ON THIS DAY
1510: Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli, whose work included The Birth Of Venus, died.
1836: Sir Norman Lockyer, British astronomer who discovered helium, was born in Rugby.
1861: A group of holidaymakers set off from London for Paris on the first package trip arranged by Thomas Cook.
1899: Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
1900: Mafeking was relieved by British Forces in the Boer War after 217 days.
1960: The Kariba Dam on the Zambesi River was opened by the Queen Mother.
1978: Compact discs were created by Philips.
2004: The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. were performed in the state of Massachusetts.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Thousands of people departed on international flights after the ban on foreign holidays was lifted.