ON THIS DAY
1770: Scottish explorer James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile.
1896: The speed limit for horseless carriages was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph. It was marked by the first London to Brighton car run, which became a regular and official event from 1927.
1922: The British Broadcasting Company began daily transmissions.
1940: Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by enemy bombing. More than 1,000 civilians died in the raid.
1941: The aircraft carrier Ark Royal sank near Gibraltar after being hit by an enemy torpedo.
1952: Britain’s first hit parade was published in the New Musical Express. Al Martino’s Here In My Heart was the first number one.
1963: A volcanic eruption under the sea off Iceland created the new island of Surtsey.
2010: British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler left Somalia after more than a year in captivity.