ON THIS DAY

• 1653: Oliver Cromwell made himself lord protector, becoming an uncrowned ruler for the next four years.

• 1773: The Boston Tea Party, in which Samuel Adams and 150 “Sons of Liberty” protested against British taxes on tea and other goods, took place.

• 1775: Novelist Jane Austen, whose works include Emma and Pride And Prejudice, was born in Steventon, Hampshire.

• 1850: The first immigrant ship, the Charlotte Jane, arrived at Lyttelton, New Zealand.

• 1899: Noel Coward, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, producer and director, was born in Teddington, Middlesex.

• 1929: The first all-talking feature film was made in Britain. Called The Clue Of The New Pin, it featured a young actor, John Gielgud, as the villain.

• 1937: The first performance took place in London of Noel Gay’s Me And My Girl, which introduced The Lambeth Walk.

• 2010: Rare first editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond spy book sold for almost £30,000 when they went under the hammer at Dominic Winter auctioneers in Gloucestershire. The book that introduced 007 to the world, Casino Royale, sold for £19,000.

• ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Robbie Williams was unveiled as a new global ambassador for WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers.

• BIRTHDAYS: Tony Hicks, rock guitarist (The Hollies), 74; Benny Andersson, musician (Abba), 73; Christopher Biggins, actor and media personality, 71; Joel Garner, former cricketer, 67; Benjamin Bratt, actor, 56; Dennis Wise, former footballer, 53; Joe Absolom, actor, 41.