ON THIS DAY

64 years ago (1957)

Under the headline “7 die in bus horror”, we reported seven people were killed as a double decker bus shot onto the pavement on London’s busiest shopping street.

Another 20 were injured and one later died from their injuries. It later emerged the driver, Harold Hiscocks, 63, who’d never had an accident in 18 years of driving, had blacked out at the wheel.

72 years ago (1949)

US scientists launched the first primate into space on a V-2 rocket. Albert II, a rhesus macaque, survived the flight and reached 83 miles into space but he died on impact when the parachute failed to open.

Primates were launched into space before humans so scientists could research the biological impact on the body.

39 years ago (1982)

A ceasefire was declared in the Falklands War as 7,000 Argentine troops fled their positions outside Port Stanley, leaving the 8,000-strong British force to break through the defence line and march into the islands’ capital.

Some 649 Argentine personnel, 255 British troops and three Falkland Islanders died during the conflict.