SWINDON

1952: A letter protesting against the ongoing expansion of Swindon was read out at a meeting of Chiseldon Women’s Institute. It had been submitted by a Miss Whatley, who was unhappy at what she saw as the wasting of good agricultural land as more and more acres disappeared under new housing. Another member, Miss Collard, gave a demonstration of cooking with eggs.

1952: Large congregations were expected during a week-long evangelical mission at Swindon’s Prospect Place Methodist Church. Services were to be conducted by circuit ministers the Reverends CR Owen and GH Morris, assisted by local preachers and several church choirs and worship groups. Before the evening meetings there were to be special gatherings for children and young people.

1962: The Janet Cooke Home Cookery Service of the Potato Marketing Board was to be under the direction of potato expert Miss Florence Cruttenden at the forthcoming Swindon Food Fayre, an event showcasing local food producers and the best in cookery. It was to be opened by Ted Moult, a farmer who was rapidly becoming a major radio and television personality, and who would later be best known for his double glazing adverts.

1962: At a ceremonial parade at the Royal Air Force Hospital in Wroughton, the Company of Veteran Motorists’ Transport Command Road Safety Trophy was presented to the Motor Transport Flight, Wroughton, for their best road safety record. During the previous year, the flight had had only one accident in spite of covering 157,591 miles.

1972: Members of the public and an Adver photographer gathered to watch the demolition of the old Swindon Station ticket office. The most spectacular part of the operation was the knocking down of three chimneys. The work was part of a complete modernisation of the building, which had long been criticised as a decrepit disgrace.

1972: Seven Fields Junior School in Swindon hit on a way of helping children learn how to use the telephone - many homes did not have one - while encouraging them to read. The Dial-a-Book service involved telephones outside two classrooms which were directly connected the school library, and pupils could use them to inquire about books and make reservations. Teachers said it was very popular.

THE WORLD

1770: Daniel Lambert was born in Leicester - his adult weight was 739lb and his waist measured 102 inches. When he died it took 20 men to lower his coffin into the grave.

1781: Astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.

1884: Novelist Sir Hugh Walpole was born in Auckland, New Zealand.

1894: The first professional striptease took place at the Divan Fayonau Music Hall in Paris. Le Coucher d’Yvette, as the act was billed, showed a girl undressing to go to bed.

1900: British forces under General Roberts captured Bloemfontein in the second Anglo-Boer War.

1927: The lance ceased to be an official weapon in the British Army.

1928: The St Francis Dam near Los Angeles burst, flooding the countryside and killing around 450 people.

1935: The driving test was introduced in Britain. It was voluntary at this stage, becoming compulsory in June.

1938: Hitler invaded Austria, which was made a German Reich province named Ostmark.

1947: The Government announced a mid-week ban on sport to try to boost productivity.

1963: Chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung invited Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev for talks to try to heal relations.

1985: Russian leader Konstantin Chernenko was buried in Red Square as Mikhail Gorbachev became the youngest member of the ruling Politburo at 54.

1996: Day of the Dunblane Massacre, when lone gunman Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 children and their teacher in the local primary school before turning the gun on himself.

2017: A majority of teachers think exam results are prioritised over the wellbeing of pupils, a charity said.

BIRTHDAYS

Neil Sedaka, singer-songwriter, 79; Joe Bugner, former boxer, 68; William H Macy, actor, 68; Linda Robson, actress, 60; Adam Clayton, rock musician (U2), 58; Annabeth Gish, actress, 47; Stephen Maguire, snooker player, 37; Noel Fisher, actor, 34.