Tag: This Day in History
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2000 Air rage pair jailed
Two men have been jailed for causing a “bar room brawl” on board a holiday jet bound for Jamaica. Patrick Connors was sentenced to a year ... -
2001 Hamiltons condemn ‘sex assault’ arrest
Former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton and wife Christine have strenuously denied allegations they carried out a serious sexual assault. The couple have been released “pending further ... -
1969 Film star stabbed in ‘ritualistic’ killings
Actress Sharon Tate has been found brutally murdered in her Los Angeles home, along with three high-society friends and a fifth, as yet un-named, victim. All ... -
2001 Hollywood’s ‘golden couple’ divorce
Hollywood superstars Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise have divorced. The final decree came just hours after Kidman and Cruise separately attended the première of their new ... -
1987 Chilly swim thaws Cold War relations
An American woman has become the first person to swim from the United States to the Soviet Union. Lynne Cox, 30, took two hours and six ... -
1964 Three civil rights activists found dead
The bodies of three civil rights workers missing for six weeks have been found buried in a partially constructed dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi. Agents from the ... -
2003 Anglican church approves gay bishop
The Anglican Church in America has voted to approve the appointment of an openly gay bishop. The Reverend Canon Gene Robinson, of New Hampshire, was approved ... -
1991 Pavarotti sings in the British rain
Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti has given a huge free concert in London’s Hyde Park to celebrate 30 years in opera. A crowd of 100,000 – out ... -
1965 US orders 50,000 troops to Vietnam
President Johnson has commited a further 50,000 US troops to the conflict in Vietnam. Monthly draft calls will increase from 17,000 to 35,000 – the highest ... -
1978 Transatlantic balloonists in trouble
Two British balloonists battling to be the first to cross the Atlantic are in difficulties half way across the ocean. Don Cameron, 39, and Major Christopher ... -
1978 First ‘test tube baby’ born
The birth of the world’s first “test tube baby” has been announced in Manchester. Louise Brown was born shortly before midnight in Oldham and District General ... -
1974 Nixon ‘must hand over Watergate tapes’
The United States Supreme Court has ordered President Nixon to surrender tape recordings of White House conversations about the Watergate affair. Giving the judgement to a ... -
1969 Man takes first steps on the Moon
American Neil Armstrong has become the first man to walk on the Moon. The astronaut stepped onto the Moon’s surface, in the Sea of Tranquility, at ... -
1944 Hitler survives assassination attempt
Adolf Hitler has escaped death after a bomb exploded at 1242 local time at his headquarters in Rastenberg, East Prussia. The German News Agency broke the ... -
1997 IRA declares ceasefire
The IRA has announced its second ceasefire in three years starting at noon tomorrow. It follows a statement by republican political party Sinn Fein last night ... -
1987 Ex-Guinness boss owes millions
Former Guinness director Thomas Ward has been ordered to repay £5.2m to the brewing giants. The High Court heard Mr Ward had acted illegally by failing ... -
1989 Paris in 200-year-old revolutionary fervour
About 500 people have been involved in scuffles in the Place de la Bastille in Paris. Hundreds of thousands of revellers took to the streets of ... -
1993 Green light for Manchester Olympics
Officials in Manchester bidding to hold the 2000 Olympic Games have been told their chances are “very, very high”. The President of the International Olympic Committee, ... -
1986 Orange Parade sparks riots
Dozens have been injured in the second consecutive night of violence in Portadown, County Armagh. Violence flared when Orangemen converged on the town yesterday evening after ... -
2000 Britain pioneers HIV vaccine
The World Aids Conference in South Africa has announced trials for a new HIV vaccine will begin in Britain. Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris will be ... -
1972 Whitelaw’s secret meeting with IRA
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland William Whitelaw has been involved in secret talks with the provisional IRA in London. Mr Whitelaw broke the news ... -
2005 Bomb attacks on London
A series of bomb attacks on London’s transport network has killed more than 30 people and injured about 700 others. Three explosions on the Underground left ... -
1978 Eleven die in sleeper train inferno
Eleven people have been killed and seventeen injured in a blaze on the Penzance-to-Paddington sleeper train. Early reports suggest that the fire was started by a ... -
1954 BBC launches daily TV news
The BBC has broadcast its first daily television news programme. The 20-minute bulletin was introduced by Richard Baker as an “Illustrated summary of the news… Followed ... -
1968 Alec Rose sails home
Yachtsman Alec Rose received a hero’s welcome as he sailed into Portsmouth after his 354-day round-the-world trip. The 59-year-old was escorted into Portsmouth harbour by 400 ... -
1951 Ridgway agrees to ceasefire talks
Talks to end the Korean war will begin later in July after terms were accepted by General Matthew Ridgway, supreme commander to the United Nations in ... -
1985 Beirut ordeal ends for US hostages
All 39 Americans being held captive by the Shia Muslim Amal militia in Lebanon have been released, after almost three weeks in captivity. Their freedom was ... -
1995 US shuttle docks with Russian space station
American and Russian spacecraft have successfully docked in orbit for the first time in 20 years. The US shuttle Atlantis delivered a relief crew of two ... -
1991 Thatcher to retire from Commons
Margaret Thatcher is to give up her seat in the House of Commons at the general election. The former prime minister, who has held her Finchley ... -
2000 IRA weapons dump inspected
International inspectors say they have seen a large number of IRA weapons “safely and adequately stored” in bunkers. After the first inspection of its kind, former ... -
1985 Air India jet crashes killing 329
A passenger jet has disintegrated in mid-air off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board. The Air India flight was only 45 minutes ... -
1981 Chapman pleads guilty to Lennon murder
A man has pleaded guilty to shooting dead former Beatle John Lennon in New York. The court heard Mark Chapman dramatically change his plea to admit ... -
1982 Princess Diana gives birth to boy
Diana, Princess of Wales, has given birth to a boy sixteen hours after checking in to St Mary’s Hospital, in London. The boy, who has been ... -
1984 O-Levels to be replaced by GCSEs
O-Level and CSE exams are to be abolished and replaced by a new examination for 16 year olds, in the biggest exam shake-up for over 10 ... -
1975 Missing earl guilty of murder
Lord Lucan murdered the 29-year-old nanny of his three young children, an inquest jury has decided. The earl has not been seen since the night Sandra ...
