ON THIS DAY

• 1810: Chile revolted and gained independence from Spain.

• 1851: The New York Times was first published.

• 1948: Some 7,000 tons of food supplies and petrol were airlifted into Berlin by British and American aircraft, defying a threemonth Russian blockade.

• 1949: The British pound was devalued by 30% by Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Stafford Cripps, from 4.03 dollars to 2.80 dollars. On the same day, the milk ration was reduced to two pints a week per person.

• 1951: The Al Read Show started on BBC radio, with Jimmy Edwards and Pat Kirkwood. Read originated the catchphrases “Right monkey” and “You’ll be lucky!”

• 1970: Rock star Jimi Hendrix died in an ambulance on the way to hospital, apparently suffering from a drug overdose.

• 1976: In China, 800 million citizens paid a last tribute to their leader Mao Tse-Tung at the beginning of a memorial service. For three minutes, one-fifth of the world’s population stood in silence.

• 1981: France abolished execution by guillotine.

• LAST YEAR: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa announced plans to blast off on the first-ever private commercial trip around the moon and would invite six to eight artists, architects, designers and other creative people on the week-long journey.

• BIRTHDAYS: Peter Shilton, former goalkeeper/football manager, 70; John Aldridge, former football manager and TV pundit, 61; John Fashanu, TV presenter and former footballer, 57; James Marsden, actor, 46; Sol Campbell, footballer, 45.