On this day

1226: St Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, died.

1888: Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeoman Of The Guard debuted at the Savoy Theatre, London.

1906: SOS was established as an international distress signal, replacing the call sign CDQ.

1929: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was renamed Yugoslavia.

1941: The aerosol was patented by LD Goodhue and WN Sullivan.

1952: Britain’s first atomic weapon was detonated in the Monte Bello Islands, off Australia.

1956: The Bolshoi Ballet, above, appeared at London’s Covent Garden for the first time. 1959: The postcode, required in the addressing of mail for mechanical sorting, was first used in Britain in Norwich.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) viewed a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence as they toured the county that inspired their royal titles.

Steve Reich, composer, 83; Chubby Checker, singer, 78; Lindsey Buckingham, musician, 70; Fred Couples, golfer, 60; Tommy Lee, rock musician, 57; Gwen Stefani, singer, above, 50; Neve Campbell, actress, 46; Seann William Scott, actor, 43. “We will firmly stand up for what we believe, we are fortunate enough to have a position that gives us amazing opportunities and we will do everything that we can to play our part in building a better world. We will also seek to challenge injustice and to speak out for those who may feel unheard. So no matter your background, your nationality, your age or gender, your sexuality, your physical ability, no matter your circumstance, or colour of your skin – we believe in you” - Prince Harry, above, speaking to young people in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“I was a member of this House when Tory MPs defenestrated the then female prime minister Mrs Thatcher, and I’ve been a member of this House when Tory MPs worked their will to the immediate female prime minister. It seems to me that Tory members of Parliament may on occasion make women their leaders but they need to learn how to treat them less cruelly” - Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, left, grills the Conservatives over their treatment of women at prime minister’s questions.

“We keep thinking about how lucky we were to find it.

If I hadn’t got that camera, it would be a completely different story. That Christmas present saved my boy’s eye” - Mother Stacey DeClerk on the lucky circumstances in which her son Brody’s cancer was diagnosed due to a glow in his eye in a photograph.