ON THIS DAY
1610:
Henry IV of France, “Good King Henry”, was murdered by a mad monk in Paris.
1643:
Louis XIV became King of France at the age of four years 231 days – and reigned for more than 72 years.
1727:
Artist Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk.
1779:
The Oaks, the Classic flat horse race for three-year-old fillies was first run at Epsom.
1796:
Edward Jenner made his first vaccination against smallpox, and laid the foundation for modern immunology.
1811:
Paraguay proclaimed its independence.
1842:
The British periodical Illustrated London News was first published.
1921:
The British Legion was founded in London – it became the Royal British Legion in 1971.