ON THIS DAY
According to tradition, the waters of the flood abated and Noah’s Ark came to rest on this day.
1895: At the Old Bailey, the trial of Oscar Wilde for homosexuality, then a crime, began.
1921: The first motorcycle police patrols went on duty in London.
1923: The marriage of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth) to the Duke of York (later George VI) took place at Westminster Abbey, the first Royal wedding there since 1383.
1947: The English FA Cup Final (between Charlton Athletic and Burnley) was televised in its entirety for the first time.
1957: The BBC TV series The Sky At Night, presented by Patrick Moore, was first screened.
1986: An accident at the Soviet nuclear power station at Chernobyl resulted in a massive radiation leak.
1989: American comedienne Lucille Ball died in Los Angeles. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster declared that justice had finally been done as an inquest jury ruled the victims had been unlawfully killed in a tragedy caused by police blunders.
BIRTHDAYS: Duane Eddy, rock guitarist, 79; Koo Stark, actress and photographer, 61; Roger Taylor, pop musician (Duran Duran), 57; Joan Chen, actress, 56; Jet Li, actor, 54; Channing Tatum, actor, 37; Jon Lee, singer and actor, 35; John Isner, tennis player, 32.