ON THIS DAY
SAINT PATRICK’S DAY - National Day of Ireland.
1649: Oliver Cromwell abolished the office of King and declared England a Commonwealth.
1776: British troops were forced by George Washington to evacuate Boston.
1845: Elastic bands were patented by Stephen Perry at a firm of vulcanised rubber manufacturers in England.
1921: The first birth control clinic was set up in London by Dr Marie Stopes.
1938: Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer who defected to the West, was born.
1945: The Americans defeated the Japanese at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
1973: The Queen opened the new London Bridge.
1978: The oil tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground on the coast of Brittany, broke in half and spilled 220,000 tons of crude oil.
1983: Michael Dickinson, 33, achieved a unique record as trainer of the first five horses home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
1989: Paul Channon, Transport Secretary, pushed the button which began the machine to bore the Channel Tunnel through chalk beneath the sea at Dover.
1995: The pound hit a record low against the German mark at 2.1890.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Entertainer Paul Daniels died with wife Debbie McGee by his side after losing his fight with cancer.
BIRTHDAYS: Penelope Lively, writer, 84; Jeff Banks, fashion designer, 74; Patrick Duffy, actor, 68; Kurt Russell, actor, 66; Lesley-Anne Down, actress, 63; Rory McGrath, writer/ comedian, 61; Lee Dixon, former footballer, 53; Rob Lowe, actor, 53; John Boyega, British actor, 25.