ON THIS DAY

70 years ago (1951)

We reported US President Harry S Truman had dismissed Second World War hero General MacArthur as the Supreme Commander of UN forces in Korea after disagreements over his headstrong policy and refusal to back a ceasefire.

Elsewhere, the Stone of Scone – stolen from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day – was returned anonymously to Arbroath Abbey in Scotland.

37 years ago (1984)

National Union of Mineworkers’ leader Arthur Scargill refused to support calls for a national ballot on whether to continue the national miners’ strike.

Colliers had walked out on March 5 after Margaret Thatcher’s government announced plans to cut production at 20 collieries with the loss of 20,000 jobs. The move marked a big escalation in the dispute.

40 years ago (1981)

The first Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, on its maiden flight.

Columbia spent 54-and-ahalf hours in space and orbited the Earth 36 times. It was the first crewed American space flight since 1975.