Swindon

1951 The Reedy Brook in the small valley to the side of Rodbourne Cheney Church was the subject of a talk given to members of Swindon Conservative Women’s Luncheon Club by local history expert Mr AC Knapp. He said there was evidence of a small hamlet having existed on the site of Rodbourne Cheney before the Norman Conquest, as stones discovered in the church revealed not not just Norman but Saxon origins.

1961: An American Air Force staff sergeant stationed at Brize Norton momentarily forgot which country he was in while driving along Cambria Bridge Road in Swindon. His left hand drive car hit an oncoming car on the left hand side of the road. The American was found guilty by Swindon magistrates,fined £10 and ordered to pay £10 in costs. He had told the court: “There was nothing I could do. I grabbed the steering wheel and closed my eyes.”

1971: A large crowd of parents and children greeted Swindon Town hero Don Rogers when he arrived at Chiseldon County Primary School to open its sports day. It was the first event staged by the school in its effort to raise £1,000 for a swimming pool.

The world

1054: A supernova, called SN 1054, was seen by Chinese Song dynasty, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remained bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.

1776: The American Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia. It was not fully written or signed until August.

1826: Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, dies the same day as John Adams, second president of the United States, on the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence.

1829: The first regular scheduled bus service was introduced in London. It was horse-drawn and ran between Marylebone Road and Bank.

1840: The Cunard Line began its first Atlantic crossing when the paddle steamer Britannia sailed from Liverpool to Halifax. The voyage took just over 14 days.

1845: Thomas John Barnardo, Dublin-born philanthropist, was born. In 1867 he started homes for some of London’s many destitute children. They became known as Dr Barnardo’s Homes though he never qualified as a medical doctor.

1892: James Keir Hardie, standing in the General Election at Holytown, Lanarkshire, became the first Socialist to win a seat in the British Parliament.

1934: Marie Curie, pictured, Nobel Prize-winning scientist who discovered radium, fell foul of her own discovery when she died as a result of over-exposure to radioactivity.

1968: Alec Rose - later Sir - landed at Portsmouth after sailing single-handed around the world in Lively Lady.

1976: Israeli commandos ended the Entebbe hostage crisis in a daring raid in which seven Palestinian terrorists were killed. Three of the 98 hostages - mainly Israeli - also died.

2016: Nigel Farage stepped down as leader of UKIP following the vote to leave the European Union, saying he had achieved the aim for which he went into politics.

BIRTHDAYS Gina Lollobrigida, actress, 89; Bill Withers, singer-songwriter, 79; Prince Michael of Kent, 75; Jenny Seagrove, actress, 60; Neil Morrissey, actor, 55; Henri Leconte, former tennis player, 54; Jo Whiley, DJ, 52.