On this day

1746: Spanish painter Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes was born in Fuendetodos.

1814: Britain and its allies entered Paris in triumph against Napoleon Bonaparte. 1842: Ether was used as an anaesthetic for the first time, by American surgeon Dr Crawford Long.

1853: Artist Vincent van Gogh, who painted Sunflowers, was born in the Dutch village of Groot-Zundert.

1856: The Crimean War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

1867: Alaska was bought by America from Russia for 7.2 million dollars - less than two cents an acre.

1945: The advancing Russian forces captured the Baltic Sea port of Danzig, also known as Gdansk.

1964: The seaside resort of Clacton was the scene of pitched battles by gangs of mods and rockers.

1972: The Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act came into force decreeing direct rule from London and prompting the resignation of then prime minister of Northern Ireland Brian Faulkner.

1979: The people of Iran voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing an Islamic Republic in a two-day referendum.

1981: US president Ronald Reagan was wounded in an assassination bid outside Washington’s Hilton Hotel.

1986: James Cagney, American tough-guy actor, died aged 86.

1987: Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh was sold at auction by Christie’s for £24.75 million.

2002: The Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep at Buckingham Palace at the age of 101.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: A painting by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh was stolen in an overnight raid on a museum that was closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, police and the museum said.