ON THIS DAY
1784: John Wesley signed the “deed of declaration” of the Wesleyan faith. 1874: Arthur Orton, claimant to the Tichborne estate, was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to 14 years’ hard labour. 1900: In the Boer War, General Buller relieved Ladysmith, besieged by Boer forces for 118 days.
1912: The world’s first parachute jump from an aeroplane was made over Missouri, USA, by Albert Berry.
1940: Sandy’s Half Hour began on radio, with Sandy MacPherson at the organ. It was the start of the modern listeners’ request programme.
1948: The Royal Family went to see Danny Kaye at the London Palladium, the first “non-command performance” attended by a reigning monarch.
1966: Liverpool’s Cavern Club, where the Beatles made their name, went into liquidation.
1975: A train from Drayton Park crashed through buffers at Moorgate tube station and killed 42 people.
1986: Swedish prime minister Olof Palme was shot dead by an unknown assassin in Stockholm.
1989: In London’s Covent Garden, the world’s biggest litter bin was unveiled - it was sponsored by fast-food operator Kentucky Fried Chicken. ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: A man underwent surgery to remove a tooth from inside his nostril, after suffering with an unexplained blocked nose for two years.
BIRTHDAYS: Stephanie Beacham, actress, 73; Mercedes Ruehl, actress, 72; Mike Figgis, film director, 72; Ainsley Harriott, TV chef/presenter, 63; John Turturro, actor/director, 63; Barry McGuigan, former boxer, 59; Robert Sean Leonard, actor, 51; Tim Bresnan, cricketer, 35.