ON THIS DAY

•1770: Scottish explorer james Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile.

• 1896: The speed limit for horseless carriages was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph. It was marked by the first London to Brighton car run, which became a regular and official event from 1927.

• 1922: The British Broadcasting Company began daily transmissions. At 6pm the news was read by Arthur Burrows, once at normal speed and once at slow speed.

• 1932: Book tokens went on sale in Britain for the first time.

• 1940: Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by enemy bombing. More than 1,000 civilians died in the raid.

• 1941: The aircraft carrier Ark Royal sank near Gibraltar after being hit by an enemy torpedo.

• 1952: Britain’s first hit parade was published in the New Musical Express. Al Martino’s Here In My Heart was the first number one.

• 1963: A volcanic eruption under the sea off Iceland created the new island of Surtsey.

• 2010: British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler left Somalia after more than a year in captivity. The retired couple were abducted as they sailed their yacht off the Seychelles in October 2009.

• On This Day Last Year: The Prince of Wales attended a tea party for 70 “inspirational people” on their 70th birthdays.

• BIRTHDAYS: PJ O’rourke, writer, 72; The Prince of Wales, 71; Bernard Hinault, cyclist – five-time winner of the Tour de France, 65; Letitia Dean, actress, 52; Adam Gilchrist, former cricketer, 48; Faye Tozer, former Steps singer, 44; Russell Tovey, actor, 38.