ON THIS DAY
1645: Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud was beheaded on Tower Hill for treason. 1840: Sir Rowland Hill introduced the Penny Post - 112,000 letters were posted in London on the first day. 1863: The London Underground railway was opened by William Gladstone. The Metropolitan Railway went from Paddington to Farringdon Street, stopping at seven stations. 1880: Grock the circus clown was born as Adrien Wettach in Switzerland. 1890: Cleopatra’s tomb was discovered. 1901: The first oil strike was made, in Texas. 1920: The League of Nations held its first meeting at Geneva. It was dissolved in 1946 and replaced by the United Nations. 1929: The cartoon character Tintin appeared for the first time. 1935: The so-called King and Queen of Hollywood, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, were divorced. 1971: Coco Chanel, French fashion designer and one of the most influential couturiers of the 20th century, died aged 87. 1985: Eight people were killed in a gas blast in Putney, south-west London. 2007: David Beckham agreed to sign a five-year deal with US side Los Angeles Galaxy worth £128m. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Sherlock fans were delighted when it was announced they would have the chance to test their own powers of deduction with a special case written to be solved on social media. BIRTHDAYS: Rod Stewart, rock singer, 73; Aynsley Dunbar, rock drummer, 72; Donald Fagen, rock musician, 70; George Foreman, former boxer, 69; Pat Benatar, rock singer, 65; Shawn Colvin, folk singer, 62; Caroline Langrishe, actress, 60; Brian Cowen, former Irish prime minister, 58; Ian Poulter, golfer, 42.