ON THIS DAY

862: St Swithin, Saxon Bishop of Winchester, died. He asked to be buried outside where rain could fall on his grave. Some 108 years later on this day, devoted monks decided to move the body from the “vile and unworthy grave’’. Whereupon, a sudden deluge drenched the funeral party and it rained for nearly seven weeks afterwards. The exhumation was abandoned. 1099: Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders, ending centuries of Muslim rule. 1606: Rembrandt (Harmenszoon van Rijn), Dutch painter, was born. 1685: The Duke of Monmouth was executed for leading a rebellion against his uncle, James II. 1815: Napoleon surrendered to Captain Maitland of the ship Bellerophon at Rochefort. 1869: Margarine was patented in France by Hippolyte Mege Mouries of Paris. 1912: National Insurance or social payment, devised by Lloyd George, began in Britain. 1965: Close-up pictures of Mars were transmitted by TV from the Mariner IV satellite. BIRTHDAYS: Sir Harrison Birtwistle, composer, 81; Lord Winston, doctor, scientist, politician, and television presenter, 75; Linda Ronstadt, singer, 69; Trevor Horn, record producer, 66; Celia Imrie, actress, 63; Forest Whitaker, actor, 54; Brigitte Nielsen, actress, 52; David Miliband, politician, 50; Diane Kruger, actress, 39. QUOTES OF THE DAY: “It’s become a sort of cliche that’s attached to me. OK, I’m quite a nice bloke, but also I can be very sulky, angry and impulsive” - TV’s Michael Palin on his reputation as “Britain’s nicest man”. “Trump would like all Americans to know that thing on his head is freerange” - Retired US TV chat show host David Letterman mocks Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency. “As you can see from my mature appearance, I am the youth candidate” - Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, one of the contestants in the battle for the party leadership. “I avoid all forms of exercise, because when I got involved with charity golf, there were all these people hobbling around on sticks, and they were all ex-footballers. I decided that running is bad for your joints” - Magician Paul Daniels. “Scotland’s increasing profile is not just a political one. Our economic standing is making an increasing impression. Scotland is the real northern powerhouse” - Nicola Sturgeon. “The Government’s plans are to scale back the BBC and to stop it making popular programmes. If it gets its way with the changes it wants, the BBC will be a national irrelevance by 2027” - Shadow Culture Secretary Chris Bryant.