ON THIS DAY
323BC:
Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, died after a prolonged period of feasting.
Wat Tyler led the first popular rebellion in English history. It has become known as the Peasants’ Revolt.
Queen Victoria travelled by train for the first time, from Slough to Paddington, accompanied by Prince Albert. She was the first British monarch to use the train.
Dorothy L Sayers, writer of detective stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, was born in Oxford.
1381: 1842: 1893: 1900:
The Boxer Rebellion began in China to end the domination and exploitation of the country by foreigners.
The first V1 flying bomb, or “doodlebug”, landed in England. Hitler’s “secret weapon” hit a house in Southampton, killing three people.
Real Madrid won the first European Cup.
Blanks were fired at the Queen during the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
The wreck of the German
1944: 1956: 1981: 1989:
ship Bismarck, which was sunk in 1941, was found 600 miles west of Brest.
1990:
The official demolition of the Berlin Wall began.
Christo, artist, 83; Andreas Whittam Smith, journalist and former president of the British Board of Film Classification, 81; Malcolm McDowell, actor, 75; Tim Allen, actor, 65; Alan Hansen, former Liverpool footballer and TV pundit, 63; David Gray, singer/ songwriter, 50; Kym Marsh, actress/ singer, 42.
BIRTHDAYS: