ON THIS DAY
1606: The Union Flag became England’s official flag. 1709: The Tatler magazine was first published. 1838: English settlers in South Africa defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Tugela. 1861: The American Civil War, a conflict between 23 northern states and 11 southern states, began with the siege of Fort Sumter in South Carolina. 1945: US President Franklin D Roosevelt died of a brain haemorrhage less than a month before the surrender of Germany to the Allies. 1954: Bill Haley recorded Rock Around The Clock, the first record to sell a million in Britain alone. It was featured in 14 films and recorded in 35 languages. 1961: The Russians made the first manned space flight with Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1. 1981: Death of Joe Louis, the ‘Brown Bomber’, world heavyweight boxing champion. On the same day in 1989, Sugar Ray Robinson, unbeaten welterweight champion and five times winner of the middleweight title, died. 1992: Euro Disneyland opened in Paris. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Reality TV star David Gest, the former husband of Liza Minnelli, died in a London hotel aged 62. BIRTHDAYS: Montserrat Caballe, opera singer, 84; Sir Alan Ayckbourn, playwright, 78; Herbie Hancock, jazz pianist, 77; Ed O’Neill, actor, 71; George Robertson, former Nato secretary-general, 71; Dan Lauria, actor, 70; David Letterman, former chat show host, 70; Scott Turow, novelist, 68; David Cassidy, singer, 67; Andy Garcia, actor, 61; Shannen Doherty, actress, 46; Claire Danes, actress, 38; Brian McFadden, singer, 37.