ON THIS DAY
1421: Henry VI, who inherited the throne at the age of nine months, was born at Windsor. 1774: Austria introduced the first state education system. 1877: Thomas Alva Edison recited Mary Had A Little Lamb into his phonograph – and made the world’s first recording of the human voice. 1888: Will Hay, British music hall and film comedy actor, was born in Stockton-on-Tees. 1897: The world’s first motor cab fleet began operations in London. It went out of business in 1900 – its battery-powered taxis moved at only 8mph. 1921: Irish independence was granted for the 26 southern states which became known as the Irish Free State. Six counties which formed Ulster (Northern Ireland) remained part of the UK. 1963: Christine Keeler, the model involved in the Profumo scandal, was jailed for nine months for perjury. 1969: A free concert given by the Rolling Stones at Altamont, California, ended in tragedy when Hells Angels stabbed a man to death. 1991: Durham were admitted to first-class cricket, the first new county side for 70 years. 2012: A powerful typhoon that swept away emergency shelters, a military camp and possibly entire families in the southern Philippines killed around 350 people with nearly 400 missing. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Cumbria was hard hit by floods brought about by Storm Desmond – evoking memories of tragedy in the same county six years previously. BIRTHDAYS: JoBeth Williams, actress/director, 68; Peter Willey, former Test umpire, 67; Geoff Hoon, politician, 63; Peter Buck, rock guitarist (REM), 60; Nick Park, animator, 58; Gordon Durie, former footballer, 51; Judd Apatow, film producer 49; Andrew Flintoff, former cricketer 39.