ON THIS DAY
1718: The first machine gun was patented by London lawyer James Puckle who, as a keen fisherman, intended to use it at sea.
1800: George III survived two assassination attempts in one day.
1858: The present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden (the third on the site) was opened.
1936: Amy Johnson arrived in England after a record-breaking 12-day, 15-hour flight from London to Cape Town and back.
1940: Nylon stockings went on sale in America. In the first eight hours, 72,000 pairs were sold in New York city alone.
Britain’s first jet-propelled aircraft, the Gloster-Whittle E28/39, flew for the first time.
Soviet troops began leaving Afghanistan after eight years of occupation.
Edith Cresson became the first woman prime minister of France.
1941: 1988: 1991: ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
Diesel driven cars, lorries and buses churn out far more air pollution than standard testing procedures suggest, leading to many thousands of unreported deaths, scientists claimed.
Ted Dexter, former cricketer, 83; Ralph Steadman, cartoonist, 82; Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, 81; Brian Eno, musician/ composer, 70; Mike Oldfield, musician, 65; Greg Wise, actor, 52; Brad Rowe, actor, 48; Zara Phillips, daughter of the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, 37; Patrice Evra, footballer, 37; Andy Murray, tennis player, 31.
BIRTHDAYS: