ON THIS DAY
NATIONAL DAY OF MEXICO 1387: The future Henry V of England was born in Monmouth Castle in Wales. “Bluff” Prince Hal became a ruthless king who fought two bloody campaigns which came to a climax at Agincourt. In 1422 he died unheroically of dysentery at the French Castle of Vincennes. 1620: The 101 Pilgrim Fathers set sail from Plymouth in the Mayflower, captained by Myles Standish. 1847: The United Shakespeare Company bought the house in which Shakespeare was born at Stratfordupon-Avon in Warwickshire for £3,000. It was the first building in Britain to be officially preserved. 1861: The Post Office Savings Bank was instituted. 1908: The American car firms Buick and Oldsmobile merged to form General Motors. 1945: John McCormack, lyrical Irish tenor, died in Dublin. “I have hung up my harp, all my songs are sung,” he is reported to have written just before he died. 1946: Have A Go began on the Light Programme, with Wilfred Pickles and his wife as Mabel at the table. Pickles started each programme by saying, “How do, ‘Ow are yer?” The show ran for more than 20 years. 1963: Malaysia became independent – and a mob celebrated by burning down the British embassy. 1968: The “two-tier” postal system was introduced in Britain - First and Second class. 1977: Opera singer Maria Callas was found dead in her Paris flat, aged 53. 1989: Classic horse race, the St Leger at Doncaster, was abandoned when officials declared the course unsafe. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: The Duke of Cambridge spoke out about the pressures facing young children – after coming to the aid of a dignitary who fell flat on his back. BIRTHDAYS: Micky Stewart, former cricketer, 85; George Chakiris, actor, 83; Russ Abbot, comedian, 70; Ed Begley Jr, actor, 68; Mickey Rourke, actor, 65; David Copperfield, magician, 61; Neville Southall, former footballer, 59; Richard Marx, singer/ songwriter, 54; Marc Anthony, musician and actor, 49; Tina Barrett, pop singer (former member of S Club 7), 41.