On this day
■ 1671: Irish adventurer Capt Thomas Blood made an unsuccessful attempt to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower Of London.
■ 1800: John Brown, US abolitionist, was born.
■ 1860: JM Barrie, Scottish playwright and author of Peter Pan, was born in Kirriemuir, Angus.
■ 1955: West Germany joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
■ 1946: Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy, abdicated.
■ 1971: Elizabeth Bonner ran the female world record marathon in a time of 3:01:42.
■ 1978: The body of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro was found in the boot of a car in central Rome, a victim of the Red Brigade.
■ 1988: Australia’s new parliament house was opened by the Queen in Canberra.
■ 1994: Mass murderer Joel Rifkin was found guilty in New York City of murdering nine women between 1989 and 1993 and was sentenced to 203 years in prison.
■ 2012: United States President Barack Obama officially stated his support for same-sex marriage.
■ ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: US fast-food giant Wendy’s announced they’d be returning to the UK after a 20-year hiatus.
■ BIRTHDAYS: Alan Bennett, playwright and author, 88; Glenda Jackson, actress turned politician, 86; James L Brooks, writer, producer and director, 82; Candice Bergen, actress, 76; Billy Joel, singer, 73; John Corbett, actor, 61; Dave Gahan, singer (Depeche Mode), 60; Neil Ruddock, former footballer, 54.