SWINDON

1950: The RAF Hospital at Wroughton was the first military hospital in the United Kingdom to be used by British war casualties from Korea. The 500-bed hospital, near Swindon, was considered the most suitable as it was only 30 minutes ambulance drive from Transport Command’s air terminus at RAF Station Lyneham.

1961: Mr Francis Noel-Baker, Swindon Labour MP, was involved in a heated discussion with a Conservative MP over the Government’s proposed new Immigration Bill, on the BBC TV programme, Tonight. Mr Noel-Baker called the bill, which would limit immigration, a disaster. He told Sir Cyril Osborne, Conservative MP, that it was a surrender to the prejudices of the Conservative party.

1971: Burmah Oil has announced that it plans to be in operation in Swindon by 1973. The announcement was made by Mr E D Reid, Divisional Group Estates, Burmah Oil London, to parents and pupils at Penhill Secondary School’s 13th prizegiving where he was the speaker.

THE WORLD

1534: The Act of Supremacy was passed, making the King head of the English Church.

1640: The Long Parliament assembled. It was dissolved in March 1660.

1868: Republican Ulysses S Grant was elected president of the USA for the first of his two terms in office.

1941: Roy Plomley conceived the idea for Desert Island Discs as he got ready for bed. He put his suggestion to the BBC, and the first programme was broadcast in January 1942.

1942: Montgomery’s Eighth Army broke through Rommel’s front line in Africa.

1949: The BBC bought Shepherds Bush Studios in west London from the Rank Organisation.

1975: The Queen opened the North Sea pipeline, the first to be built underwater, bringing 400,000 barrels ashore each day at Grangemouth Refinery on the Firth of Forth.

2016: New figures showed a quarter of a million UK babies have been born as a result of IVF.

BIRTHDAYS Baron (Kenneth) Baker of Dorking, former Cabinet minister, 83; Lulu, singer, 69; Larry Holmes, former boxer, 68; Roseanne Barr, comedy actress, 65; Kate Capshaw, actress, 64; Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard), singer, 63; Ian Wright, former footballer and TV pundit, 54; Dwight Yorke, former footballer, 46.