ON THIS DAY
1770:
Scottish explorer James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile.
Impressionist painter Claude Monet was born in Paris.
The speed limit for horseless carriages was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph. It was marked by the first London to Brighton car run, which became a regular and official event from 1927.
1840: 1896: 1922:
The British Broadcasting Company began daily transmissions. At 6pm the news was read by Arthur Burrows, once at normal speed and once at slow speed.
Book tokens went on sale in Britain for the first time.
Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by enemy bombing. More than 1,000 civilians died in the raid.
The aircraft carrier Ark Royal sank near Gibraltar after being hit by an enemy torpedo.
Britain’s first hit parade was published in the New Musical Express. Al Martino’s Here In My Heart was the first number one.
A volcanic eruption under the sea off Iceland created the new island of Surtsey.
1932: 1940: 1941: 1952: 1963: 2010:
British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler left Somalia after more than a year in captivity. The retired couple were abducted as they sailed their yacht off the Seychelles in October 2009.
A painting bought by Queen Victoria as a Christmas present for Prince Albert, which was long thought to
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
be a fake, was proved to be a genuine work.
PJ O’Rourke, writer, 71; The Prince Of Wales, 70; Bernard Hinault, cyclist - five-time winner of the Tour de France, 64; Letitia Dean, actress, 51; Adam Gilchrist, former cricketer, 47; Faye Tozer, former Steps singer, 43; Russell Tovey, actor, 37.
BIRTHDAYS: