THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
JULY 6
1988: 167 men died in an explosion on the Piper Alpha oil rig in the North Sea.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Alaskans more used to wearing jackets in the summer swapped them for sunscreen and parasols amid an unusual prolonged heatwave, it was reported.
JULY 7
2013: Andy Murray made history as he became the first British man to take the Wimbledon singles title in 77 years.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: 10 people, including three police officers, were taken to hospital after a chemical attack outside a Leicestershire pub in the early hours of the morning.
JULY 8
1965: Ronald Biggs, one of the Great Train Robbers, scaled the wall of Wandsworth Prison with a rope ladder and escaped. He had served 15 months of his sentence. He eventually settled in Brazil.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Five people were injured during the second day of bull runs at the famous San Fermin festival in Spain.
JULY 9
1984: A bolt of lightning set fire to York Minster. The 700-year-old building suffered serious damage to the south transept, but the famous Rose Window survived.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: The first fully electric Mini car was unveiled at the car-maker’s Oxford factory.
JULY 10
1900: The Paris Metro opened.