ON THIS DAY
NATIONAL DAY OF JORDAN
1768: Captain Cook set off on his first voyage, to explore the Antipodes.
1787: The Philadelphia Convention, headed by George Washington, began drawing up the USA constitution.
1840: The first drama school in Britain opened. Miss Kelly’s Theatre and Dramatic School in Dean Street, London, later became a theatre.
1871: The House of Commons passed the Bank Holiday Act, creating public holidays on Easter Monday, Whit Monday and Christmas Day.
1935: American athlete Jesse Owens set six world records within 45 minutes at Ann Arbor in Michigan.
1951: British diplomats Burgess and Maclean were first reported missing - they had defected to Moscow.
1962: Coventry’s new cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence, was consecrated.
1967: Glasgow Celtic became the first British football club to win the European Cup when they beat Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon.
1986: Bob Geldof’s Race Against Time had 30 million people worldwide running for Sport Aid to raise money for the starving in Africa.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: The University of Cambridge recruited a Lego Professor of Play, following widespread interest in what was billed as a dream job role.
BIRTHDAYS: Sir Ian McKellen, actor, 79; Alastair Campbell, former director of communications for the Labour Party, 61; Paul Weller, rock musician, 60; Julian Clary, comedian, 59; Anthea Turner, TV presenter, 58; Mike Myers, actor, writer and producer, 55; Anne Heche, actress, 49; Robert Croft, former cricketer, 48; Jamie Kennedy, actor and comedian, 48; Cillian Murphy, actor, 42; Jonny Wilkinson, former rugby player, 39.