Tag: This Day in History
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This Day in History | 1951 Churchill denies ‘warmonger’ claims
The Conservative leader, Winston Churchill, has wound up his election campaign with a hard-hitting speech in which he vigorously denied accusations of warmongering. The former prime ... -
This Day in History | 1966 Double-agent breaks out of jail
One of Britain’s most notorious double-agents, George Blake, has escaped from prison in London after a daring break-out believed to have been masterminded by the Soviet ... -
This Day in History | 2001 Anthrax claims third victim in US
A third person has been diagnosed in the US with the most serious form of anthrax. The unnamed Washington postal worker is being treated for inhalation ... -
This Day in History | 1988 New law could erode right to silence
The British Government has announced plans to change the law regarding a suspect’s right to remain silent so that remaining silent could incriminate rather than protect ... -
This day in history | 1977 Kidnapped German found dead
The body of kidnapped businessman Hanns-Martin Schleyer has been found in the boot of a car in the French town of Mulhouse. It is reported the ... -
This day in history | 1967 Soviets glimpse beneath clouds of Venus
The Soviet Union has successfully sent a space probe into the atmosphere of the planet Venus for the first time. After its four-month journey from Earth, ... -
This Day in History | 1996 Handguns to be banned in the UK
The British Government has announced plans to outlaw almost all handguns following the shocking massacre at Dunblane in Scotland. On 13 March Thomas Hamilton walked into ... -
This day in history | 1988 Government loses Spycatcher battle
The British Government has lost its long-running battle to stop the publication of the controversial book Spycatcher, written by a former secret service agent. Law Lords ... -
This Day in History |1986 Reykjavik summit ends in failure
US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev have failed to reach agreement at a disarmament summit in Reykjavik. The two men came close to ... -
This Day in History | 1967 Che Guevara ‘shot dead’
Marxist revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara has reportedly been killed during a battle between army troops and guerillas in the Bolivian jungle. A statement issued by the ... -
This day in history | 2003 The Terminator takes on California
The film star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been elected governor of California, ousting the incumbent, Gray Davis, three years before his term was due to end. It ... -
This day in history | 1977 Invasion of Swedish identical twins
Ninety sets of Swedish identical twins have travelled to Felixstowe for a brief shopping trip. The twins are taking part in studies by researchers from the ... -
This Day in History | 2000 Milosevic quits, street celebrations continue
Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has resigned, following mounting pressure to quit over allegations of vote-rigging. The Yugoslav Constitutional Court, which only ... -
This Day in History | 1962 Mississippi race riots over first black student
Two people have been killed and at least 75 injured in rioting at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford. Hundreds of extra troops have been ... -
This Day in History | 1955 James Dean killed in car smash
The Hollywood film star James Dean has been killed in a road accident in California, USA. The 24-year-old actor was behind the wheel of his German-made ... -
This Day in History | 1960 Khrushchev anger erupts at UN
The Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev has disrupted a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly with several angry outbursts. Twice he pounded his desk and twice ... -
This Day in History | 1964 Kennedy murder was ‘no conspiracy’
There was no conspiracy surrounding the death of President Kennedy but there were serious failures by those responsible for his protection, according to a government report. ... -
This day in history | 1950 Seoul in UN hands
United Nations forces have taken control of the South Korean capital Seoul, three months after it fell to North Korea, the US Army has announced. The ... -
This Day in History | 1980 Iraq bombs Iran as hostilities increase
Iraqi planes have bombed and set on fire Iran’s Kharg Island crude oil export terminal. Iranian officials have confirmed oil exports from the terminal, off the ... -
This Day in History | 1952 Charlie Chaplin comes home
World famous film actor and director Charlie Chaplin has returned to England for the first time in 21 years. He arrived with his wife Oona – ... -
This Day in History | 2001 Simpson smuggled into Afghanistan
The BBC’s world affairs editor has become the only television reporter to broadcast from Taleban-held Afghanistan as the country prepares for an American attack. John Simpson ... -
This Day in History | 1998 Clinton’s Grand Jury testimony released
Bill Clinton’s testimony about his relationship with a young female assistant has been released to the United States public. The video of the American president’s 17 ... -
This Day in History | 1970 Rock legend Hendrix dies after party
Guitarist Jimi Hendrix has died after collapsing at a party in London. Police say there was no question of foul play. A number of sleeping pills ... -
This Day in History | 1993 Shock as racist wins council seat
The British National Party has won its first council seat in a by-election in East London, provoking fear in the local Asian community. Unemployed lorry driver ... -
This Day in History | 1958: Historic Sheerness docks to close
The government has announced the closure of one of the oldest naval dockyards in the UK. All 2,500 jobs at Sheerness Docks on the Isle of ... -
This Day in History | 1978 German terror suspect arrested in UK
One of the most wanted members of the West German Baader-Meinhof gang has been detained in London. Astrid Proll, 31, is suspected of having been a ... -
This Day in History | 1985 USSR expels 25 in tit-for-tat spy row
Two days after the British Government ordered the expulsion of 25 alleged Soviet spies, the USSR has retaliated by throwing out 25 British nationals. It follows ... -
This Day in History | 2001 US rocked by day of terror
The United States is in a state of shock after a day of attacks which have left thousands dead and New York’s World Trade Center destroyed. ... -
This Day in History | 2000 Daring rescue frees jungle hostages
One British paratrooper has been killed and 11 injured during a bold mission to rescue six hostages being held in the Sierra Leonean jungle by a ... -
This Day in History | 1986 Pinochet survives rebel ambush
The president of Chile has escaped an attempt on his life in a fierce attack which killed five of his bodyguards and wounded 11 more. General ... -
This Day in History | 1992 Troops kill 24 at ANC rally
At least 24 people have been killed and 150 injured when soldiers fired on an African National Congress demonstration on the border of Ciskei in South ... -
This Day in History | 1957 Homosexuality ‘should not be a crime’
A report sponsored by the government has suggested homosexual behaviour between consenting adults should no longer be a criminal offence. The proposal is the principal and ... -
This Day in History | 1954 National Trust buys remote island
The National Trust for Scotland has taken control of Fair Isle, famous for its bird life and knitted sweaters. The remote island situated between Shetland and ... -
This Day in History | 1951 Designers prepare to dazzle Venice
British fashion designers have revealed the collection they plan to send to Venice later this week as part of the city’s Biennale arts festival. Last week, ... -
This Day in History | 1997 Princess Diana dies in Paris crash
Diana, Princess of Wales, has died after a car crash in Paris. She was taken to hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning where surgeons ...
