ON THIS DAY
1803:
■ Composer Hector Berlioz was born near Grenoble.
■ The first motor show opened in Paris, with nine exhibitors.
■ The first wildlife preservation society in Britain was founded under the name the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire.
■ Edward VIII abdicated as King after a reign of 325 days, in favour of his brother, the Duke of York, who became King George VI.
1894: 1903: 1936:
The announcement was made on BBC radio at 10pm.
■ London’s second Waterloo Bridge, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, opened.
■ The prototype of the world’s first supersonic airliner, Concorde, was revealed.
■ An Ariane-4 rocket, carrying the Astra 1A satellite to bring 16 television channels to Britain, was launched from Kourou, French Guiana.
1945: 1967: 1988: ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
■ More fatal motorbike crashes take place on nights when there is a full moon, research revealed.
■ Anna Carteret, actress, 76; Brenda Lee, pop singer, 74; Jermaine Jackson, singer/ songwriter, 64; John Lukic, former footballer, 58; Nigel Winterburn, former footballer, 55; Stig Inge Bjornebye, former footballer, 49; Ben Shephard, television presenter,
44.
BIRTHDAYS: