SWINDON

1951: Young readers leaving the junior branch of Swindon Public Library for the senior one were issued with a leaflet called Changing Over. It gave a comprehensive list of authors to be found in the senior branch, along with details of the general layout. The leaflet was the idea of the children’s librarian, Miss J Nockolds.

1951: Mr G Snook, bandmaster of Swindon Salvation Army Citadel Band, was back in Swindon after a week teaching at the Salvation Army camp for young musicians in Hadleigh, Essex. He was one of seven instructors chosen from branches across England and Wales to teach music theory and practice to 140 young men from 49 towns and boroughs.

1961: An 85-year-old Chiseldon man, Mr J Pearce, had taken up gardening seriously only two years before, but soon discovered he had green fingers. His plants included a columnar cactus which he’d acquired as a two-inch specimen and seen grow to about three feet. Mr Pearce also had success with peas, blackcurrants, gooseberries and cabbage. They, like his cactus, won prizes at local shows.

1961: There was a change of personnel at the parish magazine of St Peter’s in Penhill. Philip West, who had been a columnist under the pseudonym Cuthbert for some time, took over as editor, succeeding Ronald Bishop. Mr Bishop had been in charge for only four months, but was giving up the editorship as he was moving away from Swindon.

1971: Young chess champions Christopher and Peter Cooley were relaxing at home in Drakes Way after their triumph at the British Chess Federation Congress, a 14-day competition in Blackpool. Christopher, 16, and Peter, 14, each won their age classes at the event, and said they planned to continue entering every year.

1971: Mr MG Deverill of Langford Grove was given a medal to recognise a dozen years’ service with the Royal Observer Corps. Members of the organisation, which was disbanded in 1995, watched the skies for enemy aircraft. Mr Deverill, who worked for Pressed Steel, was presented with his medal by Observer Commander DN James at a ceremony in Lechlade. Mr Deverill was in charge of the observer post, so his duties included organising personnel to ensure 24-hour coverage.

THE WORLD

410: Rome fell to a western group of the tribes known as the Visigoths.

1793: France introduced the first national conscription, claiming all unmarried men aged 18 to 25.

1873: The Albert Bridge across the Thames at Chelsea was opened.

1914: The Battle of Mons, in Belgium near the French frontier, began.

1926: Rudolph Valentino, “the world’s greatest screen lover’’, died in New York aged 31 from complications of ruptured appendix and gastric ulcer. Thousands of women lined his funeral route.

1938: Len Hutton scored what was then a world record Test score of 364 against Australia at The Oval.

1939: Germany and Russia signed a short-lived non-aggression pact which left Hitler free to attack Poland.

1940: The Blitz began as German bombers launched an all-night raid on London.

1960: Oscar Hammerstein II, American lyricist, died. His collaboration with Richard Rodgers to produce Oklahoma in 1943 changed the whole form and shape of the musical. They followed with South Pacific, The King And I, and The Sound Of Music.

1987: French racing driver Didier Pironi was killed in a power boat race off the Isle of Wight.

2016: CCTV images were released appearing to show Jeremy Corbyn walking past empty unreserved train seats before he was filmed sitting on the floor complaining about ‘’ram-packed’’ carriages.

BIRTHDAYS Shelley Long, actress, 68; Rick Springfield, singer, 68; Edwyn Collins, singer, 58; Shaun Ryder, singer, 55; Mark Butcher, former cricketer, 45; Scott Caan, actor, 41; Ritchie Neville, singer, 38; Glen Johnson, footballer, 33.