On this day

1666: The Great Fire of London began in Pudding Lane in the house of Thomas Farynor, baker to King Charles II. It ended on September 6 at Pye Corner. Around 13,200 buildings were destroyed as well as St Paul’s Cathedral and 87 other churches. 1726: English prison reformer and philanthropist John Howard was born in Hackney, east London.

1834: Thomas Telford, engineer, road, bridge and canal builder, died in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

1916: The last of the famous

Blaydon races – immortalised in the folk song – in Northumberland were held. 1939: On the eve of the official declaration of the Second World War, Ted Drake scored four goals for Arsenal against Sunderland and Bournemouth beat Northampton Town 10-0.

1945: The formal Japanese surrender to the Allies was signed on board the American battleship USS Missouri.

1973: JRR Tolkien, creator of Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, died aged 81.

1974: Edward Heath’s Morning

Cloud III was sunk in a Force 9 gale in the English Channel. 1980: John Arlott, BBC cricket commentator, called his last game, England vs. Australia at Lord’s, before retiring after 35 years of broadcasting.

Birthdays

Mark Harmon, actor, 69; Jimmy Connors, former tennis player, 68; Keanu Reeves, actor, 56; Lennox Lewis, former boxer, 55; Salma Hayek, pictured, actress, 54; Chris Tremlett, cricketer, 39; Joey Barton, footballer, 38.

Quotes of the day

“If there is anything apart from my family that makes me want to get back on my feet, it’s being Liz again” –Coronation Street star Beverley Callard on her determination to play Liz Mcdonald after surgery left her struggling to walk.

“Atheism is defining yourself by an absence of something. Humanism is a positive choice to base your morals on your own human capacity” – broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts.