ON THIS DAY
1770: Scottish explorer James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile.
1840: Impressionist painter Claude Monet was born in Paris.
1896: The speed limit for horseless carriages was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph. It was marked by the first London to Brighton car run, which became a regular and official event from 1927.
1922: The British Broadcasting Company began daily transmissions. At 6pm the news was read by Arthur Burrows, once at normal speed and once at slow speed.
1932: Book tokens went on sale in Britain for the first time.
1940: Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by bombing from the German air force. More than 1,000 civilians died in the raid.
1941: The aircraft carrier Ark Royal sank near Gibraltar after being hit by an enemy torpedo.
1952: Britain's first hit parade was published in the New Musical Express. Al Martino’s ‘Here In My Heart’ was the first number one.
1963: A volcanic eruption under the sea off Iceland created the new island of Surtsey.
2010: British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler left Somalia after more than a year in captivity. The retired couple were abducted as they sailed their yacht off the Seychelles in October 2009.
On this day last year: Adele sat down with American chat show host Oprah Winfrey to launch her eagerly awaited album, 30.
Birthdays
The King, 74;
Bernard Hinault, cyclist, five-time winner of the Tour de France, 68;
Letitia Dean, actress, 55;
Adam Gilchrist, former cricketer, 51;
Faye Tozer, former Steps singer, 47;
Russell Tovey, actor, 41;
Karim Zeroual, TV presenter, 29;
Francisco Lindor, baseball player, 29.
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