ON THIS DAY

■■ 1701: Captain Kidd went on trial at the Old Bailey for piracy. He was hanged on May 23.

■■ 1828: Jean Henri Dunant, philanthropist and founder of the International Red Cross, was born in Geneva.

■■ 1902: Mount Pelee erupted on the island of Martinique, destroying the town of St Pierre and killing more than 30,000 people in just three minutes.

■■ 1945: VE Day. The Second World War in Europe officially ended at one minute past midnight.

■■ 1961: George Blake, a former British diplomat, was jailed for 42 years for spying for Russia. He escaped from Wormwood Scrubs in 1966.

■■ 1970: The Beatles’ final album, Let It Be, was released.

■■ 1980: The World Health Organization announced that smallpox had been eradicated.

■■ 1984: The Thames Barrier at Woolwich was officially opened.

■■ 1989: Paul McCartney released a remake of “Ferry Cross the Mersey” in aid of those affected by the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool football fans.

■■ 2008: Vladimir Putin was appointed Russian Prime Minister.

■■ 2013: Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement as Manchester United’s manager at the end of the season.

■■ ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: As Coronation celebrations continued, around six million people took part in The Big Help Out by joining volunteering projects in their communities. ■■ BIRTHDAYS: Sir David Attenborough, naturalist, 98; Norman Lamont, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, 82; Melissa Gilbert, above left, actress, 60; Enrique Iglesias, singer, 49; Ian ‘H’ Watkins, actor and singer (Steps), 48; Michelle McManus, above right, former Pop Idol winner/singer, 44; Matt Willis, singer (Busted)/TV presenter, 41.

■■ The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2021 was 65.7%