On this day

1756:

Night of the Black Hole Of Calcutta. Some 146 English prisoners were put into a cell measuring 18ft by 14ft on a hot June evening when the Nawab of Bengal captured Fort William. Only 23 survived the night.

1789:

The seeds of the French Revolution were sown when a National Assembly was formed to oppose the domination of the aristocracy.

1819:

Composer Jacques Offenbach – creator of Tales Of Hoffman and Orpheus In The Underworld – was born in Cologne. He lived and worked in France.

1837:

William IV (the Sailor King) died at Windsor, and his niece Alexandrine Victoria, aged 18, came to the throne. When she was handed documents at her first Privy Council meeting, she instructed officials to delete Alexandrine and name her Queen Victoria.

1909:

Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania. He was swashbuckling long before he got to Hollywood, as a deck-hand, prospector, bird hunter and policeman.

1927:

Greyhound racing began at London’s White City stadium.

1949:

American tennis player “Gorgeous Gussie” Moran caused a sensation at Wimbledon by wearing lacetrimmed underwear under her short skirt.

1960:

Nan Winton became the first woman to read the national news on BBC television.

1990:

The Agra Diamond was sold for a record £4,070,000 at Christie’s.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:

Bookies said £40.5million had already been gambled on the outcome of the EU referendum, making it the biggest political betting event in British history.