britain since 1926 was called by Prime Minister Edward Heath, pictured on facing page, as dockers went on strike.

Birthdays

SIR George Young, Leader of the

House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal, 79; Frank Field, MP, 78; Ruben Blades, actor, 72; Lorraine Chase, actress, 69; Stewart Copeland, rock musician (The Police), 68; Michael Flatley, pictured, dancer, 62; Johnny Vaughan, TV and radio presenter, 54.

Quotes of the day

“The balance in the need to restrict the spread of the virus, whilst also allowing the ancient liberties of a gentleman to go shopping, is a difficult balance to strike and we have made the judgment that the best way to strike it is to allow a gentleman to go shopping, but require him to wear a face mask” – Tory Sir Desmond Swayne brands compulsory face coverings a “monstrous imposition”.

“The Roman Colosseum held 55,000, it doesn’t mean because it was popular it was right”–

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee chairman Julian Knight responds to ITV boss Dame Carolyn Mccall’s defence of the Jeremy Kyle Show.