SWINDON

1952: A new clubroom in the Plessey Sports and Social Club, which formerly used the works canteen, officially opened in Cricklade Road, Swindon. The main hall was big enough and equipped for small dances, also other activities such as darts and table tennis. The opening ceremony was performed by Mr T White Wilson, chairman of the executive board of the Plessey Company

1962: A member of the Highworth Silver Band for the past 16 years - since he was a boy of 15 - Mr Thomas Mcleod of Eastview Terrace Highworth, has left for Australia with his wife and two children Alan 11, and Andrew nine. He was a solo trombonist in the band and before he left was presented with an album autographed by members and a travelling clock by former colleagues at the Pressed Steel Company in Swindon.

1972: Swindon councillors in the deputation, which went to the Department of Trade and Industry about the run-down of the railway works, spoke about the situation at a meeting of Swindon Council. The deputation was to make representations to the Ministry not to reduce the level of employment at the works. The run-down period should be as long as possible to mitigate the hardship to both community and individuals.

THE WORLD

1824: Work on John Rennie’s London Bridge began.

1909: “The world’s most beautiful store” opened in London’s Oxford Street. It was named after its American owner, Harry Gordon Selfridge.

1917: Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicated.

1929: In Chicago, boogie-woogie pioneer Clarence ‘Pinetop’ Smith was killed as he sat at his piano, by a gunman’s bullet not intended for him. He was 24.

1932: The New BBC Dance Orchestra made its radio debut under the direction of Henry Hall.

1933: Hitler proclaimed the Third Reich, which he said would endure for a thousand years.

1937: America’s first central blood bank was set up.

1945: Album charts were first published in America, by Billboard, with the King Cole Trio number one.

1956: My Fair Lady opened on Broadway starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. The title was adapted from the Cockney pronunciation of “Mayfair”.

1968: Foreign Secretary George Brown quit as he accused Prime Minister Harold Wilson of running the Cabinet in a dictatorial fashion.

1974: A federal grand jury concluded that President Nixon was involved in a conspiracy to cover up White House involvement in the burglary at the Democratic Party headquarters in 1972.

1984: Only 21 of Britain’s 174 coal mines were working as strikes against the Coal Board’s 5.2% pay offer and its pit-closure programme became official.

1990: Mikhail Gorbachev was elected executive president of the USSR.

BIRTHDAYS Judd Hirsch, actor, 83; Frank Dobson, politician, 78; Mike Love, singer (Beach Boys), 77; David Cronenberg, film director, 75; Sly Stone, musician, 75; Ry Cooder, rock singer, 71; John Duttine, actor, 69; Ben Okri, novelist, 59; Eva Amurri, actress, 33.