On this day

1675: The foundation stone of Sir Christopher Wren’s new St Paul’s Cathedral was laid, facing the church burned in the Great Fire of London of 1666. 1796: Scottish explorer Mungo Park reached the River Niger. 1890: Unlucky matador Luis

Freg was born. The Mexican was injured more often than any other bullfighter. In addition to being gored 57 times, he was given the Last Rites five times, but always went back for more. He quit the ring in one piece, but drowned two years later.

1919: German sailors scuttled their fleet of warships at Scapa Flow in Orkney.

1937: Lawn tennis at Wimbledon was televised for the first time. 1942: Tobruk fell to Rommel, with the capture of 25,000 Allied troops.

1948: The first successfully produced long-playing (microgroove) records were unveiled by Dr Peter Goldmark of Columbia Records.

1970: Tony Jacklin became the first British golfer to win the US Open for 50 years and, with his British Open victory 11 months earlier, became only the third golfer to accomplish this double feat within a 12-month period. 1978: The Lloyd Webber/rice musical Evita opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.

Birthdays

Sir Bernard Ingham, former Downing Street press secretary, 89; Sir Ray Davies, rock singer (The Kinks), 77; Kate Hoey, Labour MP, 75; Sir Malcolm Rifkind, pictured, former foreign secretary, 75; Ian Mcewan, novelist, 73; Juliette Lewis, actress, 48; Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, 39; Edward Snowden, American whistle-blower, 38; Lana Del Rey, singer, 36.

Quote of the day

“We know two doses of vaccination really protects against hospital admission. Overall, as many people getting two doses of vaccination would be really good” – Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England.