ON THIS DAY
1066: The Battle of Hastings was fought at Senlac Hill, in Sussex, at which William of Normandy defeated Harold of England to claim the English throne.
1644: Quaker leader William Penn - founder of the state of Pennsylvania - was born in London.
1890: Dwight D Eisenhower - “Ike” - Second World War military leader and 34th US president, was born in Dension, Texas.
1893: The first performance of The Gaiety Girl, considered the first musical comedy, took place in London.
1913: Britain’s worst pit disaster took place at Senghenydd, Glamorgan - 439 died after an explosion.
1939: The Royal Navy battleship Royal Oak was torpedoed and sunk in Scapa Flow.
1944: Rommel the “Desert Fox” took cyanide tablets and died within minutes - before he could be arrested for his part in the plot to kill Hitler.
1947: Chuck Yeager in his Bell X-1 rocket plane became the first man to break the sound barrier.
1969: The 50p decimal coin was first issued in Britain, replacing the 10 shilling note.
1990: Five days after announcing his retirement through ill health, conductor Leonard Bernstein died.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Mahmoud Yassin, Egyptian actor and pillar of the country’s film industry during the second half of the 20th century, died aged 79.
BIRTHDAYS: Ralph Lauren, fashion designer, 82; Sir Cliff Richard, singer, 81; Christopher Timothy, actor, 81; Justin Hayward, singer/ musician, 75; Steve Cram, former athlete, 61; Steve Coogan, comedian/actor, 56; Michael Duberry, former footballer, 46; Shaznay Lewis, pop singer/ songwriter, 46; Usher, R&B singer, 43.