ON THIS DAY

1626: Francis Bacon, philosopher and statesman, died – apparently killed by a chicken. He was trying to stuff it with snow as a method of preservation, caught a chill and died.

1806: Isambard Kingdom Brunel, railway and marine engineer whose works included the Clifton suspension bridge and steamship Great Western, was born in Portsmouth.

1865: Confederate General Robert E Lee surrendered to General Grant in Virginia, bringing the American Civil War to an end.

1898: Paul Robeson, actor and singer, was born in New Jersey. He is best known for his singing of Ol’ Man River in Jerome Kern’s Show Boat.

1906: Labour politician Hugh Gaitskell was born in London. As chancellor of the exchequer in 1951, he introduced NHS charges, causing Aneurin Bevan, minister of health, to resign.

1940: Germany invaded Norway and Denmark.

1945: The USS Liberty exploded in Bari harbour, Italy, killing 360 people. 1969: The first British- built Concorde 002 made its maiden flight from Filton to RAF Fairford.

1983: Jenny Pitman became the first woman to train an English Grand National winner with Corbiere.

1991: Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union.

2003: Baghdad fell to American forces, Iraqis pulled down a statue of former leader Saddam Hussein.

2005: The Prince of Wales married Camilla Parker Bowles, above, in a civil ceremony at Windsor’s Guildhall.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: The King, the Queen Consort and senior royals gathered at Windsor Castle for the first Easter Sunday service of Charles’s reign.