ON THIS DAY
14AD:
Death of Augustus, first Roman emperor.
Judge Jeffreys began sentencing people to death at what became known as the Bloody Assize.
Condensed milk was patented.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, French designer, was born. She revolutionised women’s fashions during the 1920s and also manufactured the famous Chanel No 5 perfume.
The London Electric Cab Co began operating the first taxi-cab in London’s West End and City. The black and yellow electric cars went at 9mph. They had a range of just up to 30 miles, but proved uneconomical and were withdrawn in 1900.
A plebiscite in Germany gave sole power to the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler.
Canadian and British Commandos raided the French port of Dieppe.
England, under captain Len Hutton, won the Ashes for the first time since the controversial bodyline tour of 1932-33.
Comic Groucho Marx died. Years earlier Irving Berlin had
1685: 1856: 1883: 1897: 1934: 1942: 1953: 1977:
written the perfect epitaph for him: “The world would not be in such a snarl, If Marx had been Groucho instead of Karl.”
Date of the Hungerford massacre - when gun-crazy Michael Ryan shot dead 16 people in the Berkshire town, and then killed himself.
Soviet hardliners toppled President Gorbachev in a dramatic coup. The plotters put tanks on the streets of Moscow, banned demonstrations and imposed a state of emergency.
Cyclist Chris Hoy won his third gold medal of the Beijing Games - in the men’s sprint,
1987: 1991: 2008:
making him Britain’s most successful Olympian at a single Olympics for 100 years.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR:
A baby born mid-flight on a search and rescue helicopter celebrated his first birthday with the crew who brought him into the world.
BIRTHDAYS:
Richard Ingrams, former editor of Private Eye, 83; Jill St John, actress, 80; Billy J Kramer, Sixties pop star, 77; Bill Clinton, former US president, 74; John Deacon, rock musician, 69; Kevin Dillon, actor, 55; Matthew Perry, actor, 51; Erika Christensen, actress, 38.