Swindon

1951: The Board Of Trade must be told it should take steps to ensure there was an adequate supply of coats, dresses, blouses and underwear for teenage girls, Miss ME Giffard told meeting of a Wiltshire Federation of WIs autumn council.

1961: When soprano Monica Townsend and accompanist Ada Fisher were both taken ill 13-year-old Margaret Fortune stepped into the breach and sang several songs at Swindon Music Club’s concert at the Arts Centre.

1971: After nearly 50 years with Garrard Engineering William Lang, of Drove Drove, retired. He joined in 1922 in the gramophone assembly repairs section.

the world 1517: Martin Luther nailed his 95 ‘theses’ to the church door at Wittenburg, inadvertently sparking the Reformation which split the Church.

1795: Lyric poet John Keats was born in London.

1940: The Battle of Britain ended. The RAF lost 915 aircraft, the Luftwaffe 1,733.

1955: Princess Margaret announced that she would not marry Captain Peter Townsend, a divorcee.

Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India, was shot dead by two Sikh members of her bodyguard in New Delhi.

BIRTHDAYS Michael Kitchen, actor, 69; Charles Moore, journalist and former editor of the Daily Telegraph, 61; Peter Jackson, film director, 56; Larry Mullen Jr, rock drummer (U2), 56; Johnny Marr, rock guitarist, 54; Denis Irwin, former footballer and TV presenter, 52; Ian Walker, former footballer, 46.