ON THIS DAY
1797:
The first parachute descent was made, over the Parc Monceau in Paris, by Andre-Jacques Garnerin, from a balloon.
Composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt was born near Sopron, Hungary, in what was then the Austrian Empire.
The first edition of British magazine Tit-Bits was published.
The Metropolitan Opera House in New York opened with a performance of Gounod’s Faust.
American-born Dr Hawley Crippen was convicted at the Old Bailey of poisoning his wife Cora.
1811: 1881: 1883: 1910:
He was hanged on November 23 at Pentonville Prison.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor arrived in Berlin to meet Hitler, study housing conditions and hear a concert by the Nazi District Orchestra.
KGB master-spy George Blake escaped from Wormwood Scrubs where he was serving a 40-year sentence.
A bomb exploded in Brooks Club in London, near a restaurant where opposition leader of the time Edward Heath was dining.
The first volume of the
1937: 1966: 1974: 1987:
Gutenberg Bible was sold in New York for £3.26m, becoming the most expensive printed book ever sold at auction.
Sir Derek Jacobi, actor/director, 81; Christopher Lloyd, actor, 81; Catherine Deneuve, actress, 76; Kelvin MacKenzie, former newspaper editor and media executive, 73; Arsene Wenger, football manager, 70; Jeff Goldblum, actor, 67; Shelby Lynne, singer, 51; Shaggy, singer, 51; Amanda Coetzer, former tennis player, 48; Plan B (Ben Drew), rapper/producer/actor, 36.
BIRTHDAYS: