swindon

1952: Mr Michael Pryor of Marlborough Gardens, Faringdon, on the Swindon District staff of the Southern Electricity, had been awarded the Domestic Electricity Salesmanship Diploma of the Electrical Development Association. To win the diploma candidates had to possess the EDA Domestic Electricity Salesmanship Certificate, have two years of service as a salesman and answer a questionnaire from a panel of examiners.

1962: Tributes in rhyme were paid to two retiring staff of the Swindon branch of Woolworths. A dinner was held in honour of Miss Elsie Tolchard and Miss Amie Smith who combined a total of 82 years to their credit. It took place in the Moonrakers Hotel in Swindon. Mr L B Sherlock superintendent of the company’s Reading branch proposed the toast and Miss Tolchard said she left with a very sad heart that she had come to retirement.

1972: A play about Swindon was to be staged at the Wyvern Theatre, starring actor Anthony Booth, who visited Swindon’s Railway Works to get a flavour of the town and help him with his role. The play, A Full Head of Steam, was written by headmaster of Even Swindon Junior School and it was described by its director Roger Redfern as in a documentary style. It told the story of the killing of steam and the changing face of Swindon through music and drama.

the world

1746: Spanish painter Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes was born in Fuendetodos.

1814: Britain and its allies entered Paris in triumph against Napoleon Bonaparte.

1842: Ether was used as an anaesthetic for the first time, by American surgeon Dr Crawford Long.

1853: Artist Vincent van Gogh, who painted Sunflowers, was born in the Dutch

village of Groot-Zundert.

1856: The Crimean War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

1867: Alaska was bought by America from Russia for 7.2 million dollars - less than two cents an acre.

1945: The advancing Russian forces captured the Baltic Sea port of Danzig, also known as Gdansk.

1964: The seaside resort of Clacton was the scene of pitched battles by gangs of mods and rockers.

1972: The Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act came into force decreeing direct rule from London and prompting the resignation of then prime minister of Northern Ireland Brian Faulkner.

1979: The people of Iran voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing an Islamic Republic in a two-day referendum.

1981: US president Ronald Reagan was wounded in an assassination bid outside Washington’s Hilton Hotel.

1986: James Cagney, American tough-guy actor, died aged 86.

1987: Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh was sold at auction by Christie’s for £24.75 million.

2002: The Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep at Buckingham Palace at the age of 101.

BIRTHDAYS

Warren Beatty, actor, 81; Eric Clapton, guitarist, 73; Robbie Coltrane, actor, 68; MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell), rapper, 56; Tracy Chapman, singer, 54; Piers Morgan, broadcaster and former tabloid editor, 53; Celine Dion, singer, 50; Norah Jones, singer, 49.