Swindon

1951: A Swindon man fell foul of British officialdom because of two tins of baby milk. The unnamed man’s wife, who was German, visited loved ones in her homeland with her baby, leaving him in Swindon. She sent word that he should send two tins of the baby’s favourite milk, and he tried to do so – only to be told he needed an export licence.

1961: Mr and Mrs RLG Evans brought their new twin daughters, Ann and Susan, home to Sycamore Grove in Swindon, only to discover that their pet tortoise had laid her first egg. The Adver noted that tortoises tended to lay about 100 eggs over the course of a couple of months, and that the reptile mother, like the human parents, faced some hard work.

1971: Captain and Mrs D Deuchar opened their home in Aldbourne to the Swindon Floral Art Society, whose colourful arrangements attracted hundreds of visitors from throughout the area. The visitors were asked for donations for the Save The Children Fund. About 100 flower arrangements represented the work of 30 members of the society, and hundreds of flowers were donated by people from the village.

the world

100 BC: Roman emperor Julius Caesar was born, not by Caesarean section as is often claimed, though his name does come from the Latin ‘’to cut’’.

1543: Henry VIII married Catherine Parr, his sixth and last wife. She outlived him and married again after his death.

1730: Josiah Wedgwood, English pottery designer and manufacturer, was born in Burslem, Staffordshire.

1854: George Eastman, US photographic pioneer who founded Kodak, was born in New York State. He chose the name Kodak because it was easy to remember.

1895: Oscar Hammerstein, lyricist who with Richard Rodgers wrote Oklahoma, South Pacific, The Sound Of Music and The King And I, was born.

1910: Charles Rolls, pioneering pilot and co-founder of Rolls-Royce, was killed when he crashed his biplane in a flying competition - the first British aviation victim.

1920: US president Woodrow Wilson officially opened the Panama Canal.

1969: Tony Jacklin became the first British golfer since 1951 to win the British Open.

BIRTHDAYS Frank Windsor, actor, 90; Christine McVie, singer, 74; Gareth Edwards, former rugby player, 70; Cheryl Ladd, actress, 66; Gaby Roslin, TV presenter, 53; Annabel Croft, former tennis player, 51; Anna Friel, actress, 41; Gareth Gates, singer, 33.