THIS WEEK

DECEMBER 5, 1955

Rosa Parks led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a milestone in the US civil rights movement.

Parks, an AfricanAmerican, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man.

It led to a trial that saw segregation laws in Alabama declared unconstitutional.

DECEMBER 6, 1994

The Queen gave the go-ahead for oil drilling in Windsor Castle’s grounds.

It was thought 100 million barrels of oil lay below what was dubbed “Dallas-on-Thames”.

But the licence to drill expired without a single well being bored.

DECEMBER 7, 1869

Legendary outlaw Jesse James robbed his first bank in Gallatin, Missouri.

James netted little cash but the fact he shot and killed the cashier and made a daring escape from a pursuing posse got his name in the papers for the first time.

DECEMBER 8, 1980

Former Beatle John Lennon was murdered by Mark Chapman outside The Dakota in New York.

Chapman pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life, and is still in prison after being denied parole nine times.

DECEMBER 9, 1957

The Post Office warned people to post their Christmas cards early.

The Postmaster General explained that this year would be particularly problematic as Christmas Day fell on a Wednesday, meaning people would expect cards posted on the Monday to arrive on the 25th.

The PO stopped delivering on the 25th in 1960, 1965 in Scotland.