ON THIS DAY
1732:
George Washington, first president of the United States, was born in Virginia.
1797:
French soldiers landed at Fishguard, but were soon captured. No other foreign force has managed to invade Britain since.
1810:
Frederic Chopin, Polish composer and pianist, was born near Warsaw.
1819:
The United States bought Florida from Spain.
1857:
Lord Baden Powell, English hero of the siege of Mafeking during the Boer War and founder of the Boy Scout movement in 1908, was born in London.
1879:
FW Woolworth opened his first store in Utica, New York, which later failed and closed in May 1880.
1886:
The Times became the first newspaper to institute a classified Personal column.
1957:
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was formally granted the style and titular dignity of Prince of the United Kingdom by the Queen in recognition of his 10 years’ service to the country.
1972:
An IRA bomb killed seven people at Aldershot barracks.
1980:
British ice skater Robin Cousins won the gold medal for figure skating in the Lake Placid Olympics.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
Former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik said he’d been “given a second life” after radical facial surgery which he hoped would transform him into George Clooney.
BIRTHDAYS:
Sir Bruce Forsyth, entertainer, 89; Sheila Hancock, actress, 84; Judy Cornwell, actress, 77; Niki Lauda, former racing driver, 68; Julie Walters, actress, 67; Nigel Planer, actor/writer, 64; Kyle MacLachlan, actor, 58; Devon Malcolm, former cricketer, 54; Shaka Hislop, former football goalkeeper, 48; Michael Chang, former tennis player, 45; Drew Barrymore, actress/director, 42.